There it is again—inside my head, just like the ghosts of my ancestors. Except, it almost sounds like… “Wilder?” I gasp. It can’t be him.
Silence answers. Great, now I’m losing my mind on top of everything else.
Leigh! Goddammit, answer me.
At the force of his voice, I lose my grip on the branch I’m holding onto for balance. I gasp again, barely managing to hang on. “Wilder.”
Still no audible response, but his presence is stronger now, like when one of the ghosts takes up residence in my thoughts. Wait.
Wilder?I project the thought this time, hugging the trunk tight as a gust of wind tries to pry me loose.
Leigh. Holy shit. It worked.
I blink water from my eyes, heart pounding.How is it you are talking to me right now?
I thought magic didn’t exist in this world, but maybe this is a different kind of magic?
There’s no time for that,he says.Where are you? I’m coming to take you home.
A slightly hysterical laugh bubbles up in my chest. Yeah, that’s going to be a little hard to explain.Don’t get mad. I’m in Mictlan. I went after the Dullahan. I?—
I’m here, too.
I nearly fall. My painted nails dig into the wet bark.
He’s here? Does that mean it’s dawn back home? Or did Ravi break his promise to me? Damn him. I didn’t want Wilder to know anything about this place. He was supposed to stay safe. I have everything under control.
Are you here with the Blades?Please tell me he isn’t alone, that he has backup.
No.
I frown, though I’m not surprised.
Now that he’s here, he’ll bring me home. He’ll demand we let the Blades handle this situation without us. Except the Blades aren’t equipped to deal with supernatural forces like this. I’m a Lunar Witch. Bridging the gap between the living and the dead is my job.
Please tell me where you are.
I shake my head, even though he can’t see me. I’m not going home, at least not yet. But he should. It’s safer there; he could help the Blades protect the rift. Knowing that he’ll be waiting for me and that he’s safe will give me the strength I need to carry out this mission. If he gets hurt here… if he’s not at the altar when I return… The thoughts cinch around my heart like a vice. I gasp.
I’m not leaving,I protest.
A familiar screech splits the sky above me. My blood runs cold. The harpies are returning. Fuck. I slide off the branch, my toes dangling as I try to find the next one.
What does that mean?Wilder asks.
I exhale. He came all this way for me, and I love him endlessly for it, but I can’t go home with him right now. I need to do this, to make things right.
Go home, Wilder. I’ll be right behind you.
The silence between us is charged with his anger.
Help the Blades, I add when he doesn’t answer. I get that he’s worried about me and can’t sit still when he’s scared, but he could funnel that energy into helping the Blades stop daemons from escaping the rift while I’m in here.
You need me more than they do.
I stop moving, heat rising up my neck as I hug a tree for dear life.
Fynn is here. That little boy needs me, too.
