The crew of Rangers seemed to generally agree with my hypothesis, judging by their silences and intrigued stares.
“The only exception to this is the river,” Zin said. “And I believe that’s a more natural portal because of the size of the ley line that runs through it.”
“I agree,” I said. “That’s exactly what I thought too. And it makes sense, too, on a more technical level. Ley lines by nature are not good or bad, they’re just a source of power. They can be tapped into for good or evil. The river as a ley line is so powerful in its very nature that it’s very possible the Darkest Lord is tapping into it through some sort of portal.”
“And the deadened lands?” Ranger X asked. “Why there?”
“Because they’re dead,” I said. “The parts of this island that were not touched by the curse are still thrumming with magic and life force. There are still remnants of the Fae Queen wards in place, and those are enough to stifle the spirits, at least for now. But the dead lands have lost so much of that life force that they can support…life that is not living. Spirits.”
I touched my chest where I could sense the jar of marbles—that collection of the people I loved and protected and held dear to me. Even as I did, I realized that some of the marbles had dulled in color. They were still there, but gray now, no longer part of this island. No longer part of my court. I wouldn’t be able to feel their joy or pain like I could for those still present. The people who had evacuated the island. They were no longer here, present in my court, and so I couldn’t sense them anymore—just like I couldn’t sense the dead areas of the island.
“The land, the actual earth, grounds me. It’s one of the Triune elements I’m connected to,” I said. “I can’t feel the dead lands in the same way I can the healthy parts of this court. They were touched by evil, and a part of them still belongs to darkness. Which, in turn, welcomes the spirits.”
“That makes sense,” Zin said. “We’ve had one or two reports where spirits vanished before a potion was even thrown. Probably because those spirits had left the deadened earth for the living.”
I nodded. “Possibly.”
Ranger X glanced at me thoughtfully. “Maybe instead of focusing on repairing the wards, you could focus on healing the island? The less dead lands there are, the less surface area the spirits have access to.”
“It’s a good thought,” I said. “But I’ve only had success in healing small patches of land at a time. I have no idea how I could possibly extrapolate that to heal such a vast area, and so quickly. It takes a lot out of me, and frankly, I haven’t masteredhealing even small patches. It wouldn’t be enough to make a difference, I’m afraid.”
Ranger X hesitated, then asked, “Do you think there’s a chance it could be more effective now that you’ve opened the connection to your ancestors?”
“It’s possible,” I said, “and I’ll give it my best shot, but I don’t think we should count on it as a solution.”
“The spirits are here,” Ranger X agreed reluctantly, “so we’ll need something effective now. The snow hasn’t stopped falling. Winter is still here. And if they solve the flesh-weaving issue, then the dead lands won’t be an issue at all as they’ll have access to the island as a whole.”
“I don’t understand why it’s still winter,” I said. “I’m back. I felt it, you all felt it. I can feel my connection to The Isle locked back in place, so I don’t understand.”
“Maybe it’s because it’s not your wards controlling the island,” Ranger X said. “If Dr. Lewis was able to reinstate the curse, isn’t it possible that could be messing with your connection to the wards? Or maybe, it’s because even the island can sense what’s coming. The Darkest Lord’s arrival is imminent.”
“Probably all of the above,” I murmured.
“What are you thinking about Dr. Lewis’s wards?” Ranger X asked. “Is there a way to counteract what he’s done?”
“He’s already opened the veil between our realms,” I said. “It’s too late to just”—I mimed zipping something closed—“seal it back up. And if the curse has been made active again, it will need to be destroyed again. Let’s assume he was successful, which also means it’s very likely the areas of dead lands are growing.”
“Which means,” Ranger X said, “the amount of surface area allotted to the spirits is will expand, and we don’t know how quickly.”
“I don’t know how to stop the progression of the curse this time. Last time, the answer was to destroy the wards, butthis time that’s not an option. The wards are mine, but he’s twisted them. There’s nothing to destroy without completely obliterating everything, which would not be helpful. Trust me.”
“Can you set new ones?” Ranger Z asked. “Thendestroy the old ones?”
I gave a soft smile. “I’ll do my best, but if I knew how, I’d have already done it.”
“Give Alessia a little break,” Lily said. “She’s been conscious for, like, four minutes.”
“If it’s all right with everyone,” I said, “I’d like to return to the castle. I need to review my Fae manuscripts and take a moment to process everything that’s happened. I know we don’t have the luxury of time, but I do need a moment to justthink.”
“I’ll go with her,” Silas said. “I’ll take Ranger Z as well, so she can communicate with the Ranger team.”
Ranger X nodded. “We’ll split the rest of us up and combat the spirits appearing on the island. It’s a stopgap, but hopefully it’ll buy you some time until you come up with the best next steps. We’ll also communicate with the islanders to make sure they’re staying on healthy ground, especially as the curse progresses.”
“Please, also ask anyone who can leave to do so immediately,” I said. “Nobody should be forced to live through what happens next. I won’t stop people from staying, but I most certainly won’t stop them from leaving.”
“We’ll get the word out,” Lily said. She pulled me in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Take care of yourself.”
We parted ways, unsure of when or how or under what circumstances we’d next see one another. Then Silas and I returned to The Forest, huddling together as we forged our way against the snowstorm, a storm that was growing angrier by the minute.
