His arm flopped over his eyes, and I had half a second to act before he woke up for real.
I straightened, put on my best ethereal voice, and whispered:
“Sleep now, seeker…your destiny awaits at sunrise.”
Randy sighed and muttered, “The energies…aligning….” before settling deeper into sleep.
I wriggled my sleeve free and nearly flung myself backward. The book was in my hands. The fake was tucked under his arm.
We bolted.
We didn’t stop moving until we were well past the picnic tables, hidden behind a stack of camping gear.
Bethany covered her face. “I can’t believe that worked.”
“Sleep now, seeker!” Callie snorted.
I crossed my arms. “He bought it, didn’t he?”
Bethany sucked in a breath, still catching up to reality. “I think you just confirmed his entire life’s purpose.”
“You’re his spirit guide now,” Callie said.
I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Whatever. We have the book.”
Bethany sobered. “Right. And we’d better figure out how to use it.”
I turned the ancient book over in my hands. The leather cover was smooth from years of handling, and the brittle pages seemed heavy with meaning. This was no self-help nonsense. This was the real deal.
Something that had already done damage.
I swallowed hard and met their gazes. “Let’s get back to Faelan.”
We took off into the woods, hoping we weren’t too late.
9
Sam
The moment we stepped into the clearing, I knew something was different.
The seasons had no say here. Spring had erupted all at once, wild and overripe.
The blind was drowning in green. Ivy twisted through the wood, blossoms opened wide in the underbrush, and the air buzzed with life too vibrant for the hour. And the woods all around it were thick with wildflowers.
Bethany stopped short. “Oh…wow.”
Callie whistled low. “You’d almost think it was pretty. If you didn’t know why.”
The door to the blind was held shut with tiny green tendrils that snapped as I pulled it open. Inside, Faelan was sitting up now, with his back against the far wall and his eyes closed. He looked even bigger and heavier with presence than before—but distinctly less human. His skin had taken on a greenish tint, as if the forest had seeped into him. His ears had gone slightly pointed.
And his hair—his wild, tangled hair—was now threaded with flowers, tiny blossoms that peeked through the deep strands and curled into the thick of his beard.
“Well,” Callie said quietly, “if I wasn’t entirely convinced before….”
Bethany crouched next to him, tilting her head. “But he kinda looks better now.”
“He’s not better.” I stepped inside. The vines swayed toward me as I passed them, brushing my sleeve. “He’s sinking into the land.”
