Heart of Vengeance (Alice Worth #6) - Lisa Edmonds Page 0,148

he was moving.

A blast of sea-scented cold air washed over us. In it, I caught the distinct odor of something burning and familiar ancient magic.

“Oh, no,” I breathed. “No, no, no.”

Tis raised her head. Dark streaks spread across her face and wings—traces of the curse she’d contained. She shook herself briskly. Silver-blue magic burst from her skin and wings and pulsed through her body. The streaks began to fade.

My chest tight, I headed for the circle. Tis lifted her wings. Her eyes glowed with power.

The leather wrapping was gone, reduced to fine ash. On top of that ash lay a charred wooden spindle and bits of half-burned papyrus.

“I contained the final curse on the wrappings,” Tis said as I stared at all that remained of Valas’s treasured portion of the Writings of the House of Darkness—the key to getting us home.

“I also attempted to preserve this bit of foul magic, but it was already destroyed,” Tis added. “It is likely your enemy spelled the scroll to self-immolate on the event of her death.” She rose smoothly. Her wings folded behind her back and vanished.

Lucy and Daisy joined me at the edge of the circle. Daisy whined.

Ronan got to his feet, his eyes dark gray. “Alice.” His tone held sympathy, and I wanted to punch him for it.

I picked up one of the cloth bags Mariela had used for food. I emptied it and gingerly put the charred bits of wood and papyrus into the bag, along with the obsidian stone I’d had in my pocket since the mirror dumped us in the ruins of Northbourne.

I got to my feet. “Tis, I need my backpack from your tavern, please.”

She reached to her right, the air rippling and folding around her arm. When her hand reappeared, she held my backpack. She placed it at my feet without a word.

I tied the bag containing what remained of the scroll and put it into my pack. “Thank you for trying to save the scroll, and for protecting Ronan, despite your orders. I’m not sure about your sisters, but you’re actually kind of cool.”

To my surprise, a hint of a smile turned up the corner of Tis’s mouth. “High praise indeed.”

“What’s the plan now?” Lucy asked.

“Same plan as before.” I put my backpack on my shoulders. “Get back topside, get Malcolm, go back to where we landed in your world, and go home. Did you request a pickup for us?” I asked Ronan.

Before he could answer, Tis spoke. “I can send you directly to the doorway back to the human world, if you would prefer a faster mode of transportation.”

“I appreciate the offer, but your way is kind of rough on humans,” I told her. “Besides, I kinda liked the train.”

“Charon should arrive shortly,” Ronan said. He bowed to Tis. “My thanks, sister. Please tell Aira she’s welcome to try to collect that bounty the next time I’m here.”

Tis’s eyes sparkled. “If you are lucky, she will have lost interest by then. Safe travels to you all.” She vanished.

Ronan touched my arm. “I’m sorry about the scroll.”

“I’m still going home,” I told him, my eyes tracking a fast-moving black shape heading directly for us across the plain. “And Malcolm, Daisy, and Esme are coming with me. I’ll find a way to get through that mirror-door. I don’t give up that easily.” My stomach cramped hard from hunger. I nearly doubled over.

His fingertips brushed my abdomen where the hard knot had formed. His eyes darkened. “This is death magic.”

“I know.” I took Esme from Lucy. The little cat-dragon didn’t stir. “But there’s still time.”

He didn’t ask me time for what.

We watched the train approach, slow, and stop in front of us. The door slid open. Lucy and I boarded first with Daisy and Esme. Ronan climbed aboard and sat down across from us. The door slid closed.

As the train crossed the plain toward the distant mountains, I ate the last two protein bars in my backpack, drank the remainder of my bottled water, and lay down on the seat with Esme curled up against my stomach, still sound asleep. Daisy sprawled out in front of me and put her chin on the seat. I rested my hand on her head.

Lucy took out her blade and started cleaning it. “You know, I expected your sword to be quite a bit bigger than it was,” she told Ronan.

I fell asleep with the sound of his chuckle in my ears.

29

One by one, the doorway dumped us out topside into