Emilio clutched Benji in his arms, and the little creature shivered, as if even he understood the gravity of the situation.
“Ready,” muttered Emilio.
Masika let out a shuddering breath.
“Ready.”
And then Olivier pushed open the doors and the three of them walked inside.
Even though Masika had been anticipating a small group, it still unnerved her to see their crew in person. They weren’t exactly the most intimidating bunch.
Can we really do this on our own?Masika wondered, glancing around the table as she took in the faces of the others within thecrew.
There was Dina, the silver-haired girl from the meeting. Masika wasn’t sure what it was about the girl, but she didn’t entirely trust her. She had a flighty, restless look in her eyes…like she was always itching for a fight. And then there was Analisa, the healer with a particular fascination with Olivier’s fading memories. Masika noted the look of pure annoyance on Olivier’s face when he spotted the healer standing in the room, his eyes rollingso far back into his head that she truly wondered if they might get stuck there.
There were Emilio and Olivier, of course. Out of everybody there, Masika trusted them the most. Not just for their talents, but for their loyalty as well. Masika knew she could rely on them if things went south—that they wouldn’t leave her behind to save their own skins. She couldn’t say the same for the others in the room.
And then there was Catherine.
Masika hadn’t expected her to join the expedition crew, especially given her leadership position among the Resistance, but it appeared that time was truly of the essence, and Catherine had ostensibly decided to take matters into her own hands.
“Any questions?” Catherine asked now, seated at the head of the table. Silver spaulders adorned her shoulders, her entire torso covered in leather armor, an array of blades strapped to her waist and thighs.
She looked lethally beautiful. It made Masika loathe her that much more.
“What if we don’t return?” asked Dina, a curl of amusement on her lips. She lay slumped in her chair, legs spread wide, twirling a knife against the surface of the table. “I suppose what I mean is…what happens if we fail? What if, despite everything, we don’t find the True Headmaster?”
Catherine didn’t so much as flinch. “Then someone else willtry.”
“And if we run out of time?” muttered Analisa. Her brows were pinched together, a weary look on her face. “You said it yourself—it’s only a matter of time before the Demien Order attacks.”
“If they attack before we locate the True Headmaster, then theothers will fight them on their own until we can make it back to them. Birdie and Russo have been prepped.”
Olivier scoffed, muttering something under his breath. At his reaction, Catherine rolled her eyes.
“Have something to say?” she asked with a sigh.
“No,” Olivier shot back. “I just highly doubt we have what it takes to fight both Silas and the Demien Order without the True Headmaster’s assistance. We’re kind of outnumbered. Blackwood hashundredsof students—not to mention theliteralHeadmaster of the afterlife. God knows how many recruits the Demien Order has, though they’ve clearly had enough time to prepare their ranks. And then there’s us with…what…a hundred? Maybe a tiny bit more?” Olivier rapped his fingers against the table and sighed. “I don’t mean to be a downer, but…we’re kind of screwed without the True Headmaster.”
“Then I reckon we better find him,” muttered Dina with a wink.
Catherine stood up from the table, the silver tip of her spear glinting as the blue sheen of the chandelier fell upon her. “Well, I suppose that settles it, then…” When nobody stirred, she scraped her chair back and turned to face the other side of the room. The group rose from their seats, and Masika followed suit, the panic from earlier slowly taking hold once again.
“Follow me,” Catherine instructed, walking toward the southernmost wall. She paused when she reached the perimeter, glancing over her shoulder. “Everyone ready?”
The crew nodded. A hallowed silence had filled the air, and nobody seemed to want to be the one to break it. Catherine pressed her hand against the stone wall. One by one the stone slabs began to shift, spreading open, until a large archway stood before them.
Masika felt it first—the cold gust of wind brushing against her shoulders, a sudden chill running down her spine. And then came the smell—thick pine swirling in the air, a warm earthy musk filling her lungs. Catherine stepped forward and walked through the arch. Masika could see what lay beyond—a seemingly endless prairie stretching out before them, dotted with tall grass and wildflowers, the horizon blanketed by jagged snowcapped mountains in the distance. Dina and Analisa walked through, following Catherine, though Emilio and Olivier lingered behind, standing by Masika’s side. The trio looked at one another.
One final glance.
One last chance to change their minds.
But nobody said a word; and then the three of them walked through the arch, out into the darkness, and sealed their fate.
Part III
The Catalyst
