“They’ll probably attack you this time,” Sean said.
“Good thing I’ve got the Savior on my side, then.”
Sean snorted. “Let’s do this.”
With that, they stepped into the gray, the Shaman’svillage faireon their minds.
The fog was much as Sean remembered—so dense he could barely make out his own hand in front of his face. It didn’t take long, however, before it thinned and the trunks of trees became visible, less stately and ancient than the forest he’d just left.
Then the mist disappeared, and Sean found no trace it had ever existed. “How do we get back?” he asked, studying the sparse trees around them.
“You have to want to go back,” Isobel said. “The mist appears in nature. Those without immortal blood can’t see it.”
The Luster had vanished, and her hair was now simple auburn, her eyes a normal green. David’s gold hair was merely blond. Autumn’s edges no longer gleamed with light.
“It has been a time since I’ve been here,” Kywyn said, peering at their surroundings. “One forgets how dull it is.”
Sean couldn’t see it, but the Light still tickled at his senses, ready for use.
Autumn traipsed toward the edge of the trees, where the sounds of laughing crowds echoed. In the distance, past a grassy area used as a parking lot, fairway rides soared in the air, painted cheerful reds and blues and greens. A Ferris wheel spun merrily against an azure sky.
The sun was in a far different place than before. It appeared to be mid-afternoon.
The physics of it all had Sean muddled, and the niggle of a headache woke. How was any of this possible, really? Magic was like gravity—unbelievable until it was directly observed.
“We’ll always take you to places you can speak the language,” Autumn explained as they walked.
“Do others speak mortal languages?”
“We all learn one or two. Usually we steal clothes and transportation, coin if we have to.”
“Seems inefficient,” Sean said. “I asked Bowenn why there are no contacts on this side, and he couldn’t give me a good answer.”
“No one stays in this realm more than twenty-four hours,” Autumn said. “All the magic feeds directly into the ley lines, so it’s hard to absorb Luster here. Being here drains you.”
Minor problem. He could set up outposts. Supplies shops. He could find dedicated living spaces and vehicles, accounts with money, phones ready to go, weapons if needed.
With adequate provisions, they might actually make a dent in this centuries-old war. Ideas flourished, and when he looked up next, David was coercing them through the gate because they had no money for tickets. The place was crowded. Loud. Fried food and cigarette smoke lingered in the air.
Isobel hooked an arm around Sean’s elbow. “It’s best to sneak up on them. If they see the light in your eyes, they either run or they attack.”
“And remember,” Autumn added, “it’s easiest if you’re touching them. You get your hand over their heart and shove the Luster inside. They won’t survive it.”
“Fantastic,” David said in his dry tone. “Excuse me, ma’am, I can’t look you in the eye, but can I touch your chest?”
She laughed and grabbed his hand. “You can do it from afar, too. It’s just harder.” They trekked off toward a row of food trucks.
Sean and Isobel followed a few paces back, and Kywyn pulled up the rear.
“Watch,” Isobel said, her gaze on someone in line for the Tilt-A-Whirl. She slipped away and casually approached a man whose eyes weren’t quite right. The purple light was impossible to see from his distance, but Sean sensed something wrong about the guy.
She nudged a woman away and, pretending to stumble, pressed her hand to the guy’s chest. He grunted as he fell to his knees. Isobel apologized, then melted into the crowd, reappearing at Sean’s side.
“See? Covert and easy to disguise,” she said as the man rose to his feet, looking dazed but shooing away the strangers trying to steady him.
A grin erupted across Sean’s face, and he bounced on his toes, eager for his chance. Lhynion had done this thousands of times, but a simple memory didn’t count. Sean wanted to experience it himself, wanted to see the light fade from their eyes.
His first quarry took the form of a young girl, hopping in the line for the racer slides. Sean flexed his hands and set out for the hunt, circling the girl until he approached from behind. Once he was within distance, hetrippedinto her back. She staggered forward, catching herself on a metal railing so Sean could press his hand over her spine.
