Silas halts me. “I’ll shift with her first. Larkin, you stay close behind. We’ll stop near the clearing to gather our bearings.”
We all nod in agreement, and Silas takes my right hand.
“Ready?”
“Yes,” I respond.
We turn to mist, and the world around us fades. The fresh air heightens my senses as we emerge from the cave into the night sky. The clearing is not far away, so it doesn’t take us long to reach the spot that nearly killed me.
Larkin lands first and steps forward, ensuring that our surroundings are safe. Silas and I land softly next, and before I know it, he is already there to catch me. Larkin pushes through the dense patch of trees, moving closer to the center clearing where the creature emerged. A crackle of light surrounds Larkin as he draws on his magic in case a second beast lurks somewhere in the shadows. He moves out of sight just ahead, and I hear him curse.
Silas turns to me. “The creature’s body is ahead. We can go around if you don’t want to see it.”
“I want to see it,” I reply.
He grabs my hand, and we move in the direction of Larkin through the tightly packed trees. Larkin stands before us, his mouth hung open, and before him, the creature lies dead. Its long, thin body is stretched across the forest floor, and its once cracked skin now appears shattered. A long tongue hangs from its wide mouth, and the creature’s body is nearly split in half. Black steaming blood coats the ground around it, and I quickly cover my nose. The smell is unbearable.
Larkin turns, hearing us approach. “Gods, Silas. How the fuck did you do this?”
He walks beside Larkin, staring down at the creature. The shadows around him begin to pulse, as if seeing it revives all the rage he initially felt. I notice his fists tighten, and he glances back at me. His piercing green eyes reflect hatred, not for me, but for what the creature did to me.
“I wanted it dead, so I made it happen.” Silas glances at the creature again. “No one will touch Briar and live to tell the tale.”
“Damn, Silas. No one has killed a Traveler in centuries,” Larkin says with a grimace.
Silas walks away from the creature and back to me, grabbing my hand.
“Until now.” His voice is low and deep, revealing no regret. “Let’s keep moving.”
“I’ll shift her now,” Larkin says, quickly moving away from the beast and stepping closer to the line of trees where I stand, near the base of the mountains. “We need to rest whenever we can. We can’t exhaust our magic with what’s coming.”
“Alright.” Silas lets go of my hand. “We won’t stop again. Head to the castle, and I’m right behind you.” He leans in and kisses my forehead before disappearing into the shadows.
A part of me feels excited to shift with Larkin. Being a Lumor Wielder, the shift feels both familiar and different, as though a warm glow wraps around me when in motion. It’s lighter—airier—and this time, I won’t be in excruciating pain.
I extend my hand for him to grab. “Ready?”
Larkin hesitates to touch me.
“I’ll never stop apologizing to you. I hope you understand that,” he says, instead of taking my hand.
I softly smile at him. “I just wanted to say that I, too, would do anything to help my friends.”
Larkin’s jaw tenses.
“And, I’m sorry I screamed those hateful words at you. Barlowe cared for you as well. He talked about you.”
Larkin glances at the ground.
“Please don’t ever think that your friendship was a waste or that you let him down.”
He smiles. “Thank you for saying that.”
“You’re welcome.”
I push my hand out again for him to take, and he squeezes it before glancing toward the towering castle in the distance.
Larkin shifts into a bright ball of light, taking me with him. We swiftly move closer to the castle, and I can feel his magic starting to dull as we cover the distance. Somehow, during ourjourney, I burrow down and use my own magic to propel us forward.
