The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (important books to read .txt) 📕

                I had never heard of a Fae realm being entered without permission.  Even folks like Raina, who seemed to step in and out of the Wood Fae realm at will, could only do so with standing permission.  If she had been banished, no amount of Fae crystal would gain her entry.

                One look at those more experienced in these places told me that my assumptions weren’t wrong.

                “Who in the hell is powerful enough to crack a way in here?” Evelyn asked.  Though she still sat on the lap of Cordelia, who persisted in playing with her hair, she looked anything but relaxed.

                “Someone I don’t want to run into on a darkened Fae forest path!” Raina said.  She held hands with Drucilla, who leaned on her shoulder.

                Okay, so now I know where she’s been!

                “We have half of Asia’s paranormal community looking into this.” Hatsu added.  “If they came from there, we’ll find out.”

                “Jack and I are also combing through human networks, to see what’s out there.”  Katsu put her hand on Jack’s, and he shifted in his seat.

                “Have the paranormal networks had anything?” Angelique asked Jack.

                “You mean the Necronomi-net? Nothing of note.” he relied.

                “Anything on the human internet?” Vincent asked.

                “Nothing except a report of flying Wooly Mammoths over Siberia, but that’s on the tinfoil hat side, so...” Jack started, only to be cut off by Trevor.

                “Wait, did the piece specifically say woolly mammoths?” he asked.

                “Well, no,” Jack said, “But I think that the combination of ‘elephant’ with ‘hairy’ and ‘massive tusks’… all of which were in the  piece... kind of implies mammoths, but...”

                Trevor cut him off again.  “What do you think, Evie,” he asked his sister, “hellephants?”

                “Sounds like it.” she answered, her voice grim.

                “And what are… whatever you just said?” Raina asked.

                “It's an enchanted beastie from the Himalayas." Trevor answered.  "Very much like mammoths in every way, except these shoot fire out of their tusks."

                “We had to deal with a stray one in South Africa last year.” Evelyn continued.  “Burned down half of a village before we got the thing to go down.”

                “You’re the one who didn’t want me to bring the fifty caliber,” Trevor chimed in, annoyed, “… so all I had to work with were the grenades and napalm rounds...”

                “Ok, ok...” Vincent said, holding up his hand and cutting off Trevor’s complaints.  “I think you and your sister should return to South Africa, to see if there were more being held there that you guys missed.”

                “You got it, chief.” Evelyn answered.

                “I’m going into the shadow realm, through the mirror.” Angelique added.  “I will see what our friends there have to say.”

                “I still have friends with the Wood Fae.” Raina said.  “I’ll check to see if they were hit as well.”

                “I’m going to check with the Morning-tide Fae.” Vincent said. “For the same reasons.”

                “I think Annabelle should stay here, along with her remaining friends.” Gaia said.  “She’ll be safer here than anywhere.”

                “Yes, there’s a reason that these people didn’t venture beyond the very edges of our realm.” Lucinda said, breezing in.  Her purple skin was flush with effort.  “As I can now confirm… the incursion lasted under a minute.”

                “Is that OK with you?” Gaia asked, looking at me intently.

                I shrugged.  “This is all new to me.  I’ll defer to the legions of experience in the room.”

                Besides, I thought, there’s still something I need to do.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                “You really want to do this now?” Gaia asked.

                “Yes.  I need to.” I answered.

                “And you’re sure you want both of us involved?” Lucinda said, her voice tender.

                “Why not?” I shrugged.  “I mean, one of you, two of you, what’s the difference in the end?”

                “So long as you’re comfortable.” Gaia said, smiling.

                I wriggled slightly in my seat… a large, overstuffed cushion… and smiled back.  “it’s super comfy!”

                The room was lit by flickering candles, enchanted ones that bathed the room in purple, blue, and teal light.  I sat in the room’s center, with Gaia and Lucinda seated nearby on their own cushions.  Instead of their normal, ultra-revealing clothes, they were dressed in shimmering robes that covered all but their faces and hands.  I was dressed the same, and finally didn’t feel overdressed.

                I had heard of a ritual, one done by the Fae, in the reading that I had done on Twilight Fae lore on the airplane.  It was one meant to find those we have shared feelings with in previous lives.  Pop culture would probably call it something like "The Soulmate Rite" or something hyperbolic like that, but it wasn't just for soul-mate level feelings.

                However, it was based on feelings, not hormones. Hence the uncharacteristic modesty on the part of my Fae hosts.

                “Very well.” Lucinda said, settling in.  “I am more practiced in this operation, so I will take the lead.  Gaia will help lend her energy to draw you in.”

                “And what should I do?” I asked.

                “Close your eyes and pay attention.” Gaia answered.  “We will draw you in, and the spirits we ally with will show you your most consequential past life.”

                “It won't be the most important incarnation to your entire life, either." Lucinda said.  "It will be the most consequential you right now.”

                “Let’s begin.” I said.  I closed my eyes and waited.

                I heard a few words that Lucinda said in her own Fae dialect, and I was amazed that the same vocal cords could make both those sounds as well as English.  I hardly had time to grin, however, before the world spun around me and I was dropped into a quite different scene.

                The cabin was nondescript… it could have been from a dozen different cultures over centuries.  It was from a time when the lives of poor people didn't change that much. The same