After the first day of everyone’s arrival, Lucy’s home was turned into what I could only call a fortress. The setting but it was underscored with the knowledge that at any moment, Baladon might attack. Weapons were brought in by some, while the witches and Harold went to work concocting potions to be used in defense against the darkness, that detonated or melted anything they touched.
After Forrest shared the update that Harold had already been attacked, guards were set up around the perimeter of the now magically expanded house. Though any human walking by would be oblivious to what went on behind these walls.
I continued my work with Abby, trying to repair the orb, but even with her expertise, nothing seemed to work. The orb remained cracked, sparking angrily each time we tried something new.
“Shit,” I yelped, yanking my hand back as the errant magic jolted me. I glared at the orb and considered picking it up and chucking it across the room. “This is hopeless. It’s never going to be fixed, and we’re going to be trapped here.”
“Patience, Mori, we will get it to work,” Abby mused quietly.
“How? Nothing we’ve tried has made a difference. Nothing. And without the orb, we cannot get back.”
That had been another newsflash we’d dropped on those at the house.
It had been taken about as well as the rest of them. If anything, it made everyone more eager to find a way to get back, now that there was a chance we might not ever be able to return to the realms. I was stressed, more tired than before, there was hardly time to eat, and I had no time with Forrest.
I never realized how much having him by my side soothed me and kept me calm until the very moment when I was ready to tear the greenhouse apart in a sudden flash of anger.
Why could nothing be simple and work out the way we wanted? We had gone through nearly every herb in this glass house, and though Abby told me to have patience, I saw the concern on her face. A concern that she too, was running out of ideas. We could make all the plans we wanted, but unless the orb worked, we could do nothing but sit here and wait for Baladon.
I tapped my nails loudly on the wooden counter, willing the orb to just work for me like it always used to. But all it did was sit there and taunt me. My finger stung from where I’d been jolted, and I was considering taking a hammer to the orb—instead of throwing it—when the door to the greenhouse opened and a calming sensation hit me.
“You know if you keep glaring like that, your eyes are going to cross,” Forrest murmured as his arms wrapped around my waist and he rested his chin on my shoulder.
“I’m not glaring,” I muttered.
“Really? I can feel your anger all the way inside, love.”
“Sorry.”
“No need to apologize, but you can’t get so upset over it. The orb will work again.”
“How do you know that?” I snapped, then bit the inside of my cheek. He didn’t even bristle at my furious tone, and I leaned back into him, loving him all the more for it. “I just want one thing to go right, is that too much to ask?”
He moved, so he stood beside me and gently turned my head to face him. “The message in the stars? That went well, if you didn’t notice the house full of people, all ready and willing to go to war with us.”
“I did, but this right here? This is our way back.
“We’ll find a way,” Abby repeated Forrest’s sentiment, then hobbled toward us. “Harold received word today. The other sorcerers will be arriving soon. Between them and the coven, we’re going to attempt to reach out to the realms, see if we can contact anyone there, get a message through.”
“You can do that?” I asked, surprised. “Without Baladon knowing?”
“I believe, yes, so don’t worry so much right now. You need to rest and put something on that burn.”
“Burn? What burn?” Forrest took the hand I’d been trying to hide behind my back and clicked his tongue at the sight of blistered, reddened finger. “You’re not exactly yourself, you’re mortal, remember? You can be seriously hurt now.”
“It’s just a small burn.”
I pouted, but he guided me out of the greenhouse and back into the house. He said nothing else to me as he led me upstairs to our room and closed the door, blocking out the constant hum of noise from downstairs.
“Sit,” he instructed, then went to the dresser.
I plopped down on the edge of the bed. He returned with a first-aid kit and started dabbing a white cream on the burn. I winced at first, but it soothed the injury, and I settled back down.
“You’re worrying too much,” I told him.
“Think I’m allowed to,” he replied without looking up.
“Is there something else bothering you?”
He shook his head, but his shoulders tensed.
“We’re all going to get through this,” I whispered, and his hands stilled in patching up my finger. “Somehow it’ll work out like it’s supposed to, right? The orb will magically start working, and we’ll face Baladon, and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
His brow rose as my tone turned bitter. “Wow, that speech certainly lifted my spirits.”
