Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Justice would be furious with me, but I could get back to him by following the stream. It was like a long breadcrumb leading back to the glade where he'd left me.

I picked my way along the stream's edge, the gentle gurgle of water over stones a constant companion to my cautious steps. The cool, damp air rising from the brook carried the crisp scent of mineral-rich water.

As I progressed, the dense forest thinned out. The protective canopy of leaves and strange, wing-like structures overhead gradually gave way to patches of open sky. This shift in scenery stirred a growing unease in the pit of my stomach. The diminishing cover left me feeling exposed, vulnerable not only to the demons we'd encountered but also to Maci's watchful gaze.

My eyes darted constantly, scanning the terrain around me. Every shadow looked like a potential hiding spot for a demon. The open patches of sky above seemed to taunt me as if daring a dragon to appear at any moment. The mirror felt heavy in my grip, my lifeline in this dangerous world.

I strained my ears, listening for any sound out of place. The soft whisper of wind through the thinning leaves. The occasional snap of a twig beneath my own feet. But I heard nothing of dragons' wings or demons' footsteps. Only the persistent, almost mocking burble of the stream beside me.

Oppressive silence pressed in on me from all sides. It felt unnatural, as if the forest itself were holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Every muscle in my body tensed.

As I continued forward, the ground changed. The soft, loamy soil of the deeper forest gave way to rockier terrain. Small pebbles shifted under my steps, each tiny sound echoing in the unnatural quiet. I winced at every noise, certain it would give away my position to whatever might be lurking nearby.

The thinning trees revealed more of the sky with each step. Its color was unlike anything I'd seen before, a deep, swirling purple streaked with veins of silver and gold. It was beautiful in an alien way, but it also served as a constant reminder of how far from home I truly was.

Despite the open terrain, the air felt thick, almost syrupy. Each breath required more effort than it should, as if the atmosphere was trying to slow me down. The taste of something metallic lingered on my tongue, a flavor I couldn't quite place but set my nerves on edge.

As I pressed on, following the stream's winding path, a nagging thought surfaced in my mind. Was I walking into a trap? The exposed terrain, the silence, it all felt too convenient. Too easy. But the alternative of turning back and abandoning my search for Garrick and Maggie was unthinkable.

So I continued, every sense on high alert. The Mirror of Aethereal was a comforting presence in my hand, its surface occasionally catching the strange light and glowing from within. Whatever lay ahead, I was as prepared as I could be. The stream bubbled on, leading me deeper into the unknown heart of the Unseelie realm.

My pace slowed to a cautious crawl, each step deliberate and measured. I scanned the shadows on either side of the thinning tree line, searching for any hint of movement, any sign of a threat. The absence of those eerie red eyes was both a relief and a new source of tension. Their absence didn't mean safety. It could simply mean a more cunning predator was at work.

Maci's face flashed in my mind, her cruel smile and calculating eyes. She could be anywhere, blending into the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The thought sent a surge of adrenaline through my system, sharpening my senses further.

The gentle sound of the stream suddenly changed, growing louder and deeper. As I rounded a bend, I saw why. The brook widened and deepened into a still, mirror-like pool. Sunlight, so rare and precious in this realm, streamed in visible rays, illuminating the water's edge.

There, bathed in the golden light, stood two figures. At first glance, they appeared as exquisitely crafted statues, their details so fine they seemed almost alive. Yet, as I blinked, trying to clear my vision, a gasp tore from my throat. Those weren't statues.

"My God," I whispered.

It was Garrick and Maggie.

Garrick stood slightly in front of Maggie, his posture protective even in this frozen state. His arms stretched out as if to shield her from some unseen threat. Every muscle in his body was taut, his expression filled with determination and fury.

Behind him, Maggie was caught mid-transformation. Her face contorted in a snarl, lips pulled back to reveal teeth that were a little too sharp to be human. Her hands, half-formed into claws, were raised and ready to strike. The energy of her interrupted shift was dangerous, even in this unnatural stillness.

Sloth demons.

This was their handiwork, their cruel magic frozen in time.

