Mike sat on a log on the shore, staring at the distant isnd as the sun continued to rise back in the human realm. The brighter the waters became with the sky’s reflection, the more the world they now occupied looked as if it were trapped in a perpetual twilight. They were waiting for a bit more light before attempting to cross over to Avalon-once lost and now found.

  Sofia sat next to him. Cerberus was sniffing around the boathouse isnd and had somehow found a grasshopper to chase. Sulyvahn sat on the other side of Mike, his gaze also on the isnd.

  “So…” Mike looked at Sulyvahn. “Care to expin that outburst we just saw?”

  Sulyvahn chuckled. “If yer talkin’ that wee tantrum from the princess, there’s not a whole lot ta say.”

  Mike looked over his shoulder at the boathouse behind them. Several of the stones had been scoured down to the ground, reduced to dust by Nyx’s magic. The princess had blown her top at the sight of the isnd, taking out her wrath on the structure behind them. As far as Mike could tell, her magic seemed to center around time. In this instance, the remaining walls of the boathouse had experienced hundreds or maybe thousands of years of weathering in an instant.

  “Maybe start with why she’s so angry?”

  “That’s Avalon,” whispered Cecilia from behind. “The isnd she and her sisters were sworn to protect.”

  “Aye.” Sulyvahn crossed his arms, looking suddenly thoughtful. “It’s been lost fer centuries in yer time. It happened a century or so after Merlin closed the veil on magic.”

  “How does somebody steal an isnd, though?” asked Mike.

  “It was never in one pce to begin with,” answered Sofia. “Historical records indicate that Avalon itself was constantly on the move.”

  “Aye. Untethered from this realm while firmly tethered to our own. Even then, ye couldna just pay it a visit. Ye had to have permission.” Sulyvahn squinted toward the isnd. “It’s kinda hard to see with the light of the ke all around it. Just one big shadow.”

  “This twilight realm is weird.” Mike gestured at the sky. “No stars. If there are no stars, then where does the heat for this pce come from?”

  “It’s not that warm,” said Sofia. She was huddled in a cloak. “My guess is maybe forty degrees Fahrenheit. How are you not freezing?”

  “Well, I packed a really good sweater, for starters.” Mike patted his chest. “I’m actually quite comfortable.”

  “What’s it made from?” asked Sofia. “I don’t recognize the wool. Is it Alpaca?”

  “Bigfoot.” Mike ughed. “Eulie gave this to me, said it belonged to her dad. When she and Velvet were little, they’d brush Bigfoot and braid up his fur, that kind of thing. It sounds like their mom made a couple of these during some lean winters. Beth found a box of old clothes in the attic of the cabin st spring and it’s the first occasion I’ve had to wear it. This one used to be loose on me, but my shoulders have filled out.”

  Everyone went quiet and sat there on the shore. Cerberus ughed and continued to chase the grasshopper back and forth. The thing was nearly eight inches long and made an unnerving rattling noise when it jumped. Mike wasn’t entirely convinced the thing was actually a grasshopper. Was it a locust? Sofia could tell him, but she looked grumpy and now didn’t seem like the time.

  “You know…just because I mention Velvet doesn’t mean you all have to suddenly be quiet.” Mike looked at the others. “I’m not happy about what happened, but I’m okay with it.”

  Sulyvahn shifted uncomfortably. “It be a bit different for us,” he said. “We learned long ago not to speak of the dead for fear of unsettling them. That’s just the business we be in. Yer Velvet has passed on safely and all, but old habits die hard.”

  “Eulie talks about her a lot,” said Sofia. “Usually it’s fine. Every now and then, though, she’ll freeze up as if stabbed. Grief has sharp edges that only time can sand away.”

  “Aye, that be true. Ye speak as if with firsthand knowledge.”

  The cyclops nodded, absently picking at her braid. “Long ago, I grieved for my own family. I lost them when I was quite young. But you have to realize that I’ve lived far longer than I was ever supposed to. It’s been so long since I remembered anything about them other than concepts. I know I had a mother and father, and even a sibling, but they’re simply ideas now, like characters in a book. I don’t see their faces or hear their voices. They’re just kind of…there. My own grief has been sanded away, leaving nothing behind but scars in the ground for me to look at.”

  “That be heavy thinking,” said Sulyvahn.

  Mike put his hand on Sofia’s leg and squeezed. Cecilia wrapped her arms around the cyclop’s shoulders and held her from behind. Sofia went stiff at first, then allowed the others to comfort her.

  “FUCK!” Nyx’s voice resonated through the ground, causing ripples to drift away from the isnd they sat on. Mike frowned and looked back at the ruins.

  “Why is she still here?” he asked. “Wasn’t she going back through the mirror to contact her sisters or something?”

  “That’s what she said,” muttered Sofia. “I already miss the peace and quiet.”

  Cerberus squatted down in front of Mike, then proudly handed over the winged insect. Mike chuckled and rubbed each of their heads, causing the hellhound to press against his body and make happy noises. Their tail swished from side to side as they curled up in his p, but they didn’t quite fit, which meant they kept squirming. Their eyes went wide and they sniffed the air, the center head letting out a growl.

  “She. Came. Back,” they said, and Cerberus sat back up and gred daggers at Nyx as she stepped over the remains of the foundation wall. The Fae’s facial features had sharpened and the shadows coalesced beneath her feet like ink as she stopped and pointed back at the ruins of the boathouse.

  “The mirror is empty!” she decred. “I have no way to cross back over!”

  Mike frowned, then shrugged. “That’s hardly a surprise. This is how things tend to go for me.” He held up his hands and waved them around in mock surprise. “Oh, no, I’m stranded!”

  “How do you intend to return home, then?” Nyx was indignant. “Are you that willing to leave your family behind?”

  “I…” Mike paused. He sensed an opportunity here. “Have some ideas,” he admitted. “Do you really have no other way to communicate with your sisters?”

  “I do not.” Nyx stomped over to the edge of the water. “We are Ladies of the Lake, and I should be able to speak to them through this medium, but I have been cut off. This pce lies outside the mortal realm and my own.”

  “I see.” Mike gestured at Avalon. “I can only assume that means that someone with knowledge of dimensional magic is responsible for the theft of your isnd.”

  “That is correct.” Nyx turned to him and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “And what know you of dimensional magic?”

  “Easy, ss.” Sulyvahn held out his hands. “Mike ain’t been around long enough to be responsible.”

  “And yet it has been found beneath his castle.” The Fae princess’ eyes darkened, her sclera now completely bck.

  “Hold up, now. I warned you that I had no idea what was going on with the castle itself. As for dimensional magic, I’ve been to other dimensions and pocket-realities, but don’t really know much about doing such magic myself.” He had learned plenty from Pele while they expanded the seas around her volcano, but what he knew now still wasn’t much more than a basic introduction. It was like saying you understood flight after watching a pne nd. “But I do know such pces can be altered. Whoever did this is extremely knowledgeable.”

  Nyx stomped a foot with indignation. “Which is why I need my sisters! That mirror had no problem letting us through, but now it’s closed. Whoever took this pce has likely trapped us here and I won’t stand for it.”

  “I see.” Mike crossed his arms and looked down, pretending to be deep in thought. In reality, he was reaching out with his mind to see if he could contact Kisa. There was a faint tug at the edge of his consciousness. The signal was weak, but it was there. “What exactly would your sisters do?”

  “Notify the court, of course.” Nyx bared her fangs. There was no sembnce of humanity now, only jagged, menacing teeth. “Then they would come here and demand answers before taking it back!”

  “The isnd’s presence does pose several questions. However, I will require the chance to solve my own before allowing you and yours to recim Avalon.”

  “You don’t allow us anything, Caretaker!” Nyx’s cloak fluttered out like a pair of wings, revealing distant stars in the darkness beneath. “Avalon was our sworn duty!”

  “And?” Mike gestured around them. “This pce all lies within my castle, which is MY sworn duty. That would mean I own the mirror along with all of its contents, that isnd included.”

  “You can’t own Avalon,” growled Nyx.

  “If you can’t own it, then it can’t be stolen. Therefore, no crime has been perpetrated and you need to calm down,” Mike replied.

  Nyx’s jaw smmed shut and her eyes narrowed. “You tread on dangerous waters,” hissed the Fae princess.

  “It’s not the first time I’ve swum with sharks.” Mike stared out at the isnd. “Now, suppose we think of Avalon as its own pce, perhaps we can come to an agreement, a trade of sorts.”

  Nyx blinked as if shocked, her face reverting to its original ethereal beauty. “A trade?”

