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Emerie jumped forward and covered her mouth. “Oh my gosh, shut up!”

Delora gave a horrified gasp as Reia’s already pale complexion whitened further.

“What the fuck? You can do that?!” Reia screeched. She patted at her face like she wanted to bring warmth back into it. “How... what...”

Faunus’ chuckle was telling as he folded his arms.

“You didn’t!” Reia gawked at Mayumi before turning to Delora with a flummoxed stare. “Don’t tell me...”

“Gosh, no!” Delora squealed while flinching, as if she’d just been slapped. “I would never.” The poor woman’s face turned just as red as Emerie’s felt. “Although... Magnarhastried. I’m surprised you haven’t.”

“Why the hell would I have tried?! I was a virgin when I met Orpheus!”

Emerie winced.Ouch.She didn’t think she could have taken Ingram if he had been her first.

“He’s just so curious about everything,” Delora grumbled defensively as she rubbed at her arm.

“Can this awkward conversationend?” Emerie squeaked. She turned to Mayumi, utterly mortified. “Why did you even do this?”

Mayumi’s features suddenly went harsh. “Because all of you needed to elevate your anxieties and fears. Now you have to prepare for what’s to come, and I can’t be there to help you all through that. Emerie, you are the most skilled fighter here, and the one we’re truly relying on.”

That sobered them all swiftly, but Mayumi had succeeded in her scheme. Although her heart hurt, it was a little lighter. Everyone else also didn’t look so... depressed.

A human-sized white owl descended from the sky in a flap of feathers, startling them all. Emerie sucked in a breath, hoping themotherof Duskwalkers didn’t just hear all that!

As soon as she landed, Lindiwe transformed into a human. Her hood slid back as a yellow beak receded, then disappeared altogether, revealing the sharp features of her face. Her dark-brown eyes were steely with determination, but not unfeeling towards their plight.

“Are we ready?” Lindiwe asked, brushing at her white dress to push it into place.

All three of them nodded.

Mayumi didn’t come in for a hug, but she did reach her fist out. Emerie stared at it, before hesitantly knocking her own fist against it, unsure if that was what she’d been seeking. With dark-yellow orbs of curiosity, Faunus did the same thing, to which Emerie knocked her knuckles against his far larger ones.

I just gave a fist bump to a Duskwalker.She never thought she’d do that.

“Okay, let’s go,” Emerie commanded with a nod.

Lindiwe turned incorporeal, and muttered, “Weldir, we’re ready.” When she became solid once more, and noticed their gazes, she awkwardly looked away while shrugging her shoulders. “I can’t do portal magic.”

Everyone stepped forward, except for Emerie. She peered around at them, a little lost as to why they’d closed in on a certain spot.

“It’s a soul,” Lindiwe explained. “You can’t see it, as you are only a part of life and not death like everyone else. Weldir has sent it here and intends to rip it in two and use its life force to create a rift to Jabez’s castle.”

“Uh huh,” Emerie said with a nod and bewildered, wide eyes. “Thought he couldn’t use magic on Earth?”

Lindiwe sighed. “He can touch souls here. This one is linked to him, so he is able to manipulate it from Tenebris.”

Emerie winced when a hot white light tore downwards through the air like a lightning strike. It pulled open at the same time, like a wide tear that had chalky black dust floating around the outside.

Lindiwe gestured to it, and said, “Now, we must walk through, but we must do so together. Once someone steps across, it will open the other side and give away our element of surprise if we delay.”

Emerie’s mouth went dry, and she wiped her hands on the material of her pants.So, this is it?She’d step through that portal and leave her life, and Ingram, and everything else behind?

She looked over her shoulder in the direction he’d gone, wishing he’d come back and stop her. Of course he didn’t, but just picturing him made tears well in her eyes.

I’m scared.

I don’t want to do this.