by Linsey Hall
“Would it be rude to stare?” A bit of heat echoed in Lachlan’s voice.
I shivered. “Frankly, I can’t take the distraction. So eyes on your own paper.”
He chuckled. “Agreed. But I will be thinking about you. Can’t help that.”
I grinned. “I’m fine with that.”
He finished stripping down to his underwear, and we waded into the cool water.
I took one deep breath and submerged myself, opening my eyes underwater. Things were a bit distorted, but it was clear enough that I could make out the various weapons and other items scattered across the sand below.
My lungs burned as I tried to stay under as long as possible. When I spotted a sword about two feet long with the distinctive handle, I kicked hard toward it, cutting through the water.
It gleamed, calling to me, and I reached for it. I almost had it when a snake darted out from behind a rock. The beast was as thick as my thigh and as long as I was, a brilliant green thing with big yellow eyes.
I kicked away from it, shooting for the surface, but the water made me slow. Panic stabbed me as the snake wrapped around my legs. Briefly, I broke the surface and gasped, sucking in a ragged breath before the snake dragged me back down.
Water rushed around me. I bent over, calling my dagger from the ether and stabbing for the snake. He’d wrapped himself around my legs and was pulling me back to the bottom.
My blade plunged into his side. He didn’t even flinch, just yanked me deeper. Fear screamed through me as I thrashed, trying to break free while stabbing at the serpent.
He’ s just too strong.
Something flashed out of the corner of my eye.
Lachlan. He cut through the water toward me, then grabbed the snake around the middle and yanked. The beast uncoiled as he dragged it off.
My mind buzzed, but one thought remained clear.
Get the sword.
I was almost out of breath, but this might be my only chance. Who knew how many snakes were in this lake, protecting the sacrifices?
I kicked toward the sword and grabbed the hilt, then shot to the surface. I broke through with a huge gasp, sucking in as much air as I could. The aching in my lungs subsided, and I stuck my head underwater, searching for Lachlan.
I spotted him about twenty yards away, snakeless and swimming for the surface.
Thank fates.
I surfaced, then kicked for the shore, cutting through the water toward the stone disc. By the time I reached it, my muscles were trembling from fading adrenaline. I crawled up onto the grass and flopped down.
Lachlan joined me.
“I thought St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland,” Lachlan said.
“He did. But the Celts lived all over. I think this part of Otherworld represents somewhere else.” The trembling in my limbs finally stopped. “What happened to the snake?”
“He disappeared as soon as you got the sword to the surface.”
“Magic, then.”
“Aye. They want to make this a challenge, it seems.”
“We should work in pairs, then.”
“Agreed.”
I climbed to my feet and stumbled toward the stone disk, then set the blade into the proper indentation.
It fit perfectly, and a little jolt of magic shot up my arm as I set it down. I returned to Lachlan, who was standing in the shallows and staring out at the lake. I made a point not to look at his butt, though I really wanted to.
As I stopped beside him, he pointed toward a gleam of silver in the middle of the lake. “I think that’s the shield.”
“It’s big enough.”
“Aye. You go for it, I’ll watch for snakes.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I waded into the water, glad to have Lachlan on my side.
Together, we swam out toward the gleaming shield. When it was right below us, I dived, cutting through the water quickly. Lachlan stayed at my side, his long arms making him look like a freaking Olympian.
The shield itself was decorated with swirls and red enamel. I reached for it. As soon as my fingertips made contact, a snake darted from behind a rock.
Lachlan was fast, grabbing the snake while I swam toward the surface. I broke through and sucked in a deep breath, then looked down and spotted Lachlan right as the snake disappeared.
Heck yeah.
He shot toward the surface. I started kicking for shore, dragging the heavy shield along. A few moments later, he joined me, reaching for my heavy cargo.
“I can handle it.” Water nearly got in my mouth. Okay, maybe it was pretty heavy.
“Together.”
I grinned, then let him grab one side of the shield. Together, we swam it to shore, then put it in the proper indention.
Finding the figurine took a bit longer, but it was the dagger that really gave us trouble. I grabbed a few off the bottom, but none of them seemed quite right. Worse, the snake never showed up, so they definitely weren’t the correct daggers.
It took over an hour to pick up every one, and we devised a system that worked along a grid made from landmarks around the pond. Funny-shaped rocks and that kind of thing.
By the time I tested the last rock and it failed, frustration beat inside my chest. I shot toward the surface and sucked in a deep breath. Lachlan’s head popped up near mine.
“It’s not here,” he said.
“Which sucks.” I cut back toward shore, my mind racing. Had our target stolen it? And if so, was the path forever cut off to us?
Panting, I climbed onto shore and sat, staring at the lake. So many people had made sacrifices here over the years, and the one item that we still needed was gone.
Lachlan joined me, stretching out on the grass and staring at the sky. “What if it was never there to begin with?”
“The dagger?”
“Aye.”
“Ah. So you think that we have to make a sacrifice.”
“Seems likely.”
I nodded. “I think you’re onto something.”