  He nodded. “Let’s both admit that we have no idea how, or for what purpose Avalon is here. Maybe the isnd itself came here. Is that possible?”

  The Fae princess scowled, her forehead actually wrinkling as she contempted the words. “Though I do not think so…Fae magic is unpredictable.”

  “Let’s start with our first trade, then. I have a means to contact someone in my realm, right now. I could pass on a message for your sisters.”

  “At what cost?” asked Nyx. She folded her arms and lifted her chin imperiously. “If I deem the trade unfair, you will know my wrath.”

  “Never mind, then. I won’t negotiate from a pce of fear.” Mike sat down on the ground and picked up a stone. He tossed it out onto the water where it disappeared without making a spsh. Behind him, he could sense the churning fury of the Fae princess, now properly rebuked. Leaning back, he looked over at Sofia. “Hey, do we still have any of that trail mix?”

  Sofia gnced briefly at Nyx, then smirked. “I think so,” she said. “But make sure Cerberus doesn’t get any of the M&Ms. Chocote is bad for dogs.”

  Cerberus growled at Sofia. Mike patted the hellhound’s heads. “She’s just kidding,” he said.

  “She’d. Better. Be.” Cerberus went silent and gave Sofia a hundred-yard stare as the cyclops dug through the pack to pull out a baggie packed with trail mix. It was a custom blend that Zel had thrown together, comprised of various nuts that the centaurs had gathered. Mike himself had mixed in the bag of M&Ms.

  “Of course I am. Here.” Sofia held the bag toward Cerberus.

  The hellhound cupped their hands and watched patiently as Sofia poured the mixture into their palms. Once they were satisfied that they hadn’t been denied the sweet taste of chocote, they sat down next to Mike and picked through the salty treat. Mike didn’t think that the center head controlled the arms and noticed that they were very careful to distribute things evenly. He thanked Sofia for the bag and popped a cashew in his mouth.

  “What are you doing?” asked Nyx.

  “Having a snack.”

  “We were talking.”

  “We’re done talking. Hey, Suly. Would you like some?”

  “I don’ need to eat, friend.”

  Mike waved him over. “I’ll share. I don’t mind.”

  “Stop that,” said Nyx.

  Sulyvahn gave the Fae princess a wary look, then shook his head. “I think it should be saved for those with stomachs,” he said.

  “Suit yourself.” Mike popped an M&M in his mouth and used his teeth to crack the shell and pull it away from the chocote inside. Nyx walked until she stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. He looked up at her and kept a straight face. “Would you like to eat my nuts?” he asked, holding out the bag.

  One of Nyx’s eyelids actually fluttered as she studied him. Whether or not the perceived slight went over her head didn’t matter. It was clear that he was aggravating her while, at the same time, doing absolutely nothing wrong.

  “I. Wish. To. Negotiate.” Nyx spoke through her teeth, her nostrils fring. “With you.”

  “Regarding?” Mike flicked a peanut into his mouth and bit down.

  “Your ability to…contact someone.” This time, she twitched.

  “In exchange for a good faith effort to pass along a message to your people through my own, I desire three things from you.” Mike held out his fingers and ticked them off. “First, and foremost; I want your personal guarantee that while we are in this pocket dimension, you will not knowingly do anything to bring us harm as we see it. You will also not deliberately hinder our search, nor distract us from our goals.”

  Nyx grimaced. “What else?”

  “Second, should your people find a way to come here, that they follow the tenants of the first agreement. I don’t need your sisterhood storming in here with the same ck of restraint you’ve already demonstrated.”

  The air made a crackling sound that made Mike’s teeth itch. Sulyvahn actually ducked and covered his ears as Cecilia wrapped her arms around Mike and held on tight. The Caretaker held his gaze steady and waited for Nyx’s tantrum to end. Though they had only spent one night together, he had finally figured out that this immortal being was little more than a petunt child with far too much power.

  “My…sisters…will behave.” Nyx snarled at him. “As you see it.”

  That was the stick. Now it was time for the carrot. “As for the third thing, I would like your permission for us to go to Avalon.”

  The eerie feeling in the back of his mouth vanished, and Nyx studied him with renewed interest. “Expin yourself.”

  “Sulyvahn told me that permission was required to enter Avalon. Now, I have no idea what we’re going to find over there, but it is clear that your sacred duty was disrupted. As a sign of my respect for your sisterhood, I humbly request permission from you, one of its original guardians, to travel there.” Mike tapped his third and final finger. “So that’s what I ask in exchange for passing along a message.”

  Nyx took a step back, her hands falling to her sides. Sharp fingers tapped anxiously at the fabric of her gown as she processed what he had said. He ran over the agreement in his head, hoping to spot any loophole that he had missed. The fact that Nyx hadn’t immediately agreed made him think that he may be in the clear. She certainly hadn’t expected the final piece of their bargain, which he hoped would mollify her.

  “Let’s discuss,” she said, taking a seat across from him. For nearly thirty minutes, they hemmed and hawed over what Mike’s definition of harm might be. Sofia occasionally added to the discussion when she felt like she had spotted a loophole. Ultimately, they came to a final agreement on the definition that Lily would have summed up with ‘Don’t be a cunt.’

  “So all these words being said and true, I do believe we have an accord.” Nyx grinned sincerely, then rubbed her hands together. “And now for my message.”

  “Let me write it down. It’ll be easier to pass along everything that way.” Mike got ready to pull a notepad out of his backpack, but Sofia beat him to it. She handed over the pad with a nod, and Mike turned back to face Nyx. “Go ahead.”

  To her credit, Nyx kept the message short. If there was some hidden code inside, Mike was blissfully unaware. He was given a list of potential recipients, and was asked to pass along that Avalon had been found through a magic mirror in the basement of his castle, and that the others were not to enter until further instructions were sent. Mike studied the note for a bit, then asked Nyx to add that they weren’t to cause any trouble in the castle itself. The Fae princess nodded, then amended her message. Once she seemed satisfied, Mike held the pad in his hands and closed his eyes.

  Kisa? Are you awake? He sent pulses of magic out, trying to strengthen the connection with the cat girl. Instead of words, he got an emotional response of curiosity. After a few tries, he stopped and looked at Nyx.

  “I’ve made contact,” he said. “But it’s distorted.”

  To her credit, Nyx didn’t immediately accuse him of reneging on his deal. Instead, she knelt by his side and gently took his head between her hands. When Cerberus growled a warning, the Fae bared her fangs at the hellhound.

  “I’m assisting,” she hissed. This close to Nyx, Mike’s senses were overwhelmed by the smell of her. There was a brief moment of cloves, along with coriander. When the princess turned her attention back to him, her features softened and now he smelled grass after it had just rained. What was the word for that?

  “Petrichor,” answered Nyx. “I’m reading surface level thoughts through my fingertips.”

  “That’s a little invasive,” Mike replied.

  “Send your thoughts again.” Nyx closed her eyes. “I would observe the process.”

  A little unsettled, Mike cleared his mind of anything other than Nyx’s message. The st thing he wanted was for her to take offense at some stray thought. He reached out once more, and received that familiar curiosity, along with a trace of panic.

  “Ah, I see.” Nyx let go of his head. “Time flows differently there.”

  “By how much?” Mike tried to keep calm. The st thing he wanted was to discover that his children were growing old without him.

  “Minor,” she said. “She is hearing your thoughts stretched out, and her response is condensed.” Nyx stood and moved to the edge of the ke. She tilted her head to one side and stared into the water. “I wondered if there was a storm back on Earth, but the passage of time is simply faster. Judging by what I see now, plus what I heard, a day here is equal to four days at your home.”

  Grunting, Mike stood. “I don’t want to end up here for several weeks,” he said. “Give me a second, I think I can do this.”

  He closed his eyes again and reached out to Kisa, projecting calm to let her know that he was okay. Using short words and trying to speak quickly in his mind, he informed Kisa of the weird time dition between realms. When he finally got a reply, he ughed.

  Have you punched her yet? Kisa’s thoughts were actually broadcast at a lower pitch as the catgirl stretched out each word to be unnecessarily long on her end. Mike sent a mental image of him shaking his head, and she responded by rolling her eyes dramatically.

  “Well?” Nyx spoke with just a hint of impatience. Mike held up a finger for silence and did his best to convey the message. Once he was finished, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

  “So I passed along what I could,” he said. “Kisa is going to take a nap in a couple of hours on her end. Once she’s in the Dreamscape, we can communicate far better. I want to make sure she reys your message accurately.”

