She wasn’t even sure if Emorywantedthis kind of magic. There was a haunted look to her every time she used it, something she kept hidden. A part of this new version of herself that she wasn’tallowing Romie to see. And that, too, was a particularly nasty sting, to know that her best friend didn’t trust her as much as she once did.
At least the feeling was mutual.
Romie flexed her healing hands at the obtrusive thought, pushing down this hint of distrust she had for Emory’s magic. She convinced herself it was nothing. They’d gotten good at pretending things between them were fine. That nothing had changed. It was easier than to face all the ways theyhadchanged.
A tingling went up Romie’s spine as an odd sensation overtook her. Instinct had her glancing at the Selenic Mark, certain someone was calling her through it. But the spiral remained dull, as it had since they’d gotten here.
Salt water was needed to activate the mark, something Romie and Emory had no access to in these woods. A shame, since being able to talk to each other in secret while they were here might have proved helpful—as well as getting in touch with people back home, like Nisha. They’d tried to activate the mark by mixing all the salt they could find in a bowl of water, to no avail.
Mr. Ametrine appeared with Romie’s salve. She thanked him profusely, pocketing the tin, and proceeded to ask him questions about various plants. At first he looked like he might ignore her to heed whatever warning Mrs. Amberyl must have given about her and Emory, but he surprised her by indulging her curiosity.
“I heard about the rot that’s affecting the woods,” Romie said after a while, hoping this new kinship between them would loosen his lips. “How does something like that happen?”
Mr. Ametrine gave her a long, thoughtful look before answering. “Typically, root rot sets in when an invasive fungus or insect is present.”
Romie tried not to bristle at the implication—that she and Emory were the invasive species in this scenario.
“But the Wychwood is not a typical wood,” Mr. Ametrine continued, “and this is no typical root rot. You see, everything flows from the Wychwood. It is the heart of the world, where all magic and life originate. If it fails, the rest of the world is doomed to follow.”
“That’s why your coven is its protector,” Romie said as lines fromSong of the Drowned Godscame to mind.
At the center of this world lies the Wychwood, a forest older and wilder than any other. It is the source of all growth and greenery. Veins run from it, pump magic and other nutrients into the land, and at its helm is the singular witch tasked with protecting it. She is the rib cage that wraps around the heart of the world, her very skin and bones made to keep the Wychwood safe. To ensure each cog in the wheel of life works as intended.
“And can the woods be healed?”
Mr. Ametrine looked conflicted at her question, something like pity in the way he regarded her. “Sometimes healing requires sacrifice.”
The words sank like weights in Romie’s stomach. Mr. Ametrine’s gaze flickered to a spot behind her. He inclined his head and left.
“Thought I’d find you here,” Emory said, eyes trailing after Mr. Ametrine. “What was that about?”
Romie tried to shake off the unease the aging witch’s words had left her with. “Oh, you know, just trying to find a way out of this mess.”
Sacrifice.Was that what Mrs. Amberyl meant to do with them?
Seeing the nervous way Emory fidgeted with her sleeves, Romie asked, “You all right?”
Emory worried her lip. “You know how you said you heard that weird voice in the sleepscape?”
From the look in her eye, Romie knew where this was going. “You heard it too?”
Emory nodded, face pale. “There’s something else. I think I saw Kai.”
“Kai?” Romie echoed, grabbing Emory’s arm in surprise. “How?”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him in my dreams. Back home, when you were gone, I kept dreaming of Dovermere, and sometimes he was right there with me.” Her brow creased. “Which makes no sense because he was at the Institute at the time and shouldn’t have been able to use his magic at all. And now we’re worlds apart, and still he shows up. The same way I managed to see you in my dream when you were on the other side of the Hourglass.”
Romie’s thoughts raced. She had tried finding Kai in the sleepscape herself while she was here—Baz and Nisha and her parents too—but it was impossible. Like they were on another plane of existence entirely. She remembered trying the same when she was stuck between worlds. The only person she’d ever been able to reach was Emory.
“Maybe you being a Tidecaller means you’re not constrained by doors,” Romie mused. “Like you’re a bridge between worlds, and that’s why we can reach you in the sleepscape from wherever we are.”
It would make sense. A key, a bridge, a door—they were all ways to get from one place to another, and that was what Emory could do.
“I want to go back to the waterfall where they found us,” Emory said. “Surely we must have missed something last time.”
Romie agreed. Now that the ascension was over, they didn’t have to stay trapped inside here anymore—if what Mrs. Amberyl had promised them still held true.
“And then I think we should leave,” Emory added. “Whether we find our door or not, we should get out of this place while we can.”
