“All right, someone remind me why the Nadirii have been our enemies for nearly three hundred years,” Mac demanded as they all rode side by side behind the women in front of them.

Not five minutes ago, they’d entered The Enchantments.

Before they did this, on a somewhat gray, blustery day in Wodell, the women stopped them in a perfectly ordinary area of the forest.

Elena, Jasmine and Hera had dismounted.

They’d then walked in a line, though separated about ten feet between them, and they did this humming.

Cass could make out Elena’s lyrical lilt from his place in his saddle.

And he’d been mesmerized by her.

She seemed to be doing naught but striding, and then when they ceased moving, standing, however there was an energy emanating from her that was enthralling.

The hum increased in volume, but it did not take long before all three women arched back, their hair flying, their arms extending behind them, when a stiff wind blew as great rifts formed in the air before them.

Three domed openings some two feet taller than a man on a horse and just wide enough for that horse to walk inside could be seen, like rents in the very air, these rents appearing to separate one world from another.

Cass had lost his breath.

For beyond these openings, as they sat astride their horses on a dreary day in Wodell where the leaves were mostly gone from the trees and the landscape was barren and dull (save the green of the grass that never quite went away in Wodell), before them was bright sunlight shafting golden rays through colossal trees that had leaves bright as shamrocks, others as striking as limes, still others as bold as a parakeet’s breast.

The grass was a sea of emerald and Kelly and apple green.

The dark bark of the trees was a stunning contrast to this feast of verdant green with the only backdrop being a sky of pure blue without even a single cloud to mark its flawlessness.

Cassius realized he’d been sitting in stunned silence, staring at his first glimpse of The Enchantments when Jazz called, “All right, men, ride on and welcome to The Enchantments!”

Rose rode through first, Ian following her through the opening Hera had made.

Mac rode through next, using the opening Jasmine had created, Jazz moving back to swing atop her mare and follow him.

Cass rode through last, tearing his gaze from the view to watch Elena as he passed her on her way back to her mount.

She was grinning up at him.

He shook his head down at her in disbelief at what she had just shown him, and that she was so damned cheeky in doing it.

Once inside, the women took lead, mostly because the men slowed their steeds in order to take it all in.

The openings had closed behind them directly after Hera, Jasmine and Elena rode through.