We exited the gateway. It was late afternoon, like it had been in the fae realm. The air felt thin and the world looked dull without the added texture and color of the ambient magic. It was a shock. I’d almost forgotten that the human world looked different.
The area was forested. The grass was spotty in the shade of the trees. In the distance, I could hear cars on a freeway. The sun was out, but we were in the shadow of the forest, so we didn’t feel its warmth.
I pulled my phone out of my bag and turned it on. It took a while to connect to the local cell tower. It was the day after we’d left and six in the afternoon. That meant it was three in Oregon. We weren’t late. That was a relief.
Clover, Lila, Jen, Amelia, Emmalyn, and Val moved away from the group. Jen raised her arms in the
