“I’ll give you a full tutorialifyou can convince your mate to return my dagger.”
One look at Angel’s stern expression, and I don’t even bother trying. Not worth the effort. And nine daggers are more than enough.
Hazel hisses when I don’t move a muscle, “You need to work on your seduction. He’s not whipped enough.”
Angel catches her trying to sneak in another dagger and starts doing that deep breathing thing he uses to keep his nonexistent temper in check.
I’m walking to my horse when something makes me pause.
I’m suited up like the rest of them, but Hazel has ninedaggers and a whole arsenal in her duffel. Angel and Grace have their bows. Seiji has his whips. And Harvey will be wielding the majestic sword of War that he got after his coronation.
Do I need a weapon?
Nah.I am the weapon.
Harvey hoists Grace onto his mighty red horse, who neighs happily when she rubs his belly. The horse is just as taken with my sister as his rider.
Seiji whispers something to his horse before mounting. Apparently, the Prince of Famine picked a horse that demands his rider to ask permission before every ride.A perfect match.
A warrior circles Hazel’s horse, checking if the saddle is secure. The demon gets distracted and almost bumps into Hazel, but she steps back just in time to avoid him.
But then something strange happens. When Hazel takes that step back, she should’ve come in contact with Diamond’s fire. She should’ve flinched from the burn… but nothing happens. No reaction. Not even a mark.
Hazel chews up the warrior for not paying attention, then swings onto her horse.
Diamond suddenly lets out a loud whine, demanding attention, but not from me.
Is he seriously neighing at Hazel? The fuck?
Diamond stays distracted until Angel announces it’s time to leave. With a powerful kick, all the horses steadily lift into the air. The crisp wind hits my face, and I tuck away the strange incident to overthink later.
It’s my first time flying, and I should be thrilled, but I can’t escape the heavy hollowness in my chest. This moment feels incomplete without Papa.
There was a time when, with every step I took, he wasn’t too far behind me. And now I’ve finally returned to my world, but it’s not the same without him.
It’s not a home without the people who make it feel like home.
As if Diamond can sense my inner turmoil, he neighs loudlyand weaves through the clouds, running in zig-zags to cheer me up. I lean down and hug my not-so-grumpy horse.
Once we pass through the portal, it only takes an hour from the kingdom. At the border of the human realm lies an abandoned cliffside—also known as the only entrance intothe Forgotten Realm. And to get in, you have to dive off that cliff into the ocean below.
All the ancient lore we studied before this trip lacked any vital information on the realm because no one ever comes back. The exit gates are a closely guarded secret. Everything else we found was vague, like the one line that was repeated so often, I have it memorized.
Even though it’s a whisper away, not everyone with darkness within can handle the light.
The realm has a magnetic pull so strong it gradually strips away your will to leave. The place eats away the light you bring in and manipulates you into becoming a part of its never-ending darkness. So the longer you stay, the fewer chances you have of getting free of that pull.
Grace pulls out her trusty journal and recites the exit location just in case we get separated.
I remember how happy she looked when she told me that Papa had gifted her this enchanted book after he noticed her struggling to organize the flood of information in her head. The book’s magic helps her visualize her thoughts in both writing and illustrations.
As we prepare to jump, Grace warns that we can’t stay for more than six hours under any circumstances. She clicks open a pocket watch, sets the timer, and hands it to Hazel for safekeeping.
If I don’t make it out, I want everyone to know I never agreed to this. I hate this plan. In fact, blame my death on Angel since he brought me here to get revenge.
“Alright, we go in, find Micah, send his soul to purgatory, and get out. Clear?” Angel repeats for the fifth time, like he thinks we’re a bunch of dumb-dumbs who’ll fuck upindefinitely.
Standing on the cliff’s edge, we collectively take a deep breath. Then a question pops into my head, and it’s out of my mouth before I can stop it, startling everyone.
