Having spent the better part of the day getting to know almost everyone in Redmane's pack, Alex was finally left alone at the cottage where he had been staying since they found him. As the alpha had previously stated, they had numerous fugitive slaves from Velaris who had taken refuge and safety in his pack, but they had never had someone like Alex, who had come from the Casa and had previously been one of Gillen's champions.
Whenever he wasn't out walking, they visited him at his cottage and asked him various questions about the Casa and his time in the arena, which he answered politely.
They were all curious, Alex reasoned.
And now he was suffering from a headache.
As he lay quietly on the bed, he closed his eyes for a moment to rest. He felt his body begin to relax, and he soon fell asleep.
Throughout the hours that passed, the light in the room slowly dimmed as the sun sank and darkness descended upon the land, and eventually, the throbbing headache and waves of nausea subsided to the point that he was able to get up.
He threw the cover aside and flung his legs over the edge of the bed, standing up too hastily.
The room spun wildly, and he gripped the bedside table to catch himself. As the table tipped on two legs, the candleholder fell to the floor with a startling thud.
At that moment, the door opened, and Gwinifer stopped at the doorway, holding a tray. She stood there and watched as Alex caught himself on the table, tumbling heavily over it as the table slammed back on all four of its feet. He then slumped back down on the bed to wait for nausea to go away.
Gwinifer moved fast to place the tray on the table and put her hand on Alex's shoulder.
"I don't think you're quite ready to stand up just yet," she remarked.
Alex agreed with a nod of his head. "I was feeling better. I don't know why I'm suddenly dizzy again."
"You need to take it easy right now. I understand that the medicine I prepared for you was remarkably effective, but you still need to rest. You can't be walking an entire day and not rest."
Alex raised his eyes to hers, appreciative of everything she had done, as well as for her patience with him and for tending to his wounds. "Thank you," he said. "Have you seen her or spoken to *her*?"
Gwinifer took her hand away from his shoulder and bent to pick up the candleholder on the floor. She replaced the candle that had fallen out and placed it on the table next to the tray. "Do you mean the *Moon Queen*?" she asked.
"Yes. Your father claims that he has never met the queen in person. And he's already over a hundred years old."
She cracked a smile. "That's right. He's never actually seen her. I haven't either."
"You haven't?"
When she noticed Alex's expression of disappointment and concern, her small smile widened. "I'm sorry if you're disappointed. But, no one has actually seen her or King Ascian. Even the lords that sit in the High Chairs."
"What do you mean? I'm sorry. In case I didn't tell you or your father, my memories had been wiped out. Although I know, the High Chairs are made up of six High Lords. I know that they meet with the Blood King and the Moon Queen in Nergensland every eclipse." Alex swiftly clarified. He didn't want to come across as stupid for asking things that were probably too ludicrous to ask in the first place.
Upon seeing that Gwinifer did not respond and only looked at him, he went on to say, "I had a run-in with some mean mage and a nasty vampire. I bit into them, and their lives flashed before my eyes. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did, and my brain picked up on some important information from them."
Gwinifer smiled and nodded casually. "I know."
"You do?"
She smiled once more. "Yes, I do. You'd be astonished at how much I know about you. I know how you and your friends got here. I know about your mate. I know about the human you've fallen in love with. And I know about Mira."
"You do?!"
"Yes. And I know your true intention. Why do you think my father welcomes you into his pack happily and eagerly?"
"You're an all-knowing mage."
"Not all-knowing *yet*, no. I still need decades of training and experience."
"So, you know what happened to Mira."
"Yes. Unlike vampires and Lycans, there aren't many of us, mages, left. So we kind of know each other. She's a few decades older than me though."
Alex let out a long, heavy sigh. "I didn't plan to kill Mira in the way that I did. I was just-"
"Of course, you meant what you did. But no need to be concerned; she deserved what happened to her."
His face was lit up with surprise and disbelief at the same time.
"Mira had been breaking a lot of rules. She had been living in violation of the law, *our law*. However, she's not important. And my father isn't concerned about your past or what you've done. He sees you as a blessing from the Mood Goddess, sent to aid him in reclaiming his father's lands. You agreed to help him, and he is eternally grateful."
"Right. So... " Alex flashed a smile. "Was that what you were saying? About the Moon Queen?"
"Yes. The Moon Queen. As you are aware, the *High Chairs* convene in the presence of King Ascian and Queen Niran on the eve of every eclipse. The King and Queen, on the other hand, are not going to be physically there with them. It's just their embodiment, their manifestation," she paused before smiling. "Please accept my apologies if it appears that I am not making any sense."
"There is no need for you to apologize. I guess I get what you're saying." Alex shifted his gaze away, a peculiar haze spreading across his brow. "Do you have any idea how to get to Nergensland? Is it still in Lemelherv?"
"No. It's a completely different existence. A different world. It's smaller than your world and this world, but stranger and more perilous."
"But you're able to take us there, right? Do you think you could open a portal to that world?" Alex asked, a ray of optimism in his eyes.
"Right now, I'm not able to. Nobody can effortlessly get to or from Nergensland. To open a portal to Nergensland, you will require the aid of a considerably more experienced and powerful mage. I'm sorry."
Suddenly, Alex fell silent, deep in thought.
"You haven't eaten yet this evening, and I figured you might be hungry by now, so I brought you something to eat. It's a broth that's been made with chicken and butternut squash."
When he looked down, he could feel his stomach grumbling eagerly in response to the sight of the bowl of soup. "Actually, I haven't eaten anything since this afternoon. I was speaking with some of your hunters. They had questions, and, to be honest, they were a lot of fun to talk to, so I skipped lunch."
"Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy it," Gwinifer responded, a knowing smile on her face. "I'm not going to brag, but everyone in the pack would agree that I'm a decent cook."
Alex slowly pushed himself back into a sitting position, slipping out of the blanket, which had a few dried smudges of blood on it. He flung the blanket across the bed.
"I'll have that washed," the young mage volunteered in response.
Alex handed the blanket to her, and she folded it.
"Don't worry too much, Alex. Soon after we seize control of Velaris again, you and your friends will be returning to your world, your home. *I promise*," Gwinifer reassured him. When Alex did not respond, she added, "I'll leave you alone for now."
She made her way toward the door and placed her hand on the handle, but she was stopped when Alex called her name.
"Gwinifer"
She turned around to face him.
"Thank you," Alex said, his lips pressed together in a genuine smile.
Gwinifer responded with a tight smile. "Finish the soup and get some rest. I heard you'll have some planning to do." She walked out the door, leaving Alex alone once more.