Page 72 of The Other Side

“Which old house?”

Leaf blinked. “The one you live in when you’re here. You told us about it. What other old house would I mean?”

One near a crossing point that I don’t want you to know about. Osian rubbed at the back of his neck. “And the trail? All the way here? How?”

Leaf rested a hand briefly on Osian’s shoulder. “You’re my brother. I’d find you anywhere.” His grip tightened for the smallest moment. “Belem, on the other hand…” He let out a slow breath. “He’s beyond furious you brought a mortal across.”

“It was only for a few seconds.”

Leaf stared at him.

“And he isn’t a mortal.” Osian couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face. “It’s Drum.”

Leaf actually took a step backwards, his eyes wide with astonishment. “Drum?”

“I found him.”

“Are you certain?”

The doubt in Leaf’s voice hit hard. Osian’s smile vanished. “Of course I’m certain.” His voice sharpened. “He didn’t remember me but after I showed him Faeryland, he remembered everything. This is Drum’s place.”

Leaf moved further into the cottage and looked around. “What’s he been doing?”

“Since he was ten? He was left on this side with no memory of our world and dumped into the mortal care system, which wasn’t kind to him. Now he works for the police.”

Leaf dropped down on the couch, rubbing both hands over his face. “I can’t believe you found him.”

Neither could Osian. Not after ten years of searching. Not after giving up hope a hundred different times, though never completely. Something always pulled him to keep looking.

“What are you going to do?” Leaf asked quietly.

Osian sat next to him. “I have no idea.”

“You can’t stay on this side.”

I know but… “Why not?”

“You’d need permission. You wouldn’t get it. Belem will have you dragged back.”

“By you?”

Leaf sighed. “Plenty will do his work if I don’t and not so kindly.”

“I could tell the Queen what he’s been doing.”

Leaf gave a humourless laugh. “You think you’d survive that? You wouldn’t get anywhere near her. And what has Belem been doing? What price are you paying, Osian?”

The question twisted in his stomach.

“Are you prevented from telling me?”

Osian risked one word. “Yes.”

No pain. In Faeryland, the blood-binding wrapped around his throat whenever he tried to speak of it. Here… Nothing. But he’d told Drum. Was that because Drum had lost so much of his fae essence, he was hardly a faery anymore?

“Try to tell me,” Leaf said.

Osian’s mouth opened. He stared at Leaf. “I meet him every month.” No pain. No invisible hand squeezing the words back down. He gasped.