Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“And I was instructed to take Finn,” I say gently.
He’s struggling, Misha says in my mind. The only thing Sebastian hates more than this plan to send you to the Underworld is the idea that Finn is your tethered match.
Why? I ask, flicking my gaze to the other side of the table, where my friend sits.
Tethering is a lifelong connection. Unlike the bond, the only way it can be undone is through death. The boy is jealous, though you and I both know the tethering is an easy place to direct his frustration. It’s harder for him to face the other truth.
And what’s that?
That your feelings for Finn have nothing to do with this predestined, divinely granted connection you have.
Kane leans over the table and smooths out the map. “This is where we’re going,” he says, circling the northern Goblin Mountains with one big finger. “The Mother Willow is here.” He taps the map at a spot he’s marked with a star, then circles that spot. “And this entire area around that sacred tree is called the Silent Ridge.”
“What’s the Silent Ridge?” I ask.
“No magic,” Finn says. “The bond will be rendered useless in that area, and so will your powers.”
“But if magic is life—” I say.
Finn shakes his head. “We won’t be there long enough for it to hurt us—assuming we’re not gravely injured. It’s the closest thing to the queen’s curse that exists in the natural world, but it affects all magical creatures. That’s why this part of our territory is uninhabited. People go there to hunt or for a brief reprieve, but no one wants to live there.”
“I’ve never heard of there being a portal there,” Sebastian says.
“And you’re familiar with the location of the Underworld portals?” Kane snaps.
Finn shoots his friend a look, his expression seeming to command Kane to ease up. “Perhaps it’s new, created just for Abriella.” He shrugs. “Or maybe it’s been there all along and is the reason the Silent Ridge exists.”
Sebastian scowls. “This could be a trap.”
Finn nods. “I’ve considered that, but if Abriella is Mab’s blood and the Great Queen truly wants us to visit, the portal will call to her once we’re close. If she doesn’t feel that tug, we’ll come back here. You have my word.”
“Come back here and what?” I ask. I hate the idea of relying on some mystical tug to know if this is the right course of action. “What if I feel nothing at all? What exactly will we do when we get back here?”
“We’ll wait for the next priestess to take the oath of the High Priestess at the temple,” Finn says. “And in the meantime, we’ll fight his mother’s powerful kingdom with our broken one.”
“We will lose that battle,” Kane says.
Finn nods. “But we’ll go down with honor.”
I close my eyes for a beat and draw in a deep breath. When I open them, I level my gaze on Sebastian. “It’s our best chance to find a solution,” I say to him. “We’ve broken the kingdom, you and I. Something has to be done.”
“We’ll have goblins get us as deep into the mountains as we can,” Kane says, pointing to a spot on the map south of our destination. “Then we’ll go on foot. This far north, at these altitudes, it gets cold, so we’ll need to pack accordingly, especially for the part of the trip where we can’t rely on magic to warm us.”
“Then what about in the Underworld?” Sebastian asks. “How does she stay safe there?”
“By the mercy of the gods,” Jalek mutters.
I bite my lip. I should be terrified of this trip, but I’m still reeling from everything else. “What is it even like?”
“Juliana?” Finn says. “Would you care to answer that one? Your mother traveled there to be crowned High Priestess. What did she tell you about it?”
“I can’t tell you what to expect,” Juliana says. “The Underworld is inconstant. It changes for each person who visits. But all those who have ventured there and returned speak of a tremendous distance they must travel between the portal and the Great Queen. The terrain will be rough and the trek exhausting. The purpose is to judge your heart and your persistence. The queen won’t show herself to those who give up. You need to carry in water and food and be prepared for the most mentally arduous journey of your life.”
“Be on your guard for the monsters that lurk there,” Misha says. “Creatures so savage and bloodthirsty they’ve been cast from our world. They’d like nothing more than to have your souls to toy with for eternity.”
Sebastian’s chair creaks as he shoves it back, and everyone watches mutely as he storms out of the room.
“I’ll go,” I say softly.
“With all due respect, My Queen,” Kane says, “you don’t need his permission.”