Echo Soul Seekers

five

Paloma once told me that Enchantment is a place of many vortexes. She said it contains a number of portals that allow access to the Otherworlds and that someday soon I’d learn to distinguish them all.

But despite her claims, so far I’ve only found three. One in the cave where I endured my vision quest, one on the reservation where Dace was raised, and one inside the lowest level of the Rabbit Hole.

With the Rabbit Hole vortex not only on enemy territory, but also well guarded by demons, and the cave many miles away, I steer Kachina toward the reservation instead. It’s not often I get a free pass to skip school, so I may as well make the most of it and choose the closer portal.

We make our way along a series of dirt roads, Kachina keeping to a pace that’s slow and steady until we reach an open meadow. I lean into her neck and give her free rein. Enjoying the feel of her racing beneath me, the wind lashing hard at my cheeks, wishing I could always feel as light, and free, and unburdened as this.

When we reach native land, Kachina slackens her gait. Picking her way toward the grove of twisted juniper trees—their branches grossly distorted from the constant whirl of energy that marks the entrance to invisible worlds—as I scan the area for signs of the elders, Leftfoot or Chay—both of whom I wouldn’t mind seeing—and Chepi—whom I hope to avoid. But the reservation is quiet today, so I slide off her back, run a hand over her forelock, and say, “Don’t bother waiting, I’ll either call if I need you or find my way back.” She snorts, nostrils flaring as she shoots me a dubious look. Prompting me to give her a light pat on the rump and repeat my instructions. “Trust me,” I tell her. “You do not want to follow. The journey’s unpleasant. Now go!”

She whinnies in reply and swiftly trots away, as I take a good look around to ensure no one’s watching, step between the trees, and slip deep into the earth.

* * *

I speed through the dirt. Traveling through the earth’s core with my palms pressed hard to my face in an effort to guard against the snarl of tree roots, worms, and all the other slick and slimy things that thrive in the dark. Unlike my first few journeys to the Lowerworld, I no longer fight it. Having finally learned that the less I resist, the quicker I’ll be delivered to wherever I’m destined to be.

Once I’m free of the tunnel, I skid to a stop. My heels wedged into the ground as I slowly lower my hands and adjust to the light. Not the least bit surprised to find I’ve landed on a vast white-sand beach (it’s quickly becoming one of my more consistent deposit spots) and that Raven is not here to meet me. Apparently, Paloma was right when she said he’s no longer working for me. But the question remains: Is he working against me?

I wipe the dirt from my clothes and make for the shore. On the lookout for spinning dolphins, breaching whales, and all the other creatures I’ve grown used to seeing. But while the sea appears as calm and inviting as ever—or at least it does from a distance—there’s no sign of activity, no sign of life. Even the usual schools of small silver fish are nowhere to be seen. The water is darker, murkier, and when I dip a finger inside, it comes out coated with a greasy film of dark sludgy ick.

I wipe the gunk on my jeans, watching in horror when that same finger swells and flares into a bright angry red. The water’s polluted—grossly so. Leaving no doubt it’s the same contamination that’s responsible for killing those fish we found in the hot spring, and that it’s Cade Richter’s doing.

All it takes is a quick glance all around to leave me feeling small, overwhelmed, and so ill matched against the task at hand, even I’m betting against me.

Without Raven’s guidance, without Dace beside me, I’ve no idea where to begin. The Lowerworld is an immense place of many dimensions and no conceivable end. It’s a haystack-meet-needle situation.

I grab hold of my soft buckskin pouch and wrap my fingers around it. Hoping the pendulum was right, that I really should continue to wear it in good faith—I send a silent plea for help. Appealing to the elements, my ancestral spirits—whoever and whatever might be willing to guide me. Then I tuck the pouch back in place and start walking with no real direction in mind, but determined to cover as much ground as I can.

Though I don’t actually see any undead Richters, their presence can be sensed in the lack of chirping birds, the absence of animals at play. Even Wind, my guiding element, usually so willing to serve, is felt only by its lack—resulting in the grim weighted silence that surrounds me. While the terrain grows increasingly bleak with each passing step.

The lawns normally so luxurious and verdant are now a muddied patchwork of browns. The grove of tall trees normally cloaked with a thick blanket of leaves are reduced to mere skeletons of their former selves. Their trunks scorched and hollowed, the remaining foliage parched and split at the edges. It’s the opposite of everything I’ve come to expect.

