“Thank you,” I said, calling back my power and tucking the pendants into my pocket.
Raising a single arm, he wrapped his tentacle-like appendage around what appeared to be an invisible doorknob. His muscles locked tight, and he gave it a forceful yank. A loud, grating whine rolled over us, and I cringed. It was so drastically different than what I typically heard when summoning my beasts, as if the hinges were in need of a good oiling.
So many years of disuse.My stomach dropped as I watched my father’s Iksass struggle to wrench open the door. It fought him every inch of the way, but there was a sliver of blinding light that had appeared. A slice of the other world peeking through to the realm. A few more tugs, and it’d be large enough for us to pass through with this beast’s help.
The Iksass gave one last heave, and the door sighed as it finally gave way. He let go of the doorknob and extended his limb toward me. An invitation to join him as he forced his way through.
“Are you ready?” I reached for Kost. He stared at my open hand, expression tight. We had no idea what would happen. If he’d be able to follow me through or if he’d be stuck here. And if he got stuck, what that would mean. Would we be able to find him? Or would he simply disappear? Kost never shied away from difficult decisions, even ones that put him in harm’s way, but as his hands fidgeted over his tunic—pausing for a brief moment to rub the space above his heart—I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d maybe acted too rashly when it came to this one.
“Leena… Tell him I’m sorry.”
Gaige.Kost refused to look at me, but I could hear the remorse in his weighted words. The guilt.
“Tell him yourself.”
Finally, he took my hand and gripped it tight. Nodded. “Let’s go.”
Forming a chain, we followed my father’s beast toward the column of light…and stepped right into it. Entering the beast realm through normal methods was actually quite peaceful. It was almost like a warm embrace, and then my feet would gently touch down in the realm as the light faded away.
This was nothing like that.
This was as if the bones in my diaphragm were fracturing, splintering into my lungs and making it impossible to breathe. Fire raked over my skin as we hurled through space, and I grasped Kost’s hand for dear life. I could still feel his fingers, see his white-knuckle grip. But his tortured expression shook me to my core.
I’d never seen Kost in agony before. Not like this.
His eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and his entire body was impossibly taut. If he jerked too quickly, if we came to an abrupt halt, I feared his muscles would snap and his bones would shatter.
Mustering every ounce of strength I could, I squeezed his hand.
His fingers barely pressed into my wrist in response.
Shit.Panic spiraled in me, warring with the nausea brewing in my stomach. The world around us spun uncontrollably, and my neck cried out in pain as I craned my head toward my father’s beast. Fortunately, his experience seemed far less excruciating. He wasmeantto go through this tunnel, whereas Kost and I were not. Every second we spent moving toward Lendria felt like an eternity, and the pain in my chest only increased in severity until I was certain my lungs would collapse.
Kost’s fingers went slack in my grip, and I dug my nails into his skin. His head had lolled to the side, unconscious, and the harrowing vortex seemed to tug him in the opposite direction.
No.I gritted my teeth and then let out a wordless scream.
I would not let him go. I’dneverlet him go.
Power surged from deep within me as my Charmer’s emblem ignited in a rosewood light. With a sudden sense of renewed strength, I yanked Kost closer to me. My magic battled against the surrounding tunnel, somehow alleviating a sliver of my pain and chasing away the breathlessness in my chest. Beside me, Kost twitched.
Almost.I pushed more power outward, blanketing us in a protective shield of light and warmth.Almost.
I was being wrung out like a rag, and my power was being drained away faster than I could hold on to it. Just when I thought the vines on my forearm would recede completely, the tunnel opened up and we slammed into packed earth and stone. Stumbling against what felt like a cavern wall, my knees shook as the world swam out of focus. A pale-green light ate away at the dark splotches, and after a moment, my vision returned.
“Kost,” I croaked. He’d fallen in a heap on the ground, and I rushed toward him. With shaky hands, I hoisted his back against the wall and then gripped his tunic, giving it a forceful shake. “Kost.”
His eyes fluttered open. “Leena.”
“Oh, thank the gods.” I slumped before him, hands still entrenched in his shirt.
Wincing, he let out a pained exhale. “That was…unpleasant.”
“That’s an understatement. I was afraid I’d lose you.” I finally released my grip on him. The scent of mulch and soil hit the back of my tongue as I steadied myself with a deep breath.
“And your father’s beast?”
The Iksass had crouched beside us, completely unharmed. I gave his arm a gentle pat. “He’s fine.”
