I avoided Tamner's hut most of the day. Poe had made it clear that he wouldn't talk about trying John's way of getting home any further. Which made absolutely no sense to me at all. Wasn't getting home and warning the others of what the Witches were planning more important than some side effect that 'might' happen? What was he afraid of me seeing?The villagers were starting to clean up, some moving slower than others. I pitched in and helped, picking up abandoned rough-cut cups and lost items, before moving on to help pack supplies for the refugees that would be returning to their village over the next few days.Soun and I met with the other warriors in the training clearing late that afternoon, stretching and doing easy drills. John even joined us, surprising me when he easily tossed Suon into the dirt multiple times.By the time we'd eaten the evening meal with the rest of the village and made it back to Tamner's, the stars were well and bright above us. I fo

I stumbled out of the portal, catching myself with the staff Suon had gifted me with a gasp. Feeling very tired and drained, despite how ready I'd felt on the other side, I tried not to collapse. John fell to the grass next to me with a soft thud and a groan. We'd come through in one of the pastures, just as Poe and I had pictured it in my mind. The sun was bright overhead and the early summer heat was already building.In the distance I could see people running towards us, and one of them was Avery. Her excitement and anxiety filtering through the connection made her hard to miss.We need to close the portal. Poe's voice sounded strained in my mind. I turned my attention to the portal as John picked himself up. The task of closing the link between the two worlds was much easier than it was to create. The summoning circles closed in on themselves, folding over and over in their intricate patterns until there was nothing left."Ezra!"I turned as Avery sla

Poe called out weakly from his perch on the stable's roof as we made our way out the door. We didn't make it far before I spotted Liam in the courtyard talking with Collen. They glared at John as we passed by and broke off their conversation. Liam followed us into the stable."Ezra!"I turned and John paused beside me."Dad told me you'd returned. I didn't believe him when he said you were friends with a witch." Liam's hostility caught me off-guard, though I shouldn't have been surprised. He'd hated witches ever since he learned what they'd done to the Families."John saved my life, multiple times, and I've no doubt that he'd do it again. I don't care what side he's from."Liam pointed violently at John. "But you brought him here! He could be a spy! "I​ ​wouldn't​ ​put​ ​it​ ​past​ ​a​ ​witch​ ​to​ ​double​ ​cross​ ​us."​ ​Liam​ ​spat​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ground."I don't even know where 'here' is," John mumbled as he shifted behind me."Liam

John helped me down the hall to the kitchen, where we had to play guess which door was the basement. We found the large walk in pantry and the garage before finding the stairs leading down into darkness. The waves were coming faster, stronger. I could barely stand as John guided me down the stairs.The basement was nearly bare. Flickering candlelight revealed a concrete floor, exposed wooden framework, and unfinished drywall. A cluttered table was pushed into the far corner, next to a old mantle and a large old mirror, covered with a drape so that only the bottom left corner reflected in the light.A large design was painted in white on the floor. The circles and sigils looked familiar, like the ones from my summoning spell. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, I knelt down and held a hand out over the painted lines. Power pulsed from them, sending the waves out and through me like a tidal wave. I looked out across the designs on the floored.They weren't li

I swallowed past the pain my throat before glancing around the basement. Panic gripped my chest. "Where's Poe?"Kastem padded over to a small amount of concrete rubble."I didn't think you would want him to get hurt more," John said and made a flicking motion with his fingers.A small flash of relief flared through me as the pile of rubble moved to show Poe, untouched by the fight with Louca. I struggled to stand, my body nearly refusing outright.Picking him up was difficult as I tried to use my injured hand. The burn had already blistered and broken, the wound weeping."What about your necklace?" John asked, standing over where it still lay smoking on the floor.What was I supposed to do with it now?After getting Poe settled in the crook of my arm, I walked back over to where John stood. Bending down carefully I held my good hand out over the ruined chain, trying to see if it was still as hot as the pendant. It was warm but not unb