I consider a trip to the Bone Keeper, but nix the idea just as quickly. She may hold a certain insight into Dace and my destiny, she may know just exactly what the Echo is, but she’s also made it clear she’d much rather mock than help. Besides, I doubt she’d be the least bit disturbed by the way this place has transformed. Bones are her game, and death is the vehicle that brings them to her.

I continue walking, journeying for what feels like forever. Well past the point when my feet are blistered and sore, my legs shaky and fatigued.

Continuing until I’m sure I can’t take it anymore—and then I go on some more.

Stopping only when I come across a large, smooth boulder, where I plop myself down and bury my face in my hands. Wondering what to do next. Wondering how I’ll ever succeed when all I seem to do is wander in circles with no hint of progress.

So immersed in despair, I nearly miss the swoosh of wings flapping overhead.

Raven.

My Raven.

His purple eyes wildly glimmering as he flies a perfect circle above me.

I frown, unsure if I should trust him. There’s a good chance he’s working for the enemy … then again, I did ask for help, and maybe he’s simply answering the call?

He lands right beside me, purple eyes glimmering as he drops a flower bud onto my lap and gives it an insistent nudge with the curved tip of his beak.

I grab it by the stem, examining the satiny petals, trying to remember where I’ve seen this particular bloom, when Raven lowers his head and pecks hard at my leg.

I scowl. Push him away with my knee. Watching as he spans his wings wide and lifts into flight—circling insistently over my head until I heave a deep breath and give in. Convincing myself that even if he is leading me into some kind of trap, it’s still better than wandering aimlessly. If I end up in the Richters’ lair, at least it’ll give me something to do—something to work with. Anything is better than this.

The thought vanishing the instant I realize he’s led me to the Enchanted Hot Spring where Dace stands at its edge. Poking deep into the water with a long sharp branch he’s plucked from the canopy of blooming vines that swoop overhead.

Vines that bear the same type of flower Raven dropped in my lap.

“Why aren’t you at work?” I ask, taking a moment to appreciate the long lean line of his back.

He turns, eyeing me slowly when he replies, “Why’d you ditch school?”

My eyes dart toward Raven, now comfortably perched on Horse’s neck, then I head for the place where Dace stands. “Guess this seemed more important.” I reach for his hand, lace my fingers with his.

“Ditto.” He grins, his icy-blue gaze fixed on mine. Though it’s only a moment later when he’s frowning at the spring once again.

“More fish?” I ask. “Or, God forbid, something worse?”

He shakes his head and prods the stick into the water once more. Swishing it around a few times before he tosses it aside and says, “Not worse, just weird. From what I can tell, it’s perfectly clear.”

“But that’s a good thing, right?” I crane my neck to get a better look. Confirming that the water is indeed back to the way I first encountered it—bubbling, enticing, and free of dead, bloated fish. But one look at Dace tells me he remains unconvinced.

“There’s no doubt they’ve gone—but where did they go?” he asks.

I screw my mouth to the side and stare hard at the spring. Noticing for the first time how everything about this place appears brighter, lusher, than all the other times we were here. The vines are springier—their blooms fatter. Even the water seems extra sparkly. The bubbles skimming the surface resembling delicate crystal orbs that float ’til they pop and then reform again.

“It’s like it’s been restored.” I blink, stare, blink again—unwilling to trust what I see. Glancing at Raven and wondering if he’s maybe not nearly as corrupted as I thought.

Is there a small part of him that’s still on my side?

Is he trying to show me that things are not as bad as I think?

“It’s like it never happened—like it was never contaminated. Unlike the rest of this place.”

Dace looks at me, alerted by the edge in my tone. “I came straight here. Horse led me. I haven’t had a chance to explore. Is it bad?”

I nod. Hoping my look can convey what words can’t. I’m exhausted. My feet hurt. My finger is still a bright angry red, only now it’s swollen to twice its normal size. I study the spring once again, longing to take a quick dip. Surely a short break will rejuvenate me enough to go hunting again?

I kneel beside the water, about to immerse my finger, when Dace stoops beside me, grasps my hand, and says, “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I jerk free of his grip. “Really. It was just a small cut, but then I dipped it into the ocean and it came out like this. The sea is polluted. It’s awful. You gotta see it to believe it. But if this place truly is enchanted, if it truly is exempt from all the other contamination around here, if it really can heal itself, well, then it should also be able to heal me too, right?”

Dace meets my gaze, not the least bit convinced.

“Look,” I say, unwilling to argue. “I’ll either keep a finger or lose a finger. But either way, I have to try.”

Then before he can stop me, I plunge my hand in. And the relief I experience is so overwhelming, it’s not long before the rest of me plunges in too.