Chapter 31- Fallen and Found

Temporal Trap

Kate’s POV

The shimmering vortex closed behind Liam, leaving me alone in the cavern with the Iele. The sudden absence of his presence felt like a physical ache, a hollowness in my chest that I hadn’t expected. I stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where he’d vanished, the memory of his cocky grin and promise to return quickly still fresh in my mind.

“He’ll be back soon,” I muttered to myself, trying to quell the unease that had settled in my stomach. “It’s just a quick trip to grab my stuff. No big deal.”

I turned away from the spot where the vortex had been, forcing myself to focus on the cavern around me. The Iele went about their business, their ethereal forms gliding gracefully through the space, seemingly unperturbed by Liam’s departure. The crystal walls pulsed with a soft, otherworldly light, casting dancing shadows that never quite seemed to match the movements of those casting them.

To distract myself, I decided to explore the cavern more thoroughly. I’d been in this realm for days now, but there were still many nooks and crannies I hadn’t investigated. As I wandered, my bare feet padding silently on the smooth stone floor, I found myself cataloging the space like I would an archaeological site. Old habits die hard, I suppose.

I inspected the swirling patterns on the stone walls, climbing on top of a pile of pillows to trace the carvings with my fingers. I had no idea what they meant, but they looked very important somehow. I noticed a wall covered in crystals of varying sizes and curiously approached it. The Iele watched me with amused expressions but did not bother to explain whether the patterns or crystals had any meaning or not.

While it was all fascinating and thrilling, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider, a human interloper in a world I didn’t fully understand or belong to. The thought sent a pang of homesickness through me, sharp and unexpected.

As I wandered, I caught sight of my reflection in one of the crystal walls and paused, startled by what I saw. My hair seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, and my eyes… had they always been this vibrant? I leaned closer, examining the subtle changes in my appearance. My skin looked smoother, almost luminescent, and there was an ethereal quality to my movements that I hadn’t noticed before.

“What’s happening to me?” I whispered, tracing the outline of my face in the reflection. The changes were subtle, but undeniable. I was becoming something other than human, and the realization sent a shiver down my spine.

I made my way back to the fireplace in the center of the cave, where a group of Iele were engaged in what looked like a dance practice. Their movements were fluid and hypnotic, bodies twisting in ways that should have been impossible. I watched for a while, mesmerized, before shaking myself out of the trance-like state.

“Um, excuse me,” I said, my voice hesitant. “Could you teach me about this dance?”

The Iele paused, exchanging glances before one of them stepped forward. “Of course, young one. This is Dance of Seasons, celebration of eternal cycle of nature.”

As they guided me through the basic steps, I found my body moving with a grace I’d never possessed before. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. As we danced, the Iele began to sing in their melodic language. To my surprise, I could understand snippets of their song.

“Leaves fall… winter’s embrace… spring’s renewal…” The words floated through my mind, not quite fully formed, but comprehensible. Encouraged, I tried to repeat some of the phrases, stumbling over the unfamiliar sounds.

The Iele smiled encouragingly. “Your tongue learns our ways,” one of them said. “Soon, you will speak as we do.”

The idea both thrilled and unsettled me. How much of myself would I lose in this transformation?

As the dance ended, my thoughts drifted to Liam. The memory of our nights together surfaced, bringing with it a confusing mix of emotions. The warmth of his touch, the intensity of his gaze… it had all felt so right in the moment. But now, with the reality of my situation settling in, I couldn’t help but wonder if it had been a mistake.

“Did that night change something in me?” I mused aloud, remembering the surge of energy I’d felt afterward. “Did it accelerate this… transformation?”

An older Iele overheard my musings and approached. “Union of Fae and saintly magic is powerful,” she said, her voice like rustling leaves. “May have hastened your becoming.”

I nodded, processing this information. “And the binding spell? How does that factor in?”

The Iele’s eyes sparkled with ancient wisdom. “Binding tethers essence to our realm. Liam’s touch may have strengthened connection.”

Great. So not only was I turning into a Iele, but my ill-advised hookups might have sped up the process. Fantastic. I took a few minutes to let the nausea settle in my stomach while watching the Iele dance.

“How long has it been?” I finally asked one of the Iele who wasn’t participating in the dance. “Since Liam left, I mean.”

She turned to me, her eyes swirling with colors I couldn’t name. “Time flows differently, young one. Best not to dwell on passage.”

I frowned, frustration bubbling up. “That’s not an answer. It’s been… what? A few hours?”

The Iele simply smiled enigmatically and drifted away, leaving me even more confused and annoyed than before.

As the hours (or what felt like hours) ticked by, my unease grew. I tried to keep myself busy, alternating between exploring, attempting to converse with the less cryptic Iele, and even joining in on some of their activities. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

I remembered Liam’s words about time flowing differently between realms. He’d said that two or three days here could equate to weeks in the human world. But surely it hadn’t been that long yet… had it?

I tried to do the math in my head, but it was like trying to solve an equation where half the numbers kept changing. My head throbbed with the effort of trying to make sense of it all. If two days here was potentially weeks there, then how long had it actually been since Liam left? A day? Two? More?

“Fuck it,” I growled, giving up on the mental gymnastics. “It’s been too long. Period.”

