Beyond the Fairy Gate

Chapter 5

Damien shook his head as his mate's mind left his. Angelica and Rebecca were currently standing in front of him, a hand on each of his shoulders, keeping him upright. Before he'd blinked into his mate's mind, they had been several feet away from him. So, it was safe to assume that he had almost hit the ground. He smiled weakly at them as the aftermath of the connection subsided. Nathan and Ryan were standing several feet from him, looking concerned.

"Are you alright?" Angelica's soft voice asked as she released him and took a step back.  Rebecca held onto him for just two more seconds before releasing him and retreating.

"I'm more than alright," Damien spoke, his voice full of spirit as he looked around at his scouts. "I saw Jake; he was standing directly in front of her. I can't believe he found her! He found her. We have to hurry; I can't wait to meet her finally." His mind flittered to the image that he had created since he was small of his mate.

A fragile dainty little thing with vibrant red hair and eyes full of life, her face smiling and soft when she saw him and gave a small curtsy muttering 'my beloved, you have finally found me. I can now return to my homeland and take my rightful place.' before she stood and giggled shyly. Then she would throw her arms around him in an embrace and whisper in his ear. 'I've waited so long to meet you; this is like a dream come true!'

"Damien!" Damien jolted out his mind to see Rebecca standing next to him, her face hard. "What do you mean you saw Jake? What's going on?"

"Our minds connected for a second," Damien spoke, his excitement making his voice shake. "Jake was standing right in front of her. He must have found her." Damien started, but Ryan grabbed his arm.

"I know you're excited, but please remember where we are," He spoke softly, his eyes darting around the surrounding forest. The forest not only held dangerous animals, but they could never be sure if someone that didn't agree with the crown had followed him. This sort of thing had happened since he was young, so it wasn't really anything new.  

"Sorry," Damien laughed, "I just got ahead of myself. I'm just so excited. Our efforts might finally bear fruit."  Damien grinned at his scouts as they started back off down the path.

After what felt like far too long to Damien, they came to several trees that seemed to bend inwards towards their top, making an entrance. After several feet of the enclosed door, the trees opened up into a larger enclosure. A small pond was sitting next to a modest wooden cabin. Standing directly and slightly over the cabin was a large oak tree, its leaves brushing the very top of the black slated roof. Damien looked around the clearing and saw that large grey circular rocks surrounded the pond with large purple and pink water lilies rocking slightly from an invisible ripple.  The grass around the clearing had been cut short by a hand blade, making it look neat but uneven. The trees encircled the clearing, several feet away from the pond but mirroring the shape.

"The witch that controls the portal lives here," Angelica spoke in her soft, calm voice. "I will go speak with her...alone." Damien pulled his eyes away from the water lilies and looked at her.

"Are you sure? I've heard many stories about the witch that lives here, and none of them are good." At this point, Angelica giggled softly.

"I will be excellent. Do not worry, my prince." Damien looked at her for a long moment. His title's second use in such a short span made his ears prick. His scouts knew that he didn't like them using his title, so when they used it was always weird. However, at this moment, there was more going on than he understood, and he knew that. She turned without another word and headed towards the cabin.

"Be careful." Damien cautioned, his voice hard. He understood that Angelica seemed to know what she was doing, but that did not make him feel better. He detested sending his scouts into a dangerous situation without knowing what the situation would entail. However, Angelic seemed unfazed as she paused and looked at him.