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“Where are we going?” Alex yelled over the wind.

Kyia turned to look at Alex, one eyebrow quirked. “Raelia, of course. Where else?”

“TheValispathcan take us straight there? Why didn’t we use it the first time?”

“The Eternal Path can take us anywhere we want,” Kyia told her. “And you wouldn’t have had the chance to enjoy the beauty of Meya properly if you hadn’t first witnessed it from the top of the Golden Cliffs.”

Alex contemplated that as they continued speeding through the Silverwood and offered a meaningful, “Thank you, Kyia.”

TheMeyarintilted her head in acknowledgement as theValispathbegan to slow, soon coming to a smooth stop.

“This is where our journey ends,” Kyia said when Alex and her friends were back on their feet.

“Sorry you didn’t get to shoot one of us,” Jordan said with a smirk.

Kyia mimicked his cocky expression. “There’s still time if you want a demonstration?”

“Ah, no,” he said, his smirk fading. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Let’s go before you say something stupid and end up with an arrow through your spleen,” D.C. said, dragging Jordan and Bear into the mushroom circle.

Alex smiled at Kyia once more and moved to follow her friends, but she paused when the Meyarin reached out to gently grasp her arm.

“Alex,” Kyia said quietly, using her name for the first time. “Be careful. Aven Dalmarta is… He’s the worst of our kind.”

Alex blinked at the Meyarin’s warning, touched by her concern.

“I will,” she promised. “I hope we’ll get a chance to meet again, Kyia.”

“As do I,” Kyia agreed with a slight smile, making her already stunning face even more radiant. With those parting words, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees surrounding Raelia.

Alex looked into the woods one last time then stepped over the mushroom boundary and approached her friends.

“Time to see how this return-trip deal works,” Alex said. Her intent acted like a command, prompting a doorway to magically appear before them. With D.C., Jordan and Bear all following close behind her, Alex stepped straight through, willing it to open into the painting-and-tapestry-covered foyer of the Library.

“Home sweet home,” Bear said once the doorway disappeared again behind them.

“What a day!” D.C.’s eyes were comically wide. “I can’t believe we’re still alive.”

“I won’t be for much longer if I don’t eat something,” Jordan said. “I’m starving.”

His stomach rumbled as if to emphasise his words, and Alex realised how hungry she was as well. And tired. Her day had been exhausting, yet it was barely sunset.

“Food, then bed,” she said. But she remembered something else and amended, “Food, Darrius, then bed.”

Jordan pointed to her bleeding wound where Roka’s blade had nicked her arm. “Food,Fletcher, Darrius, then bed,” he corrected.

“I can barely feel it,” Alex argued, but she knew he was right and nodded in agreement.

“Sounds like we have a plan,” D.C. concluded, linking her arm through Alex’s and leading the way up and out of the Tower.

ome from?

Thirteen

Alex was jerked violently from her sleepthat night when a bloodcurdling scream nearly ruptured her eardrums. She was out of bed and crouching in a defensive position before fully waking, frantically searching the darkened corners of the room for any trace of Aven who she feared had somehow broken into the dorm.

She could see nothing out of place, but the screaming continued as D.C. thrashed around in her bed, clawing at her covers and waving her hands wildly.