  “Hmm.” Nyx nodded her approval. “Very well, then.”

  “That gives us half an hour here.” Mike gestured at the ruins. “Before we go anywhere else, let’s go check out the mirror together and see if it acts any differently for me.” He also wanted to examine the magic for himself. It may give him a better idea of what he was dealing with. Mike wasn’t worried about getting stuck. Reggie could always send some rats to retrieve them.

  They traveled together back down the stairwell and into the room with the mirror. Exactly as Nyx had described, the portal was shut. Mike examined it for a long time, studying the tendrils of mana that were wrapped around its frame like vines. They disappeared down into the floor, which meant he couldn’t trace their source. If someone was controlling the mirror, he was likely to find them in Avalon.

  Enough time passed that Mike was able to sense Kisa’s consciousness drifting in the Dreamscape. He excused himself and found somewhere quiet to sit, then sent his mind outward once more. This time, he was able to get a mental image of Kisa walking along the edge of a palm tree that had grown across a deep rift in the sand. Parts of her Dreamscape mirrored his own, and this was one of them.

  The cat girl looked up at him and grinned. “I can feel you,” she said, tossing her head back. “So where the fuck are you this time?”

  “That’s actually a good question. I know we’re near the magical isnd of Avalon, but it appears that somebody stole it and I’m not sure where it or we actually are.” He scratched his head. “Before I forget, can you see if Eulie has anything on Avalon? I don’t entirely trust whatever version of the story I’ll get from Nyx.”

  “You fuck her yet?” Kisa wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Of course I haven’t.”

  “Good. If you can go another day, Abel owes me money.” Kisa frowned. “Well, another day in your time. Abel bet it would be within a week. I should probably let the others know about the time thing.”

  “I’m not going to fuck a Fae princess.”

  “You say that today.” Kisa held up a closed fist. “Tomorrow, however…” She stuck out a finger on her free hand and jammed it into her fist repeatedly.

  “You all give me too much shit.”

  “How often did you get id st week?” The cat girl raised her eyebrows. “I’m fairly certain there’s a karmic bance in there.”

  Mike pursed his lips, both in his head and the real world. “Okay, before the connection slips, we need to talk about some stuff.”

  “Right.” Kisa dropped onto her butt and leaned forward, her intense gaze on him. “You mentioned something about delivering a message?”

  “I did, but…” Mike opened one eye to make sure that Nyx wasn’t nearby. She was on the other side of the room, speaking quietly with Cecilia. “So Nyx can read minds, and I worry her sisters can do the same.”

  Kisa shrugged. “It’s not like I have any secrets they care about.”

  “No, but you are my familiar. I feel like that may open a door too far, if you catch my drift.”

  “Should I send Yuki?”

  “While I know she can handle herself, we need somebody the Fae are afraid to mess with.”

  Kisa ughed. “Yeah, if there’s anything the Fae fear, it’s a wyer who knows the kind of shit they pull. I’ll have Yuki go with her as backup.”

  “Thank you.” Mike shared the contents of the message, and then checked in regarding his kids and Tink’s condition. Apparently his goblin wife was already running out of shows to watch and was becoming restless. If one day here was four days at home, then he needed to get a move on. By the time he was done chatting with Kisa, Nyx was waiting patiently by the bottom of the stairs.

  “That took longer than I expected,” she said.

  “I had my own messages to pass,” he expined. “But your sisters will hear of our plight very shortly.”

  The Fae princess nodded, then gestured toward the stairs. “Shall we?”

  They climbed the stairs together this time. Mike couldn’t help but notice that Nyx’s feet didn’t always touch each step. Instead, it was as if she stood on the air itself. He took the opportunity to study her magic, to see if it was something she consciously did or if it was simir to Cecilia’s physical manifestation. The banshee actually hovered in the middle of the stairwell, levitating upward as they climbed.

  At the top, they headed back to the shore. Mike stared across the dark waters and frowned.

  “I suppose we could swim it,” he said. “But it is pretty far.”

  “If the water’s cold, it’ll probably kill you first.” Sofia shook her head. “I’m also not a very strong swimmer. I’m heavy enough that I tend to sink and get exhausted quickly.”

  “We. Only. Dog-paddle.” Cerberus made the hand motions of a dog swimming through water. “But. Can. Transform. Will. Carry. Everyone.”

  “I would not do that.” Nyx made sure she had everyone’s attention before shaking her head. “The waters of Avalon are meant to repel those who aren’t invited. Those who force themselves upon the isnd will be drowned by sprites. However, even with my permission to cross, I can feel that these waters have been changed, maybe even tainted. For all I know, the spirits here would drown you regardless.”

  “And you know how to get across?” asked Mike.

  Nyx nodded. “But it will require a trade.”

  Mike grunted in annoyance. “Of course it will,” he muttered.

  “This one is in good faith. You see, I require conveyance as well.” Nyx’s eyes glowed as she stared into the water. “In exchange for a vessel that will carry us, I require that you power it. This pce has fallen into ruin, and the boats that were here sank long ago. I can piece one together, but it may require my full attention to hold it together.”

  “As long as you can provide oars, I think we can manage.” He looked at Sofia, who nodded in approval. If anyone was going to row, it was the two of them. Three, if Sulyvahn helped.

  “Then we have an accord.” Nyx hovered a few inches in the air, her eyes going dark and her hair blowing wildly behind her, as if being carried aloft in the breeze. Mike watched her closely, studying her magic. It erupted from her like tendrils, then disappeared into the brightly lit waters. Pieces of waterlogged pnking popped to the surface and moved toward the shore. Nyx was whispering something, but it was in a nguage he didn’t recognize.

  “Cecilia?” He looked over his shoulder and the banshee appeared. “What’s she saying?”

  The banshee smirked, then leaned close to whisper in his ear. “She sings to them, mo choisle. Asks them to remember how they once clung to their brethren and carried the living.” As Cecilia spoke, the tendrils of magic pieced together the wood into the rough shape of a boat. “Now she asks them to remember the sun.”

  “Remember the sun? What would that—ah.” Water seeped out of the wood, staining the shore a dark color. It was rather surprising just how much water a piece of wood could hold, and the wood shrank down in size, taking on a dull, splintered appearance. Chunks of wood that rolled up onto the ground underwent the same process, then slotted themselves into pce where they had fallen out.

  Watching the Fae princess, Mike realized that the method to her magic was much like Cecilia’s. When the banshee sang, souls were able to move on. When Nyx sang, the boat remembered its previous form and sunny days out on the ke. He even found himself humming along to Nyx’s tune, caught up in the spirit of the music.

  Does Nyx manipute time? He wondered. Or is it memory itself? Are time and memory reted? His thoughts whirred until he suddenly realized that the boat was done and sitting on the shore. Three paddles y next to it.

  “Only three?” Mike asked.

  Nyx nodded. “It was all I could find,” she said. “Though this is a grave for many vessels, most of the paddles must have floated away. I could not find them.”

  “We’ll make it work.” Mike and Sofia helped push the boat down toward the water. Once it was most of the way in, Cerberus and Sulyvahn boarded. Mike and Sofia argued over who should board next, both of them wanting to keep the other dry. Nyx interrupted them.

  “Everyone should get on,” she said. “Use the oars to push yourselves out.”

  “That sounds like a lot of work,” replied Sofia.

  Nyx frowned. “It will be,” she admitted. “But even now, I can feel dark things watching you, hungry for you to step into the ke. If they cim you, I will be unable to pull you back.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Mike muttered. “Sofia, you get on and move to the back. Sulyvahn and I can use the oars to push.”

  The cyclops obeyed, and Mike and Sulyvahn both used the oars to shove at the muddy bottom. Once the boat was almost entirely in the water, Nyx hopped in, nding so gently that the boat didn’t even rock. Eventually, they scraped free of the shore and drifted out into the water. Suly cursed when his oar slipped out of his hand, but Cecilia floated away from the boat to retrieve it. When her ethereal fingers touched the oar, Mike could see the water rise up as if to grab her.

  “Careful,” Mike warned.

  Cecilia smiled in his direction, then picked up the oar and carried it back to her brother. “They cannot hurt me,” she said, then wrapped herself against him and vanished. Her voice was now a whisper in his ear. “Though they be sprites, they are corrupted, mo ghrá. Do not let them touch you.”

  Mike, Sofia, and Sulyvahn all ended up paddling together. Progress was slow, and Sofia was eventually fired from paddling duty because she caused the boat to tilt too much. Every now and then, the vessel would rock dangerously as if shoved from beneath.

