Nero lay in bed for two days, his eyes closed and face wet with tears. Willowbrook lay beside him, but Nero refused to talk to him. So, he was silent, their fingers entwined. They didn’t talk about—there was no point.

He understood why he couldn’t stay in Ombra with Willowbrook. Not only would he not survive in the Faerie kingdom, but he also had to deal with his own kingdom. He couldn’t just leave Daemon and Anzino to fall into ruin.

It didn’t make it hurt any less, though. He loved Willowbrook, and he knew Willowbrook loved him. He wished he hated Humans as much as the other Faeries, then maybe they would never have gotten attached to each other. It devastated him to think about leaving him behind. Faeries lived much longer than Humans too. Who knew if he’d ever even see Willowbrook again before he died?

It seemed that every Faerie in Ombra was in the Faerie Circle, illuminating the whole are with their wings and ethereal skin, when the time came for Nero to leave. Even Aiken was there. Some of them gave him presents, stressing that they weren’t gifts—they were repayment of their debt to him for rescuing them from the Human mages, which made it okay for Nero to accept them. They were just little things… trinkets and things that he would cherish when he returned to Anzino. He tucked them away in the pockets of his robes.

“Are you ready?” Queen Tana asked, looking as beautiful and regal as ever. It was a full moon, and her lavender skin and beautiful wings glowed in the moonlight. She wore a long dress made from the petals of a lily, and she wore an elaborate circlet with a diamond set in the center. Her golden eyes seemed sad, even though she was smiling.

“I suppose,” Nero said quietly, glancing over at Willowbrook. He was dressed in flowing blue robes made from some kind of flower petals he’d never seen, and he was adorned in colorful jewelry and a circlet that kept his long black hair out of his face. He kept his gaze down, and his face was wet with tears, and the expression he wore caused tears to run down Nero’s face too.

“I’m sorry,” Tana said quietly, pressing her fingers to the center of Nero’s forehead.

In an instant, he was returned to his normal size, towering over the Faerie Circle. He just stood there, trembling while he tried to hold back his feelings.

He knew he couldn’t have stayed forever. He had been told over and over again. It was too detrimental to the Human body. But he didn’t want to leave Willowbrook behind. He’d already lost Faeryn, and now, after everything they’d been through, he was going to lose Willowbrook, as well. It was all too terrible.

It wasn’t like he didn’t understand, but it still hurt him deeply. He gripped the front of his shirt, his hands and lip trembling. Could he bring himself to walk away?

“Nero?” Willowbrook fluttered up to Nero’s eye level. He’d never seen Willowbrook use his wings. They sparkled as they fluttered in the moonlight, and he looked over Nero with concern. “Are you all right?”

“No.” Nero bit his lip and lowered his gaze. Of course he wasn’t all right. He felt like he was destined to be alone forever. Every time he cared about someone, he lost them.

“Nero.”

Nero was jolted out of his own thoughts to find that Willowbrook had transformed to a Human size, standing over him. He reached up and wiped away tears from Nero’s face that he hadn’t even realized had fallen.

“Willow…” Nero grabbed the front of Willowbrook’s robes as more tears ran down his face. His chest ached. He couldn’t breathe. He wanted to break down and cry, and his voice shook while he struggled to steady himself. “How long would I live if I chose to stay here with you?”

Willowbrook’s eyes went wide, but then his face turned sad. A few tears fell down his cheeks, even though he was smiling, and he kissed Nero’s forehead.

“You know that isn’t an option, Nero,” he told him. He took Nero’s hands in his, and kissed the back of them. “You’re Human. Even with the best care, you wouldn’t last more than a few years. I could never sit by and let you just waste away here.”

“You could come with me.”

“You know I can’t. My place is here, for my kingdom and my family. I have a duty to my people, now more than ever.”

A small sob escaped Nero’s lips. He’d known the answers already, but hearing it from Willowbrook made it all the more difficult to bear. He pressed his face against his chest and cried.

“Will I ever see you again?”

“Of course you will,” Willowbrook said, hugging him tightly. “When you’re King of Anzino, make sure to invite me to your coronation.”

“But—”

Nero was cut off as Willowbrook took him by the chin and kissed him. Both of their faces were wet with tears, and Nero cried harder once he pulled away.

“I will always love you, Nero Arnaldo.”

Before Nero’s eyes, Willowbrook transformed back to his regular Faerie size and returned to the Faerie Circle with his parents and the others.

The blue mushrooms around them started to glow brilliantly, to the point where Nero had to shield his eyes from the light.

When it faded, Nero blinked a few times as he lowered his arm. It was morning. The sun was rising, and the Faerie Circle was gone, along with Willowbrook and the other Faeries. Nero knelt in the grass and sobbed.

“Pull yourself together,” Nero told finally told himself, wiping his face with his sleeve. He just couldn’t seem to stop crying, though, even as he forced himself to his feet.

He didn’t really know where he was, so he just walked. He didn’t care where he ended up. Eventually he’d figure something out, right?

He didn’t realize how far east he had traveled until he found himself in the middle of a lush forest. He hadn’t been paying attention, letting his emotions get the best of him like he always did. He stood there, looking around at all the trees that surrounded him. How far had he gone into the forest? Where had he ended up?

The forest was eerily quiet. The leaves swished with the breeze, but there were no other sounds. No sounds of birds or rustling of wild animals in the brush. It sent a chill up Nero’s spine. Where was he? He nearly jumped out of his skin when a small voice broke the unnatural silence.

“Are you traveling into the Badriyan Forest?”