“He’s lying,” Dash said. “You don’t have to take the deal, Clio.”
“Dash is right, he didn’t even see you arrive here, perhaps he can’t see your future at all,” Coop added.
I didn’t look back at either of the shifters though. Coop made a good point, but the truth was, I didn’t really feel like I had a choice. Crow had a Christmas star, and while I had no idea what he planned to do with it, I didn’t need a prophet to know that we needed to get it from him.
“You said we’re at a fork; do you know which path we’re on?” I asked the nameless one.
“It is not apparent until you take it,” he replied.
I let out a breath, unsure why I was stalling. It was clear that our only hope of stopping Crow was if the nameless one told us how to find him.
“How do we know we can trust you?” Dash asked. “Your powers can’t be all that effective if you didn’t foresee Clio coming with us.”
“I do not profess to be all-seeing,” the nameless one replied. “And I do not always see all the players. There are some exceptions. But, I promise you, I can see Crow’s fate clearly. The question is, what will you decide?”
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I knew Dash didn’t want me to take the deal, but the other shifters seemed anxious that I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to be beholden to the creature before us. But what choice did I really have?
“Fine, tell us the information we need, and you can have your favor,” I finally said.
“Clio!” Dash protested, but I ignored him.
“You will find Crow and his elves at an abandoned ice factory on the docks of Grimsby,” the nameless one purred through a menacing grin. “They will be there tomorrow night.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the others, giving them a reassuring smile. We had the information we needed. I could see that Vixen was pleased, but the rest of them were giving me worried looks. They might have wanted the information, but that didn’t mean they weren’t concerned about me too.
“Now, for my favor,” the nameless one said. Out of nowhere, a coin appeared in his hand. I had expected him to be wrinkled with age, but his skin looked no more weathered than mine. I was suddenly more curious about what exactly he looked like under his hood.
He reached his hand and the coin that lay flat on his palm out toward me, but it didn’t cross the threshold of his cell.
I took in a deep breath before turning to Dash. “Do you have a dagger?” I asked. Dash gave me a dark look in return but crouched down and retrieved the blade from his ankle.
“I’m not happy about this,” he said as he passed it to me.
“The deal is done,” I replied. “He’s given us the information we need.”
“Is it what we need though? How can you be sure?”
“I can’t,” I replied. “But what choice do we have?”
He let out a sigh. “I know.”
Taking Dash’s knife, I turned to the nameless one. I was nervous and tense; everything about this felt wrong. But I placed the dagger against the top of my finger, hissing in a breath as I pressed the blade into my skin and blood started to gush from it. I reached out my hand toward the nameless one, my skin tingling as it passed through the invisible barrier between us, and watched with revulsion as my blood dripped onto the favor coin.
Magic started swirling around the nameless one’s wrist, and the coin began to glow. I could almost feel the ties between the coin and myself solidifying, which I think was the most terrifying part. When the magic finally died down, I looked to the nameless one with fear.
“What is the favor you want?” I all but whispered.
“Nothing for now,” he replied. “Nothing for now.”
Chapter Sixteen
“What were you thinking in there?” Dash shouted at me.
My face felt drained of blood, and a headache had taken root in my temples. My legs were weak and my belly was still agitated with nerves after our encounter with the nameless one.
We walked back down the passage, away from the cells and away from the nameless one that now held a favor coin in his grasp.
“I was thinking that Crow is evil and that I didn’t want him to have the terrible power of a Christmas star at his disposal,” I replied. “And that if I didn’t make that trade, he would certainly kill again before we could stop him.”
“The nameless one told us we could still fail,” Dash argued.
“And that’s a fifty-fifty chance,” I replied. “But without this information, there’s no way we’d succeed. I think we all know that I had to agree to his terms. Yes, we don’t know what favor he will ask of me, but I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Can we just focus on what’s really important here?”
“She’s right,” Coop said. “Get angry with her all you want later. But now, we need to get to Grimsby.”
Everyone fell silent after that. I could still sense Dash’s anger as we walked away from the cavern and back down the tunnel, heading to the ridge where we had entered the mountain. I had to endure the whispered voices that came from the prisoners in the walls once more, but this time when I faced them, I was more prepared. Knowing they were going to be there was half the battle, but it was still unpleasant. I wished I wasn’t the only one who could see or hear them, but I was also glad that my friends didn’t have to experience it.
Melody was waiting for us at the prison entrance. She was sitting by the opening, her knees hugged up to her chest, staring off into the distance. The sky was the same dark tone it had been when we arrived despite the fact we’d been gone for hours.
She hurried to her feet when she saw us coming. “What happened?” she asked.
“Clio decided she wanted to play hero,” Blitz said with a grin.
Dash threw him a scowl. “Please don’t make light of this. Clio could be in grave danger.”
Blitz’s smile disappeared from his face and he nodded. “Sorry, Clio.”
I had no problem with his banter though; it was a hell of a lot better than having to put up with the anger and frustration Dash clearly felt at my decision.