  Somewhere around the halfway point, whispers filled the air. Whenever Mike tried to concentrate on what was being said, he found himself moving toward the edge of the boat. Recognizing the implied hazard, he was able to shake off the effects. Cerberus, however, was a different story. The hellhound became anxious and started shifting from side to side as each head tried to choose a different direction.

  “Can somebody hold her?” Mike asked. When he turned to see if Sofia would do it, he saw the cyclops had her fingers buried in each ear, her eye flickering every few seconds as she saw her own demise.

  “Aye.” Suly set down his oar and moved to sit across Cerberus. He took their hands in his own. “I don’ think I kin hold ye, but I do know a tale of another beast with three heads. Saw it once, many centuries back. Have you e’er heard tale of the Ellén Trechend? It was a right rge bird, much like yer true form, and it had three big heads that could snatch a man up in a single bite.”

  The hellhound’s ears turned toward Suly, and Cerberus rexed as he shared stories of Sidhe warfare, distracting her from whatever called to them from the ke. Nyx, who had been singing gently under her breath, actually cocked her head in Suly’s direction to listen for a bit. Her own magic was now woven solidly through the boat. Every now and then, they would get rocked from beneath, and a piece of wood would float away for a few seconds before being brought back. However, Mike noticed that they sat lower in the water than when they first started. Either they were slowly sinking because the wood was soaking up water, or something was trying to pull them down.

  He continued rowing, his gaze on Avalon’s shores. Every now and then, he felt something grab his oar, but he powered through it, switching sides every two strokes. Working by himself meant the trip was longer, but he didn’t dare ask Sulyvahn to stop chatting with Cerberus. The light from the water was bright enough that he had to squint, and was grateful that the isnd was rge enough that it would be impossible to miss.

  Something scraped against the bottom of the boat. Cecilia stuck her head through the bottom, then shook her head.

  “They’re trying to grab the boat,” she said, then sank through the hull and vanished. The boat changed directions a few times, then broke free of whatever was holding it.

  “Cecilia?” Mike called. She floated back up through the boat and giggled.

  “They don’t quite know what to make of me,” she said. “My song isn’t the same underwater, but it was enough to get their attention.”

  “Do you know what they are?” asked Nyx. Somehow, she did this while also still singing, as if she somehow had an extra set of vocal cords.

  Cecilia shook her head. “I can only see the spiritual versions of their bodies and know not their physical appearance. What I could see was all twisted up, like an ouroboros.”

  “That doesn’t bode well,” muttered Sofia loudly. She still had her fingers in her ears. “You stopped paddling, Mike.”

  “So I did.” He resumed his efforts, and eventually straightened out the boat. Another hour passed until they finally neared the isnd of Avalon. The massive silhouette yielded no details, but the sound of waves pping at rocks were his first clue that they had made it. Sofia pulled her fingers out of her ears and sat up, looking around with suspicion.

  “The voices have stopped,” she said. When she put her hands on the side of the boat, her eye fshed. “We need to figure out how to get onto nd without stepping in the water.”

  “Then let’s speed this up,” said Sulyvahn. He let go of Cerberus’ hands and took up his oar again. He and Mike paddled hard, causing the boat to pick up speed. Sofia pulled a coil of rope out of the bag and turned to Cecilia.

  “If you carry one end onto shore, you can wrap it around a tree and bring it back,” she expined. “Then we can pull ourselves forward.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Nyx snatched the other end of the rope. “I’ll do it.”

  The boat creaked when it struck ground, and everyone in it but Nyx lurched forward when it stopped completely. The Fae turned to smirk at them, then leapt over ten feet across the water and nded on the shore.

  "Stay inside," she said, then reeled them in. Despite her petite frame, it appeared to take no effort to pull the boat ashore "Even in the shallows, you may end up drowning."

  "Noted." Mike looked over the side of the boat, squinting into the light.

  Other than the sound of mud being squished beneath the hull, there was no way to know just how deep the water was. Once it was a few feet onto the shore, Nyx let go of the rope. "Welcome to Avalon," she said, then turned to face the isnd.

  Mike got out first, then turned to offer a hand to Cerberus. The hellhound was unsteady as they stepped out of the boat, losing their bance and crashing into Mike hard enough that they all almost fell over.

  "You okay?" He helped Cerberus stand upright.

  "We. Are. Good." The hellhound hugged him briefly, then moved away so Mike could help Sulyvahn next.

  "Thanks, friend." The dulhan took Mike's hand and casually hopped out.

  When it was Sofia's turn, she ignored his hand and stepped out on her own, her foot sinking nearly three inches into the soft soil. She frowned and waddled away from the water until she was on firmer ground.

  Mike turned to Nyx. "What do we do with the boat?" he asked.

  "What boat?"

  When Mike looked toward the water, he saw that the boat had broken apart, its pieces now bobbing uselessly on the surface. Turning back to the Fae, he couldn't help but chuckle at the smirk on her face.

  "Bargain concluded,” she decred. Nyx turned away from Mike and moved up the hill toward the treeline. She frowned and inspected the first clump of foliage she came to.

  "These ones are dead," she muttered, scratching her chin thoughtfully. "Nothing on Avalon should be dead."

  "Without its guardians, there's no telling what else has changed," Mike said. It seemed that leaning into fttery made Nyx more amicable as a person. Even now, there were pulses of pride and pleasure fshing through her soul. "Perhaps the same force that is keeping us here is also responsible for the damage you're seeing."

  "It could also be the odd day-night cycle." Sofia knelt by the closest tree and pushed on one of the branches. It snapped easily and fell off. "It looks like these have been dead for a while."

  "And yet, they stand." Nyx picked up the broken branch and held it to her nose. She licked it tentatively, then nibbled off a piece of bark. "It does not taste of wind, nor ash. This was once an isnd of life, yet all I taste is death." The princess sniffed the air and frowned. "I do not hear birds, nor the rustling of leaves. This part of Avalon is no more."

  "Hopefully things will get better as we travel inward," said Mike. "Would you like to lead the way?"

  "There is no right way to step into Avalon," she replied. "There are, however, wrong ways."

  "What would be the wrong way?" asked Sofia.

  "Straying from the path without a Fae as your guide." Nyx shook her head. "The path should have greeted us already. You should your rope to your wrists and I will guide you in case Avalon yet lives and the forest would consume you."

  "None of that sounds good." Mike pulled his rope back out of the bag and made a loop for his hand. He repeated the process for Cerberus, Sofia, and then Sulyvahn.

  "You don't need to be led, fool." Nyx narrowed her eyes at the dulhan.

  "Sorry. I'm used to listening to strong-willed women without a second thought is all." Suly winked at Mike.

  "Disgusting," muttered Nyx. “How you allow that mortal to befoul your body with her touch is beyond me.”

  Sulyvahn snickered. “She can be quite persuasive. I let her talk me into just about anything, really. Sometimes, when we’re having a romp with Asterion, she’ll take off my head and—”

  “Enough.” Nyx sneered in disgust and wandered toward the forest. “The court is perfectly aware of your sexual deviance involving the minotaur as well. Wait here, and I will try to find our best path forward.”

  “Only when it’s the three of us,” crified Sulyvahn once Nyx had disappeared into the dark woods. “Asterion is a good fellow, but I don’t find him interesting in that way on his own. I’m not entirely certain what that makes me, really.”

  “Are you happy?” asked Sofia. “In regards to your sex life.”

  The dulhan nodded. “It’s a fun time, makes me feel connected.”

  “Then that’s the word you worry about.” Sofia held up her bindings and double-checked them. “Sometimes the best things in life don’t have a word for them yet.”

  “I like that.” Sulyvahn chuckled quietly to himself. “Sometimes I worry, though. Maybe that Beth will lose interest and I’ll find myself forgotten about. She’s got two strappin’ ds on hand, and that’s not includin’ yerself.” He cpped his hand on Mike’s back.

  “What we have isn’t exactly…romantic,” Mike replied. “I don’t know that it has a word, either.”

  “It may not have a word, but she looks at you differently than the others.” The dulhan sighed. “Mortal retionships are complicated, I guess.”

  “They are. And that’s when it’s just two people. I’m…not entirely sure how I keep it all banced, to be honest,” said Mike. “Things have definitely changed since the kids came.”

  “I imagine it be a ck of jealousy. Me and the others, we don’ mind when Beth spends time with someone else. I used to think Bigfoot had an issue, though.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Big man won’t py with more than one person. Just with Beth. He tried it a few times, the group stuff, but it wasn’t fer him. It’s more tied in with being a loner. He can be possessive in the bedroom.”

