Magda chewed her cheek, tongue flicking over the smooth gum, chest coiling and constricting, breath hitching.
“Magda?”
“I don’t know!” she said. “I’ve lost the—”
Suddenly, they broke from the mist. The sun appeared, the arch of cerulean sky, the sprawl of a lush green island hemmed in by tranquil turquoise waters below.
A moment later, Anqa soared through the churning gray wall behind them, gaining speed and surpassing them. Kaelan held Honey tight, blood flowing over both of them from various wounds.
Damion let out a heavy huff of air. “At least you got us through—”
“I didn’t get us through,” she said, frowning. “Gur?”
“I did,” Hero said from her shoulder. “Gur could not see the light, but I could. I used your connection to him to keep him on course. I would have said something, but I couldn’t risk breaking my concentration.”
She laughed, nuzzling her cheek against him. “You truly are a hero.”
Contented waves of pride flowed through him.
“Now I think I’m going to take a nap.Try not to die in the meantime, hm?”
She scratched his back. “I’ll do my best.”
In slow spirals they descended towards Eris’s island.
THIN TRAILINGscratches covered Honey’s body—her face, her arms, her legs. Tears rolled down her cheeks, though she didn’t sob. Her eyes remained wide and blank, but cloudy rather than glassy.
They had landed on a grassy hill, overlooking the crystal clear lake beside which sat a low-slung cluster of blinding white buildings.
Kaelan helped Honey off of Anqa, who squawked with worry.
Gur prowled, nose buried in a narrow animal trail that cut through the thick, sweet-smelling grasses. Magda picked her way over to the trail and found a broad-leafed plant growing on the trampled path. She ripped it free. Her pulse was finally beginning to slow. Once again, she brushed her cheek along Hero’s back. If he hadn’t saved them, they still would’ve been under attack in the mist and probably never would’ve escaped.
Shaking the dirt from the plant’s roots, she returned to Damion. He stood over Kaelan who was attempting to give Honey water, but she wouldn’t open her mouth.
“Plantain,” Magda said, holding the plant out to Damion. “Treat her wounds. Give me the manticore bag.”
He traded the sack for the plant.
“Kaelan, come on,” she said.
Kaelan glowered at her. “Honey is—”
“We have to be off the island before the sun sets.” She notched her chin towards the lolling orb, already too low in the sky. “You don’t want to be Eris’s overnight guest. If you stay the night, you stay for life.”
“I’ll take care of her,” Damion said, crouching on Honey’s other side.
Magda wrapped the rope of the sack around her arm and started off, not waiting.
Another wider trail led down towards the lake, a perfect oval of glassy water. Fragrant lilies of red and pink, orange and purple, swayed in the breeze, wafting faint perfume through the warm air.
The dark storm of Kaelan’s presence built up behind her, descending upon her, until she finally had to turn to face him.
“I’m sorry Honey is hurt,” she said.
He gazed over the top of her head. His jaw clenched.
Her hand tightened around the rope. “We can’t go in there like this.”
