Page 125 of Faerie Hunted

The part of me that came from her, the fae side and the inherent magic of my history, twined together with hers and sharpened into focus. Livvy directed the beam at the wall and our fingers slid together. One unit. One force and unstoppable.

Our power collided against the cave wall.

The sensation was there and gone before our beam of light burrowed through the stone. A crack spread from the point of impact and the wall rumbled once in warning before the pieces splintered apart.

The blast brought massive boulders tumbling down, and Noren and Onyx barely managed to step out of the way before the opening widened enough for us to walk through.

But it took the two of us working together to achieve.

“That’s one way to do it,” Onyx said breathlessly.

Livvy smiled in triumph. “As I said, there’s always a way through.”

“You never said that.”

“I meant to say it,” she corrected.

On the other side, a river of black water snaked through the cavern, cut only by the harsh line of a wooden dock. A thick rope tethered a small boat to the side.

An unnatural sight.

We picked our way over debris toward the dock. Sconces of fire glowed the closer we got to the river.

A small divot on the wooden piling gleamed in the unnatural light, rounded at the edges and about the size of a quarter.

“It’s a place for a coin. To use the boat,” Livvy explained. Her hand went to her hips and she studied the divot. “It’s similar to the myth of Charon. Do you know that one? He’s the boatman on the river Styx who requires coins to give safe passages to souls.”

My heart flipped painfully in my constricted chest. “I have no money for the fare, then.”

“I do. One of the perks of owning a restaurant and serving tables. I’ve always got change.”

Livvy dove a hand into her pocket and when she pulled it out, there were multiple coins shining clean against her dirty skin. Without wasting time, she placed a coin in the divot. The boat vibrated and the rope untied itself from the mooring.

She dropped another coin in place for good measure before gesturing for us to board.

Laina eyed the small boat skeptically. “There isn’t room for all of us. You go ahead. We’ll wait here for your safe return.” The way she emphasizedsafemade me gulp.

I looked to Mike, who appeared to hate the idea of us being separated. But there was nothing for it. The boat simply wouldn’t hold all of us. I took his hand. “Take care of Laina and Bronwen.”

He gave a curt nod but said nothing. What was there to say?

Bronwen gave me a fierce hug and swiped at her eyes, but she put on a brave face. Laina simply smiled as if this would be a piece of cake and over soon. I wanted to absorb her courage because I was afraid my own wouldn’t be enough.

Onyx was the first one in, and we had to help him onto the wooden seat. Then Noren, me, and finally Livvy.

The boat set off without a ripple on the ebony water.

If Charon existed, then hopefully our payment was sufficient to get us to our end destination.

The boat glided through the cave and I saw no break in the walls. Stone fit together seamlessly.

The others were as nervous as I was. Onyx gripped the side of the boat with white knuckles. Noren breathed heavily with his mouth open and his tongue hanging out to the side. Livvy was close enough to touch but seemed a thousand miles away, lost to whatever thoughts occupied the space in her head.

I tried to think of this as a chance to get to know my mom better but we were all too focused on survival to make the most of any given moment.

What would happen once we had the journals?

With my powers unlocked, would the enemies of my past come back not as ghosts but as flesh and blood obstacles? Would I somehow come face to face with Claribel, or Dorian Jade, or even Tywin and Cosmo Foxfall and be able to defeat them?

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