I scrambled up and shook myself off, trying to get as much of the water as possible off of me. Quickly, I pulled my clothes back on, then went to the stone disk. If Lachlan was right and this worked, I wanted to be dressed for whatever was coming next.
He followed, pulling on his clothes, and stopped at my side.
I stared down at the indention of the dagger. Suddenly, it looked familiar. It resembled one of my favorites, a gift from my sisters. I called on the dagger from the ether, then held it up for Lachlan to see.
“It’s probably not always a dagger, but for me, it is.”
“Aye, that’ll be it.”
I placed the dagger in the indentation. Magic fizzed up my arm, and I stood.
In front of me, the air shimmered.
I grinned. “It’s working.”
A delicate bridge formed over the lake. It looked like it was made of glass. Could we possibly walk on it?
The air on the other side of the lake cleared, revealing an enormous oak tree. It soared toward the sky, at least three hundred feet tall. The branches spread out so far that the thing was at least as wide as it was high.
“That has to be it,” I said.
“The sacred grove? But there’s only one tree.”
“Maybe it’s almost it.” I stepped off the stone disk, leaving my dagger behind. Sadness tugged at me. I hated leaving it there, but that was the point of sacrifice, wasn’t it? “Whatever the case, it’s definitely the right direction.”
I turned to look at the horses. They were way too big to make it over the skinny bridge.
“Bye, guys!” I waved at them.
They looked up and neighed, then turned and trotted off.
Lachlan followed, and we hurried across the bridge.
When I stepped onto the other side of the lake, magic enveloped me. It was comforting and warm, all the while making me slightly nervous. The feeling itched along my skin.
I looked at Lachlan, but before I could ask, he nodded. “Ay
e, I feel that.”
“Strong, right?”
“Aye. This place is special.”
I stepped toward the large tree, letting the magic wash over me. As I neared it, I spotted other trees. They seemed to come out of the mist. It felt like I was entering a land of dreams—hazy and vague.
“Keep going,” the woods whispered.
I squinted at a tree trunk. Was that a face?
A figure drifted out from the trunk. She looked a bit like a ghost but tinged vaguely green and with rough, bark-like skin. A tree spirit.
“Keep going,” she whispered. “You are not there yet. The way is long and dangerous.”
I moved slowly through the woods, threading between the large trees as I followed the pull of my druid sense. Lachlan stuck by my side, but I barely noticed him. Every bit of my attention was glued to the forest around me.
At one point, the Cats of Catastrophe joined us, prowling along at my side.
The smell of fresh water filled the air, followed by the sound of a rushing river. I spotted it a moment later and hurried up to it.
A small boat sat against the shore, clearly waiting for me. It was tiny—big enough only for one. I turned to Lachlan and pressed a kiss to his mouth, then walked to the boat and stepped on. This was a journey that only I could make. I turned back to Lachlan.
Worry etched into his face. “Be careful.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”
The boat pushed off from the shore, driven by magic. There were no oars or sail, just the pull of power.
Muffin meowed, Hey! Hang on!
“You can’t—”
He sprinted away from the shore, then leapt onto the tiny boat. It rocked precariously. Princess Snowflake III and Bojangles followed, leaping off the shore to get onto the boat. Snowflake barely made it, her front paw grabbing onto the stern while her butt went in the water. She hissed and dragged herself on board.
Bojangles missed the boat entirely, but I was pretty sure that was on purpose. He swam alongside, his little head just above water and his crossed eyes glued to me.
“Thanks, guys.” I smiled, then gave Lachlan one last look.
I turned to look back at Lachlan. Behind him, a strange creature crept from the forest. It looked like a giant centipede, ten feet long at least. A shudder ran over me and I pointed. “Behind you!”
But he was looking at the river, a frown on his face. A splash sounded.
I turned to look.
Another centipede had slithered out from behind some bushes and into the river. It swam after me, its shiny eyes riveted to the boat.
Muffin meowed. It wants to stop you.
A third centipede emerged from the forest.
“Keep going!” Lachlan shouted to me. “I’ve got this.”
“Alone?”
He just laughed confidently, then shifted into his lion form. His paws thundered on the ground as he raced toward the river and took a flying leap toward the centipede. The massive splash rocked my boat, and soon, he was wrestling with the beast, water flying all around.
Frustration seethed in my chest. Worry, too.
Muffin meowed. You can’t help him. This is his task. You must complete yours.
I gritted my teeth as my boat drifted down the river, away from Lachlan. I watched him kill the centipede, his claws flying, then swim for shore. There were two more to deal with.
Something flashed in the forest. A third centipede.
One was already to the water. Lachlan went for him, lunging and driving him to the ground. He battled him in the shallows, water splashing.
Muffin meowed. He’s got this. You focus on what’s ahead of you.
Wherever I was going, it had to be me, alone. And Lachlan had my back.
7
As the boat slowly drifted away from the grove, the river entered a wide, flat field full of golden wheat.
Muffin meowed. I’ve always hated boats.
“Thanks for coming. You didn’t have to.”
We’re a team. Of course I had to.
I reached down and scratched his head.