I spun, suddenly aware of how exposed I was. The clearing around the pool offered no cover, no place to hide. My ears strained for any sound beyond the gentle lapping of water as the stream fed into the pond. But there was nothing. No rustle of leaves, no snapping of twigs, not even the call of a bird. The silence was absolute and somehow more terrifying than any noise.

The sunlight that had seemed so welcoming moments ago now felt like a spotlight, marking me for watching eyes. My grip on the mirror tightened, my palms slick with sweat.

As I turned back to my petrified friends, questions raced through my mind. How long had they been like this? Was there a way to reverse it? And most pressingly, where were the demons responsible?

The stillness of the scene was a stark contrast to the chaos of my thoughts. Garrick and Maggie were frozen in a moment of desperate battle while I stood free but utterly alone.

My gaze dropped to the mirror in my trembling hands, hope and desperation warring within me. This artifact, a simple piece of glass and metal, had proven to be our most powerful ally in this nightmarish realm. My heart raced as a wild thought took hold. Could it undo the sloth demons' cruel magic?

With renewed purpose, I surged forward. Garrick and Maggie were so close, their frozen forms a silent cry for help. My friends, my family. I couldn't bear to leave them like this.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling snarl ripped through the air, stopping me dead in my tracks. My blood ran cold as a dark shadow passed overhead, blotting out the sun's warmth. Maci. The air seemed to tremble as she descended, her wings casting great swaths of darkness across the clearing.

Terror clawed at my insides as I watched her chest glow an ominous red, the promise of destruction building within her. The heat radiating from her was palpable.

In that moment of paralyzing fear, something deep within me snapped. A surge of protective fury overwhelmed my terror. Without conscious thought, I thrust the mirror forward, positioning it before Garrick and Maggie like a shield.

Time seemed to slow. I watched, breath held, as life flickered in their eyes. They blinked, confusion and surprise breaking through their stony expressions. A sob of relief caught in my throat. It was working!

Maci's shriek of rage shattered the moment. The sound was primal, full of thwarted vengeance. As if in slow motion, I saw the stream of fire burst from her mouth, a ribbon of death hurtling toward us.

Now fully animated, Garrick moved with supernatural speed. His arm wrapped around my waist while the other snagged Maggie. The world tilted as he leaped, carrying us toward the pond.

We hit the water with a deafening splash. The cold shock of it drove the air from my lungs. But as I submerged, I felt the water heating, bubbling, and churning as Maci's fire turned the serene pond into a scalding cauldron.

Underwater, held tight in Garrick's grasp, a maelstrom of emotions washed over me. Relief at freeing my friends warred with the terror of our current situation. Gratitude for Garrick's quick thinking mingled with a gnawing fear of what awaited when we surfaced.

My lungs burned, screaming for air as the seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness. My heart pounded, each beat a desperate plea for oxygen. The last precious bubbles of air slipped from my lips, rising in a silvery trail toward the surface that seemed impossibly far away.

Raw, primal panic surged through me like an electric current. It clouded my thoughts, turning rational decision-making into pure animal instinct. My arms and legs thrashed, clawing at the water around me. Each movement felt sluggish, as if the liquid was fighting against my desperate bid for survival.

The cruel irony of the situation wasn't lost on me, even in my oxygen-deprived state. I faced an impossible choice. Stay submerged and drown, or surface and face Maci's fiery wrath. Death by water or death by fire. Was this to be my fate after everything we'd endured?

The previously cold water pressed against my skin with increasing heat, growing warmer by the second, a stark reminder of the inferno above. The contrast between the suffocating depth and the scorching surface paralyzed me.

Spots danced at the edges of my vision, a warning that my time was running out. The instinct for self-preservation overrode all else. My body made the choice that my mind couldn't. I had to breathe, consequences be damned.

With the last reserves of my strength, I kicked upward, driven by the primal need for air. As I clawed through the water, a thought cut through the panic. Where were Garrick and Maggie? Had they already surfaced? Or were they, like me, caught in this watery limbo between two deadly fates?

As I rose through the water, lungs burning and mind reeling, I held the mirror ready to use on any demons waiting to lunge at me.

I burst through the surface, and someone grabbed me and yanked me from the pond. I spat out water, kicking and flailing my arms.