Page 122 of This Witch Is Not Wicked

“There’s also been an occasion or two where someone arrives in the new location and drops dead, their body unable to handle the strain of portaling.”

Nevan held up his hand. “Okay, I get it, and I need you to stop talking now.”

I winced.

“I have to believe none of that will happen. That the magic of the castle will keep everyone safe.”

I nodded. “Me too.”

His blue-gray eyes softened like they always did when he was about to say something nauseatingly sweet. “I just found you. I’m not letting you go so easily.”

I gave him a weak smile as Ambrose’s familiar swirl of blue and gold magic appeared right outside the barrier of Fairwitch, except larger than I’d ever seen. A massive fog of blue and gold overtook the bog in front of us, and when it cleared, at least fifty Fair Folk stood there, Ambrose in the front.

Nevan gasped at the faeries, all of them with different skin colors and hair colors—some with tails or manes or whiskers. It was going to be an adjustment for mortals and Fair Folk to live together.

“Are you ready?” Ambrose asked, seeing right through Castle’s invisible barrier.

Nevan grabbed my hand, holding it tight.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” I said. We needed to hurry, to do this before the brotherhood found a way to infiltrate Fairwitch Isle like they had before.

Ambrose raised his arm, and the rest of the Fair Folk followed in suit, all of their hands outstretched.

The faintest blue shimmer appeared in front of the faeries, the outline of the portal beginning to form in a swirling circle that stood as tall as the castle.

“Wow,” Nevan breathed, arching his neck. “That’s incredible.”

In the distance—behind the Fair Folk—the brotherhood had all stopped what they were doing, stiffening and turning in our direction. Some pointing.

“Nevan,” I said, “does it look like the brotherhood are acting strange right now?”

He cut a sharp look my way. “I thought you said they can’t see the Fair Folk. They shouldn’t be able to see any of this.”

The shimmers of the portal were slowly solidifying, filling the portal with swirling blue magic. Once the inside was completely filled, the portal would be ready to whisk us away.

A few of the brotherhood openly gaped at us, and some of them ran to notify others, who started walking in our direction.

“They definitely notice something,” Nevan said.

I didn’t hesitate before I tugged him forward and outside the barrier of the city. We turned at the same time and both saw the same thing: Fairwitch was exposed. The portal was already at work, sucking the city toward it, and that meant it had sucked away the barrier first.

“No,” Nevan said. “It’s supposed to be invisible. What is going on⁠—”

I whipped around and waved my arms at the wall of Fair Folk in front of us. “Stop,” I yelled. “You have to stop!”

“What are you doing?” Nevan asked. “We need this portal. Especially now.”

“And we’ll have it,” I said. “But we can’t risk the brotherhood going through the portal and coming along with us. Then we’re all doomed.”

Nevan’s eyes widened in horror, and he joined me in waving and yelling at the Fair Folk.

The portal wavered, no longer growing in strength, just idling, half filled.

“Ambrose.” I ran to him, an idea forming. “Portal us over there. Right between you and those humans.” I pointed at the brotherhood, who had all started running straight toward Fairwitch.

“What?” Ambrose yelled.

“Just do it!” I said. “Do it and then complete the portal and get Fairwitch Isle out of here.”