“Precisely,” Lala says. “But through much reflection and study, I’m coming to understand that the Dark Arcana do not always follow the natural order, manifesting the same way the rest of us do. I now believe they seek out weaknesses and vulnerabilities in their Light Arcana counterparts, exploiting those weaknesses in order to turn others to the darkness.”
The sea turns frothy once again, the smoke surrounding us rising to blot out the stars.
An ominous chill creeps across my skin.
“So Professor Phaines… he wasn’t always dark?” I ask.
“No. It’s likely he began his magickal journey as the emanation of the Light Hierophant, but was corrupted by the dark energy in his later years.”
“The other Dark Arcana energies—they’re still here in the dream realm? Just… just floating around until the time is right to invade someone else’s body? That means any one of us is at risk of attack or invasion.”
“Yes, it does.” Lala pulls her cape over her shoulders, drawing it close against the oncoming chill. “Remember, Starla. All of this is ever-changing, the legends and lore shifting with each generation like sands in the wind. We don’t know precisely how any of this works. But I can tell you that the dream realm is highly permeable. Any spirit or energy form can travel here, and as you’ve experienced, their actions here have very real consequences.”
At this, a full shiver breaks through, shaking me to the core. Until now, I’ve traveled here alone. No matter how real it felt to witness Dark Judgment incinerate my men in my dream vision, it was all just that—my dream.
But tonight, two of my brothers are here with me.
If Judgment finds them…
“Make no mistake,” Lala continues. “The dark energies you encounter here can andwillharm you. That they haven’t seriously hurt you already is a sign of your inner strength and the spirits that protect you. But even the most powerful guardians and magick can’t prevent every attack, particularly when you’re still burdened with your own deeply private demons. That pain, that guilt I mentioned… It’s all going to be magnified here.”
“I’m still not following you. I’ve never experienced anything but the Dark Arcana here. Why would my subconscious dredge up all that stuff now, of all nights?”
“Oh, Starla.” Lala slips an arm around my shoulder and pulls me close, a kind, grandmotherly gesture that takes me completely off guard. Swallowing the sudden tightness in my throat, I rest my head on her shoulder, allowing myself a momentary comfort.
“It’s an effect of the dream sharing,” Lala says softly. “Your bond, your love for one another… Love like that makes you stronger, but it also makes you vulnerable.” She pulls out of our embrace and turns to take my hands, her eyes shining with new emotion. “True love is a formidable force on its own. When it sees itself reflected in the heart of another, it will lay bare and burn downanythingthat stands in the way of that union. The process can be terrifying and painful, but it’s wholly necessary. Only love has the power to dismantle our fears and set free the pure, limitless heart within.”
My heart swells, as if it recognizes itself in her words— once pure and limitless, now imprisoned by a lifetime of pain and guilt and fear. I’ll admit, it’s hard not to get caught up in Lala’s breathless proclamations and the idea that maybe love reallycansave us all. Thinking of Kirin and Baz, my deepening feelings for them, the simmering tension between me and Doc, the butterflies that swirl through my stomach anytime I’m with Ani… I know she’s right. Loveisa formidable force.
Unfortunately, now is not the time to get swept away by romantic notions, no matter how badly I want them to be true.
And time, as Lala said, is not something we can take for granted here.
“Lala, I appreciate your many insights, particularly the ones that pertain to my complicated love life. But we need to back-burner the couple’s therapy, okay? Right now, our prime objective is to get that sword and scoot back to the material realm before the Dark Arcana figure out what we’re up to. And then—assuming we survive the night and whatever craziness is waiting for us back home—we’ll need to do it all over again for the rest of the sacred objects. Beyond that, I have no idea what happens next. I’m just really banking on that whole ‘survive the night’ part. So anything you can do to help me in that arena would be completely amazing.”
“So you’re seeking the sword, the wand, the chalice,andthe pentacle, then?” Her eyebrows lift in question, but I have a feeling she already knows the answer.
Which means she’s just stalling before dropping another bomb in my lap.
“Well, normally I’m all about an eclectic vibe,” I say, forcing some levity into the darkness. “But in this case, we really need the matched set. Trademarked, one-of-a-kind, ancient Arcana artifacts—no imitations, duplications, or substitutions accepted.”
Lala doesn’t even crack a smile. Just releases my hands and shakes her head, her mouth pressed into a grim line.
Whatever news she’s holding onto now, hearing it is going to hurt like hell.
I squeeze my eyes shut, as if the act alone could bring me back home, back to my bed. Back to the safe, protective arms of my men. Back to a world where witches and mages are never persecuted, magick is never wielded as a weapon, and love really can conquer all those old ghosts.
“Just tell me,” I whisper, letting the fantasy blow away on the sulfur-scented breeze. “Whatever it is, I’ll deal with it.”
“It’s the spell protecting the artifacts. The very act of retrieving them will bring its own terrible dangers.” Lala touches my hand again, and behind my closed eyes, four new Tarot cards flare to life—the Aces of each suit, vivid and beautiful, a promise held in each one.
But before I can fully appreciate their messages, the edges of the cards begin to smoke. In one simultaneouswhoosh, the cards burst into flames.
I gasp and open my eyes.
“It’s complex, ancient cloaking magick,” Lala says. “Bound to the objects and to this realm, just as the objects are bound to each other. The moment one of them leaves here, the spell protecting them will shatter.”
“Shatter?” Panic rises inside me as I picture the Aces catching fire. “What does that mean, exactly?”