“What did you do?” Melody asked me.
“I had to give the nameless one a favor in exchange for the information we wanted.”
Melody gasped. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know,” I replied. “But there’s nothing we can do to change it now. Come on, we better get back to the gateway.”
The trek back toward the golden archway was just as arduous as it had been on the way there. While inside the mountain, I’d forgotten how hot it was outside, and my throat was quick to remind me of how parched I was.
“None of us have our powers in here. How do you think the nameless one still had his?” I asked as we walked.
“The keeper had powers too,” Vixen replied.
“I’d say they’re either really powerful or there are some exceptions. They’ve clearly all been here long enough that they’d know their limits,” Coop suggested. “I’m guessing that their powers definitely don’t extend to escaping. Did you notice the nameless one never crossed the threshold of his cell?”
“Maybe he likes it in there?” Blitz said.
“Yes, Blitz, I’m sure that’s it,” Vixen said with a roll of her eyes.
“There was a barrier keeping him locked in,” I replied.
“I thought there might have been,” Coop said. “I couldn’t sense it though.”
The others looked at me curiously, and I could see the shifters were all wondering why I was the only one who could sense the barrier. I didn’t know the answer either, so I didn’t respond to their questioning stares.
The more I thought about the nameless one though, the more intrigued I became by him. Why had he been locked up in the first place? Why didn’t he have a name? But mostly, I worried about what favor he could want from me. Given the fact he was stuck in such a horrible place, I assumed that escape was pretty high on his list of priorities. I really hoped he wasn’t
going to try to get me to bust him out. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to help him even if he did. The sad fact was, no matter what he wanted, I didn’t have a choice but to comply.
I remained silent for the rest of the journey back to the gateway. I was too caught up in my own worries to join the conversation everyone else was having. Vixen and Blitz were currently guessing what the nameless one looked like under his cloak. As curious as I felt about the answer, it just didn’t seem important right now.
When we finally arrived at the golden archway that led back to the mine, I let out a sigh of relief. I was so glad to finally be rid of the place. Deep down though, I knew I’d have to return at some point.
I’d felt dehydrated and exhausted in Incarceror, but the moment I returned through the portal to the coal mine, I felt better. My body was flooded with a rush of energy that I suspected was caused mostly by the fact my powers were returning.
It was dark outside now, and a million stars spotted the night’s sky. We must have spent an entire day in the prison, which was surprising. I wondered if time worked differently in the prison world because it hadn’t felt nearly so long.
A cool breeze touched against my skin, and I took in a deep breath, enjoying the chill in the air. It was so refreshing after the stagnant heat we’d endured in the prison lands.
“Ah, you’ve all returned,” Jack said, appearing out of thin air in front of us. He was grinning as he looked us all over, and his eyes seemed to narrow immediately on the crusted blood at my fingertip. A slight frown furrowed his brow, but it was gone a second later as he beamed at the rest of the group.
“Well, I see you all still have your bracelets, and you’ve only been gone the afternoon. Did anyone drink the water?” he asked hopefully.
“There was no water, only mud,” Dash replied.
“And you told us not to,” Melody added with a frown.
“True,” he said. “I always have to tell visitors the rules, but a frost can always hope. Never mind.”
He walked around and proceeded to remove the golden bracelets from our wrists. After Jack removed my bracelet, he paused, keeping hold of my hand as he studied the caked blood on my fingertip.
“I told you this wasn’t the place for you,” he murmured before shaking his head. “I guess I’ll be seeing you again soon.” He almost seemed disappointed by the thought. He moved off toward the archway once more before I could ask him what he meant.
“Well, farewell, my friends,” he said with a wave before disappearing in a swirl of magic. We all stared after Jack for a few seconds, still slightly stunned by our second encounter with him. After the blinding brightness of his magic faded away, the night seemed darker than it had before.
Without exchanging any words, we all started the trek back down to the sleigh point. Vixen led the group, seeming eager to get back to the Human Realm as quickly as she could, while I brought up the rear. Dash too dropped back to walk beside me.
“What did Jack say to you?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Something along the lines of I told you so and see you soon.”
I was surprised when Dash simply nodded. He’d been so angry after I granted the nameless one my favor that I feared he’d only grow more annoyed by what Jack had told me.
“I’m sorry I was so mad in there,” Dash said.
I glanced up at him and met his gaze. There was concern in his eyes but also regret too. “I know you were just worried,” I said.
“I was, and I still am,” he agreed. “I don’t want you to get hurt, and the nameless one is the last being on Earth who would be concerned for your safety. He could ask you for anything, Clio.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But there’s nothing we can do to change it now.”
Dash fell silent, and I could tell he was still thinking about it. He was probably trying to figure out a way to get around the favor, but I was pretty certain no such magic existed.
“I don’t think you and Melody should come to Grimsby tomorrow night,” he finally said.
I stopped in my tracks, staring at him. “What?”
