it,” Myst said, watching Brandon as he carried Astra off to the treehouse residences. Hammer was right behind them, quiet and ever watchful. It was hard to look away from the creature, a savage but majestic dire wolf that carried a certain timeless wisdom in its Berserker-like gaze. He may be a beast, but something tells me there’s more on his mind than normal beastly things.
“Yes, she did,” I replied, still astonished.
The Aesir were like extensions of a Berserker or a Valkyrie’s spirit. Destroying one reduced their masters to mere wisps of deadly, festering darkness—most of whom were attracted to Haldor for some reason. I’d learned that some of Myst, Regine, and Brandon’s friends had become Haldor’s companions, his to play with for an eternity. Such a fate terrified me, but nothing filled me with more dread than the prospect of being stuck in this place forever while Hrista carried on with her agenda on our island.
“She will be able to hold one open longer the more she practices,” Myst muttered after a long and pleasantly peaceful silence—the kind that came after a good meal or during a crimson sunset. Astra’s accomplishment deserved this quiet reverence. “I have faith that we will leave this nightmarish land soon.”
“Which means Hrista was absolutely right to fear her,” I replied. We walked through the woods for a while, tiny figures among the giant redwoods, the fake sky covered by a sea of rustling leaves. There were animals here—animals I’d only caught glimpses of before. Strangely shaped deer and black rabbits with big, violet eyes were just two of the oddities of this alternative island. Nature had found its own way out here. It followed most of the original’s pattern, but there were deviations as well. It wasn’t hard to spot the difference once you spent a little more time walking around and observing the surroundings. “Astra is dangerous to her and her plans. With her abilities, Astra may be able to get us home.”
“Not just that,” Myst said, staring ahead at the narrowing path. Wild violets and lilies grew on both sides, their stems stretching outward and casually bending under the weight of their fragranced blossoms. “Hrista controls the Berserkers’ access to Purgatory. I believe that’s done with the round crystal that Brandon mentioned, though I never saw it myself. I didn’t even know Hrista was here until we reached the villa... No one back home knows of what she has been doing, and if Astra can open shimmering portals, it means she can likely control the destination, as well.”
“Oh, so the portals don’t only connect the real island to the fake one.”
She shook her head. “No. I came through a shimmering portal from Purgatory, but I was wrestling a Berserker with ‘access’ at the time, much like Regine. I wouldn’t have been able to come through on my own. Astra could very well alert the forces of Order of what has happened if she can open a portal there. We should absolutely consider that once Astra gets her ability under control, and once the Shadians are safely back in the Earthly realm. We know too little about this place to let over five thousand people stay here for much longer.”
“Have you dealt with these passageways before?”
Myst laughed lightly, and it was meant to mock the question but all it did was make me smile, my heart fluttering in my chest. “Valkyries and Berserkers belong in Purgatory. We don’t just walk off through a shimmering portal like it’s everyday business. That’s Hrista’s thing, and it’s an unacceptable anomaly.”
“Okay. That’s a no, then,” I replied, holding back a chuckle.
“No.” Her laughter died as she looked at me. “Every realm functions on some basic principles. I simply observed this phenomenon of passing from one dimension to another and formed an opinion based on patterns. So far, Astra has proven me right on most of my theories, hence my confidence in her ability to do more.”
We walked in silence for a while, gathering our thoughts and trying to move away from what we’d just witnessed with Astra. I’d noticed the closeness between her and Brandon. For her sake, I hoped it would lead somewhere good, though I did worry. Like Myst had just said, creatures of Purgatory belonged in Purgatory. If we prevailed against this new nemesis, things would eventually be pushed back into a state of normalcy. That meant the Berserkers and the Valkyries would return to their homes. Where would that leave Astra?
It didn’t