“There are,” Tejus replied, “but far away from here. We’d have to cross the northern forests – and even then it would take me days to fill the stones with my energy.”
“No way,” interjected Ash. “No forests. I’m sticking by what I said earlier. The entity’s army seems stronger there. We should stick to open land. It’s too risky.”
“So we just have to wait?” Lucas exclaimed.
“Wait,” Ruby replied suddenly, “what about the water—it has rejuvenation properties, right? We’re going there anyway, but it can heal GASP and the rest of us too. Maybe we can even take the kids. We might need to use them for syphoning again.”
Sofia shuddered at the mention of the children who had been kidnapped—used and abused too much by the sentries already.
“No,” my wife interjected. “They’ve been through enough. I want to leave them out of this.”
Ruby nodded in understanding, looking a little shamefaced. I took pity on her. We all knew what it was like fighting for our lives against impossible odds—we used what tools we could in the moment, hoping that the consequences weren’t too severe.
“You’ve protected them from danger long enough.” I spoke to Ruby directly. “We can’t worry about them during a battle. The sentries can use GASP—we should provide more than enough energy once it’s replenished.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Lucas said. “Let’s go.”
Tejus looked at Ash, who nodded.
It was time.
Sherus
It was still nightfall when we rode out. We were all weak, tired and depleted by the magic of these strange creatures. The dragons and the Hawks flew ahead, scanning the land for danger…but how would they spot a shadow? I didn’t agree with Derek’s decision to ride at nightfall—especially not on these deformed bull-horses, which seemed horrifically unnatural to me. I chose to float along beside my sister, who had also chosen to ride. Some of the sentries rode on large vultures, and some joined our ranks on foot. Few spoke, and we mostly peered into the darkness that surrounded us, waiting for the whispering to begin.
Ghouls’ Ridge was where we were headed—what good could come of a place with that name?
“Peace, Sherus,” Lidera murmured softly. “I can see your mind spinning. These waters sound like our only hope.”
“We should have traveled in the daylight,” I grunted.
“We’re exposed either way. I agree with King Derek—better to travel as soon as possible.”
I ignored my sister. She tended to agree with anyone who wasn’t me. I couldn’t help but think the whole mission was a disaster. The portal was still open—those wretched creatures could get out at any time, floating onward into the In-Between and destroying my kin. Why had we not just closed it and left these sentries to their fate? Their own emperor had been foolish enough to release it in the first place—perhaps it was right that they should pay for their mistakes.
Like you did?
I sighed heavily. Benjamin. He had been the reason I hadn’t faced the consequences of my own father’s deal with the ghouls. I owed Derek and his kin this much.
The vampire king rode up to me, letting the others ride ahead as his bull-horse fell into step alongside me.
“We need to understand exactly what the entity wants,” Derek said. “More specifically, why he might seek to destroy the In-Between once he has finished in this dimension.”
“I have been wondering that myself, but I haven’t come to any valid conclusions. If I knew what kind of creature this entity actually was, perhaps I would understand more. But no one seems to be able to tell us,” I grumbled.
“Go easy on them, Sherus,” Derek reprimanded me. “They are mere children compared to you, and you have failed in learning the history of the stones… You are just as much at fault here.”
I grunted my agreement, not willing to wholeheartedly own up to my part in this. But he was right. I had known about the land watched over by the Shadowed fae, but never questioned what they guarded. I should have been more vigilant.
“I am worried about my ability to protect my people from this danger.” I sighed.
“We may overcome them here. Can you sense if any have gotten out and into the In-Between?”
I shook my head. “I believe that I would know—and so far, I feel we are safe. But that is my instinct only, it may not be fact.”
“You have not doubted your instincts up till now, Sherus. Don’t start now. Let’s have hope that we can win this battle.”
We continued on in silence. I watched the stars above—both those of this sky, and those twinkling in the abyss exposed by the rip. To fae, the sky was precious, beloved for all its colors and temperament—the closest our kind came to worship. We read its signs, it told us histories and stories through the configuration of its stars. The degradation of this sky seemed utterly barbaric to me, an act so sinful that it made me shudder every time I looked upon it. What destruction would this creature wreak on my home?