// Song: Slip Away - Ruelle
Dedicated to @GabrielaCuentas for the song suggestion.

We appeared on a mountainside. The picturesque view of the valley caught my breath. A river snaked through the mountains leading to a large pristine lake. Beyond the lake were snow-capped mountains so high that they seemed to touch the clouds. Fog curled around us where we stood and I hugged my arms to protect myself from the sudden chill.

The small gravel road we stood on weaved down the mountainside and led to a small town at the base of the valley near the lake. Small houses dotted the dark mountain and a small boat waited on the calm lake.

"Nyxiem," Julian finally said. "The closest town to the entrance I know."

"It's so different from Kingstown," I whispered. "Much older. Almost destroyed."

When I turned, he was nodding. "Yes, Robyn used it as a stronghold once. The impact the army had on this area was devastating. Warren gave them nearly unlimited resources to rebuild but they refused. They wanted to rebuild by their own means at their own pace." He shrugged. "Goblins are stubborn." He stopped as he turned. "Well, not as stubborn as you."

I rolled my eyes at his comment but followed him as he walked up the mountainside road. "Wait," I said to his back. "We're not going?"

He shook his head. "Goblins don't like High fae. They will like the queen even less. Besides, our journey is this way." He pointed up the mountain. "The entrance is around here." I could hear him mumble under his breath, unsure. "Somewhere."

I quietly laughed to myself as I followed him on the trail.

The gravel crunching underneath our feet were the only sounds to keep us company as we ascended the secluded mountains and hills. There were the occasional birds chirping but eventually, it gave way to my huffing as we climbed up the steep mountain. No one appeared on the road. Julian studied the terrain, the trees, and rocks as he continued up the path. Eventually, he ducked into a small cave only large enough for one, disappearing from sight.

I stood by the entrance trying to make him out in the small light he had as it bounced shadows off the rocky surface. "Anything?" I asked.

"Nothing, yet," his voice echoed in the small space. "But I could really use your help. I sense the entrance is nearby--I can't find it."

I frowned, squinting at what I thought was him in the darkness. "What do you mean 'sense it'?"

I stepped aside from the entrance when I heard him approach.

"My Light magic is pulling me to it." He groaned as he pushed himself against the small opening he barely fit through the first time. "I just can't find it."

My breath caught in my throat when he emerged. Seeing Julian with silver hair was something I wasn't sure I could get used to. I'd seen it before briefly when we plummeted into the Styx. At that point, we'd been drenched in head to toe in the filth of the river and his hair had a green hue to it.

But now, it was daylight and the way the sun's rays danced on the color of his hair was just like mine. The strands fell over his forehead, making him toss his head back in an effort to clear it from his eyes.

"I've been feeling it for the last ten minutes, haven't you?"

I swallowed. No, nothing. I hadn't felt anything pull me anywhere. Slowly, I shook my head.

He frowned. "I could have sworn you'd feel it more than I could." He looked at my hair. "Drop the glamour, maybe that will help."

I struggled to find words. "It's not a glamour. I didn't glamour my hair black."

He tilted his head as he looked at me, his tone was one of curiosity instead of the anger I thought I'd hear. "Well, that's a problem"

I swallowed. "This morning, I sat on the throne and..." I shook my head. "I don't know how to explain it other than I felt dark magic accept me." I shrugged. "It's in me now. I've been trying to change it back it to normal since this morning. Nothing has worked."

I watched him nod as I spoke and when I finished, a wicked smile broke on his lips. "I had a feeling that could have happened when you became queen. The throne answers to power, after all. I have an idea of what may help." He paused for a moment. "Do you trust me?"

I nodded.

"We may have to kiss."

I snorted a laugh, unbelieving.

"I'm being serious."

I shook my head as he spoke.

"I don't think Light magic has left you, I would have felt that. It's probably dormant like mine was. You might just need a power boost."

I gave a short laugh trying to sound casual, but really, it was to hide my nervousness. "I'm so glad you can talk about this like it's just jump-starting a car," I stated sarcastically. Kiss Julian? Again? If Vy didn't want to kill me before, she would now.

He smiled and I felt my cheeks warm. "Come on, Emylin. I can't find this place on my own. I need your help. Besides, if this doesn't work, if we can't awaken the Light magic in you, we may need to go back to the Keep and find a different way to go into Elysium. And that will be an even bigger problem altogether."

I sighed, defeated. I shrugged, looking away to hide my smile. "I guess."

When I looked at him, he was much closer and for a moment I was transported back to Tartus. He was gentle then just like now. His hand reached for my cheek and he gently pulled me in his direction.

My eyes didn't leave his as he pulled me closer. He placed his hand on my hip securely and I closed my eyes when we were inches apart. His thumb graced my lower lip and I found myself swallowing my nervousness.

Electricity sizzled between us as he neared and I found that my skin began to tingle where he touched. I leaned closer, eager to close the distance between us. Eager to feel the warmth of his skin.