A knot of worry tightened in my gut. What if something had happened to him? Images of Liam, bloodied and broken at the hands of demon hunters, flashed through my mind. I shook my head, trying to dispel the gruesome thoughts. No, Liam was too clever, too resourceful to get caught. Right?

But what if he had? What if Marcus and Eric had somehow found him? Or worse, what if he’d run into trouble in some other magical realm? The possibilities were endless, and each one more terrifying than the last.

I paced the cavern, my bare feet slapping against the cool stone floor. The sound echoed off the crystal walls, a rhythmic reminder of Liam’s absence. With each lap, my anxiety grew, feeding off itself like a hungry beast.

“Come on, Liam,” I muttered, running a hand through my tangled hair. “Where the hell are you?”

Finally, unable to contain my concern any longer, I approached one of the Iele again. This one had hair like spun moonlight and eyes that seemed to see right through me.

“Hey, um…” I started, trying to keep my voice steady. “Is this normal? For Liam to be gone so long?”

The Iele’s lips curved into a smile that was equal parts beautiful and unsettling. A soft snicker escaped her, echoed by her sisters around the cavern. The sound sent a chill down my spine, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“What’s so funny?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended. The cavern suddenly felt colder, more alien. “Did you do something?”

The leader of the Iele glided forward, her golden eyes gleaming with a mischief that made my stomach churn. She moved with an otherworldly grace that reminded me just how out of place I was here.

“We merely… ensured Liam keeps promise to find Temporal Tether,” she said, her voice like honey laced with poison.

My stomach dropped faster than a stone in a well, and I felt the blood drain from my face. “What the hell does that mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Then, louder, “What did you do to him?”

The leader’s smile widened, revealing teeth that seemed just a bit too sharp. “We simply… redirected journey. Realm of Fae holds knowledge he seeks.”

“The realm of the Fae?” I repeated, my voice rising an octave. My mind raced, recalling snippets of conversation with Liam about his past. “Are you insane? Liam told me he was banished! They’ll kill him if he shows up there!”

The Iele leader waved a dismissive hand, the gesture so casual it made my blood boil. “It is time Liam faced consequences of his actions. He cannot run forever.”

“Consequences?” I sputtered, anger and fear warring for dominance in my chest. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. “What kind of consequences are we talking about here?”

Another Iele, this one with hair like autumn leaves, chuckled. The sound was beautiful, like wind chimes in a breeze, but it filled me with dread. “Oh, not too severe. Perhaps… few eons of imprisonment. Might strip him of powers and banish permanently.”

“A few eons?” I shrieked, my voice echoing off the crystal walls. “Are you fucking kidding me? That could be my whole life and then some!”

The reality of the situation hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. Liam was my lifeline, my only real chance of getting home. Without him, I was stuck here, trapped in a world of capricious magical beings with no way out. The thought made me feel dizzy, and I had to steady myself against one of the crystal formations.

“You have to help him,” I pleaded, desperation clawing at my throat. I could hear the panic in my own voice, but I didn’t care. “Please. He’s my only chance of getting back home.”

The Iele exchanged glances, their amusement fading into annoyance. I could practically feel their patience wearing thin, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. This was too important.

The leader sighed, a sound like wind through willow branches. “You forget, child. You one of us now. This is home.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head vehemently. My whole body trembled with the force of my denial. “No, it’s not. I have a family, a life. I can’t just abandon all that.”

For a moment, silence reigned in the cavern. I could hear my own ragged breathing, loud in the stillness. Then, to my surprise, the leader’s expression softened. It was subtle, just a slight relaxation around her eyes, but it gave me a flicker of hope.

“Very well,” she said, her voice tinged with reluctance. “We intervene. Liam made promise, after all, and promise are sacred in our world.”

Relief washed over me, so intense it made my knees weak. But it was quickly followed by a fresh wave of anxiety. “What are you going to do?”

The leader’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Will go to Fae realm myself. Will ensure Liam keeps his word… one way or another.”

Before I could respond, the leader and two other Iele stepped towards a shimmering vortex that appeared out of thin air. In a blink, they were gone, leaving me alone with my worries and a cavern full of Iele who looked less than thrilled with my interference.

I sank to the ground, my back against the cool crystal wall. The enormity of what had just happened crashed over me like a tidal wave. Liam was in danger because of me, because of my desire to go home. And now the Iele, these powerful, unpredictable beings, were involved too.

“Hurry, Liam,” I whispered to the empty air, my voice cracking. “And for fuck’s sake, be careful.”

As the remaining Iele dispersed, returning to their usual activities, I hugged my knees to my chest. The cavern suddenly felt colder, emptier. I closed my eyes, trying to push away the image of Liam in chains, stripped of his powers.

“What have I done?” I murmured, guilt gnawing at my insides. If anything happened to Liam because of me, just because I had asked him to pick up my things…

I shook my head, forcing the dark thoughts away. No, I couldn’t think like that. Liam was clever, resourceful. He’d find a way out of this mess. He had to.

Because if he didn’t, I was well and truly screwed. And the weight of that realization settled over me like a shroud, heavy and suffocating in the otherworldly silence of the Iele’s realm.