Grace stared at the treeline, the cold feeling of demonic presence still crawling up her spine.
"I don’t see anything," Diana muttered, scanning the shadows with her sword drawn.
"They’re out there," Grace insisted. "I can feel them."
Willow signaled her Earth-Tenders to maintain their defensive positions around the ritual circle. The purification had been successful—all the villagers were healed—but the tension in the air remained thick.
"Why aren’t they attacking?" Alia whispered, hiding behind Zephyr.
"Good question," Diana replied, eyes never leaving the forest edge.
A sudden flicker of light drew Grace’s attention away from the treeline. The barrier around Ivy’s tree pulsed, becoming transparent for a split second before solidifying again.
"Did you see that?" Grace pointed at the massive tree.
Diana frowned. "See what?"
"The barrier—it wavered!" Grace took a step closer, watching intently. "There! It did it again!"
Another pulse passed through the barrier, leaving it transparent and trembling like heat waves. Ti seed to stretch, and Grace held her breath as a fresh vision erged from the rippling field—this ti her view rushed past tangled branches and into the hollow center of the great tree. There, among twisting vines and a shroud of creeping darkness, was Ivy.
The Earth-Tender was curled in a fetal position, her wings wrapped tightly around herself, mottled with corruption that pulsed like blackened veins. As if sensing Grace’s presence, Ivy lifted her head, and their eyes locked for an instant before the barrier snapped back into opacity.
Grace shuddered, the vision lingering too vividly in her mind. The field wavered at faster intervals now—a haunting beacon, almost inviting.
"Grace?" Diana’s voice cut through her daze. "What is it?"
"Ivy," Grace said breathlessly. "I saw Ivy inside."
Her dallion burned hot against her chest again, tugging at her awareness. An idea flickered to life alongside it.
"I think... maybe I can reach her."
Everyone looked at each other.
"What?" Diana managed to sum up how everyone was feeling.
"I dunno," Grace shrugged. "I feel like I can... Project myself. Sohow."
"You an project yourself in there?" Willow asked, one brow raised.
"Without knowing what you’re dealing with?" Diana shot her a skeptical look as well.
But, neither reaction stopped her from moving closer to the field.
The dallion flared, and Grace closed her eyes, leaning into the pull of its heat. The world blurred into a swirl of light and shadow. Her consciousness skewed sideways, slipping through the barrier like a ghost.
When she opened her eyes, everything was different. Her form was both there and not there, like an echo in the dimness of the tree’s hollow. Ivy lay at the center, vine-strapped and quivering with corruption.
"Who—?" Ivy’s voice trembled; her eyes were wide with desperation. "How are you here?"
"I’m Grace," she murmured, holding herself steady in the shifting space between realities. "I’m trying to help."
A shudder moved through Ivy’s wings, sending ripples of darkness down their length.
"No, step back!" Ivy gasped. "You don’t understand."
"What do you an?" From this close, Grace could see the sickly glow that suffused everything around them, like an infection rooting itself into wood.
"It’s sentient," Ivy breathed in terror. "It’s ancient—older than... than anything." Her voice choked with desperation as the vines tightened their hold. "It knows you."
Pain flickered through Grace at the words—a presence vast and cold brushing against her consciousness. Shaking her head, she looked back up at Ivy.
"You have to resist," Grace urged, feeling the barrier between them waver dangerously.
Ivy shook her head.
"It wants you! My corruption is its bait!" The Earth-Tender’s voice fractured with urgency as she cried out. The haunting webs of energy pulsed again.
With a forceful wrench, Grace tore herself back to awareness, stumbling into Diana’s grasp outside the field.
"Grace!" Diana caught her before she could fall, sudden worry etched across her face.
"It wants... ," Grace panted, shaking from the encounter. She steadied herself slowly. "That thing—inside—it recognizes sohow."
Mara and Willow exchanged a knowing glance while Zephyr crossed her arms with newfound interest.
"Then we really are dealing with sothing old," Mara said softly, stroking her chin in thought. "Sothing that’s connecting you to Eternia, perhaps?"
Willow’s voice was grave.
"If it’s that ancient, it could be beyond even our knowledge."
Grace thought about it for a mont.
"They’re right," she said quietly but firmly. "We need soone who can tell us what we’re up against."
Willow nodded.
"We might know soone who can help."
"Who?" Grace asked.
"We may not have heard about this directly," Willow said, "but a little while ago, we learned of an angel with knowledge of ancient threats—a scholar exiled to the mortal realm."
"An exile?" Petriel’s eyes widened.
Grace frowned, unsure where this was headed.
"She was banished for having been communicating secretly with The Veil." Willow’s voice lowered as she continued. "They say she’s still sowhere in Linaria."
