to return feeling to them.
I glanced around, expecting Brina to show up at any moment. “You should probably get out of here, though. I’d hate for you to get caught.”
He scurried off the bed and toward the back corner of the room. But instead of disappearing behind a wall, he started running in a small circle, stopping a few times to look at me.
“What is it?” On shaky legs, I stood and slowly made my way toward him.
My gaze caught on a subtle purpleish shimmer near the mouse, and I paused, knowing it had to be the result of magic. Were the princes going to show up again?
As I approached, the shimmer grew, morphing and stretching into a distorted oval. Inside, I saw a familiar shoreline and blue water before a backdrop of green.
I gasped. It was a portal. And not just any portal—a portal to home.
Stretching my hand out, I walked forward, as though in a trance. Was this a trick?
It had to be. Portals didn’t just appear in Nightmare Penitentiary. In fact, I would have thought it was impossible to perform any magic inside the prison, but the princes had proved me wrong with their fairy tale book ploy. Still, only someone with godlike magic could pull something like this off.
I sensed movement at my feet and halted when I saw the mouse scurrying around, like he was trying to stop me. He was probably right. My gut told me this was a bad idea, especially when I got a whiff of that same bad magic that seemed to be following me.
But my heart yearned for home.
It was so close—a mere step or two away.
The scents of Tuatha Dé Danann were stronger now, and they drew me in like a siren calling a sailor into her snare. I could practically feel the sunlight on my face and the water lapping at my feet.
Home.
Right there was a place I’d never expected to see again. Behind me, a door slammed, and my decision was made. Before I had a chance to second guess myself, I took that step through the portal.
My bare feet sank into dew-covered grass, and I gulped in the sweet, fresh air. Turning back, I got only a glimpse of Brina’s enraged face before the portal shattered into thousands of glittery, magical pieces that fell harmlessly to the ground.
I stood there for a moment, taking in my surroundings. I was in the woods near the loch, and I could see the city spread out behind it. The amphitheater—one of the Fair Folks’ favorite spots to watch challenges and competitions—towered nearby. And the castle perched proudly on the top of a hill, separate but still a part of the beloved landscape.
If this was another dream, I didn’t want to wake up.
Suddenly weary, I sat under a hawthorn and leaned against its trunk. Other than the low murmur of nature around me, the woods were silent. There were no angry villagers with pitchforks and torches. No prison or castle guards creeping forward to take me back into custody. And no princes.
I didn’t understand what was going on. Someone had sprung me from NP, but instead of coming forward, he or she was remaining in the shadows.
It didn’t make sense. Who would want me free? More importantly, who had the power needed to make it happen?
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. There was something very off about this entire situation. I’d known it as soon as I’d spotted the portal.
But I hadn’t been able to resist—not with the lure of home before me.
Yet, home was likely the worst place for me. Every person in Tuatha had to know who I was and what I’d allegedly done. I was nothing more than a fugitive here.
What the heck was I going to do?
The pit grew and grew as I realized how desperate my situation truly was. I’d spent most of my waking hours longing to be back here. But, now that it had come true, I just felt sick.
I was home, but it was wrong. In all of my dreams about this place, I never thought the loch would hold anything but hope for me.
Sitting up straighter, I sucked in a breath. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay here. Brina had probably seen where I was going, and she’d send sentinels or worse, bánánach, after me.
There wasn’t anywhere in Tuatha Dé Danann I was really safe.
I got to my feet, groaning as I stretched muscles