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And I’m at the top of his shit list.

I must not forget about this, I coach myself.I must not forget.

As soon as I’m back to civilization, I’ll commit an entire sketchbook to this experience, and then I’ll make copies of that book and stash them around, so I don’t ever forget thatI woke up something I should not have.

I make my way through the ruins. A few tenacious spells still cling to toppled stones and crumbling walls. The place pricks at my skin. It feels unnatural— too imbued with magic that has grown wild over time.

I rub my arms, eager to leave. And yet, every so often, I pause and glance around, trying to figure out what this structure once was, curious to dig through what little rubble remains just to see what I might find. There’s an unnamable feeling running through me, the same sort of feeling certain dreams can give you, the ones you can’t seem to shake.

Perhaps it’s because this place seems so dreamlike to begin with—enchanted ruins lying in an untamed paradise. And there’s a part of me that’s sad to walk away from it, even knowing that it was a supernatural prison of sorts.

I make my way back over to the riverbank, where Nero is lapping up water. I take in my surroundings in the fading light.

Good news: my boat isn’t gone.

Bad news: because the universe hates me, it’s in the middle of the fucking river.

I wade in, too annoyed at my situation to even be scared of what may lurk in the water.

“Fuck this trip. Fuck this place. And most of all, fuck that tit-gobbling whore, Memnon.”

My entire body throbs from magical overuse, but I still manage to scrape up enough power to blow the boat to shore.

Something brushes against my leg, and I zap it. “Don’t mess with me now, fish!” I yell at the water. “Today isnotthe day!”

After an absurd amount of time and effort, the hulking garbage can of a boat reaches me. It’s nothing more than a dark smudge on the water, now that sunset has given way to twilight.

At the sight of the vessel, Nero pads over, then hops in before I do. It’s only when I hear a wet squish that I remember there’s a dead snake carcass on our boat.

Awesome. Really stoked to board this thing.

I have to take a few deep breaths. It could be worse—I could’ve forgotten there was a dead snake and stepped on it. Or my earlier repairs to the dinghy could’ve given out and sunk the thing. Or the boat could’ve drifted away altogether.

So I delicately situate myself on the dinghy and force out more magic to blow the boat across the river.

It’s only once we’re nearly to the other side that I realize I have no idea where the crashed plane is or how I’m supposed to get back to it from here.

Hell’s spells.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.

A minute later it begins to rain.

The universe definitely hates me today.

CHAPTER9

By the timethe search and rescue team finds me the next day, I traveled roughly twenty miles from the crash site, which was in some remote northern region of Peru. It takes another two days to get out of South America and back to the States. The whole thing is a logistical nightmare, and that’s not even touching on the personal aspect of it. I still have to talk my parents out of returning to the United States from their prolonged vacation in Europe to help me.

Now I unlock the door to my apartment and flip on the lights. Nero slinks in past my feet, his face tipped up and his nostrils flaring as he takes in the scents of my apartment.

I drop my bags in the entryway, cross the small space, and flop onto my bed.

And then I just lie there, my body unwilling to move.

A moment later the bed dips as Nero hops on next to me. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for him. Panthers aren’t meant to be taken out of jungles and forced to travel on planes (which is a whole other story, one that involved heavy magic usage) and live in homes. He’s been shoved into the world of humans, and I feel rotten for my role in that.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper softly, reaching out to pet the top of his snout.