“You’re at war.” I groaned and dove for Everest, burying my face in his chest and wrapping my arms tightly around him. “I hate it.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through my hair. “I have survived a war before, I will survive this one. I assume you know which war we are fighting?”

I nodded against his chest.

“The higher powers of The Coven’s side know of my allegiance, secretly of course so they will not harm me. And Mother’s side would not dare betray her by harming me.” He cupped my face, forcing me to look up at him. “But you cannot be here. Lilith is here in the flesh. it is not safe for you.”

I whimpered.

“Mother, please. We do not even allow Rae to leave the oasis anymore. Not yet⁠—”

“What caused you to come back again?” Akecheta pursed his lips as those lines flashed.

“I do not know. I am not trying to be here. I want to go home and hug all of you in the future, I want to end this war—” My voice broke as frustrated tears pooled in my eyes. I tugged on Everest’s strange armor that felt like fabric, but I knew wasn’t. “I do not know why I am . . . stuck.”

“Close your eyes,” he said softly then pressed both of his hands to my chest. “Take a deep breath and think about where you need to go.”

I closed them tight and took a few breaths. In my mind I pictured Avolire. I saw Everest and that stupid throne of Sweyn’s. I imagined the decoy page I knew was in my bag. Bring me to where I need to be.

Cold air swept over me. I opened my eyes and found the green glow of the Seelie tunnel around me. I pushed my hands to the wall and —landed right where I had been.

“Dammit. How much time went by now?”

Everest scowled. “None. Thirty seconds.”

My stomach turned. “Shit, try again. I can do this. I have to do this.”

He pushed me back into the tunnel. I counted to ten then jumped out . . . into his arms again. I knew by their expressions no time had passed. I groaned and stomped my foot. Everest smirked and pushed me back in. This time I counted to thirty, yet when I stepped out, I was right back where I’d started.

We tried fifteen times.

It did not matter if I counted to three seconds or three minutes, each time I stepped out of the tunnel I returned to the oasis with them waiting for me.

Everest’s scowl was so deep it pinched the skin between his eyebrows. He ran a hand through his long white hair. “I do not understand. This is not how it should work.”