“You could take both of us?” Damion asked, leaning over Magda’s shoulder.
Kaelan’s face darkened. “No. And I couldn’t come back for you either, not over such a great distance, not for a day at least.”
Damion scowled. “Well, then, we take the bird.”
“I can’t leave Damion behind,” she said, as much as she hated to.
Traveling with Kaelan through the Shadow Realms was far preferable to flying on the back of that giant Pixie-eater. But once on the Elf King’s islands, she would be taking an even greater risk traveling without Damion. She’d already almost died twice in the two weeks since she’d returned.
“I can come back for him,” Kaelan said. “We can find a safe place and wait until I’m recovered enough to travel again.”
“Then I’d have to wait another day, alone, for you to return with Damion?” she asked.
He nodded.
“I don’t like it,” Damion growled.
“Would you rather fly on that?” she asked, nodding to the bird.
“Why are you offering to do this, Prince?” Damion said. “Suddenly you want to help us?”
“I don’t want Honey involved in this any more than she has to be,” he said softly.
“Then we’ll leave at dusk,” Magda said, her pulse slowing.
“Wait...” Damion interjected. “I should go first. You stay here, rest another day.”
Honey bounded over, grinning. “When shall we leave?”
Magda smiled thinly at Damion. “I’m going first.”
VOICES WHISPEREDthrough the shadows around her—hundreds, thousands. The words were indistinguishable, bleeding into each other, rising and falling like waves. All around, nothing but darkness.
And then they arrived on the island.
Kaelan sagged. She held onto his arm, easing him down into the tall, rustling grasses.
She knelt before him. “Are you all right?”
His head hung between his knees. “Yes. I’m just... I haven’t done this very often.” He fell back, forcing the stiff grasses to bend and break under him.
She gave a quick look around, rising to peer above the grasses. Rolling hills sprawled in all directions. No light or smoke, or any other signs of life.
“Okay,” she said. “Rest here. I’m going to take a look around.”
His eyes opened, but he didn’t lift his head. “Alone?”
She touched Hero’s head, where he nestled against her neck. “I’m never alone.”
“He’s a rat.”
“A highly intelligent rat.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s true,” she said. “Enough talking. If there’s anyone else around, we don’t want to draw their attention.”
“Anyone like us?” a new voice quipped.
