The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil #5) - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,18

mine, and I can tell when he accepts my determination. He smiles and murmurs, “Tomorrow then.”

“Perfect,” I exclaim.

The meeting starts to break up. Maddox, Titus, and Myles head off to the mancave to play video games while Rainey hangs in the kitchen with Zaid, who cracked open a bottle of red wine. They pour glasses for Carrick and me, but I hop off my stool to walk Boral to the elevators. He’s the only one not staying here, nor was he invited to.

“Thank you for taking me to the Underworld,” I say as we walk that way.

Boral shrugs. “You know my motives aren’t all that noble, right?”

I laugh, playfully bumping my shoulder against his. “You’ve always been clear that you are doing this to get back in Zaid’s good graces. I still thank you anyway.”

“Well,” he says, shooing me a side-eyed smirk. “I have come to like you of late.”

“It’s mutual,” I assure him. “Just as long as you don’t do any evil stuff around me.”

Boral chuckles, and the elevator doors whoosh open.

“See you tomorrow,” I say as he steps in.

I start to turn away, but he calls my name. “Finley.”

Boral has his hand on the door, holding it open. “Do you want to know why I like you?”

I blink at Boral in surprise, but my curiosity only allows me to agree that I would like that very much indeed. I take a few steps back toward him.

“Throughout all of this,” he says in a low tone. “You’ve never shown a fear of dying. Just a dedicated purpose to your mission. It’s impressive not just for a human, but also for one as young as you.”

I can’t help but chuckle as I lean in a little closer. “I’m going to let you in on a secret that’s not a secret. But everyone knows except you.”

“What’s that?”

“Even if I die tomorrow, at the ritual, or the day after, I’ll come back.”

“Come again?” Boral asks with a frown.

I explain Rune’s curse and my history with Carrick.

“Ah,” Boral says with an understanding nod. “Now I get the deep connection you two seem to have.”

“And why I can’t fear death,” I tell him solemnly. “I will always come back to Carrick.”

Boral absorbs that before stepping back and removing his hand from the door. As they start to close, he says, “That makes you a very lucky woman.”

I smile to myself because I’m lucky indeed. Over time, as I’ve come to understand and accept the curse Carrick and I are under, it has helped me to know I’ve died countless times, and I’ve always been resilient in coming back. That my happiness isn’t over when the body belonging to Finley Porter takes its last breath.

It’s why I can afford to march into the Underworld for my sister tomorrow and not have a single fear holding me back.

CHAPTER 6

Finley

It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for since I found out my sister was trapped in the Underworld over a month and a half ago. While many important things had to be dealt with and other more prioritized leads followed, it is now finally time to get Zora out of there.

It’s the first time since my journey started into this strange new world I’ve fallen into that I feel a level of deep confidence in my choices and actions. I can’t explain it other than it’s an identical twin thing, but I know she’s supposed to be with me. We have not only blood and DNA connecting us, but we also have something magical and mystical reinforcing those bonds.

No clue how it will play out, but I feel in my heart that Zora is going to be important in the final battle, if nothing more than to be a source of sisterly strength to me when my time for sacrifice comes.

We’re assembled down in the library, going over the logistics one more time. Boral had managed to draw a fairly decent map of Micah’s realm, showing how the Crimson River, following its weird reverse flow, leads to the Underworld. He has points of interest marked that we are to stay away from—like The Pit and Kymaris’ castle—including a crude rendering of how Otaxis is laid out, although, admittedly, it might have changed over the few thousand years since Boral has been gone.

Heading into Micah’s realm means we’re dressed for cold weather, but it’s done in layers. I remember the Underworld being distinctly warm, and we’re prepared to shed clothing once we get there.

Past that, we’re packing light—essentially weapons,