Bat Out of Hell (Promised to the Demons #2) - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,71

"Can we just travel to the Fixed Plane and go to St. Augustine?"

"St. Augustine!?”

"Familiars, of course, are capable of traveling between worlds, but this is such a strange corner of the magical realms,” Piers said. “It doesn't feel like any place I've been. Actually, it feels more like the Fixed Plane, but a very haunted bit of it. One of those spots you don't mess with.”

“Something got here from St. Augustine,” Bevan said, holding up the jewelry.

"I--I might be able to draw us to St. Augustine," I said. "Because Bernard is there. I could follow his call. And I think I could bring the rest of you. But then I'll have to face him."

"So face him," Variel said. "You can do it, and maybe you even should tell him just what you think of him and how he treated you, the way you told me. You'll never be free until you do."

"It's true," Bevan said. "Even if we found the cloak, you might still need to reckon with Bernard. There's nothing to be afraid of. You have me, and..."

"Us," Piers said. "You have all of us."

I nodded. "Bevan...while you were gone...Bernard tried to summon me back, and Variel and Piers held me here. We didn’t move too fast…but they did…distract me.”

"You did have my blessing,” Bevan said. “They weren't better than me, were they?"

"No!"

"But Bevan isn't better than me either, is he?" Variel demanded.

"You are all perfect."

They both gave Piers a skeptical look that he tried to ignore. "Bevan, what exactly happened in the temple?" he said. "How do you know for sure that someone took the first cloak of a familiar?"

"I heard voices. Ghosts," Bevan said. "They said that it was stolen, just as I found the jewelry."

"So it's still a bit of assumption..."

"I would not be one bit surprised," Variel said. "When Jameson was looking into the origins of familiars in the library of Etherium, he ran into familiars from St. Augustine who were doing the same."

"Ah...is that so?" Piers said. "We'll get a very harsh reception there in St. Augustine if Celeste can get us there…”

"Yes..." My fists clenched.

I wanted all of us to be strong. I knew Variel would need several days to recover.

When I shut my eyes, I could still hear Bernard's voice deep inside me, that lonely call. I knew now that what bound me to Bernard was this ancient betrayal. It had never been love. I never wanted to see him again.

But they were all counting on me now, to use that bond to save their lives, to get us off this island.

Chapter Thirty-One

To Her Majesty Queen Morgana,

I'm sorry to report this. We successfully reached what appeared to be the island with the temple of the familiars. As planned, Bevan flew to the temple alone to investigate. After a full day, he hadn't returned, and Variel, Piers and Jenny decided to attempt a flight on Variel's wings to help him. They departed on December the 19th, and we watched the island night and day.

Unfortunately, we never saw any signal or sign of life on the island. Finn, Lorian and I did seriously consider trying to go there ourselves in the rowboat, but in the end, we're just merchants, and I can't think of a single scenario where we would be able to help if four individuals who collectively overpower us in every sort of strength encountered a mortal danger.

We waited there until our crew was near mutiny and our food stores ran low—three full weeks.

I still despair over it. I had to protect the crew. I'm afraid that those four brave souls might be lost, and the mysteries of the familiars with them. The island really is a foreboding and downright terrifying place, where even a sea dragon took a look and said, if you’ll forgive my colloquial language: Hell no.

Of course, I leave any rescue attempts to your own judgment, but...I'm more of a realist than a dreamer, I guess. Daisy can tell you.

Certainly not what anyone wanted to hear, in the end. I'm very sorry, and my condolences to any friends and family, from all of us on the ship.

Sincerely,

Cash

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ten Years Later

“That’s the island.”

Jameson and Gillian looked out at the gray sea, and the lonely dark blotch against the thick clouds, after Finn told them they had finally reached the spot.

Having prospered in the theater for these past ten years, now heading his own Shakespearean touring company that delighted the fae all across the realm and receiving acclaim, gold and