He turned and faced me, folding his arms across his chest. “The nameless one never said you had to be there,” he added. “And I think it would be better if you didn’t come along.”
“I think I’ve more than proven myself.”
“Proven yourself?” he asked. “You ruined our plan to get information in the krampus bar, and you just got yourself stuck owing a favor to an ancient imprisoned being. You can’t be trusted.”
My jaw dropped open with surprise. Did Dash really think he couldn’t trust me? “How can you say that?” I asked. “We freed tortured prisoners in that bar, and I got us the information we needed from the nameless one despite the personal sacrifice it meant for me.”
“We wouldn’t have needed the nameless one at all if you had kept your cool in the krampus bar. Crow wouldn’t have fled, and we could have stopped him,” he argued.
I couldn’t help the hurt I was feeling from flaring in my eyes. “You really think I’m a liability?”
He simply nodded in reply. It was clear there was no arguing with Dash, and I felt furious with him for being so stubborn. I couldn’t think of anything that would persuade him I could be useful in his pursuit of Crow—not when he’d so successfully convinced me I would only get in the way.
I stormed away from him, following the others with tears welling in my eyes. It had been a long time since I last cried, but I felt close to it right now. I was surprised by how much Dash’s words had hurt me. I guess his opinion of me mattered more than I expected.
All I’d done since I’d met Dash was try to help with his herd’s investigation, and now, he was throwing all of that in my face. Yes, I wasn’t perfect, but how could he think that I was a burden after everything I’d done? Surely, the more people he had on his side tomorrow night, the greater the chance there was that it would be a success.
When we arrived back at the sleigh point, Melody saw my face and shot me a concerned look. I gave her a small shake of my head, pleading with my eyes for her not to ask me what was wrong. It was bad enough Dash had torn me to shreds; I didn’t need to relive it in front of the others.
“I’ll see you back in the barn,” I murmured to Melody before stepping into the sleigh point and transporting myself back home. I barely noticed the green magic swirling around me; I was too stuck in my own mind to really focus on it.
When I arrived in the barn, I let out a sigh. It was dark but familiar, and as I stared into the darkness, I was struck by the realization that I didn’t want to go back to the familiar. I didn’t want this wild ride I’d been on these last few days to be over. Especially not when I felt like I had so much left to do. I waited for Melody to appear, but it was Dash who arrived next.
“Don’t be angry with me, Clio,” he said, walking out of the sleigh point and over toward the barn door where I was standing. “I’m just doing what’s best for everyone.”
“How can you think that leaving me behind is what’s best for everyone when I’ve done nothing but try to help?” When he didn’t respond, I continued. “Did you ever think that maybe the choice about whether or not to bring me to Grimsby is that fork in the road the nameless one spoke of?” I asked. “That you might fail because you’re leaving me behind.”
“The fork could be anything,” he replied. “And leaving you might be the reason we succeed.” His face was hard, and I knew his mind was made up. I wasn’t sure if there was anything I could say that would change his decision.
I wanted to keep pressing him, but Melody and the others arrived, and I knew my chance was gone. I looked past Dash to Melody and gave her a smile.
“Come on, Melody, let’s get home.”
Her eyes grew bright at the mention of home, and I could see how much it meant to her.
“I’ll give you a lift,” Dash offered, but I shot him a scowl.
“We’ll be fine,” I replied. The shifter didn’t want my hel
p, so I certainly didn’t want his.
Melody and I left without another word, but with every step I took, I couldn’t help but feel like we were doing the wrong thing. Our footsteps were taking us down the wrong path, and a niggling feeling in my gut had me convinced that parting ways with the shifters was going to end in disaster.
This decision wasn’t only up to Dash though, and I couldn’t let him put self-doubt in my mind.
Ever since my mother had died, I’d been hiding from danger. It’s what she’d always taught me to do and I was good at it. But I was also sick of living my life in the shadows. My powers were my biggest vulnerability, but they were also my greatest strength. I couldn’t just sit by when there was a chance Dash and the others might not succeed. Not when the stakes were so high.
Dash might not want me there, but I was going to Grimsby to help him defeat Crow. And there was nothing he could do to stop me.
Chapter Seventeen
“Tomi, I’m home,” I called out as I walked through the front door. Despite my exhaustion, I smiled over my shoulder at Melody as she followed me into the apartment. “Welcome to Chez Clio and Melody.”
She gave me such a warm and grateful smile in return that I knew inviting her to stay with me was the right call.
“Tomi?” I called out again. He wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room, and there was no sign of him in his bedroom. I knew he’d been at home recently because his room had become littered with shiny things in the time I’d been away. He was obsessed with anything bright, and I spent half my life cleaning up his random treasures. Tomi was more like a teenage boy than a tomten sometimes.
When I reached my bedroom, I found him snuggled up on my bed, glaring at me from under the covers. I flicked the light on, and his scowl grew darker.
“Oh, you’re back,” he grumbled.
“Nice to see you too,” I replied. “Have you decided you don’t like your own bed?”
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