  “Gods, can we please talk about anything else?” groaned Sofia. “Not only is this conversation annoying, but you two are discussing Beth’s sex life behind her back, which is extremely rude.”

  “Ye don’ think we should?” Suly scratched thoughtfully at his chin. “We’ve both been inside her butthole. I thought that was the barrier for entry.”

  “Booooooooo!” groaned Cecilia at her brother. “You’re horrible!”

  Sulyvahn ughed. “Ye can’t fault a man fer chasin’ his religion.” His smile fled as rustling sounds came from the trees. The group watched as the foliage shifted and quivered as if some massive creature moved through it. After several tense minutes, Nyx leapt through a patch of branches, nding in a crouch in front of them. For just a moment, Mike thought he saw the branches reaching for her.

  “We’re definitely not going that way,” she muttered. “It would eat you alive. Let’s walk further down the beach and I shall try again.”

  Mike stared at the forest. He stretched out with his magic and realized he couldn’t feel the trees. Whatever had been moving them was beyond his ability to communicate with. “Dead, indeed,” he muttered. Nyx took the other end of the rope, radiating annoyance like an angry light bulb. Up above, the sky had taken on a gray hue.

  It was almost an hour before they made it to the next section of forest. Nyx had them remain behind while she again scouted the woods. Standing on the beach, Mike couldn’t help but count it as four hours in his head. Already, the light from the ke faded as night came on Earth. His own anxiety over the time difference grew, and he found himself clenching his fists when Cerberus came up to him and butted their heads into his chest before wrapping their arms around his.

  “Are. You. Okay?” they asked.

  Sighing, he held the hellhound close. Her loving presence definitely helped. “Mostly,” he replied. “Just worried about the time I won’t get back with my children is all.”

  “We can leave whenever you want,” Sofia said.

  “We think we can, anyway.” Even if he wanted to leave right now, he’d have to build some sort of structure first for the Rat portal. Given the sight of Nyx after her foray into the woods, he doubted the trees would be accommodating.

  There was a howl of anger, followed by the smell of ozone as lights exploded in the forest. Minutes ter, Nyx came stumbling out, her cloak stitching itself back together behind her.

  “These woods are dangerous,” she decred as a wound on her cheek sealed itself up. “They only granted me entry until I was surrounded on all sides, then they attacked. This is not the Avalon of old. We will continue around the isnd until we find a suitable entry point.”

  Sofia sighed. “In other words, hope we get lucky and find somewhere that these trees won’t murder us.”

  The Fae princess nodded. “If we can find a patch of trees that yet live, they will obey the ws of the Fae and our passage will be granted.”

  “Okay, timeout.” Mike put his hands together in a T. “If option number one is hoping we get lucky, it’s time to switch to option two.”

  “Option two?” Nyx cocked her head to one side.

  “Beggin’ yer pardon, friend, but I don’ think we can be spendin’ all night here on this beach while ye fuck all the trees.” Sulyvahn ughed. “To each his own, but if time is yer concern—”

  “It is,” said Mike. “Nyx, as a guardian of the isnd, do you care what happens to this cursed foliage?”

  Nyx shook her head. “It is a blight upon the nd,” she decred. “I would see it scourged.”

  “Then it’s officially option number two.” Mike undid the rope on Cerberus’ wrist. “Cerberus, can you burn them so hot that the fire doesn’t spread?”

  All three heads nodded, and the hellhound transformed. Cerberus crouched down and allowed everyone to climb onto their back. Nyx looked dubious, then refused to get on.

  “I will follow from behind,” she said.

  “Suit yourself.” Mike hugged Cerberus’ neck. “Let’s fuck those trees.”

  All three heads howled, then let out a bst of Hellfire in a straight line. The bckened trees erupted into ash as the fmes carved a path forward, scouring the ground of any life that may remain. Mike wasn’t surprised to see the trees themselves shift inward into the gap as if to block their path, but Cerberus stepped forward and simply repeated the process.

  “Good!” Nyx cried, walking just behind them. “Burn it all away!”

  “It’s so nice to see you all getting along,” muttered Sofia from behind Mike. She was sitting right behind him, and Sulyvahn behind her. “If only it could always be this way.”

  “I agree.” He cast a look down toward Nyx. The princess’ features were briefly highlighted by bsts of Hellfire. The light made her look almost demonic. “Somehow, I feel like we’ll always be at odds over something.”

  Nyx looked up at him. “That is because I am eternal,” she replied. “Gods worry not over the opinions of ants.”

  “Modest little fucker,” muttered Sofia. “You’re not a god,” she added even louder.

  “It is but a familiar saying. I chose one that was simple for your understanding.” Nyx sneered in contempt, then looked back over her shoulder. “The forest tries to consume us from behind. It is best that we press forward with haste.”

  Sofia mumbled something in ancient Greek. Mike nodded his agreement, unsure of the specifics but able to read the general tone.

  The journey resumed, the heat from the fmes occasionally washing over the group. Sometimes, Sofia would groan and press herself against Mike’s back, pulling in her arms to make herself small. With his new resistance to fire, it could only be assumed that he was like a giant heat shield for her.

  As for the intensity, it was uncomfortable, but that was it. Ever since Pele had granted Mike immunity to fire, he had only tested it a few times with a lighter. No matter how long he held his finger over the fme, it only ever felt uncomfortable, and definitely didn’t burn him. Now the Hellfire itself was different, a raw manifestation of another realm. Mike had zero doubts that such a thing would bypass any magical protections he had, and certainly didn’t want to experiment with it. Failure would mean permanent damage to his soul.

  Between the swirling ash and long shadows of the forest, he had no idea how far they’d traveled. At some point, Nyx called out to Cerberus, demanding them to stop bsting a path. The hellhound paused, waiting for Mike himself to give the order.

  “Stop for now,” he said, clicking on his fshlight and shining it at the Fae. “What’s up, Nyx?”

  “The forest changes just up ahead.” She pointed forward. “I believe it may yet live.”

  “Then you should definitely…” He paused and cocked his head. All around them, a susurration of voices had manifested. Mike had no idea what they were saying. It was almost like radio static. “Do you hear whispering?”

  Everyone paused to listen. Nyx shook her head. “I hear nothing,” she replied. “I shall return momentarily. Do not move from this spot.”

  “We’ll be right here.” Mike patted Cerberus on the fnk. “Let’s keep our eyes peeled. This seems like the perfect pce for something to sneak up on us.” Even as he spoke, the whispering grew louder. “Okay, now do you all hear that?”

  Nobody else did. Mike often heard voices, but they were typically the stray thoughts of spiders, or even trees who dreamt of sunnier days with afternoon showers. This was different. The whispers seemed to crawl around inside his skin, then his mind. He tried to plug his ear, but realized in horror that the voices were somehow in his mind. A few spoke louder than the others.

  She’ll betray you.

  Your children will hate you.

  You will fail. Tink will die.

  Sofia wrapped him up in her arms and held him close to her chest. “I hear them now,” she whispered. “Don’t listen to them.”

  “Do you know what they are?” he asked.

  “I don’t,” she replied. “But their words cut like daggers all the same. You need to shut them out.”

  “What about you?”

  “They’re telling me things I already know. That the Library will cease to be. That I’ll let you down. That I’m forgettable.” She squeezed him so hard that his ribs hurt. “I’ve listened to these doubts almost every night for months now.”

  “Is that why you’ve been drinking so much?”

  Sofia sighed, but didn’t respond. Instead, she adjusted her grip in such a way that his head ended up between her breasts. Though there was no way to physically shut out the voices, Mike was suddenly aware of the soft, joyous mounds pressing against his cheeks. His magic crackled through his body, demanding he act on the sudden impulse to reach up and squeeze them. If he hadn’t been holding onto Cerberus, he probably would have. The st thing he needed right now was to fall off his hellhound in order to squeeze boobs.

  “Those trees are gettin’ a might close,” said Sulyvahn. Cerberus turned and bsted the offending foliage, briefly revealing a rge patch of scraggly bushes that had nearly grown beneath them. The hellhound paced in a slow circle, burning away whatever dared to encroach upon them. The smoke lingered, causing Sofia to wet down some rags for her and Mike to breathe through. As the activity increased, the voices grew louder. Only Mike and Sofia seemed to hear them.

  The darkness lifted a bit as sunrise came on Earth. The whispering died down, making Mike think there was a corretion. When Nyx returned, she had a few dark lines on her face that looked like wounds.

