My eyes flutter open, and I find myself surrounded by Caz’s family again. His body is wrapped in my arms, and the black veins have disappeared from him. When I check my arms, they’re spreading like thick threads.
“You all right, Willow?” Rowan asks as he and Killian help me stand.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” I murmur.
“Well? What happened?” Beatrix demands, staring into my eyes.
“I saw Decius,” I tell her. “He’s aware his time has been set back, and he knows you’re helping me.”
Beatrix looks all around, worry creasing her forehead. “Okay.” She nods, eyes on me again.
“He said something about Vakeeli being his world and having the control. No one can stop him here but the Regals. This is going to sound really, really crazy, but what if…what if I take Caz back to my portal and to my world, just until we figure out how to get rid of Decius?”
“It’ll be impossible getting rid of Decius unless we find the Regal Selah,” Beatrix says, head shaking swiftly. Right, Selah. The Regal who created all of Vakeeli and every single person on it. Decius put her in a deep sleep and the only person who can wake her is Caz.
“Well, where can we find her?”
“Only The Council would know,” Alora says, “and the person they sent to find her is lying on the ground.”
“There has to be a way to get to her that doesn’t involve Caz—something we can do,” I proclaim. “Can we not talk to The Council? They can’t wake Selah without Caz’s blood and if he dies, they’ll have nothing. Perhaps we can demand them to take all of us to Selah. We can’t just let Caz die!”
Everyone looks at each other, then they drop their gazes to Caz as the heaviness of my statement weighs on them.
“I suppose sending him to your world will create a lengthier delay,” Beatrix murmurs with a scratching of the head. “Decius is only powerful here because he works through Vakeeli soil. Without it, his powers aren’t very useful. He could move through other universes just like any other Mythic, but he’d likely use vessels—you know, animals and people with bad intentions. He’ll use whatever works in his favor to get him where he needs to be. And even then, he wouldn’t be able to fully use his powers to take the Cold Tether in your world. No vessel would be strong enough so he’d have to find a way to bring Caz back, which could take ages.”
“So there is a possibility then? An escape for Caz?” I inquire.
“Yes, but only if it works. It’s never been done before by a Mythic—sending a Vakeeli-born to another universe. It requires a lot of energy—energy I don’t even have right now.”
“Beatrix, we have to try,” I plead. “Look at him. He’s dying. I can’t just sit here.”
Beatrix’s misty eyes fall to Caz’s body again. She sighs, then gives me a slight nod. “All right. It may weaken me—possibly even kill me—but I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you.” I wish I could say I find relief in her words, but I don’t, and I won’t until I know it’s worked, and Caz is safe. It’s such a big ask and no, I don’t want Beatrix to die, but I’m willing to do anything for him right now.
Beatrix scurries across the room to one of her bookshelves, collecting several thick, leatherbound books into her arms. “Your portal remains in Blackwater, correct?” she asks over her shoulder.
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll perform the ritual there. Now let’s hurry. Time is truly of the essence.”