I grimaced. “Sorry, doing my best here.”
“No, it’s me I just. I can’t stop thinking of those we left behind. And now we’re going to be taking more to the realms with us. Probably to die, too. It feels wrong.”
I shook my head. “You’re not making them come with us.”
“That does nothing to make me feel better.” He finished bandaging my finger and set the kit aside. “I need to get back to the others. We’re formulating a way to trap Baladon long enough to kill him.”
“Kill him how, exactly?”
“Using the powers in the riddle, if they come back.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly aggravated. “I don’t know, but we’re working on it. Get some rest before you go back at it with the orb and Abby.” He kissed the top of my head and left.
For once, I didn’t argue with his suggestion and lay my head on the pillow. My eyes closed, and I felt myself slip immediately into sleep.
My dreams were anything but peaceful, and when I opened my eyes what felt like hardly minutes later, I frowned. The room was pitch black, which was odd because I was fairly certain it was barely noon when Forrest had brought me up here. Had I slept all day? I rolled over to look at the window but saw nothing outside. No stars and certainly no light from a full moon. I rubbed my eyes, confused, reaching out to the other side of the bed.
“Forrest?”
But he wasn’t here. Was I still dreaming? I pinched my arm, cursing at the pain. I was awake, but the room… I couldn’t see.
My pulse raced as I sat up slowly and fumbled for the sword we kept near the bed. I snagged it by the hilt and gingerly scooted across the bed toward the side near the door.
Something was wrong, terribly wrong.
With each shaky breath, the temperature dropped until white clouds appeared in front of my face. The moment my toes touched the floor, I gasped. It was freezing. I braced myself for the cold and planted both feet firmly on the wooden floorboards.
The door was only a few feet away. If I could just get out of this room, find Forrest—
Something icy suddenly wrapped around my ankle and yanked me backward.
“Where do you think you’re going, gatekeeper?” a voice hissed from the shadows my sight couldn’t penetrate. The tendril dug into my skin, and I swung the sword, aiming for the space in front of me, but the creature, one I hoped never to witness again, only cackled with glee. “Baladon has requested your presence.”
“No. Forrest,” I screamed, my words failing as a second tendril reached out and snagged my other ankle, biting into my skin.
I yelled as loud as I could until I was lifted off the floor and the beast slammed into the wall. The sword fell from my numb fingers and my head spun. I tried to shout again, but a third one slithered up and around my neck, cutting off my air. I reached up, scratching at it and tugging at it, willing my power to work. Stars exploded in my hair, but they went out just as quickly, falling harmlessly to the floor.
They lit up enough for me to see the monster holding me captive, and my heart raced so fast I waited for it to give out.
The creature was as tall as Baladon, hunched over in the room. Horns sprouted from its head forming a crown, and it had no legs, only tendrils that kept it upright. A flicker of pain slashed down my cheek from the sharp end of a talon.
I pulled away, still fighting to get free of the vise around my neck.
“Mori,” Forrest growled and slammed into the door. “Mori!”
I opened my mouth, but only a croak emerged. I tried again, and the tendril tightened as the air became charged with magic. It was going to take me back to Baladon. And the prophecy, it would never be fulfilled. I kicked and flailed, attacking with everything I had, but the beast only cackled again.
“You will not escape, gatekeeper. Save your strength.”
More voices sounded outside the door. Then something heavier hit it and wood cracked. A few more hits and the door exploded inward, bringing with it bright afternoon sunshine, flooding in from the rear of the house.
The creature hissed and snarled, curling in on itself. It dragged me from the wall and used me as a shield, putting me between itself and Forrest.
“Let her go,” Forrest snarled, raising his sword.
Craig and Tristan flanked him.
“I do not listen to you, dragon scum.”
“Let her go now, or I’ll tear you to pieces and set you on fire.”
The beast tugged me further back, trying to keep itself out of the rays of sunlight.
We needed more light, we needed fire. I locked gazes with Forrest, pleading for him to do what I hoped he still could. His dragon fire had worked a few days ago. Would it still work now?
He gave his head a subtle shake, probably worried he’d hurt me. But we had no other choice.
“Do it.” I managed to rasp, until the tendril squeezed my throat even more.
Forrest hesitated, but I felt the rip open up behind me. The monster was about to take me through it, into the realms, to Baladon.
