Chapter 2

Back after a few years lol

Teague's POV

Pain. Fire. Explosion. Everything I felt as soon as I jumped through the portal I crafted with my seam ripper. I knew using the seam ripper wouldn't be as easy as jumping into another dimension, but I wasn't expecting to feel myself imploding. I began contemplating if I should have even attempted to go back to my home. The pain lasted for what felt like hours, but was likely only minutes suddenly stopped once I crashed into the hard ground.

"Ouch!" I yelled and immediately regretted it. I cannot draw any attention to myself. Once I fixed my bearings I stood up and took in my surroundings. The sky was midnight black, but the woods were lit by the dancing stars and the glistening three moons. I couldn't help but smile.

I'm home.

I ran my fingers through the long grass and took a deep breath in. Oh, how I have missed this place. I noticed the large bees pollinating the plants I have been dying to see since I had been banished to the human plane. The tall trees with thick canopies, leaves in every color, told me I was in the Royal Forrest—a place I often came to collect my thoughts when I lived in the Royal Palace. The nostalgic sensation I felt distracted me.

"Mina?" I said in a low whisper. She had to have made it here, we entered the same portal, we should've landed in the same place, too. I searched the brush and river beds for her, calling out her name every few seconds. I began to worry. Where was she? She is a siren—one of the most powerful fae. The portal couldn't have killed her, right? I became nauseated as I looked for her, hoping I didn't unintentionally harm her in any way. We needed to come here. After what happened in the abandoned recycling center, I knew help was needed, but was I wrong to bring Mina with me?

I looked for her for another hour, but had no luck. I looked at the sky, now painted with a kaleidoscope of colors. I knew this meant that the palace would drop its glamour, and the Fae would awaken. Being the most hated fae on the plane was not I title I wore proudly. I am embarrassed that I let a girl affect me the way it did all those years ago, but due to my actions, I had to get out of plain sight before anyone found me and reported their siting. I could rely on one person. Plaith.

I started walking towards the palace feeling guilty for not finding Mina. The griffins began switching their patrols. I didn't have much time to find Plaith before the whole plane would be active. I could see the bridge connecting the Palace's island to the mainland, but I couldn't approach it without the trolls and giants knowing I was there. I reached in my pocket and felt for my bone whistle—something I always kept on me.

It was a parting gift Plaith gave me before I was exiled. Even at my darkest, he never went against me. He knew I would return, and gave me this whistle to call him whenever that time came. I pulled the small whistle out of my pocket and gave it a hard blow.

"I hope that worked," I muttered to myself.

I waited impatiently, and nothing happened. I blew into the whistle again.

Almost immediately I saw a white griffin emerge from the sky. I've been caught. I thought in a panic. My worry subsided when the griffin landed in front of me and bowed down. Not to me, but to let my good friend off his back. Plaith stepped down from the griffin in his all leather suit, embellished in silver decals.

"My boy!" Plaith exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. We embraced for a minute before finally stepping away. "You look so… human."

We chuckled. I was dressed in black jeans and a black t-shirt; not a typical outfit for the fae plane.

"It's good to be back."

"I almost couldn't believe it when I heard the first whistle blow. It's been a long time," Plaith looked at me with sad eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I have a feeling you're here with bad news."

I nodded. "There's an assassin group, The Grimm's, they are trying to kill all the fae on the human plane." I filled him in on everything that happened in the last week or so.

"So I used the seam ripper to ask for my parents help. Mina, the girl I mentioned earlier, she should be here somewhere, but I don't know where she is. She didn't spawn with me"

"The seam ripper is only meant for one person to pass at once, but if she is as strong as you say, I am sure she made it through. Another portal was likely created on this end, though. It could be anywhere."

This helped relived some of the anxiety and guilt I was feeling towards losing Mina. I turned my attention to the beautiful, snow white griffin. "Could you be on look out for a girl who likely looks frazzled and confused?" I chuckled.

The griffin bowed his head in acceptance of the task.

"We will have to use the underwater chambers to sneak you into the palace."

"I assumed so," I responded

"The palace is mostly the same. I haven't mentioned this because I wasn't sure if it was still a touchy subject—" Plaith paused. He was going to bring up Jared.

"You can tell me."

Plaith continued, "Jared and Ferrah never wed."

I looked at Plaith in shock.

"Once you were exiled, Ferrah was overcome with guilt. She felt bad for coming between the relationship with your brother, so she left."

I couldn't believe it. "So he isn't ruling the plane?"

Plaith shook his head. "Your parents rule until Jared finds a new wife."

I could feel anger boiling up inside me. Darkness was rising within me. I felt a power that I haven't had since before I was forced to leave the plane. It didn't work out for either of us, yet I was the one who was banished? I took a few deep breaths before I lashed out. "Just take me to the palace."

We navigated the underwater chambers. Plaith was careful to go a direction that didn't alert the siren and trolls. Eventually, we found ourselves in my old washroom. We snuck and hid behind the shaking ferns. "I'm not how I used to be," I whispered to the tree. I began stroking the branches, calming the fern down. I had changed in my time at the human plane, but I can feel and reach the power so easily here. I could feel myself getting carried away with hate and anger when I heard the news about my brother and that scared me.

Plaith waved his hand at me signaling the coast was clear and it was time to start moving. I heard voiced followed by laughing.

Mom. Jared. I stood a little straighter out of my crouched positon and Plaith told me to get down. We hid behind an extravagant fountain as my mother and brother walked through the hall. My mother, still beautiful with her long, raven colored hair and pale skin. My brother, still as charming as ever. I rolled my eyes and watched the pass. Plaith and I started moving again after we thought they were far enough down the hallway.

"One moment," I heard my brother say. He ran back to the open room where the fountain was and looked around curiously. Plaith and I had hid down a dark hallway, careful to not be seen. He scanned the room a few times before walking back to my mother. I let out a breath once I heard a door close.

"That was close," I whispered. My family couldn't know I was back. Not yet.

We continued in our original path and Plaith brought me to a door that led to a stairway. We walked down the spiral stair case and I laughed. I recognized this place immediately. It was the room I took girls to when I snuck them into the palace.

I fell into the love seat, and kicked my feet onto the coffee table. "Thanks, Plaith. I owe you one."

He smiled, "Anything for you, Teague. I will be on lookout for the girl. Mina, right?" I couldn't help but blush. His grin got wider. "You love her?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet, but I will. She's selfless, beautiful, kind…" I trailed off thinking about her.

"Well, I'll let you know as soon as Claw finds her."

"Make sure your griffin doesn't make her a snack." I said only half joking.

"I will talk to you soon," Plaith said as he walked back up the stairs.

I grabbed a book from the shelf next to me and began reading.

It almost feels as though I had never left.