The Otherworld was where I belonged. There were opportunities here that I hadn’t been afforded in Edenglas, a whole new way of living that just made sense to me, felt right. It was an experience, a new beginning, a calling, all rolled into one, and I only wished I’d known it sooner.

Except now I had forever to enjoy it, so could I really be greedy about it?

A melty feeling settled within me as Cair slotted in behind me, his legs bracketing mine as he slid his feet into the water. “A ruby for your thoughts, sweetheart?”

I sagged against his chest, sighing happily as his hands smoothed over my thighs. “Just thinking about how much better my life is having met you, and how much I adore being here. My home.”

He kissed the side of my neck. “That pleases me to hear. What do you like about it? The Otherworld, I mean.”

That was a loaded question, but… “It’s not as modern as I expected it to be.”

“I must admit, when I first stepped through the Veil into the human realm, it was a bit of a shock.” I tilted my head to show I was listening, and he carried on. “It was the early nineteen hundreds, and though it was vastly different than it is now, it was still more reliant on machinery than I was used to. The progression your kind has made over the years is… impressive. The Fae realm has magic, which we use for power, transport, and plumbing, but we keep to as simple a life as possible. Natural is our way.”

I hummed.

It must have been strange for him: the skyscrapers, the cars, the lack of greenery, the polluted air. He’d told me that he’d been interested in the human realm since he was a kid. He’d studied the lands, the customs, and inventions in between learning how to be a prince, but words and pictures on paper were vastly different from actually seeing it with your own eyes.

A fact I’d been finding out for myself every day since crossing that border in Edenglas.

“I like that.” I shrugged. “Sure, I miss watching movies and being able to call Alex, but those losses seem insignificant compared to what I’ve gained in return. I might not be cut out for prince-ing—or king-ing—and I would be more suited to a less extravagant existence, but I’m grateful for what I have, what you have granted me. The knowledge I was denied before, the freedom to be myself and explore my interests without judgment, a sense of belonging and a love I never thought I’d find.” I reached back to place my palm on the side of his face, suddenly feeling all sentimental. There was definitely something in the water. “Thank you for following that instinct in your soul all those years ago.”