They move but we also don’t ever have specific pinpointed locations. Without that pinpoint, it is literally impossible.”
“What are you saying,” Saffie said between clenched teeth. “You made it sound like we could get them back.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Ah, because we can…because they took Bentley.”
“WHAT?” Everyone shouted.
“Every Card has its tricks. Hierophant has some too.” She took a deep breath. “Because of the Hierophant’s direct connection with the Goddess and the locket, it allows us to create a…wormhole so to speak. It’s only for Hierophants.”
“Well that’s lucky.”
“Or is it?” Tegan frowned. “Princess Sage doesn’t do coincidence or mistakes. She took Bentley for a reason and this has to be it.”
Cooper arched one eyebrow. “Are you saying she didn’t betray all of us, including Riah?”
“I’m saying for whatever reason…she wanted us to have that connection to Seelie through Bentley.”
Tenn frowned. “How does it help though?”
“Because if the ritual works and we can get Bentley back…we’ll be able to use Althea’s note to send someone into Seelie for the others.”
Saffie’s eyes widened. “Let’s do that.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Tegan rubbed her hands together. “Cassandra, I’m assuming you know how to do this?”
She grinned. “Absolutely. We just have to go to the spot where he was taken from.”
Tenn nodded and snapped his fingers. “Let’s do it now. Tegan, portal us there.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Saffie
When the light of Tegan’s portal faded, the sight of the beach took my breath away. Even though it shouldn’t have. I’d known this was our destination. Cassandra had explained that clear enough. This was where Bentley was taken, this was where the connection was the strongest.
Still…all I could do was stare at the spot Sage had grabbed Riah.
It made no sense.
Riah told us Prince Thorne and Princess Sage were on our side. Jackson had proved that this was the truth as Riah knew it. Was it possible that they’d been playing Riah this whole time? My gut told me no. My gut told me there was something more to this story, except until I had that something there was nothing I could do.
“Saffie?”
I jumped and spun around and then leapt back. “Cassandra, sorry.”
She smiled and it made her emerald green eyes sparkle, which was impressive for a mostly dead person. “Don’t be. You’re fine. But we’re ready now if you are?”
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” I shook myself, then gestured for her to lead the way.
As she stomped toward the spot, I noticed her feet actually sank in the sand. And then she tied her dark red hair up into a messy Tegan-style bun. What kind of dead people sink in the sand and put their hair up?
She stopped and glanced over her red freckled shoulder at me.
I cursed. “Did I say that out loud?”
“You did.” She grinned and turned to face me more. “I’m not dead in the same sense that you, or any mortal, is accustomed to. I look and sound alive, but I don’t need to eat, drink, or use the facilities, and I can be impaled by a woman holding a candle.”
I reached out and gripped her arm with the faded V Mark. “There’s more to your situation than you’re telling me.”
She sighed and nodded. “My situation can wait. Riah cannot. The girls cannot. Bentley cannot. Let’s at least get Bentley back and then we’ll see what we can do for me, okay?”
I wanted to argue. I wanted to say I’d feel better if I could fix one person, but I knew she was right. The only way I was going to get Riah back was if we got Bentley. Which meant I needed to get my shit together and do this ritual.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
She smiled and hooked her arm around mine. We walked in silence toward the water. In front of us the horizon was such a dark navy blue it was almost black. The stars still twinkled in the distance. But behind us the sun was rising and turning the sky a warm pretty pink.
“Did you know you were going to die? Did you know you were coming back?”
“Yes and yes,” she said softly. “But the reason I am this phantom is the same reason I was able to see visions of my own future.”
“Do you think Bentley knew?”
“No.” She shook her head and her messy red bun slid down the side of her head. “But given the drama of the moment, I would wager he saw things that alluded to this, even if it didn’t make sense at the time.”