He stopped. "Well, that worked."

I felt like I was in a hazy dream. I didn't want to leave the comfortable fog my brain was in. "Hmm?"

"I found the entrance." In the next moment, he was gone. I almost fell forward as he left, since he no longer held me in place. I felt terribly cold where his hands had been and I felt my core constrict a little at the sudden emptiness I felt.

I opened my eyes and blinked, trying to rid myself of the fog. I turned my head and watched him disappear through the mountainside.

I blinked again and jogged to where he had been before. He had disappeared through the craggy rocks, as if it had swallowed him whole.

"Julian?" I reached out slowly to the rocky surface fearing I would fall right through but was just met with the cool rock. I pushed against the rock with both hands but nothing happened. "Julian?"

His hand shot out from the rock next to my chest making me jump and squeak in surprise. I slapped it as hard as I could. "You scared me!"

His blonde head popped out from the rocks. He was smiling from ear to ear. "A little different from what I remember, it probably moves so it's never in the same place twice." He extended his hand to me. "Just watch your step and stay close."

I took his hand and instead of being stopped by the massive mountain, I was able to go right through...and into a damp, dark cave.

The powerful, deafening sound of crashing water filled up the cave and when I looked at where there was a small hint of light, I realized that there was a curtain of water beyond it.

"The entrance is in a cave behind a waterfall," Julian yelled over the roar of the water. "Be careful, the floor might be slippery." He began to walk to the entrance still holding my hand in his.

"You never kissed me," I said, loud enough for him to hear. "How did you find it?"

"It was behind you the entire time," he answered. "When I looked back I saw it in the face of the mountain." He stopped and turned towards me fully. "You sounded disappointed, Emylin. Did you want me to kiss you?"

Yes. "No." I shielded my features, turning away from him as I placed a stray hair behind my ear. I knew he couldn't see my flaming cheeks in the dark cave, but I wasn't going to risk it either. "I was just curious, that's all."

I could have sworn I saw his dark outline smile. "Come on, let's get going. We're still not done."

The entrance of the cave led to a small rocky cliff that led out into what looked like a deeply wooded forest. The water was far enough away that it wouldn't impede our path but was still close enough that we were practically soaked when we emerged from behind the waterfall.

I nearly held my breath with the sight on the other side.

Everything was dead.

Large trees towered towards the sky, their branches empty of leaves. Their trunks, large enough that I wouldn't be able to wrap my arms around them, were rotten, falling apart as soon as I touched them. The path we were on was gravel but everything around it had once been full of grass and hedges were now dead too.

And nothing spoke to me.

It wasn't like Skryen where I could feel everything around me. I could feel the creeks and rivers. I could feel the leaves in the trees, the intricate lines of life that tied everything together.

But here, I heard nothing. I felt nothing.

And the more I stood in the silence of the forest, the more the stillness attacked my senses.

There was no comforting humming of life in anything.

It was void and empty and unnatural. And it made my heart ache at the possibility of what it had once been.

Julian touched one of trunks near him. The wood splintered and broke beneath his fingers, falling away like ash. He shook his head. "I was afraid of this." He turned to look at me, and when his eyes met mine, his look softened. "We don't have to continue if you don't want to. I can do this on my own. You can go back to the Keep, I will tell you when it's done."

I shook my head but I couldn't look at him. My eyes were fixed on the dark ground. It looked like it had been scorched like a fire had swept through the forest and voided it of all life. "I want to be here. I have to be here."

He watched me for a moment longer but said nothing.

Eventually, I took a long breath and proceeded with Julian continuing his stride ahead of me. He led us through the winding trail in the dead forest. Nothing changed. Breezes swept through the dead branches but nothing else stirred. I half-expected to hear animals run around us but nothing happened.

The forest was as still as death.

And every step seemed to open the wound in my heart even further.

The trail reached higher altitudes and the sides of it began to turn into harrowing cliffs. I moved closer to the dead brush than the cliff, afraid that I'd lose my footing.

"We're almost there," Julian finally said after a while. "This damn ringing is getting louder."

"What ringing?" I asked.

Julian looked at me again. I couldn't deny the sadness in his eyes. "Can't you hear it, Emylin?"

I didn't.

"Elysium is calling us. Light magic is bringing us home."

Julian continued walking with purpose, following the winding trail as it twisted through the trees.

The thought that I couldn't hear Elysium depressed me. I wasn't sure what was wrong with my Light magic—had the magic from the Throne really taken over?

I ducked behind a tree and leaned against a trunk to hold myself up. I tried to will the tears back. After everything that happened—after everything people had sacrificed, how people had died for this power, I'd failed.

And the burden of it was too much.

"Emylin?"

I sniffled, wiping my cheeks harshly. "Yeah?" I hoped my voice didn't shake when I answered Julian.

"Where did you go?"

"Sorry, I'm here. I was just looking at something." I placed my hand on the tree and pushed against it. The tree crumbled beneath my hand and before I could react, I was falling back down the cliff.