Page 1073 of One More Kiss
“Open your eyes.”
Alyssia was standing opposite me in the other hallway alcove, the one I’d noticed yesterday. She smiled.
“I did it?” I looked to my left. The window with the view was right there. “I did it!”
“You belong here, Li-Li. The Palace recognizes you and allows you to travel freely. I’ll take you to the different places so you can imprint the feel of each. Soon you will be able to travel anywhere you wish.”
She stepped into my circle and linked arms with me. “Now, we go to see Father.”
I focussed on keeping my eyes open so I’d be able to notice the moment when we transitioned from one place to another. It was no good. I must have blinked, because one minute we were in my hallway and the next we were somewhere else. “I’ll never get used to this.”
We were in a hallway similar to the one we’d come from, except there were four circles instead of two and the windows were on my other side. I went to the windows and looked out.
The land stretched out forever. In the distance were sparkly mountains, the air refracting off them to make them glitter. Maybe there was snow.
There was also a castle and it looked bigger than the one we were in, even from this far away. “Wow.”
“That’s the Queen’s castle.” Alyssia’s shoulder brushed against mine. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
Where the Midnight Palace had appeared dark and forbidding when I’d seen it from a distance, the Queen’s castle matched the mountains around it, bright and sparkly. I could only nod in reply.
“Come on, Father’s expecting us.”
I followed her along the hallway and around a corner to where two guards stood outside large, oval-shaped double doors. I thought they might have been the same guards as yesterday but couldn’t be sure.
Alyssia knocked lightly on one of the doors. “It’s me.” She didn’t wait for an answer, simply opening the door and dragging me inside with her.
The office was light and airy with the same view of forever I’d seen from the transit zone. One end was dominated by an antique timber desk with several comfortable looking chairs arranged in front, like you’d expect in any professional office where business was transacted. There was a sitting area at the other end near the floor length windows.
The Midnight Prince rose from his seat and came around the desk to greet us.
Now that I was seeing him properly, standing in front of me fully dressed instead of reclining in the rock pool, he was magnificent. Strong, lithe and graceful. Everything that Fin was but somehow more.
He took Alyssia’s hands in both of his and stepped into her, kissing her on each cheek. It was very European. He repeated his actions with me and I fought a blush. I wasn’t used to this type of treatment.
“Sit, please.” He indicated the window seats and led us over. Food was laid out on the low table, along with a full English teapot and cups and saucers.
“Have you eaten?” He waited until we both sat down before sitting himself. “Would you like tea?”
It was all very civilized.
I nodded, and accepted a cup of tea. Alyssia handed me a plate of food she’d selected. It looked like some sort of wafer spread with… jam? Faerie toast and jam? I stifled a giggle. I’d have to learn the proper names of things if I planned on sticking around.
Which I didn’t, which was why I was here.
“Thanks for breakfast,” I said. “But I’m not here for food. I’d like to discuss my return home.”
“Home? You are home, are you not?” The Prince looked puzzled. “You are here where you belong.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t belong here. My home is back in the Earth realm, with my Mom. So is Alyssia’s.”
“You wish to leave?” He took a sip from his tea, prompting me to do the same. “It is not my preference, but I will not force you to stay.”
That was easy. My suspicion sense was tingling. What did he want?
“I have one proviso.”
And there it was. The whammy.
