We all slammed into the marble floor of the estate's grand entrance. We landed sprawled across the floor, not on our feet like any other time I'd spectered with Damien or Julian.
Of course, they had experience. It was my first time.
I had managed to specter us across realms but was unable to keep my balance as we appeared in Julian's home. It wasn't as jarring as I thought it would be for my first time but it was exhausting. Especially since I had iron on my wrists moments prior draining me.
As soon as we appeared, I tried to stand but promptly fell on my hands and knees.
I watched my parents try as well and fail. They were coughing as if they had the air taken from their lungs as we spectered.
I closed my eyes tightly, fighting the dizziness that was taking over. I tried to stand again and took a step. Before I fell completely on the ground, Julian's strong arms caught me.
"Always falling for me, I see."
I looked at his storm-grey eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to take them -"
He shook his head. "Skryen is your home now too, protections are extended to them as well. What happened?"
Despite everything, I was happy, joyous. Damien wasn't dead - he was alive.
And he needed my help.
I swallowed the nauseousness as I looked at Julian. He'd been somewhere important - wherever it was. He was wearing the clothes he usually wore for formal functions. As I looked into his eyes I realized he was relieved. He was relieved to see me.
"Julian," I whispered. "He's alive. Damien is alive."
He frowned, taking in my words. Realization went over his features as he looked at the scene before him. He took my shaking hands in one of his as the other pulled me close to him. "Emylin, you're in shock. What happened to your wrists?"
"Iron. Robyn used iron on me."
A deep growl reverberated through his large chest.
"He threatened my parents. Asmo gave me pomegranate juice to get them here safely." I shook my head. "Robyn knows everything - that I was gone, training. He put Asmo in the dungeon -" I stopped and met his eyes. "He doesn't know about you though. You and Naida - you're all safe."
"Don't worry about us," he said. He looked at my parents. "Am I meeting your parents?" He chuckled, teasing. "This is all too fast, Emylin, I don't know how I feel about this."
Strangely, I felt myself slowly recovering as he held me. And for a brief moment, I closed my eyes. I was lost in his embrace, lost in his familiar scent and in a strange sense, I really did feel like I was home again.
"What's happening to her?" My father's voice sounded far away.
Julian answered in hushed tones, "Robyn used iron on her. Iron is deadly to faeries. This was also her first time moving multiple people across realms - it's taken a toll." He paused. "But she's resilient, she's recovering already. Do you see her wrists? They're healing."
"Who is Robyn?" My mother spoke up. I had to give my parents credit. They weren't hysterical, they weren't questioning their surroundings or anything I thought they would. Their voices were steady, matter of fact. "He didn't do this to her, it was Damien. Damien got into my head and made me put it on her."
I snapped back to reality. As much as I needed to recover, Damien needed me more.
I began to stand and was finally able to do it with Julian's help. I looked at Julian. "Damien is fighting him now. He's fighting to gain control. I have to go help him."
