Page 5 of The Shadow Path
“You want to cross over to the Shadowlands here?”
He shrugged. “I’ve only ever been to Briton,” he said. “Maybe it’s time to broaden my horizons.”
Laura walkedwith them through the forest, a glossy blue-black raven perched on her shoulder. “It’ll be faster if I send a raven through. Chuck can usually find Kere faster than I can.”
Laura and Carys were as familiar with these paths as they would be walking the friendly streets of Baywood, whileDuncan’s footsteps sounded like a bear lumbering through a hardware store.
“You named your raven Chuck?” he asked.
“Not really.” Laura glanced at the bird. “I think he named himself Chuck.”
The bird let out a throaty caw.
Laura Thompson was a beautiful Yurok woman with an oval face, high cheekbones, and deep brown eyes. She was shorter than Carys, and her curvy figure had been the envy of both Carys and Kiersten when they were kids, though Laura had never had much time for fashion or anything that took time away from school.
Her long black hair fell in a single braid down her back, and while she might be guiding them into a magical shadow world, she wore the typical Northern California uniform of sturdy hiking boots, jeans, and a flannel shirt under a waterproof jacket.
“Kere will meet us at the gate,” Laura said. “And I’ve told Chuck to bring someone to take you across, Duncan.”
As an adult, Laura had become a civil engineer and worked on projects for the state, the forest service, and the Yurok tribe. But she was also a person who could cross between the worlds.
The gate knew Laura and Carys, but because Duncan was new, he would need a guide native to the Shadowlands. And because nothing was born in the Shadowlands except by magic, Carys knew their guide wouldn’t be human.
“I deeply appreciate it.” Duncan’s lairdly accent was in full force. “And thank you for allowing me to cross over.”
Laura glanced back at him. “You’re Lachlan’s kin, aren’t you?”
Carys’s two best friends still considered Lachlan a friend even though her former boyfriend—ex seemed a little too harsh—had returned to the Shadowlands of Scotland the year before and they hadn’t seen him since.
“How is Lachlan?” Laura asked.
“He’s doing well.” Duncan spoke from behind Carys. “Busy. His brother Rory has returned to court, so that’s been… interesting.”
Carys had never met Rory, and even though Lachlan sent her letters nearly every day, he hadn’t mentioned Rory.
Okay, what is that about?
Carys tucked that bit of information away as they crossed over a small stream flush with spring runoff. As they walked farther into the forest, the ground grew softer and the air around them was thick with small insects taking advantage of the last warmth of the day.
It was close to nightfall, and the drooping sun cast long shadows through the massive trees. Dust floated through high beams of light, and the sound of their footsteps was swallowed by the dense underbrush.
As they approached the gate, Carys saw the wisps—the luminous bright souls floating through the forest—dipping down like dragonflies to skate across the lush ferns, flying up into the trees and circling them as they grew closer.
“You’re right,” Duncan murmured. “It feels different.”
Laura glanced over her shoulder. “Kheta Inwe are not like your fae, at least not from what Carys has told me.”
Kheta Inwe—the Old People—were the magical creatures that controlled the gates in North America. They were fae, but Carys had never felt malevolence from them like she had from the fae in Briton.
“Same rules apply here as there though,” Carys said. “They’re a little bit nicer, but they’re still tricksters. They still love playing games with humans.”
“So don’t give them your name,” Laura said. “Don’t make them any promises. Don’t eat their food. Anddefinitelydon’t take anything from their forest.”
“Think I’ve learned that lesson well enough for two lives.” Duncan’s head was swinging from one side to the other as they walked.
The waning sunlight was golden through the trees, the forest floor was springy with fresh green shoots, and all the patches of snow had finally melted. Carys breathed in the damp scent of bark and moss, closing her eyes as a wisp dove down and hovered right next to her ear.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the melancholy sigh.
