Unspeakable Magic: Myrtlewood Mysteries book 8 by Iris Beaglehole

Author:Iris Beaglehole [Beaglehole, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-29T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Four

In the cold, devastating icy darkness, Athena longed for comfort. She wished that her backpack of supplies had made it through the realms, but nothing had.

She didn't even know what she was wearing anymore. In fact, the whole universe seemed to be nothing but inky black night, so desolate it was almost as if daylight had been just a dream, and darkness was all that ever was.

She held tight to Rosemary's hand. Her mother gave her palm a squeeze, and in that moment, the small comfort it gave her reminded her of the gift that Queen Áine had bestowed upon her: the glowing faerie crystal.

Surely, that could light the way in the darkness, and maybe there was even a way it could make it through.

There was nothing for it. Athena raised her free hand to her solar plexus, where Queen Áine had plucked the crystal from her gown, imagining its glowing radiance.

"What are you doing?" Rosemary asked as Athena paused. "Wait, what's that?"

Athena opened her eyes to see a subtle glow. The small golden stone slipped into her hand.

"How did you do…?" Rosemary asked.

"This is what my grandmother gave me," said Athena. "I didn't think it was going to work, but I've somehow managed to summon it. Maybe it's connected to my fae energy, my power.”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m glad for it."

Athena held up the stone carefully. It illuminated only a tiny circle of the ground in front of them, but still, it was better than walking into complete uncertainty.

They walked much more confidently, grateful for every shred of light emanating from the crystal.

"How long do you think we've been walking?" Rosemary asked.

"An age," said Athena, "or an eon. However long that lasts. Seriously though, I have no idea.”

“It can't possibly have been days. Could it?” Rosemary said. “I mean, surely we would have collapsed by now. Or somebody would have tried to wake us….if it gets too far past the solstice.”

“Can they, though?" Athena asked, trying to suppress the chill that rose up when she thought of the consequences. "We might well have been walking in this darkness for years, never to return."

"Don't say that," said Rosemary. "We're going to find Elise, and then we're going to get back to our own realm. Everything is going to be just chipper."

“I don’t think that’s how that word works,” said Athena. “But I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

They continued on for what seemed like miles. Eventually, the darkness all around them began to subtly give way to a faint light, grey on the horizon, that revealed they were walking across a wide flat plane. Athena was grateful for it. They hadn’t had to stumble over any rocks or risk falling.

Still, it was eerie. A biting wind continued to whip past them as they walked.

"What's that?" Rosemary pointed out to the right.

A cluster of lights floated through the air, emitting a sound a little bit like humming in harmony.

Athena gasped. "I think it might be souls."

"Souls of the departed?" Rosemary asked. "Aren't they supposed to be drifting towards the white light?"

Athena shrugged.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.