didn’t eat you up,” Eva said to him. “How was she able to take you over like that?”
“The same way Kabbah could,” Riza replied, reminding us of our encounter with Nevertide’s Earth Hermessi, who was as old as Brendel herself. “He resonates with them on a level similar to that of the cultists, if not deeper, even.”
“That might make me a liability, going forward,” Fallon said, his brow furrowed.
Lumi walked up to him, placing her hands on his strong shoulders. “As long as you’re with us, we won’t let anything happen to you,” she said. Looking at us, she exhaled sharply. “The only reason we were able to escape the Hermessi down there was thanks to Amelia’s quick thinking in opening up another destination. We need to be better prepared next time. Their attacks are getting more vicious and brazen, now that they know what we’re after.”
“What was that light spell you gals pulled to distract the Hermessi?” Herakles asked.
“The Word helped us,” Acantha replied. “It spoke to all three of us at once. It whispered the chant, and we merely repeated it.”
I sighed deeply, feeling Eva’s heart beating close to mine. “I wonder why the Word can’t stop the Hermessi, given that it’s a cosmic power, much like Death.”
“They probably have different abilities and limitations,” Lumi suggested. “Either way, it doesn’t really matter right now. We should focus on what we can do, and that is finding Thieron.”
“We should get out of here, though,” Raphael replied. He glanced at me. “Think your parents might put us up for a couple of hours while we regroup? Persea is obviously compromised, and surely the Hermessi must’ve figured out where the second opening would lead.”
“You’re right,” I said. “They’ll be down here soon, one way or another.”
“Can I just take everyone to Ash and Ruby, then?” Riza asked. “Taeral needs a break from all the teleporting, at least for a while.”
We agreed and linked hands. A moment later, we were in my parents’ throne room. My mother gasped, dropping the cup of blood she’d been sipping from. My father jumped to his feet, eyes wide. A smile stretched across his face. “Varga! You’re back!” he said and hurried toward me.
I didn’t even get to open my mouth before he caught me in a tight hug and held me close. “Good to see you, too, Dad,” I croaked. His embrace was tighter than expected.
“Honey, what are you all doing here?” Mom asked, eyeing us all carefully. Her concern didn’t stop her from coming over to hug me on top of Dad’s arms, though. I felt her soft kiss on my temple, and for a second, I thought I might as well kick back and spend a week or two here, with my parents—until reality dragged me back.
“We had some issues getting to Persea,” Taeral said.
Mom frowned. “I heard the updates about you and Death. At least you walked away with something, right?”
We were all inclined to agree. It was certainly a step forward—a shaky one, but forward, nonetheless.
“The Hermessi came after us,” I said and proceeded to tell her about our escape to Nevertide. Mom noticed the way Eva and I were practically inseparable. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she patiently listened to my account of the most recent events. “Amelia thought about Nevertide, and a pink water tunnel opened up. It brought us here.”
“You’re safe, and that’s all that matters,” Dad replied. “What do you need from us? How can we help?”
“We need to find another meeting spot with the GASP leadership.” I sighed.
“Maybe we should head back to The Shade. It’s infinitely safer than the Supernatural Dimension or the In-Between. At least, the Hermessi there are still friendly, if I remember Harper’s story right,” Raphael said.
Mom nodded. “It’s a good idea. My mom and dad are headed back there as we speak. Derek and Sofia are about to have a council meeting about the Hermessi’s influence and your mission progress.”
“We were going to meet with Rose and Caleb, Draven and Serena, and Field and Aida on Persea,” Amelia replied. “We might as well let them know that we’re jumping dimensions instead and going to The Shade.”
“Sounds like—” Mom was interrupted by a startling earthquake, followed by a series of thundering booms that rumbled through the palace.
We all froze, glancing at one another, as the ground shook beneath our feet. Glasses clinked on a table nearby. The ceiling lights clanged, swinging left and right. Cracks burst