Chapter 45

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Anna looked around at the clearing where Maggie always met her in these dreams and, for the first time, realized that it was the Great Oak Forest in Traverra. The very tree that Anna had her palm against the bark of was the Great Oak itself. How had she not noticed that before?

As normal, orbs of light floated in the space and a faint fog filled the air. Anna wondered if all of this was Maggie's doing. It looked like a dream sequence out of a movie.

Then she saw a figure slumped on the ground in a royal blue dress with her head in her hands. Her long blonde hair created a curtain around her face, but from the shaking of her shoulders, Anna guessed that she was crying. The clearing was eerily quiet as Anna stepped forward and sat in front of her sister.

Maggie looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes, confirming that she had been crying. Steaks of coal ran down her cheeks, but she was still absolutely stunning, in Anna's opinion. She would always be stunning.

"I told you to stop looking for me," Maggie said quietly.

"And I told you that I couldn't do that."

"Anna, you could've been killed! You could've been caught and tortured! You have no idea what the king and queen will do if they get their hands on a human!" Maggie's eyes were wide and wild as she exaggerated her words with gestures of her hands. "They delight in it: the innocent slaughter! They believe humans to be beneath them in every way!"

"Then how have you survived?" Anna knew humans weren't well-liked by the fae, but the torture and murder was news to her.

"I have Elas' protection." Right, Anna remembered now that the prince threatened to abdicate his crown should any harm come to Maggie. "You do not. It was stupid of you to come after me. I warned you, Anna!" Maggie shook her head as new tears fell. "I don't know what I would've done if you'd been caught."

"I had Jake to protect me," Anna said meekly. "I didn't just waltz in! I'm not an idiot child that unwittingly places myself in danger." Her anger was beginning to show. "I've been living with Jake so his scent would cover me and we could get in and out safely. Which is exactly what happened."

"Yes. Jake is another matter. Did he eat the fruit of the land for this little adventure of yours? How is he fae?"

"Of course not!" Anna gestured wildly as she batted away the accusation. "He's half-fae. And until he chooses which heritage to adopt he's human on Earth and fae in Traverra."

"His scent covering you was a long shot, Anna. It was foolish. The only way his scent would actually mingle with yours is if you were mates in a romantic relationship." Anna broke her eye contact and looked down at the ground she was shuffling her feet nervously on. "Anna?" Maggie's voice held a hint of excitement. "Are you and Jake..." Her voice trailed off, but Anna picked up the insinuation.

"We're not sleeping together. Well, I mean, we're literally sleeping together right now, but we haven't, like, slept together-slept together." Butterflies fluttered in Anna's stomach. "I'm his mate." Maggie's eyes lit up like fireworks. "We were dating before we found out. But, we're kind of on a break right now..."

"Oh? What happened?"

"He lied to me about Traverra because he was scared of telling me he was half-fae and everything." Anna rubbed a hand on the back of her neck. "We're working through it. I think... I think we'll be okay."

"Excellent," Maggie was beaming at Anna. "And are you in love?"

Anna felt the blush rising in her cheeks. "Yes. Very much so." Maggie squealed. "He wants to get married."

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