“Where did you see it?” I asked.
“In a cave in the northlands the goblins called The Hollows—a place of evil, of dark magic—but I’m not sure if it’s still there or not.”
Kull wandered up behind his sister. He walked with a noticeable limp and his eyes were rimmed in red. Jeven’s curse was beginning to take its toll on him.
“You are sure you saw this sword? Kull asked.
“Yes, I am positive. Although I didn’t know its significance until now.”
“Can you take us to this cave?” Kull asked.
She hesitated. “It is not a place I wish to return to. There were events that happened… Geth, he was taken by the magic of The Hollows. It changed him. He was never the same again.” She shook her head and closed her eyes, as if willing the memories to disappear. “But yes, I could take you there.”
Kull only nodded, his lips pursed as if he were in pain.
Heidel narrowed her eyes as she took in her brother’s appearance. “Are you well, Brother?”
“I am well enough.” He rubbed his forehead. “I am well enough,” he repeated, softer this time. He turned and limped back to the tree where he sat underneath it, his eyes unfocused, still rubbing his forehead.
“Jeven placed some kind of curse on him,” I said quietly. “I’m not sure what exactly it was meant to do, but it can’t be anything good.”
“A curse?” Lucretian said.
“Yes.”
“This is troubling. Jeven’s curses are not to be taken lightly.”
“When my magic returns, I thought I would try to reverse it, but I’ve never been great at dealing with curses. Can you reverse it?” I asked.
“I can try, but meddling with curses is a dangerous thing. Sometimes tampering with curses only makes them worse.”
Behind us, a loud boom came from the city, shaking the ground so violently that we were thrown off our feet. I landed on my back and watched as an enormous fireball roared from where the tower once stood.
Shadowy forms flowed into the night sky. My mouth gaped as I watched the sheer number of Regaymor escape from the city. A horde of creatures flew from the destroyed remains of Jeven’s tower.
We all got to our feet, even Kull, as we gathered and watched the millions of forms fleeing the city and out into the world.
My heart raced as fear made my blood run cold. With one staff and a useless sword, what chance did we have of defending ourselves against that many creatures?
“How long before they reach us?” Rolf asked.
“Minutes, I would think,” Maveryck answered.
The Regaymors’ insane shrieks filled the air, an overpowering wail that threatened to deafen us.
Lucretian held the staff in a firm grasp. Standing tall, he turned to us all.
“I can attempt to create a portal and transport you back to your own world,” Lucretian shouted over the shrieks, “but I will warn you, these conditions are not the best. There is a chance that the portal won’t form, or worse, that it will tear you apart!”
“What do you mean by tear us apart?” Brodnik shouted back.
“The portal could kill you,” Lucretian said, “or at the least, it could fail to bring you where it should. Portals in this world do not function like those in yours. They are unbalanced and highly unstable, and I would only open one under the direst of circumstances.”
“We’ll have to take the chance,” I shouted, glancing at the Regaymor surging into the sky, their shrieks getting closer.
“Very well,” Lucretian yelled, “but I cannot go with you. My place is in this world.”
“But won’t you be killed if you stay here?” Heidel asked.
“I have evaded the Regaymor for many years, and I will continue to do so. My time has not yet come. I will find safety, but first, I must make sure you have safe passage out of my world. Join hands!”
We did as he said. Behind us, the wind picked up, scattering leaves and making the tree branches creak. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the Regaymor riding the wind like a black wave. They would tear us apart, I had no doubt, and they would do it in a matter of seconds.
Magic crackled around Lucretian. His hands glowed first, then his eyes, as he uttered a spell. The wind grew stronger until it filled my ears with a high-pitched wail. Soon, I felt as though the wind would rip the flesh off my bones. I held to Kull’s hand on my right and Heidel’s on my left, but as the maelstrom of magic and wind raged around us, Heidel’s hand slipped from mine.
I felt the magic break apart as the portal engulfed us. As I held tight to Kull’s hand, I knew I couldn’t let go. I used my own magic, what little I managed to scrape up, forcing it into the portal to keep it stable.
The wind quieted. My spell held us steady as we floated in an empty void, directionless, trapped between worlds. Focusing, I thought of a destination in Danegeld and put all my energy into getting us there. If Dracon’s sword was in the goblin lands, then getting to Danegeld would put us in close proximity. But the black magic I’d so recently learned to use flowed to the surface, mingling with my Earth and Fairy magic, and I felt the portal slipping through my fingers.
No! I wanted to scream as the magic drifted away from my grasp. Soon, the rushing wind returned, the portal faded, and I landed in a heap on the sand. The sounds of crashing waves and the taste of salt washed over me.
Opening my eyes, I had to squint as the sun glared overhead. Kull lay next to me. We were on a beach. Judging by the murky ocean water and the graffiti-marked Seawall looming near us, I had a pretty good idea of where we’d come.
Galveston.
We were as far away from the sword
