“What does he mean by bonded?” I whispered.
“You are promised, bonded, connected?” The voice came again.
“No longer,” Ranth replied. His shoulders squared, and his spine straightened as he faced the unseen voice.
“If you have touched a mortal after ascending, then you are unworthy to be a guardian.”
A combination of fury and despair ripped through me. “Wait, what? They already accepted you back.”
“I was accepted to be tested for my position.”
“You mean you have to climb a tree? Like Harold?”
“The test for guardians is different. That also explains why Rei and Kell aren’t here. I must not be accepted yet. But…” Ranth turned toward the forest and crouched down on the grass. He lowered his head and placed his hands reverently together in front of him. “Are you saying you won’t accept my petition?”
“You are the chosen one, but you have changed. I do not know the outcome.”
“Explain what’s going on,” I demanded of the Trees.
They didn’t respond. Ranth rose from the grass and turned to me. “This is my journey to take, alone. You only have hours left in your time, and your friends are in danger. You must go back.Besides, you can’t be sure Fabra isn’t killing you right now out of fury.”
Ranth was right. Fabra could murder everyone I knew. My family and friends might die if I didn’t return to take my place. Who would fight the demons that came through? Hundreds might die because I wasn’t there.
But not my mother, for she was already dead. The best I could hope for was to release whatever husk of her was left behind and allow her to ascend to the next spiritual level. I had a plan, but I didn’t know if it would work.
“Okay, I’ll go back. Send me back. You’ve convinced me.” With fear and uncertainty sticking in my throat, I thrust out my arm, expecting the words to reappear. The ground rumbled as a massive presence, which I assumed must be The Serpent, moved toward us. I widened my stance to remain standing.
A colossal misty creature appeared in front of us. Not quite a snake or dragon, its scales shone of sunlight, shifting as it undulated, making it impossible to determine a true form.
Shaking with the enormity of its energy, I cowered, protecting my head as Ranth stepped next to me. “The curse can’t bring you back to the Garden. If the Serpent can return your portion, the tattoo will appear in your world.”
“But it won’t link us again?”
Ranth shook his head.
I wasn’t sure what good it would do then, but something was telling me it was the only way I could get to my mom. I wasn’t happy to leave Ranth, but his place wasn’t with me.
“Fine, what do I need to do?”
Ranth smiled; my fingers ached to stroke the little hairs on his jaw. To feel the silkiness of his skin. But that chance was over.
“You’ll need to embrace the Serpent.”
“You mean hugthat?” I blinked at the terrifying scaled entity looming over us.
“Your touch will allow it to give you the curse back. You’ll have to trust me.”
Those two words hung in the air.Trust me.I did trust him.
Hands balled up for extra courage, I approached the Serpent. Its scales glistened silvery black and bronzy brown with a belly of the cream of…camel’s milk. The voice in my head was Ranth’s. I reached out with my palms flat as he had done to the grass. The Serpent’s scales were like wet shale, and my hands slid over them. Then with a flash of green leaves and a glimmer of dusky rose, the belly of the serpent split open and sucked me into a vortex where thought couldn’t track.
My skin seared with light, blinding me; my nose filled with the scents of sweet fruit, dusky resin, and stone.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
The Garden disappeared in a sucking green to black. My skin burned, my guts trying to climb out of me, and the pressure in my head explosive as I fell through nothing.
The air was thicker, and my chest heaved with the effort of breathing. Ranth’s hands on my shoulders sent golden sparkles across my vision, and I could breathe easily again. Swirls of light twirled off in all directions. What was Ranth doing here—and where was here?