  “Are you okay?” Mike asked.

  “The dead forest didn’t wish to let me go,” she said. “After I escaped, it tried to prevent me from returning to you. We will travel this way for almost a quarter of your miles. You will know where the living woods begin.” She jabbed a finger at Cerberus. “DO NOT BURN THEM! Though this environment is hostile, harming the trees up ahead will bring the vengeance of the isnd upon you, and it will be tenfold what we have experienced thus far.”

  Sofia sighed dramatically. “I have a feeling it’ll continue to get worse before it gets better.”

  “Indeed.” Nyx guided them forward as the dead woods continued to assail them from behind. When Mike looked over his shoulder, he saw no sign of the ashen trail they had just made.

  “I’m surprised this pce still has so many trees,” he said. “Cerberus has burned down hundreds of them by now.”

  The Fae princess pursed her lips in disgust. “Though only a few ashes remain, the dead forest forms anew along the edge. This is magic of a most sinister nature.”

  “Is it like how you made the boat remember being whole?” asked Mike.

  Nyx nodded. “In a way. I believe this pce to be cursed, forced to relive its current state. Do I understand correctly that you can see the souls of others?”

  “That is right,” he said. “I still have a lot to learn, but I can tell a lot about someone just by how it moves within them. I can even discern emotional states. But I certainly can’t read minds.”

  “What you have described is how I see time.” Nyx sniffed, and her upper lip twitched. “To you, time is an unknowable force that simply marches forward in one direction. But much like the rings of a tree tell its story, I can see where it ebbs instead of flows. This region is trapped in a state of decay, but unable to properly rest. Given enough time, there will be no evidence of our passage.”

  “Do you know anyone who could do such a thing?”

  Nyx shook her head. “Magic of that nature isn’t specific to any one entity. One of the gods, perhaps. It is not uncommon for them to take offense and overreact.”

  “That’s something they have in common with the Fae,” Mike replied.

  The princess nodded. “Our actions may seem inscrutable to your kind, but even I will admit that is within our nature. We are from before the beginning, Caretaker. Our kind was there when all was darkness and chaos. That’s the kind of seed that, when pnted, always yields the most ominous of fruits.”

  Nyx’s words actually made Mike shiver. Cerberus growled and bsted the foliage, and the entire group continued onward, albeit at a slower pace than before. The dusky woods seemed to grow anxious as they neared the end, the trees now ripping themselves out of the ground and toppling to bar their passage. Cerberus culled them all with the fires of the underworld.

  “Slow down,” said Mike, giving Cerberus’ fur a tug. He felt a tickle along the edge of his mind, followed by more voices. This time, they weren’t whispers of despair, but a choir filled with joy. The words inside his head felt far more familiar, and the hellhound forced her way through the bsted ndscape and stepped into a vibrant forest.

  The trees sang to Mike, welcoming him and his family. He slid off the hellhound in awe, then moved to the nearest trunk and pced his ear against its bark.

  “They’ve been so lonely,” he decred, hugging the tree. “This pce, it’s happy to see us!” He stepped back from the tree and ughed. Throwing his arms wide, he moved to hug another one when he felt a hard yank on his wrist. Looking down, he realized he was still tethered to the others.

  “And this is why you need one of my own to guide you,” whispered Nyx by his side. “The forests of Avalon make many promises, offering both thrills and horrors beyond human imagination. It is like trying to cross a river, only to get sucked beneath the surface.”

  Frowning, Mike turned and saw Sofia behind him, her knees pulled up to her chest as she contempted a flower with her fshlight. Cerberus had transformed back into a human, and Sulyvahn had looped the rope around their waist and was leading them back to the group.

  “It happens fast,” said the dulhan. “If ye all weren’ tied, ye would have gone off in different directions.”

  “I…” Mike shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the impulse to explore. Why had he come here again?

  “The Fae nds are dangerous,” said Nyx. “But few more so than this pce.” She grabbed onto the rope and gave it a tug. “Cecilia and Sulyvahn, make sure none of them slip their bond. The path is over here.”

  Mike was pulled through the woods in a stupor. It was simir to being drunk, only his faculties were compromised by huge surges of emotions. This pce was amazing, even in the dark! Callisto would love it here. The two of them could py for hours and never get bored! Behind him, Sofia wept with joy, her fshlight sweeping the area and locking onto flowers that bloomed in the darkness.

  “Have you ever seen something so pretty?” she asked.

  “Not like this, no.” Mike turned to ask Cerberus if they’d ever experienced such beauty, but the hellhound was stumbling over their own feet, each head trying to convince the body to walk in a different direction.

  Time was meaningless here. It was only after he had walked for a long time that he realized his feet were on a path instead of leaves, and the woods had gone quiet around him. Nyx looked over her shoulder at him with some disdain, then nodded.

  “It seems you have snapped out of it,” she said.

  “Snapped out of what?” Mike looked around. “When did we get on this path?”

  “Almost two hours ago.” Cecilia walked at his side, her form no longer ethereal. “You’ve been whispering to yourself, my love.”

  “Cecilia, you’re solid!” He frowned. “We’re not trapped in that book again, are we?”

  “Past the trees be Avalon proper,” said Suly. It be of the Fae realm. Cecilia is solid here.”

  The banshee extended a hand, and Mike took it, causing her to blush. She moved against his side almost immediately, clinging to his arm. As if to not be outdone, Cerberus caught up to Mike and did the same with the other side.

  “Can you not?” said Sofia from behind. “I’m tied between the two of you.”

  “Maybe you should catch up an’ hold ‘im from behind,” suggested Sulyvahn. “That way, you wouldna feel left out.”

  “I don’t feel left out,” muttered the cyclops.

  “You shouldn’t lie to the Fae.” Nyx turned around and walked backward. “It’s one of the first rules of dealing with our kind.”

  “If you all can’t py nice, I’m going to turn this quest around and go right home,” said Mike. He caught a sweet scent in the air and inhaled deeply. “Do I smell apples?”

  “You do,” replied Nyx. “Though I have yet to see one.”

  “Are they safe to eat?” asked Mike, his mouth watering. “I don’t want to get trapped here forever or anything.”

  “They are,” replied Nyx. “But only because you have permission to be here. Typically, the isnd is proud of its bounty and offers it freely to visitors.” She wandered off to the side of the road and peered up into its branches. “Hmm. Each tree should have its own bounty to give.”

  The sky had taken on a gray hue once more. Mike figured it was probably nearing mid-day back on Earth. “If you want, I could ask them,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t,” she cautioned. “Though you possess the power to speak with trees, you must remember these are unlike the ones from your realm. They have been steeped in the magic of the Fae realm since they were pnted, millenia ago. It is their call that lured you and the others to waste away your time in the woods. Opening such a direct connection could spell disaster.”

  Mike nodded. “Tha…t is good to know,” he said, just barely cutting off a proper thanks. His sudden shift in wording squeezed a genuine grin from Nyx.

  “It’s just a matter of time, mortal. I will have you owe me yet.” The fae tugged at the rope and skipped forward, the breeze occasionally catching her and pushing her back so that she wouldn’t outpace the others. “I wonder what treasures I could wring from one such as you. Could I take a piece of your magic? Perhaps all of your memories of the taste of fish? I know better than to request one of your children, but…maybe a year or so of your life would be amicable.”

  “Can the Fae really collect such things?” asked Mike, though he knew the answer already. He was more interested in keeping Nyx talking about herself. It was far easier to avoid slipping up that way.

  “Indeed, though the idea of the trade can be quite abstract. If you were to offer the color of your eyes to one such as I, it is possible that I may simply see fit to leech them of their color, leaving them a ft gray that never quite reflects the light. Or perhaps I see fit to take your ability to see color, it can be open to interpretation.”

  “That’s why I have an attorney,” Mike mumbled.

  “Now, if you were to make such a deal with the Unseelie, they may decide to take the color of your eyes by simply plunging their fingers into them and tearing away the flesh they are owed.” Nyx licked her lips. “If they word it carefully, they may take their cim to your offspring, down through the generations, purging each and every one of them that shares their eye color with you of their sight. Such is their way.”

  “I don’t think that’s Unseelie specific,” said Sofia. “I’ve seen plenty of bad faith negotiations from the Seelie Court as well.”

  “Oh? Did you read about such things in one of your human-made fairy tales?”

  “Nope. First-hand accounts throughout the centuries, actually.” Sofia scowled. “In fact, dealings with the Seelie are recorded more often than not simply because of the negative opinions regarding the Unseelie. Most of the people who look to the Unseelie for magical support are doing their best to avoid the public eye. Writing down their potential crimes in a journal will get them hanged or burned.”

