Page 66 of Wicked Warlock
“Can’t we just portal to the river and portal back?” I looked at the edge of the cliff in the underworld and the boat that quickly approached. The ferryman looked at me with those bottomless eyes and it sent chills down my spine. Nope, hard no. Don’t want to do this.
Penny rattled the coins in her hand. “You can’t portal in and out of the underworld. Just to the edge of it. That’s why we are here.”
The boat pulled up to the side of the cliff and the ferryman stood there in his long black robes blocking the plank to the boat. Penny began to walk up the plank, and he slashed that long pole in her path. “Dead only. I don’t ferry the living.”
Penny held out her handful of coins toward him. “Even for this?”
He turned up his nose at the coins. Penny sighed and her emerald smoke filled the palm of her hand. A moment later, a heavy pouch of coins sat in her hand. She jingled it at him. Though his head was still turned away from her, he opened up his hand and Penny dropped the pouch into his grasp. He swung the pole from in front of her and let us pass. The spirits all protested, but he silenced them with a fiery look and the smack of his pole on the side of his boat.
Beckett sat down and leaned his back against the side of the boat. He reached up for my hand and dragged me down in front of him. He pulled me to him until I was sitting between his legs with my back pressed to his chest. His warmth surrounded me, and I huddled into him. “It’s all going to be okay.”
“I know.” I watched as Penny stood on the other side of the boat, huddled closely with the professor.
“I know I was off but I’m here now. And you are it for me, Astrid. I will see you well and you’ll have your power back. I swear it.” He pressed his face to the side of my hair and pressed a light kiss to the strands. “How do you feel?”
“A bit achy and tired. But we’re getting closer. I can feel it.”
Professor Charles opened a book and handed it over to Penny. She pointed toward something on the page then to something else in the distance. Penny nodded toward her in understanding then turned her attention toward the ferryman.
“Excuse me, can you drop us off down over there?”
“I said I’d give you a ride. I didn’t say to where.” He gave a wild, high-pitched chuckle like the crypt keeper.
“Then where are you taking us?”
“To the castle, to Hades.” He pointed off into the distance.
My heart leapt into my chest, and Beckett and I jumped to our feet. “We can’t go there. Hades won’t be pleased.”
Penny’s lips pressed into a hard line. “I know. We won’t.”
Beckett marched up to the ferryman. “We paid well, so drop us off at that damn river.”
Again, the wild chuckle burst past his lips. “You have no authority here.”
I glanced over my shoulder, and we were nearing where the rivers flowed continuously from one to the other and surrounded the great castle that we’d been in only yesterday. Hades made himself clear he was pissed the last time we were here. I doubt he’d be happy to see us again. “Beckett. Now or never.”
He shared a look with Penny and they both sprang into action. Penny threw out her hand and knocked the ferryman off his feet, pinning him to the back of the boat. Blue magic exploded from Beckett and over the sides of the boat. The front dipped down, and we began to descend so fast that I lifted up off the deck. With no power, I was helpless to keep my footing. Beckett’s magic wound around my waist and I flew back toward him. He caught me with one arm and tucked me closely into his side.
“Told you I got you.”
He steered the boat down and my hair blew back from my face and fanned over his shoulder. The boat twisted to the side and then spun around. We leveled out and drifted down on the side of the riverbank. When Beckett dropped it, the boat teetered back and forth. Beckett loosened his hold on me and flicked his wrist, opening the side of the boat and letting the plank slide down to the ground. “Everyone off.”
Professor Charles stepped in front of me to go down the plank. “Just in case. I have my power and you don’t yet.”
I glanced around at the swaying grass and silent surroundings. I didn’t see a spirit anywhere. It was quiet here, peaceful even. On one side of the boat, the water lapped at the hull of the boat; on the other, it was land. Beckett filed in behind me and we began our descent on the plank down to the side where the water didn’t touch. When we got off at the bottom, Penny dropped her hold on the ferryman and ran for the side of the boat. She hurdled over it like a track star and her power flared around her. The rapid drop changed to a controlled float as she landed next to us.
The ferryman leaned over the side of the boat and fire danced in his eyes as he waved his fist at us. “Hades will hear about this.”
The boat shot into the air, leaving us standing just in front of the water. It took off toward the castle and we watched for only a second. I patted Penny’s arm, getting her attention. “Better to get it done sooner rather than later. Before Hades comes.”
Penny ran toward the river, tearing off her coat as she ran. She kicked off her shoes and began to walk into the water. It steamed the moment it hit her legs. Penny stopped and flinched. Her body began to quake, and she hesitated. “No going back now.”
She took another step and another. Her breath hissed out, and she curled her hands into fists at her side. I wanted to run in after her and tell her she didn’t have to do this, but I knew she had to. This had to happen if I wanted to survive and if she wanted too, as well. Three more steps and she was waist deep in the water. Her smokey power began to pour from every part of her body when she sucked in a deep breath and dove under. Her arms and legs violently splashed around, and when her head popped above the water for a moment, a pained scream broke the silence. It was only cut off by her being dragged back under.
Green smoke filtered out of her body all at the same time. It seeped into the water and spread like blood being lost. Then golden sparkles rose from the water. Like a foggy cloud, it lingered just on the surface spread all around Penny. Her thrashing stopped and the magic fired from her in wide rings. The rings surrounded her in the water, each of them pulling close and pushing back out like the ocean tides. They twisted and swirled in bright greens and sparkling gold. When her body stilled, she turned in the water, floating face down.
Deadman’s float. NO! “Beckett, get her out!”
