plan is for Colchester, and why you turned Ulric and Daciana but not Alaric.”
She laughs, though it’s not sincere. “I shall tell ye naught. Ye are a fool.”
“Maybe, but I’m not the one who’s about to die.”
Losing her mischievousness, she leans forward and says, “Ye are all going to die.”
“So, that’s your ultimate plan? Kill everyone?”
Her malicious smile returns.
I frown. “I don’t understand why you want to hurt people, why killing innocent men in the forest means so little to you.”
She ignores my observations and says, “If ye truly wish to set me free, there is only one way.”
The men outside laugh at something, and I’m reminded I don’t have long to figure this out. Talking to Lavenia might be a last resort, even if it’s pointless. But maybe if I participate in whatever game she’s playing, Ben and I can be five steps ahead of the witches. Eventually, we might be able to end their power over Colchester.
“What is it? What do I have to do?”
The Captain makes his presence known by clearing his throat. “Visitation is over.”
My eyes frantically leave his face and return to Lavenia’s, searching for an answer, a clue.
She whispers so only I can hear, “Find the blue crystal and bring it to me.”
“Are ye deaf?” the Captain shouts. “I said—”
“I heard you,” I retort. “Goodbye, Lavenia.” After a quick wink at her, I fake sniffling, even go so far as to cover my face with one hand and slowly walk away.
The Captain guarantees Ben and I are outside before he informs us of the time of Lavenia’s execution tomorrow. He doesn’t seem like he’s boasting about her death, but he doesn’t seem discouraged by it, either. He returns to the jailhouse, closing the door behind him.
Immediately, Ben asks, “Did she tell you anything useful?”
“Yep. We have to go back to the forest, to the source of that light below the statue. She told me to find a blue crystal, and that’s the only piece of information that makes sense right now. That has to be it.”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
It’s almost midday before Ben and I stumble upon the hidden paradise in the woods. Our stomachs growl, and we’re both tired from walking for two hours. Now, we have to solve the mystery of the flying poisonous arrows. We can’t have another mishap—not when we’re so close to unlocking the witches’ secrets and ultimate plan. If this blue crystal is what unravels them and assures we’re one step closer to returning home, then it’s well worth the risk.
“Okay, all I know is that one of the cobblestones pops up, if you press it,” I tell Ben. Carefully watching my steps, I make my way over to the spot where he collapsed previously.
“Before you do anything stupid and get us both killed, how about we find something useful to stop the arrows?”
Leave it to Ben to be both sarcastic and thoughtful at the same time . . .
The only items we have close by are twigs and dead leaves, and those obviously won’t help. We probably need a metal shield to stop the lethal darts. Let’s not forget the fact that we’re running out of time, as crazy as that sounds. We don’t know what the consequences of taking the blue crystal will be, what powers it may hold, or why Lavenia needs it. None of this is good.
“Ah, screw it,” says Ben. His eyes glow yellow as he extends his claws, slashing at a piece of bark. Except, he underestimates his power and claws straight through the tree trunk, causing it to topple over—directly onto the cobblestones. Ben sideswipes me in a blur, before the miniature arrows have a chance to harm us, and then shields me. The barely-audible plink-plink-plinks alert us that the arrows hit the tree trunk, where we were just standing.
“Well, that was close,” I say, panting.
Ben resumes his human form and glances over his shoulder. “The statue has moved, and that glow is definitely blue.”
Fatigued, I mumble, “I really hate this place.”
Ben eyes me curiously, then places a gentle kiss on my forehead. “We get it and get the hell out. Look at the bright side: hopefully, this is the last time we’ll ever see this location.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I mutely wish for no remaining traps. Opening them again, I notice Ben staring at me. “I’m okay.”
He reaches out to me with one hand, and I place mine in his. As we near the statue, the light