Nyles scowled and in a disbelieving voice said, "M'lady, you must be jesting?" She looked at Anastasia's calm expressions. She smacked her head. "This plan of yours is impossible! Who knows if Iona is even alive? There is a one in a million chance that she is alive. It is absolutely ridiculous to even think about her."

Anastasia put her plate on the bench of the carriage and took Nyles' hands in hers. "Don't be so scared Nyles. Even if there is one in a million chance to find Iona, I will take it. Aed Ruad will send his forces to find me, but he can never kill me. And do you know why?" There was a small frown on her forehead. "Because according to the laws of Vilinski, he has to marry me to be the king. There is no way he can harm me, and there is no way I will let him harm you. So relax."

Nyles removed her hands from Anastasia's and burst out, "Relax? Don't you know the kind of power the man wields? He is a Fae prince, for Gods sake! My family and I are going to be called as Fallen forever. They will ruin us." She put her head in her hands and shook it. "You are making a big mistake, and as your guardian, I will not let you do it. So I am going to find the next exit portal that will take us back to the Fae kingdom of Vilinski and you are going to go back with me!"

"No Nyles, that will not happen," Anastasia said in a determined voice very calmly. She looked out of the carriage window . The mist around them was thicker than before. It was like a cloud of milk floating around them and somewhere outside that cloud were the portals Nyles was talking about. She could feel the intensity of the energy of the portals whenever she neared them. It was like a call to her homeland, as if they wanted to take back what truly belonged to them.

"Are you even hearing yourself?" Nyles said in an exasperated tone. "We all know that Aed Ruad had destroyed the wizard kingdom. Everyone in Vilinski says it. They know it. Draoidh was destroyed long ago. It's king and queen have disappeared and its prince—he has turned to the dark side. We keep hearing how corrupt that man is. He is like a pirate of the Lore who only plunders establishments. He is a paid assassin responsible for bloodshed and misery everywhere he has gone. He is nothing but evil, lurking in the shadows. Not a single person in Vilinski knows where he is. They say he is the Dark Prince, the Dark Wizard—a man who is dangerous beyond words… and you want to go to his parents? Can't you see how twisted this is?"

Anastasia shuddered inwardly. She had heard all about that man. The Dark Prince was a buccaneer, a marauder. They also said that he had connections in the human realm—a place her people were forbidden to go because it was the place where they were worshipped. Offerings were given to them, and they thrived upon those offerings. The people of her kingdom were highly protected, for they were the highest species in the world of Lore. They were not allowed to step out of Vilinski for the fear that the Dark One was lurking around. And also because most of them, no, all of them feared that they would be Fallen once they leave the kingdom. Only Aed Ruad, Maple and some of their close confidantes left the kingdom under strict supervision of the royals. Anastasia took a deep breath wondering if she took the right decision...

She knew that Aed Ruad had massacred the people of Draoidh kingdom after they had waged a war against Vilinski some eight years back.

Nyles continued, "And how do you think a queen who has abandoned her throne, who doesn't have a kingdom, whose people hardly remain, is going to help you? Where will you find her? M'lady they are like apparitions. They don't exist. And I am scared that in our pursuit of something impossible we will fall into the hands of the bad boy of Lore." She breathed. "So no, I am going to make sure that we go back." Saying that Nyles slumped back on the bench and closed her eyes. After a moment of silence she opened her eyes and found Anastasia looking at the small fire that was burning on the outside. She took her hands and opened her palm. Placing a green pill in it she said, "Here, have this."

Anastasia looked at her with a start.

Nyles smiled. "I always carry extra with me, for you."

Anastasia chuckled. Nyles went out muttering that she was extremely hungry and no one took care of her.

Anastasia opened the door of the carriage and stepped out and sucked in clean, fresh, misty air. She surveyed the area around her. The trees were veiled with the thick mist, their trunks almost sable with wetness that had cracked and gnarled the bark . As her eyes traveled further on, the trees became silhouettes against a blanket of white. Everything was blurred. The forest around them yawned, only the small hearth of crackling fire, five men and two women around her broke the view of swirling white. "White meadow," she murmured and rubbed her arms. It was very cold.

"Belated Happy Birthday," his lilting voice startled her.

She turned to her heel and found him towering over her. Her cheeks pinked. "Thank you," she said with a faint smile. It was the first time someone had acknowledged her eighteenth birthday. Three days back she was supposed to be married to Aed Ruad. Instead she was standing in front of a vukodlak and an inhumanly handsome one at that. From the corner of her eye she found Kaizan and Darla watching them.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with a guarded expression.

There was a dull ache still in her back, but she was so much better. She was surprised at the speed she had healed. "I am better," she replied. "Thanks for all that you are doing for me…" she added. "I don't know how I can ever repay you… ?"

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