  “Fair enough, Head Librarian.” Nyx made a hissing noise that sounded almost like ughter. “Humans have always seen what they wish to see, and the unsettling appearance of the Unseelie certainly paints those who interact with them in a dying light.”

  “Most documented Unseelie negotiations were mistaken for deals with the devil, or other demonic entities. In fact, the mythos of deals done at a crossroads was meant to describe the boundary between realms, but a lot of people took it literally to mean where paths intersect. That first tale is the source of the term Faustian Bargain.”

  “I know the Fae who made that bargain,” said Nyx. “A member of the Unseelie nobility. He uses that man’s soul as an eternal servant. Humans really are bad at contempting the meaning of eternity.”

  “So the Fae traffic in souls, too?” asked Mike.

  Nyx shrugged. “Souls have power. You know this. Any conveyance of power can act as currency. With your current abilities, could you not strip a soul from its bearer? Doing so would become a path of immense power.”

  “And damnation,” Mike added.

  “And now you know why demons want them so bad. They are already damned.” Nyx paused and sniffed at the air. “I smell woodsmoke. And…meat?” She cocked her head to one side.

  Mike inhaled deeply, but wasn’t sure if he actually smelled anything or if his mind was making stuff up. At his side, Cerberus sniffed the air, then each head nodded.

  “Not. Too. Far.” The hellhound sniffed the air again. “Smell. People. Too.”

  “People?” Nyx frowned. “Fae or human?”

  “We. Don’t. Know.” Each head scrunched up its features as they sniffed again. “Too. Many. Scents.”

  “We kin talk about it all day or jus’ go have a look,” muttered Sulyvahn. “As long as we don’t stray from the path, it’s not a problem.”

  Nyx nodded, and the group continued. The woods became incredibly dense around them as the path wound aimlessly back and forth. When Mike would look over his shoulder and realize that the path had actually shifted after their passing. Was the path itself alive, or was this just part of the isnd’s magic?

  They continued for another hour, the path now becoming so steep that the walk became more a climb. It reminded Mike very much of Haleakalā in Hawaii, only this was far gloomier. Cerberus had the worst time of it, as their body was extremely top heavy. When Sofia suggested they transform again, Nyx vetoed, stating that the path was now too narrow to accommodate the hellhound in their true form.

  The trail seemed to vanish into the sky up ahead. When they crested its peak, all of them stopped to stare at the bowl-shaped valley on the other side. Steep, rocky cliffs provided a backdrop that made Mike think this entire pce may be the inside of a crater. The interior was densely packed with forest, but their attention was fixed on the settlement below. There was a rge hamlet lit by torches near the back, and a massive gothic castle had been constructed into the mountain itself.

  “What is this pce?” asked Mike.

  “I’m not sure,” replied Nyx, her voice quiet. “The settlement has always been here, but the castle I am unfamiliar with. Once upon a time, there was a keep here not much bigger than Machnaimh, but this monstrous thing is new to me. It almost looks as if it forced its way up through the cliffs, which did NOT used to be there. In fact, this whole valley used to be one gently sloping hill, much like the Faerie mounds. From the keep, you could see the waters surrounding the isnd. It’s as if someone inverted this entire part of it.”

  “So Avalon wasn’t just taken. It’s been altered.” Mike scratched at his chin. “What kind of magic could do that?”

  “Creation level magic could,” said Sofia. She had moved up next to Mike. This reminded him of the Grimoire itself, which had an apple on the cover. When he opened his mouth to say something, she grabbed him by the arm to get his attention, then held a finger to her lips. Nyx, who was staring down into the valley, didn’t see her.

  “That would do it,” Nyx finally agreed. “I can see people in the town. Come. Let us go meet them.” Her tone had taken on a knife’s edge.

  “We should keep things peaceful for now,” Mike added. “Until we know what we’re dealing with, let’s be…unassuming.”

  “Though I disagree, your words hold wisdom.” Disgruntled, Nyx led the way, keeping her hands on the rope. Together, they descended into the valley. The path wound back and forth down the steeper slopes, then turned into one long road that aimed straight for the valley’s heart, the castle. They passed long abandoned farmnds and an occasional broken-down cart. It wasn’t until they were about a mile out from the vilge that they came across one of its inhabitants. A young man with sickly pale skin was carrying a burp sack over his shoulder and walking in the same direction they were.

  “Oy, fellow traveler!” Sulyvahn called out to the man. “Hail, and well met.”

  The man turned to look at them, his eyes going wide in shock. He dropped the burp sack, spilling its contents on the road. Bruised apples rolled across the path, but the man didn’t notice.

  “Out…outsiders!” He ran up to them, his jaw hanging open like a barn door. “You…you’ve come from beyond the isnd.”

  “Aye.” Sulyvahn smiled and held out a hand. “And what name may we call you by?”

  “Fin…Finley!” He shook Sulyvahn’s hand. “You really came from outside the isnd?”

  “We’ve already said that.” When Nyx spoke, the man flinched.

  “Right, right, I’m sorry! It’s just…this has never happened before!” Finley ran his fingers through the thin hair on his head. Mike noticed that the man’s clothing looked threadbare and had been stitched back together several times. It also occurred to him that the man’s only reaction had been to the fact they had come from beyond the isnd. When his gaze passed over the three-headed woman, or the cyclops, he didn’t even react. This was someone who was used to seeing cryptids. “Please, come! Come!” He gestured for them to follow.

  “You dropped your apples,” said Sofia.

  Finley gasped, then knelt down to pick up the fruit. “Right, right, it’s just…wow!” The man gathered up the apples and stuffed them back into their sack. He looked up to see Nyx holding the st one out for him. “Thank you,” he said, oblivious to the glint in Nyx’s eyes.

  We’re on a Fae isnd, thought Mike. And this man clearly has no idea about the rules. He filed that bit of information away, but couldn’t think of a good way to tell Finley to quit speaking to Nyx without incurring her wrath. He’d already apologized and thanked her. It was pretty much a bnk check for whatever she desired.

  They followed Finley to the vilge. There were more people on the road as they drew near, and it turned into a small mob of curiosity seekers. The people kept a safe distance from the group, but Mike wasn’t worried yet. If they started carrying torches and pitchforks, he’d have more cause for concern.

  The town or hamlet, whatever it was called, looked like it was straight out of a medieval movie. People, all of them pale and sickly, stared in awe at the group as they were led toward the center of town. There was a rge fountain there. People were bathing in the reservoir and filling buckets with fresh water from a basin in the middle.

  “Come, come, are you thirsty?” Finley pushed people out of the way. “This is our fountain, it’s magical! The water comes from a spring somewhere deep underground.”

  “Er…” Mike looked at Nyx.

  “It is safe to drink,” she said. “This fountain was here…before.” No sooner had she spoken did Finley vault over the rim of the fountain to wade toward the middle. Men and women got out of his way, too busy gawking at Mike and the others.

  “There are no old people here,” Sofia whispered. “I don’t see any children, either.”

  “The young ‘uns are being kept further away from this pce,” decred Cecilia.

  “That’s because they’re in school,” decred a naked man standing in the fountain. “If you want, we can bring them around to—”

  “No, that’s fine,” said Mike. “We, uh, need to figure out where we’re going next is all.”

  “That’ll be to see the lord,” a woman with a bucket said helpfully from the edge of the rim. “He’s always told us that outsiders should be brought directly to him!”

  Mike’s left eye actually twitched. Though he didn’t dare say it out loud, this entire pce had horror movie red fgs. He was just waiting for the plot twist. Finley came to Mike with a full bucket, which he held out with a stupid smile on his face.

  “Here!” he said.

  “I’ll, um…” Mike held up a hand for patience and turned to Sofia to pull one of the canteens out. The people stared at it in awe as Mike removed the top and dunked it in the water. It was cold and somehow sparkled under the non-light of this realm. When the canteen was full, he lifted it back out and realized everyone was staring at him.

  “Go on,” said Finley. “Taste it!” The men and women in the fountain all mimicked Finley, watching Mike with great anticipation as they begged him to drink.

  “You should drink some, Mike.” Nyx gave him a shit-eating grin. “You don’t want to disappoint these good people.”

  He gave the water a gnce, but didn’t see any magic attached to it. Holding the canteen to his lips, he took a sip and suddenly felt restored, as if he hadn’t just spent the entire day and night fighting his way through a haunted castle and an evil forest. “Wow,” he decred. “That really is good!”

