“She fell in. I believe they ate her.”
“You believe?”
“That’s what it sounded like,” she said. “I couldn’t see through the fog.”
“Lovely.” He scooted closer to her.
She smirked, fixed on the pale orb of light. Though it never seemed to grow brighter or larger, she knew better than to be put off by the illusion. Hero huddled against her neck, a warm wet lump.
Honey’s scream echoed through the mist.
Magda blinked.
The light was gone.
“Shit!” Frantically, she searched for the beacon again, but found nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Damion called over to them.
“There’s something in the mist!” Honey shrieked. “Hands! They grabbed me!”
Magda’s heart began to skip beats. Without the light, they would be lost forever.
Out of the mist, a skeletal apparition swept down on them, bony fingers passing through Magda’s head as she ignored the phantom, still hunting for the light. She had to find it.
Please.
Damion lurched and yelped. Gur faltered.
Honey screamed again.
Magda gave up looking for the light as another ghoul with its glowing white eyes and tattered rags of spectral clothes barreled at her.
Gur dropped to avoid the ghoul. From below the whispering songs of sea-nymphs called to them.
Damion drew his sword.
“Your sword won’t do you any good,” Magda told him. “Remember?”
Gur pulled up again, somehow unfazed by her mounting panic.
“But that thing grabbed me,” he said.
“It’s all in your head!” she shouted loud enough that she hoped Honey and Kaelan could hear. “They’re not real!”
“They felt real enough to me,” Damion barked, his sword still slicing against the empty air.
"Damn it, Damion. Didn’t you listen to anything I said? We have bigger problems now—”
"What?" Damion cried.
She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to refocus, to clear her mind. But when she opened her eyes, still no light.
Her heart dropped into her stomach. It was no use. Their only hope now was to turn back and pray they’d find their way free before Gur and Anqa grew so tired they were forced to land on the water and resign themselves to their fates.
Honey continued to squeal and shriek. Faintly, Magda could hear Kaelan attempting to calm her. But her fearful screams were drawing more ghouls. Glowing wisps darted past Magda and Damion towards the sound.
“What do we do?” Damion asked.
