by Nissa Leder
That much he could promise.
After calming down as much as she could, Scarlett took the portal back to the Otherworld. Visiting Kaelem had been what she needed. He might not have had the magical answer to all of their problems, but he’d held her while she lost herself in tears. Crying didn’t solve anything, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Tomorrow she would meet with Vida and come up with a plan. Without the weapon, killing Morta would be impossible, but there might be another way to stop her. Dana had cursed Ankou to the Darkland. Maybe they could do that to Morta.
Apparently, Dana had done a lot more. Was what Ankou said true? Had she pawned off her darkness to him so she wouldn’t have to fight it? Would Scarlett do the same thing if she knew how?
There were too many questions to answer that night, so she pushed them away as she looked for her sister. Ashleigh wasn’t in her room or the kitchens where she’d sometimes go to bake something. She finally found her sister in the library.
When Asheigh saw her, she dropped the book she was holding and ran to Scarlett. “You’re back.”
Scarlett squeezed her as tightly as she could. It took everything in her, but this time she held back her tears. “We need to talk.”
With a deep breath, she told Ashleigh everything that had happened. That she’d found the weapon they needed and lost it, gained another source of magic that should have stayed trapped, and defeated Ankou only to have his daughter take his place.
Then she told her about Teddy and Natalie.
Ashleigh stayed silent for a few minutes before finally speaking. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need. I know I’m just some pathetic human, but I can’t sit back and do nothing any longer. I’ll read every book in this library if I have to so maybe I can learn something that can help us.”
Scarlett wasn’t sure there was any information hidden in the books that Dana hadn’t already known, but she appreciated Ashleigh’s determination.
“Walk with me?” Scarlett asked. “Right now, I just want to spend some time with you as if everything isn’t falling apart.”
Ashleigh twined her fingers with Scarlett’s and the two walked hand in hand to the gardens.
And despite all the horrible things that had happened, in that moment, Scarlett was thankful to still have her sister.
The story continues in the final installment, book six, TITLE and RELEASE DATE coming soon!
Also by Nissa Leder
Whims of Fae
Two Princes of Summer
Prisoner of Darkness
Whims of Fate
A Dark Eternity
A Cursed Reign
Queen of Dark and Light
(Coming December 2018)
Curse of the Veil
When Souls Linger
Curse of the Veil
The Soul Crossing
About the Author
Nissa Leder was born and raised in Washington State where she currently lives with her husband and their two boxers, two cats, and pet poison dart frog.
Always an avid reader, she didn’t realize her love for writing her own stories until her freshman year in college. Once she knew her life’s calling, she began studying the craft of writing and eventually obtained an MFA from Spalding University.
When she isn’t writing down the stories that fill her head, she’s likely at the tennis courts working on her forehand or journeying to another world by reading a book. She’s a big believer in following your dreams and encourages everyone to shoot for the moon and pursue their passions.