“Lead the way,” Roarke shouted over the wind.
We tromped through the snow, heading downward in a single-file line. I was freezing, but the exertion kept me from going entirely numb. At one point, my feet slipped out from under me, but Roarke grabbed me before I could hurtle down the mountainside.
“Thanks!” I kept going.
A few moments later, we came upon another portal.
“Please lead us somewhere warm,” I muttered.
“I’ll check it out first,” Roarke said.
“I’ll come with.”
He nodded and we stepped through to a dark forest. Tall black-trunked trees loomed overhead, the size of redwoods. Forest creatures rustled in the distance, but I saw nothing that would kill us immediately.
“Looks fine,” Roarke said. “I’ll go get the others.”
Roarke returned with Aidan, Cass, and Nix a moment later, making two trips while I scouted out the nearby area.
It almost felt familiar, but it was such a vague sensation that it was impossible to place. I definitely didn’t recognize it. The trees weren’t even a type that could possibly occur on Earth. But the sword blade had to be near. I could feel it.
“I think we’re close.” I set off between the trees, my friends following.
Ahead, something dark flickered, but it disappeared as soon as I saw it. My dragon sense pulled me toward it.
We’d only made it a few yards when something crashed out of the forest. A large, pale demon, its eyes wild, hurtled toward us. Another crashed through the forest behind it.
The rustling in the distance hadn’t been forest creatures—it’d been demons. My heart thundered. I gripped the sword tight.
More appeared, drawn by my Ubilaz power. Their eyes riveted to me, confusion and then anger showing on their faces.
“Yeah, yeah. I stole your buddy’s power,” I muttered.
Beside me, a tornado of black mist swirled around Roarke. Golden light shone from Aidan. They transformed at the same time—a dark gray winged demon standing next to a golden griffin. They took off into the air, charging the demons.
More ran out from between the trees, all different species. There must have been a town nearby or something.
Cass raced forward, throwing a fireball as she ran. It lit up the nearest demon. Nix’s magic surged on the air as she conjured a bow. She fired into the horde while Roarke dipped low, grabbing them up and snapping their necks.
I didn’t want to use my borrowed sword for fear of taking the demons’ powers, so I plunged it into the ground where I could retrieve it if I really needed it. With a deep breath, I called upon my ice power and shot a thick icicle at the nearest demon. It pierced his chest and bowled him over. I spun and attacked another, dodging as one leapt for me. Cass hit him with a fireball, and he stumbled away, ablaze.
“Thanks!” I called.
Magic blasted through the air, followed by the screams of demons, as I searched the forest. I could feel the sword blade. It was so close—my dragon sense shouted it.
In the distance, the air flashed silver. A portal. It had to be. The one that held the sword.
I raced for it, crying out to Roarke as I passed, “We’re close! It’s in that portal up ahead.”
“We’ll follow!” Roarke yelled. “I’ll bring the others!”
I left him behind and sprinted the last ten yards, dodging a demon’s fireball as I ran. A shadow flickered through the portal, leading me to it. A sense of rightness filled me as I neared it—I was close to the blade.
I could hear my friends running behind me, crashing through the forest to get to the next portal. I adopted my Phantom form right before I reached it, plunging inside.
Chapter Thirteen
I skidded to a halt on the other side, my eyes widening. I was back in the tower. The one from my childhood. In my mind, I was immediately in the past, as if my present self were joined with my younger self. My head buzzed with the combination of adult knowledge and childish yearning.
Being here made me want to see my parents so badly. Even though my only memories were of their abandonment, I couldn’t help but think that if I just saw them, everything would be okay. And I would have answers.
I knew it like I knew I needed air to breathe.
I spun, taking in the empty room. Or was it empty? I almost felt a presence, but I wasn’t sure. Draka, maybe?
Behind me, the portal glowed like a window into the forest I’d just left behind. My friends ran toward me—toward the portal.
Roarke grabbed Cass’s and Nix’s hands and stepped forward.
He pulled up short, as if he had hit a wall. Confusion flashed over his face. He tried again, but he couldn’t get through.
I could see Cass’s lips move, but I couldn’t hear her. She wanted to know what was wrong. From behind my friends, more demons appeared, running out from between the trees. An endless supply of them. Aidan, still in his griffin form, roared to warn them. They all turned. Cass threw a fireball at the nearest demon while Nix fired her arrows.
As my friends defended themselves, I turned back to the room, unable to help myself. My mind buzzed with memories, all elusive as smoke. I couldn’t quite grasp them, but they were here. The blade was here.
Somewhere.
But I couldn’t feel where.
The door on the other side of the room was open.
The exit!
My heart leapt. It’d never been open before—not while I was unsupervised. I could run down and see my parents.
Vaguely, I recognized that my mind had gone back to the past. Back to when I was a girl, locked up here until I learned to fight and use my magic.
Do what is right. Draka’s words from my dream echoed in my head.
My gaze stayed riveted on the door. I could just run down. I should just run down. I would see my parents. I would have a good life with my family. The life I once wanted, beautiful and pure. I wouldn’t end up with the Ubilaz demon’s power.
Even better, I’d have answers about my past.
And the sword blade had to be down there. Why else would I have come here?
But what about my friends?
I turned, gazing out of the portal at the people I’d grown to love like my own blood. More demons had arrived. They fought valiantly, Roarke and Aidan swooping through the air and diving for the demons’ heads while Cass and Nix shot fire and arrows.
But there were so many demons.
I turned away, gazing at the room once more. My heart ached like it had never ached before, pulling me toward the open door. Would I find Draka down there? My parents?
Yes.
My parents, yes.
But I knew, like I knew my own soul, that if I went down those stairs, I would never come back up. I might find the life I’d wished for, but I’d never see my deirfiúr again. Never see Roarke again.
But the sword was here, somewhere in this world. I could feel it.
Unable to help myself, I turned back to the portal to see my friends.
More demons had arrived. They wouldn’t stop arriving. Roarke and Aidan could fly out of there, taking Cass and Nix with them. But they wouldn’t leave without me. They’d die fighting for me.