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The little nook is almost completely hidden in the vegetation. Morning glories weave around the banister, the bell-shaped yellow flowers drooping toward the earth, and I climb down the steps carefully not to disturb them.

A door screeches on its hinges at the foot of the stairs, leading inside the castle.

“Nell…”

A warm breeze blows past my legs. Whoever is calling out for me—whether it’s One or the Shadow King himself—I wouldn’t know. Contrary to the other night, this sudden wind isn’t cold, and the rustle in the vegetation isn’t alarming.

Is this the first trial Mara and James spoke about?

I wrench the hood of my tunic over my head and follow the pulse of magic. Instead of a neat expanse of tunnels, the narrow passage is uneven and entirely made of rock.

The door seals itself shut behind me, and my heartbeat spikes. I’m trapped.

“Nell! Nell, it’s me! I need help.” The faint voice now sounds like Cece…but how can that be?

My blood turns to ice, and I cry out. “Cece?”

“Nell!”

I hurry along the pitch-black hallways, terrified and disoriented. Shadows nip at my heels as the passage slants downwards.

Condensation glistens down the walls, the tepid ploc, ploc, ploc of water becoming louder and louder. A small lake ripples to an unfelt wind at the bottom of the natural cave. The algae that grows in neat patches over an array of water-covered rocks lights the cavern with a teal glow, and a series of rusted pipes are encrusted in a rock wall.

Cece stands drenched to the bones in the middle of the lake, the water up to her hips.

The sight of her blue lips and pale skin turns my stomach. “Cece? Is it really you?”

“Please hurry, Nell. I’m stuck.” A painful grimace twists her features, and she tugs on her right leg, her foot apparently stuck under a heavy rock. The wet gown weighs her down, the thick dress heavy with water.

“Stay calm. I’m coming.” I reach the end of the path and climb over a slippery rock, my knees bent for better balance. A steep pile of hard rocks and rubble leads down to the lake.

“Hurry. There’s something in the pipes,” Cece whispers.

Halfway down the hill, I lose my footing, and pebbles careen down to the surface of the water. I grip the nearest rock with shaky hands to keep myself from toppling over and force myself to slow down. This cavern is at the heart of the infamous shadow realm, where dreams, nightmares, and fantasies flourish. I’ve got to keep a clear head.

A low hissing sound echoes from the depths of the cave, and my muscles tense. A golden snake slithers into view on the opposite side of the underground lake, crawling out of a large pipe. Its scales gleam, its long body three times as thick as my upper arm.

Its general appearance is similar to that of a living reptile, and yet radically different. A spark of magic burns in its red eyes, and its body is almost see-through, like it’s made of dark clouds instead of flesh.

A nightmare.

A burst of nefarious magic booms through the air, and I feel strangely drawn to the monster. The serpent pauses at my approach and tastes the air with its bicuspid tongue, the length of it partly hidden in the water.

“Nell!” Cece cries out, straining to break free.

I look around for a weapon, a sword, a bow—anything I could use to kill it, but even the biggest rock at my disposal wouldn’t make a dent in the creature’s scales.

The snake doesn’t look twice at my sister but weaves to the edge of the lake instead. When it reaches the rocky bank, it stops with a sharp tail lash, waiting.

One more step forward, and it’ll bite me. I feel it in my bones.

“Please, please, Nell. Don’t leave me here,” Cece whines.

Leave you here? I squint at my sister. I’d never leave her here, and she should know that.

“What’s your middle name, Cece?” I ask quickly.

“What?”