Forrest took a deep breath and blew fire. It wasn’t as strong as it usually was, but it was enough to burn the tendrils holding me captive. The beast shrieked, and its grip slipped, letting me tear myself free.
I threw myself forward into Forrest’s waiting arms, then he set me behind him and charged into the room with his blade swinging.
The monster screeched in pain as black blood squirted into the air, drenching Forrest. He snarled as he went after the beast, again and again, until it collapsed in a bloodied and broken heap on the floor.
“Baladon is coming for you. All of you,” it warned, voice gurgling as it choked on its own blood and finally died.
Forrest kicked it one more time for good measure, sheathed his sword, and rushed to me. His hands gently touched my neck and the scratch on my face.
I flinched at the pain.
“Come on, let’s get you downstairs to Abby.”
All I could do was nod as he scooped me up and carried me out. My ankles dripped blood all over the floor, and his growl grew deeper, more violent as he noticed my other wounds. I worked at keeping my eyes open, but the attack wore me out, and my whole body hurt. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a scratchy croak. I went to clear my throat, but it was like coughing up shards of glass.
“Hush, love,” Forrest whispered. “Whatever it is can wait.”
For once I listened to him and just let him carry me to the kitchen where Abby, Harold, and several other witches were.
“Mori! What happened?”
“She was attacked.” Forrest sat me in a kitchen chair. “Baladon’s beast.”
“Personal… guard,” I rasped, holding a hand to my sore throat.
“That thing?” Forrest asked sharply.
I nodded.
“It came for you to what, take you away?”
I nodded again, and his hand closed around mine.
I had no way of knowing if any more of them would come, but if Baladon was risking sending his personal guard after me to stop us from fulfilling the prophecy, we couldn’t wait much longer. We needed a plan, and Forrest would have to admit there was no more holding off on what needed to be done.
Abby tugged up my pants’ legs and bandaged the wounds there. I turned my head against Forrest’s chest, biting my lip to stop from crying out from the pain as she tended to me. Each touch stung, but what worried me more was how that beast had gotten inside the house. Had it opened a portal right into our room? I never felt a thing while I’d been sleeping. If his guard got in once, they could easily come back again.
“I won’t let him take you,” Forrest promised.
I glanced up to meet his gaze. “We need to know what he’s doing,” I whispered hoarsely.
His brow furrowed as I tried to keep talking.
And yet, I couldn’t stop. I had to speak.
“He’s up to something, if he’s coming after me.”
“The rest of the sorcerers should be arriving shortly. Between our power and the coven, we’ll try and pierce the veil into the realms.” Harold gave me an encouraging smile. then said he was going to make contact with his brethren and see how close they were.
Abby moved on, to the wound at my neck, and the small one on my cheek, her eyes darkening and several muttered curses slipping out.
“How’s she doing?” Kate asked as she and Sabella rushed into the kitchen.
“She’ll live,” Forrest growled. “The beast, what did they do with it?”
“It’s gone,” Sabella replied quietly.
I froze, worried it hadn’t been killed at all.
“Craig and Tristan took it outside, burned what was left. There’s no sign it managed to open a portal either,” Sabella added.
As Abby finished putting a salve on my neck to soothe the cut, she told me to get some rest and recover. Forrest asked if I wanted to go back upstairs, but I shook my head. I couldn’t even think of being in a room again. Or even closing my eyes, not after that attack. If Forrest had been a few seconds later, I would’ve been stolen away, back to Baladon’s prison.
“Why don’t we go outside then? Rest in the hammock?” he suggested.
I nodded.
“We’ll send for you when the sorcerers arrive,” Abby assured me, patting my cheek gently. “We’ll place some more wards around the house and yard, as well.”
Forrest helped me up, and we walked out into the backyard. The sun shone warmly on us, and we sprawled out on the hammock beneath the large oak tree, next to the greenhouse. I curled into his side, shaking as the adrenaline wore off. His strong arms held me close, and we swayed calmly back and forth, not saying a word. Not that we had to.
I felt his anger simmering just below the surface, along with his fear that I could’ve been stolen away so easily. I wanted to assure him it wouldn’t have been his fault, but my eyes drifted shut, and before too long, I was asleep.