Everyone absorbed the news in silence. An uneasiness settled over them like mist. Grace looked around at the others’ faces, then fixed her eyes on Diana.
"What do you think?"
"Sounds risky," Diana said, serious. "But it might be our best shot."
Mara rested a soothing hand on Grace’s shoulder.
"I agree. If anything can give us a better overview of what we’re facing, it may be worth it to investigate."
Grace nodded.
"I’ll go."
"You won’t be alone," said Petriel quickly, almost tripping over her words. Her cheeks flushed with urgency and sothing else. "I’ll co too!"
Pretty much everyone was surprised to hear that.
"You’ll need an Earth-Tender to guide you." Willow spoke with calm determination. "I will accompany you both."
Diana sighed.
"I guess I should-"
"Unfortunately," Mara interrupted her, "we could use you here."
"What?"
"Demons," Mara explained simply. "Grace’s cold sensation. If we’re attacked while she’s gone, you’re pretty much the only way we stand a chance at surviving."
"..." Diana thought about it. "You’re right. I’ll stay."
Just like that, it was decided. Grace, Petriel, and Willow would head out, while everyone else remained here.
Grace felt the gravity of Ivy’s capture pulling at her resolve, and against her better judgnt, excitent rushed into the space between.
[We can save her. I swear we can.]
---
Dawn broke over Rosewood village with streaks of pink and gold. Grace stuffed the last of her supplies into a small leather pack—herbs from Petriel, a water flask, and a map Willow had sketched showing their planned route.
"You sure you have everything?" Diana leaned against the doorfra, arms crossed.
"I think so." Grace tugged at the straps, securing the pack to her belt.
"Weapon?"
Grace tapped the hilt of her rapier.
"Got it."
"Brain?" Diana smirked.
"Ha ha." Grace rolled her eyes. "I’ll be fine."
"Better be." Diana sighed. "Sure hope our demon killing machine doesn’t get itself stabbed or sothing out there."
"Sure, sure." Grace slung the pack over her shoulder. "I’ll be fine."
Outside, the others had gathered to see them off. Alia bounced over to Grace, tackling her with a hug that nearly knocked her down.
"Bring back sothing pretty!" she chirped, squeezing tight.
"It’s not a shopping trip," Zephyr said, gently prying Alia off Grace. "They’re looking for an exiled angel who might know about ancient corruption."
"So? Exiles can have pretty things." Alia pouted.
Mara approached next, her expression maternal with concern.
"Rember what we discussed about your dallion. If it heats up again—"
"Pull back imdiately," Grace finished. "Don’t let it pull anywhere. I know."
"And if you feel that cold presence—" Diana started.
"Run, don’t fight." Grace nodded. "I got it."
Willow joined them, dressed in traveling robes that seed to shift colors like leaves in changing seasons.
"The winds are favorable. We should depart now."
Petriel hurried over, clutching her healer’s kit.
"S-sorry! I was just replenishing so of my herbs."
"Ready?" Grace asked her.
Petriel nodded, though her wings trembled slightly with nervousness.
"As I’ll ever be."
The three of them moved to the village edge. Willow spread her erald wings, the morning light filtering through them like stained glass.
"Form a triangle," she instructed. "It will create better wind resistance for the journey."
Grace and Petriel positioned themselves as directed, unfurling their own wings. Grace’s glead golden-white in the sunrise, while Petriel’s shimred with silver highlights.
"Rember," Mara called, "the borderlands can be treacherous! Trust your instincts!"
"Don’t trust any strange angels!" Diana added.
"Kiss lora for !" Alia shouted, earning an elbow from Zephyr.
"Three, two, one..." Willow counted down.
They leapt skyward in unison, wings catching the air with powerful downstrokes. Grace’s stomach lurched at the initial surge of acceleration, but the sensation quickly gave way to exhilaration. The ground fell away below them, Rosewood shrinking to a cluster of toy houses surrounded by green.
"Keep in formation!" Willow called over the rushing wind. "Pace yourselves!"
Grace focused on matching Willow’s rhythm, finding the sweet spot of effort and glide. Beside her, Petriel wobbled slightly before finding her balance.
"You okay?" Grace called to her.
"F-fine! Just been a while since I’ve flown long distance!"
The three angels rose higher, breaking through a layer of low clouds into brilliant sunshine. Grace glanced back once at the receding village and the tiny figures waving below. Then she faced forward, toward the distant horizon where answers—and hopefully, salvation for Ivy—awaited.
"East to the borderlands," Willow announced. "Stay alert and follow my lead."
With the wind in her wings and purpose in her heart, Grace soared onward into the unknown.
Reviews
All reviews (0)