  Mike put the bottle to his lips to take another sip when everyone muttered a prayer under their breaths that had him do a spit-take. Immediately, the others tensed up around him, but the vilgers seemed oblivious.

  “What did you say?” he asked hoarsely, wiping water from his chin.

  “Naia bless us,” replied Finley. “She’s the nymph who lives under this fountain and brings us clean, cold water. We simply couldn’t survive without her?”

  “Uh…” This came from Sulyvahn, who looked like he was going to ask something, but his eyes slid toward the castle, then up into the air. “We’ve got inbound,” he said. Mike raised his gaze just in time to see the massive, unfurled wings of stone spread wide as a trio of gargoyles nded around them. A quick gnce revealed two males and one female, their mottled skin seemingly carved from obsidian.

  “We have come to escort you to the castle,” said the rgest male, his features ft and wide. “The lord wishes to speak with you.”

  “Oh, he does?” Sofia put one hand on her hip, allowing the other to dangle freely by her sword. “And does this lord of yours have a name?”

  “He doesn’t,” said Finley. “We usually just call him by his title.”

  “Title?” Nyx cocked her head. “And what title would that be?”

  “We call him the Caretaker.” When Finley said the name, everyone did a little hand gesture that looked like a floating letter C. “He’s the reason we’re all alive and living here together, ever since the world ended.”

  “Caretaker, huh?” Mike looked at the fountain, then up at the castle. A cold feeling had settled in his gut, but it wasn’t one of premonition. He was getting bad vibes from this pce, and it simply couldn’t be a coincidence that Naia’s name was attributed to the fountain. The reverence on these people’s faces bespoke a love for their caregiver that went beyond the norm, but their sickly appearance suggested otherwise. The gargoyles had folded up their wings and now appeared to be wearing robes, just like Abel. He took a moment to look at his family and saw the same shock registered on their features. “Well, then, please. Show us the way.”

  The gargoyles turned to lead them out of the square as Nyx cackled madly to herself and followed.

  ---

  It was almost midnight when Beth walked into the park near Mike’s home. The moonlight was more than enough to follow the concrete path by, but she wouldn’t be on it for long. It took a few minutes to get to the ring of trees that surrounded the ke, and she used a fshlight to navigate between them. At the water’s edge, she turned off the light and waited for midnight to officially come.

  Nyx had given Mike instructions for contacting her sisters, which had included some helpful tips for actually getting their attention. She had given some oddly evasive information regarding the ke itself, which just “happened to be nearby.” Beth was almost entirely certain that this was further evidence that Titania or even the Faerie Courts were up to something regarding Mike and also Sulyvahn. She probably could have come in the middle of the day and the Fae would be watching, but she would prefer to py the idiot and dey suspicion.

  “I call out to the dy of the ke,” Beth said once her silent arm buzzed in her pockets. As midnight was the boundary between two days, this was supposed to be a metaphor for speaking across the boundary of worlds. She knelt down and pced a piece of bread covered with honey on a rock that was by the water’s edge. “Consider this a gift, freely given. I do not seek thee for my own benefit, but to pass on a message from your sister who I know as Nyx, Princess of the Seelie Court.”

  She sat in the dark and waited, even though Beth had felt the water of the ke shift beneath the surface as she sat. Whoever was down there was making her wait. Beth wasn’t too worried. At this point, she figured they were just screwing with her and hoping she would leave so they could bitch about her in a ter conversation.

  Still, she had brought a gift, and there was a limit to being fashionably te. Though she couldn’t see it with her eyes, she could feel the surface of the water break as a form popped through from the other side. Beth didn’t dare shine her light at the creature just in case it got offended.

  “We greet you, daughter of water.” It was a woman’s voice, deep and steady as the tides. A hand stretched out of the water and grabbed the bread before disappearing. “Your gift is accepted. We will now hear this message.”

  Beth took a deep breath, then pulled out a piece of paper. Though the message was memorized, she had rewritten it in such a way that Mike wouldn’t have to worry about the Fae showing up in Irend, or wherever the hell he actually was now. “The spirit of Nyx’s message is as follows: Avalon has been found.”

  The ke bubbled with activity, and several other forms broke through the surface. Bzing eyelights appeared across the ke as the water churned. Voices muttered, causing Beth to hold up a hand and wait for silence.

  She recited the rest of the message, making it clear in no uncertain terms that the Sisterhood of the Traveling Ponds (or whatever Lily would have called them) would not be rushing off to recim their isnd, or that Nyx would be the one to pay the penalty for it. This caused a hissing sound that made Beth’s nose bleed, but she ignored it.

  “Questions,” they demanded once Beth had finished reading the letter. “We require answers!”

  “I was asked to pass on the message in exchange for a deed performed by Nyx,” she said. “Anything else you may wish of me must be agreed to in trade.”

  There were several seconds of stunned silence. When it was broken, Beth felt her blood go cold.

  “We get three questions in exchange for your life,” said a voice about ten feet to her right. From her peripheral vision, she saw a dark figure pull itself onto the shore.

  “My life is not yours to give me,” she replied without even looking.

  “Oh, but we could take it if we wished,” the thing replied. “This is not your home, and you are not officially a Radley.” She actually heard it lick its lips.

  “While you are technically correct, I’ll remind you that I can breathe underwater. So drowning me is out. An abduction would cause quite the scandal, and you know what happened st time Mike had to speak to your queen about such a thing. This time, he would be far less accommodating. I promise you that if you piss Mike Radley off, there will be repercussions.” Beth let out a sigh. “Killing me in the water would be hard. I would take some of you with me.”

  The Fae paused and licked its lips, now uncertain by the truth it had heard in her words. She could almost see it now. It was bald, humanoid, and cking any type of clothing. Beth didn’t dare look any further.

  “This one is confident,” the thing hissed.

  “Which leaves killing me here, on nd. The trees will tell Mike who did it, but it won’t even come to that.” Beth folded up the message and stuck it in her pocket. “You see, if you do kill me on nd, you will have vioted Hospitality.”

  The dark thing chuckled. “This is not your nd,” it replied. “There is no Hospitality between us.”

  “While you are correct, this natural area used to be the hunting grounds for a nomadic tribe.” Beth snapped her fingers and several Nirumbi emerged from their hiding pces in the foliage, each of them brandishing a wooden spear. “They have given me their personal guarantee that I will be safe while visiting this ancestral space.”

  Another silence stretched away from her. Though any cim the Nirumbi had on this pce was questionable at best, their appearance after she had been threatened sent a message. Beth had just made it very clear that while they thought her life may be forfeit, it would be a massive fucking mistake.

  Finally, the dark thing chuckled and moved back into the water. “The Caretaker chooses his women wisely.”

  “He didn’t choose me,” replied Beth. “We lucked into each other.”

  “Luck only goes so far, you foolish thing.” The dark creature was almost entirely beneath the water now. “You should know that I am not of the Fae of the ke, and came of my own accord. I had a question of my own to ask.”

  “I won’t be giving any answers.” Beth shook her head. “To any of you. I came in good faith and am not pleased with your performance this night.”

  “What know you of my missing brethren, Bethany?” The dark thing floated on its back as if it were nothing more than a child remarking on the shape of a cloud. “One of my own went missing on your property?”

  Beth didn’t have time for a response. Almost immediately, she felt pressure against the side of her head, followed by the sensation of a moth’s fluttering wings through her brain. She winced and closed her eyes, and then the sensation vanished. The silver coin in her pocket that Mike had given her was radiating heat, and she grabbed it in her fist, nearly burning her palm.

  “I see,” muttered the ke creature. “Thoughts hidden behind a binding contract. Very clever.”

  “Enough,” she decred, then stood. “Our trade has been completed.” With that, she turned and walked away with the Nirumbi forming an honor guard around her. They didn’t get too far before running into Yuki, who just shook her head in disgust.

  “I was this close to freezing the ke,” she said, holding her fingers just barely apart. “Would have served those bastards right.”

  “Agreed.”

  “What was that they asked about their missing brethren?”

  “The less you think about it, the better.” Already, Beth was thinking about the stories she had heard of Grace and Death hanging bells and wind chimes around the house. There was also salt on some of the windowsills. The Grim Reaper and Grace knew more than they were letting on, and it was clearly a dangerous game for them to be pying alone. “Let’s head back.”

  Yuki led the way, her tails swishing as she moved. When Beth looked back at the park, she could feel hateful eyes lingering on her.

  You fucked with the wrong family, she thought to herself.