Hazel nodded, sighing. We were about to walk up to the front steps, but I pulled her back. We didn’t need to be at the meeting. I trusted her instincts—if this mission was ill-advised, then I wanted to spend the last moments I had with her.
“Hazel,” I began, not truly knowing what it was that I wanted to say. I wanted to offer some reassurance, but what good would that do? She knew the slim chance of success that we were facing—she wouldn’t be fooled by false hope. Perhaps, as always with Hazel, honesty was the best policy.
“I should have married you,” I blurted out. Hazel’s eyes widened, taken aback as I drew her into my arms. “As soon as I could. Not involved myself with the trials, left it all to Ash sooner. That will be my only regret—that I didn’t—”
“Stop,” she urged. “We’re going to have time for all of that later. We will, Tejus, I have to keep believing that.”
She drew her arms around me, pulling me into a kiss. It left me breathless and aching.
“I don’t want you to go to the cove thinking this is a suicide mission. It won’t be—forget what I said. Please. You have to come back to me. Ash survived, against all the odds, and you will too. We’re all going to get out of here. We’re going to live our lives out in The Shade, with a family—children, and grandchildren, great-grandchildren—surrounded by friends and family. We’re going to die of old age, many, many years from now, or we’re going to live for eternity—whatever we choose. But it will be our choice, not the entity’s. It doesn’t get to decide our future. It can ruin this land, it can try to ruin others, but it won’t destroy what we have.”
I held her head cradled in my hands, gently brushing the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks.
“Okay,” I promised her, “I’ll come back to you. I promise.”
I held her tightly against my chest. She hugged me fiercely, her arms wrapped around my waist. I looked out in the direction of the cove. I couldn’t see the shadow I knew would be hovering above the portal, but I vowed that what I’d just promised Hazel would be the truth—I would return to her.
Whatever happened, I would return.
Ben
My father had decided that Sherus, Tejus, Aiden, Lucas and I would join him on the mission to the cove. We would be accompanied by Lethe, the ice dragon, and Nuriya and Ibrahim to close the portal if we got a chance.
I said my goodbyes to River and Grace, wishing that I could one day put a stop to the pain I brought River in these moments. Of course, she understood GASP’s role and continually put her own life on the line, but it was never easy for her… I guessed that came from me dying once already.
The ministers created a rip in the barrier for us to pass, and we left the palace behind, the crowds of sentries and GASP members standing silently behind us.
“I don’t want to transport us straight to the cove… We don’t know what will meet us when we get there. I think it would be prudent to use a cloaking spell instead. I don’t know if the entity or its army will be able to see through it, but it’s worth trying,” Ibrahim informed us as we reached the start of the path.
“Good idea,” my father replied. “Lethe?” He turned to the dragon.
“I’ll rely on my own stealth to remain unseen,” Lethe replied.
A moment later, Ibrahim’s spell was upon everyone but Lethe. The ice dragon was under strict instruction not to fly until we were sure that the entity was distracted. If its armies saw us now, we would be done for. It would make our journey to the cove longer, but that was fine—it was better to be cautious.
When we got partway down the track, my dad motioned to the outskirts of the forest on either side.
“We should keep to the trees, just in case they can see through Ibrahim’s spell. I think we’ll be okay, as long as we don’t venture into the forest.”
We all stepped into their shade. The sun was starting to set and it made the shadows of the trees long and dense. This light would make it easier for the armies to creep up on us without our noticing. I just hoped the feeling of dread that usually accompanied them would be enough of a warning.
“Can you see anything yet?” I asked Tejus as we drew closer to the cove.
He nodded, squinting in the direction of the water. “It seems unchanged—the shadow looms over the portal. I can’t see any sign of Jenus though. We might have to get closer before I can tell.”
I nodded, relieved that the armies hadn’t yet left through the portal.
“What’s it waiting for?” Sherus hissed.
“Perhaps more of its kind?” I suggested. “The planet in the In-Between is full of the stones. They might have broken open at the same time these did—the beings they imprisoned could be making their way here through the portal?”