hand on Kyle's arm. "No…I think you're right about staying. And the fewer that go in, the easier it's going to be to do what we have to do and get out."
"You got a plan?"
I gave him a withering look. "What do you think?"
"Good Goddess, have mercy." He followed Bastien and I to the barn where a space had been cleared. Crwys's Mustang sat silently on the other side and I thought of Levi. "Sweet Lord and Lady. I need to call Levi and tell him."
"No," Kyle said. "The less he knows the better. He's dealing with Prescott right now."
"Oh…so," I looked around. "Where's Grey?"
Mom?
I'm not going, baby.
What? Why not? You've been there before. I could use your help.
She didn't answer me for a few minutes but when she did, her tone was sad and I thought I caught a hint of fear. I spent eighteen years of my life in the service of Medbh, baby. Thinking of you. Missing you. Cursing Dionysus and everything he did to me. Now that I'm here and I'm free of Alfheim…I just can't.
I felt a little betrayed, but I could understand. I didn't want to go back either. That one experience of being a fountain statue was enough to put the fear of Faerie in me. But I was stronger now, and I wasn't going to let anything stop me from bringing Crwys home. I love you, Mom.
I love you. Come home safe.
"Sam?"
"Grey's staying here. Watch her, Kyle." I checked the backpack on my back, grabbed a few water bottles from a case on the nearby shelf, took the staff from Bastien and held his hand. "Here goes nothing." I raised the staff and slammed it into the dirt the same way I'd done in the woods with Ben.
Everything happened the same, even down to the sparkling ring of purple lights, just visible in the dim light of the open barn. I looked at Bastien. "Ready?"
"Oui."
I thought of Hob's garden and the world twisted once again.
TWENTY
A few tense muscles relaxed when Bastien and I landed in exactly the same place. In fact, I was pretty our feet were in exactly the same place mine and Ben's had landed.
I turned to look again at the iron gate and the grotto just inside. I didn't see any movement past those bars as a warm breeze moved the purple and green leaves of the gnarled trees framing the entrance. Dandelion seeds floated in the air, spinning but never quite landing on the ground. The grass reached to my thighs, and I stepped aside but kept my hand on the staff. I was a bit too close to Bastien.
But when I tried to pull Bastien's hand from mine, he held it tight. "Let go."
"Not till I know what that small is."
I sniffed. The only thing I smelled was Arcane, which to me, smelled like rotting, raw chicken. "Maybe it's the Arcane? The place is made of it." I looked at the ground again to see if I could find any of the sparkling black dust I'd been warned about. I didn't see anything through the thick grass.
He finally let go of my hand and I jerked the staff out of the ground. I felt the vibration again and the circling purple sparkles disappeared. Somehow I knew I'd shut down the staff.
Holding the staff, I realized carrying it around was going to prove cumbersome. I wasn't a staff user. Didn't much care for them, though I'd seen a few Ceremonial Magicians who thought they were cool. "This is going to get in the way and I'm not about to leave it somewhere."
"Oui. Can you change it?"
"Change it?" I looked past the staff to his face. Bastien looked worried, evident by the deep crease between his brows. "What's wrong?"
"Je sais pas," he said as he straightened and sniffed the air. "I sense something…familiar."
Uh oh. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But I needed to somehow make the staff easier to carry. Holding it in front of me, I could feel the Arcane moving inside of it and I could hear its song.
-You must consider the request deeply.-
"Request?" I stared at the staff.
"Ce qui?"
I put my finger to my lips to indicate quiet and decided to keep the discussion in my head.
Request?
-The staff's matter can be changed only once. Choose a tool you can use as a staff can be used.-
That sounded a lot like a riddle and I didn't have time for