Page 52 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“What are you afraid of?” I try to change the subject.

“War,” he says. I want him to elaborate, but if I’m giving one-word answers I can’t complain when he does. The only war I’ve ever heard of was the War of the Realms. I know very little about it, only that it was hundreds of years ago and is what separated the realms.

“Who else has hurt you?” Nyx pulls me from my train of thought. If I tell him it was Aidan, then he won’t want to take me to the Lycan Realm. I have no choice but to grab the bottle and take a drink. I can tell by the look in his eye he’s disappointed with my lack of response, but I just shrug my shoulders. That’s the game.

“The War of the Realms was before you were born. Why are you afraid of war?” I hope he doesn’t take a drink just to spite me.

“Did you learn anything about the War of the Realms growing up?” He answers my question with a question, but I play along.

“Not much. Just that it was a very long time before I was born, and it’s what divided the Realms, causing everyone to segregate.”

“My parents and your father fought in the War of the Realms. The war wasn’t about segregation. That just happened to be one of the outcomes when things settled. Before the war there was no Nighthold or Cloudrum. The Feral Sea didn’t split the land but surrounded it instead. All the Realms were connected, and the continent was called Eguina.”

“What in all the realms has the power to split the earth like that?”

“It’s what lies beyond the realms,” Nyx says, and an uneasy feeling sparks to life in my chest.

“Zomea.”

“But how?” I forget about the game for the moment.

“Zomea is not fully understood. It’s hard to understand something we’ve never seen, hard to grasp the idea of an alternate universe let alone an afterlife. A group of Sorcerers wanted to unlock Zomea, but many of the Fae were against it, especially the ones with midnight mind. The Fae with midnight mind were the only ones who could see Zomea and probably understood it more than anyone else. The war went on for years, and it came to a head when Zomea was unlocked.”

“Who unlocked it and how?”

“I don’t know how it was unlocked, but a group of Sorcerers ultimately found a way to unlock it. The ground shook for days. Huge cracks formed in the earth and grew so large you could no longer see land on the other side. Fire erupted from volcanoes that had been silent for millennia, spewing molten lava that consumed everything in its path. The sky turned black as night, and ash rained down like a deadly snowstorm, choking the air and suffocating the land. Your father Euric is the one who was able to close Zomea for good. Then our fathers set out to kill everyone who knew how to unlock it, and most of the Fae with midnight mind were slaughtered in the process as well. Once the land was split and there was a big divide between the Fae and the Sorcerers, my parents claimed Nighthold and your ancestors claimed Cloudrum. Over the years, the realms were formed, and the Lycan and Lamia fell into place, having their own territories as well. To this day Zomea is rarely spoken about, and not much is taught about the war because most literature on it has since been destroyed in one of the largest cover-ups in history—orchestrated by our fathers.”

I move to sit next to him. I need a moment to process.

“Come here.” Nyx pulls me onto his lap, and my legs wrap comfortably around his back.

“I just don’t understand why my father would fight so hard to close Zomea then put the very key that opens it inside me, his only daughter. Why was he trying to open it again if doing so hurt so many?”

His eyes wander away from me, and I can tell he’s thinking of something else, but what?

“The difference is the prophecy Euric wrote about says you are the key to unlocking a bridge to Zomea, not unlocking Zomea itself. I spoke with Granger about this, and he believes by unlocking a bridge to Zomea it would be like a portal of sorts where you could travel there physically. Now you can go there in your dreams, and it’s random. You don’t have control. Unlocking a bridge would mean you or anyone else could practically walk into Zomea. At least that is the theory. Granger didn’t know of there ever being a bridge or portal to Zomea before.” Nyx takes a sip of whiskey, distracted. I wonder if he’s not telling me everything.

“Are you sure you can trust Granger? I wish you’d have told me you were going to talk to him about me.”

“Yes, we can trust him. And you’re right. I’m sorry. Next time I’ll include you.”

“Do all the elders live in that palace together?”

Nyx picks up curly pieces of my hair playing with them. “No, they don’t. The palace is Granger’s home, just him and his family live there.”

“When I met Colton, I assumed he was an elder because he told me that was his home.”

“Colton didn’t lie. I’m sure he just tried to manipulate the situation because that’s what Colton does. Granger is Colton’s father, so it’s his home, but he’s not an elder.” Nyx runs his hand in slow circles down my back, and his touch feels so nice.

“That explains why I ran into him in the library earlier today.” Nyx’s hand is still on my back. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“I’m saying something now. What’s the deal with you two anyways. Is he a friend?”

His hand seems to relax, his fingertips drawing lazy circles on my skin. “He’s not a friend. We have a complicated history—I don’t trust him. What did he say to you in the library?”

I glance over at my pile of clothes. Nyx’s father’s journal is still tucked into my pants out of sight. I don’t know why exactly, but I decide to keep it to myself. “He didn’t say much, just asked what I was doing, and I gave him a vague answer. Then he left.”

“Good. Enough talk of war and the past. We’re here together right now. Let's enjoy tonight.” He gently takes my chin in his hand and kisses me softly.