The boat continued to drift, floating past the fields that radiated a calm energy. It made my heart slow and my mind relax.
Shadows began to fill the air, floating alongside the boat. I blinked, squinting at them. My sisters? And my mother. Uncle Joe, from back in Death Valley. Anyone I’d ever loved followed along.
After a while, it seemed that we drifted through scenes of my past. Happy days with my mother. The horror of losing her to the bastards who’d hunted us. Lean days with my sisters, on the run. Finally making our way in Death Valley. Our first trip in the buggy, where we proved that we were as brave and strong as we’d always thought we were.
By the time we reached a split in the river, my mind was spinning from what I’d seen.
The boat stopped right before the river diverged into two. It hovered at the precipice of a decision.
My decision.
The left fork pulled toward answers. I could feel it as strongly as I could feel the wooden boat beneath my feet. If I went that way, it would be safe and comfortable and full of answers.
The other path…
The sound of a battle echoed from that one. Swords clanging, people screaming. No doubt, danger lay that way.
But also someone who needed me. I could feel it. Maybe it was my druid sense or just the nature of this place, but I knew that someone needed help. It’d be dangerous and take me off my path, but they needed me.
I looked down at Muffin.
He sighed, his little shoulders moving. Really?
“Yeah. I really think we need to go that way.”
Of course you do.
I leaned right, directing the boat toward the battle. A prickling sensation skittered across my skin. Nerves. What would we face there?
The boat drifted down the right fork, headed toward the fight.
Muffin meowed. Honestly, I think these are the trials that make you worthy of entering the sacred grove.
“I have no idea what this is. Just that we need to go this way. Someone needs our help.”
Fair enough.
I peered ahead, trying to spot what might wait for us. But all I could see was the river, winding ever onward. Anxiety pulsed in my chest, making my ribs feel too tight. The sound of the battle grew, but I could see nothing.
Finally, the boat beached itself on the side of the river, right below a hill. I scrambled out and raced up the hill, the cats at my side.
When I crested the top, I gasped.
Below, a battle raged. There were two factions. One was clearly made up of Celts. The other side was made up of Roman warriors, their armor gleaming in the sun.
Muffin meowed. We’re losing.
We really were. There were two main sections to the battle. At the front, the Celts were trying to defend a village of round houses that sat behind them. The Romans pressed in, overwhelming them with greater numbers. It wouldn’t be long before they overran the Celts and took over the village, killing or enslaving whoever was within.
There were Celtic reinforcements trying to reach their comrades, but they were blocked by a huge giant at a choke point between two rivers. The giant stood right in the middle, blocking the path to the battle. He swung a massive club, smashing anyone who tried to approach.
Without the reinforcements, the Celts would lose.
“We’ve got to stop that giant.” I turned and raced back toward my boat.
Muffin meowed. I like a challenge.
I leapt onto the boat. There was no way I could beat my way through the army to reach the giant, so I had to attack from the side, using the river.
The cats followed me onto the boat, each making it on board easily this time, and the vessel pushed away from the shore. It continued downriver, and I willed it to go faster. We didn’t have a lot of time.
The boat picked up speed as we moved, rushing through rapids that nearly threw me overboard. I crouched down an
d held on, the cats huddled around me. My own weird little army, but I wouldn’t trade them for anyone.
My heart thundered as the sound of the battle increased. Shouts and moans, the clashing of blades. Soon, we were drifting by the horde of Celts who pushed toward the giant, trying to get past him at the choke point.
I drew a dagger from the ether and got ready to jump. The boat careened toward the choke point.
Muffin meowed. Get ready!
As if it followed my will, the boat veered left, toward land. Toward the giant, who stood on the little stretch of land between the two rivers, swinging his club toward the warriors who darted from the crowd. He took them out one by one, and the reinforcements didn’t stand a chance.
The bow of the boat slammed into the dirt, and I jumped off, racing for the giant.
He turned to me, thirty feet tall and as wide as a semitruck. His ugly face looked like it’d been squished in by a brick. He roared and raised his club.
I am going to die.
The thought flashed in my mind, so bright and fierce that I knew it was true.
But the bodies of the fallen caught my eye. They’d raced forward, trying to dart past or take him out. All so they could get to the village and protect their friends.
I sucked in a deep breath and raced for the giant, the cats at my side. We had to take him out. There was no other option. If I could draw his attention for long enough, maybe they could sneak by.
The giant stepped toward me, his footsteps shaking the earth.
Muffin meowed. We’ll distract!
The cats split up and raced ahead, circling the giant. He stopped and looked at them, confusion spreading across his face. I didn’t blame him. It wasn’t often you saw house cats who wore jewelry and were intent on killing you.
He swung his club for Bojangles, but the little cat was so fast that he leapt up onto the club itself, then lunged for the giant’s head. He landed on the beast’s nose, digging his claws in and holding on for dear life.
The giant howled and smacked at Bojangles, but he was too slow. The little orange cat scrambled onto the giant’s head, digging in with his claws.
I took advantage of the distraction, trying to use my light magic to stop him. At first, I struggled. My tattoos made it hard, blocking my magic before it could leave me.