“They may have already found it and been attacked,” I said, my heart sinking.
“But how will we return in time?” Heidel asked. “It took us two full days to travel here, and it will take at least that to make it out.”
“Perhaps it is time you call on the sky king,” Kull said, turning to me.
“But he can’t come here,” I said.
“Not even to aid you?”
“No. My stepfather makes it a priority to respect the rules and laws of other races. It’s how he’s held his position as sky king for all these years. We’ll have to think of another way.”
Moonbeams filled the open dale, highlighting the grass and leaves in a silvery glow. Far in the distance came the hoot of a night bird.
“I don’t know of any other way,” Kull said, “except for one. Olive, you must use your mirror and create a portal back to Earth.”
“I can’t do that,” I said. “You know what my magic is like right now. I could kill us all—you said so yourself. You know how dangerous it is.”
“Do you have any other suggestions?” he asked.
I racked my brain. Wasn’t there some solution we hadn’t considered?
“No,” I finally said. “I can’t think of any other way. Our friends on Earth could die if we don’t return soon. Or we could die if I use my magic to create the portal. Either way looks pretty bleak.”
“I have faith in your abilities,” Heidel said. “You got us here, didn’t you?”
“Sort of. If it weren’t for my stepfather rescuing me, I would have fallen to my death. And he won’t be in Earth Kingdom to save me if it happens again.”
I glanced at the sky. Morning was still a few hours away.
“If,” I said, “—and that is a very big if—but if I was to attempt it, I would need the first rays of sunlight. And it would have to be somewhere away from this mutilated spider. I’m pretty sure its energy would wreak havoc on any spell I tried to perform.”
“Then we will travel through the forest until we find a suitable, safe place,” Kull said, “so that you may create the portal back to Earth Kingdom.”
I rubbed my neck, my muscles tense, as I considered his proposition. “Fine,” I answered. “But we’ll have to move quickly. I don’t want the sun to rise while we’re still looking for a proper place to open a portal. If we can find somewhere near water or on a mountaintop, that would be best. Those tend to be places more balanced for a spellcasting.”
Kull pulled out the map and scanned it, then showed it to me, pointing to a hill that had been inked onto the parchment.
“Here,” he said. “It’s not far. Will this be acceptable?”
I studied the map. Why was I even considering this? Didn’t they know how bad this was? My magic was lethal right now.
“Fine,” I conceded, “but we’ll have to hurry.”
Kull replaced the map, then walked out of the clearing and into the forest. I followed him, though I stopped before reentering the forest and glanced briefly back at the spider creature’s remains. Its humanoid hand caught the moonlight—decomposing, just like the hand I’d seen in Fan’twar’s vision.
Chapter 17
The night sky lightened to an ash gray as sunrise approached. I still hadn’t come to terms with Kull’s plan. Relying on my magic should have been out of the question, so why were we okay with using it now?
Kull was putting more faith in my abilities than he should have been. He’d always had that problem. It was one of the reasons we weren’t together anymore. It made me wonder if he’d ever seen me for who I really was—a second-rate practitioner with flaws just like everyone else.
As the sky grew lighter, the trees began to thin. We ascended a steep trail, picking our way over rocks and slipping on damp leaves. After spending the night with no sleep, battling a mutant spider, and my leg throbbing more than I cared to admit, my pace had slowed drastically. I found myself constantly having to catch up.
We finally crested the hill, and for once, things seemed to go my way.
The hilltop gave us a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. We could see all the way to the edge of the forest, where the foothills rose toward the mountains. Crooked trees with dark leaves spread below us, and it was no wonder we’d not seen the sun in two days—the canopy was so dense there wasn’t a hint of the forest floor below. It felt as if we were floating above an ocean of treetops.
“Will this hill work for the spellcasting?” Heidel asked.
“Yes. I just hope my magic cooperates.”
I took off my backpack, then removed my laptop mirror. Its magic pulsed through my hands, warming my fingertips as I clicked it open. Everything inside screamed for me not to go through with this. There had to be some other way, but as much as I tried to think of other options, I came up with nothing.
I would have to trust in my magic if I wanted the spell to work.
Sitting on the grass, I placed the mirror on my lap as we waited for the sun to rise. Kull and Heidel sat on either side of me, and though I’d had a rough history with the two of them, I still felt comforted by their presence.
“It must be a beautiful place,” I said, “when the starstone isn’t missing.”
“Yes,” Heidel agreed. “Perhaps if the stone is returned, we will one day see it in its glory.”
“It is doubtful that I will ever return,” Kull said. “Once
