Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A soft orange sunrise graced the Boiling Isles that morning. Light footsteps accompanied the dull lapping of waves along the beach. They were unfamiliar, and Hooty knew footsteps. Ever since his pal, Luz, saved the island new friends came almost daily to help fix the owl house. By now he knew every resident by their gait alone. Hooty eagerly slithered from his nest to investigate.

His new friend looked like a witch… mostly…or maybe not? It was odd. The more he tried to focus in, the less sure he became. Her ears, poking out of long, wild, brunette hair, were too pointed to be human, but they were smaller than they ought to be. Her limbs, too long, made her exceptionally tall. She kept her blue eyes trained on the tree line clearly looking for something. And far be it from Hooty to let a lost soul blindly wander. 

He rushed forth with a surprise “Hello!” loud enough to make any visitor feel welcome. His guest fliched back and turned her full attention to him. Hooty beamed with pride. Another perfect introduction. “Who are you?” he crooned.

She blinked twice before giving him a fanged smile “Do you keep this forest?”

“I asked you first.” Hooty sang as he swayed back and forth.

She nodded. “Question for question, then. Of course. I am called the Viper.”

“Where you’re from. You mean you’re not from here?”

The Viper shook her head. “No, I’m from a different continent. That’ll be two answers for me, then. Are you the keeper of this forest?”

“Nope.” Hooty cocked his head. “To be honest I’m not sure the forest has a ‘keeper’.” He could tell from her expression that this was not the answer The Viper was hoping for. “You could try the Bat Queen, but she’s more a guardian of palisman.”

“Where will I find them?”

“Just a moment!” The Viper cringed as Hooty began to wretch. Two hairballs, three snails, and an echo mouse later he managed to hack up a map. “There you go!” The Viper grimaced but unrolled the damp scroll. “You see we’re here.” Hooty stuck his face in the eastern portion of the carcass decorated with gold star stickers and hearts drawn with crayons “at the Owl House.” He continued to give muffled directions as he dragged his face west. “You’ll want to follow this path through the forest until you get to this cave.” He smacked his head into the map a few more times for emphasis. “That’s where she lives.”

“Right.” The Viper rolled the map back up. “I mean no offense, but it’s urgent that I speak with your Bat Queen as soon as possible. What will you have for this?” Hooty made a few questioning noises and turned upside down. “In fair trade.” The Viper continued, a tad short on patience at this point. “What do you want for your help?”

“Oh, I’m just glad to be helping out a new friend.” Hooty formed an ‘S’ shape that The Viper assumed was his way of proudly puffing out what served for a chest.

“There has to be something.” She sighed, then waved her hand over his face. A flower crown of pansies followed her fingers and rested on Hooty’s brow.  “Will you take this? Tell it it’s beautiful each night and it won’t wilt.”

“Will I?” Hooty’s eyes lit up with joy. “It’s beautiful.”

The Viper smiled “Right. I am satisfied with our meeting.” And with a wave, she made for the forest.

Amity was the first to arrive at Eda’s. She was always the first, though she never waited long. Shortly after her arrival, the newly formed portal door would glow and Luz would step through with thermoses of human coffee for her and her ‘batata.’ Their morning began as such. The pair rubbed the last dregs of sleep from their eyes between doses of caffeine while waiting for Gus, Willow, and Hunter to join them for breakfast at the Owl House. It was a routine they cherished, something relatively normal to look forward to between repairing the Isles and working through the aftershocks of battle.

This morning Luz and Amity watched Stringbean and Ghost play a game of chase. Stringbean managed to evade each of Ghost’s pounces by changing shape. The jury was still out on whether this was considered cheating. Stringbean was feeling particularly pleased with herself until Emmiline snuck up on her left and went in for a successful tackle. Gus chuckled as he took a seat to watch the palisman play.

“Where’s Willow and Hunter?” Luz asked. Gus rarely arrived without those two.

Gus smirked and pointed back along the beach at a pair of figures walking hand in hand. “On their way. Got slowed down talking about grom and making goo-goo eyes at eachother.” Today would be the first day back at Hexside since said most anticipated and dreaded event of the school year. That night held a distinct reverence for the pair as Willow and Hunter’s first formal date, and neither one had gotten over their butterflies in the two days since.

Amity humorously rolled her eyes. “At least we were never that bad.” The statement earned her an eyebrow raise from Gus. She sarcastically told him to “Shut up.” in response.

Luz shushed them both. “Let the queridos be. It’s nice to see them happy.”

“You know what makes me happy?” King jumped on Luz’s back from the front window. “Breakfast! It’s time to eat.” He shouted up the beach. “Come on slow pokes! Hustle or you get nothing!”

This morning's breakfast consisted of Raine’s scattered eggs and wrenched toast paired with apple blood. While they ate Eda ran through a summary of her favorite pranks from her school days to Gus, who took a concerning amount of notes. King proudly presented a newly stitched-up Jean Luc to Hunter, who was teaching the little tyrant how to repair the tears in his ‘army’. Luz, Willow, and Raine tried to come up with ideas for new instruments and the best wood it would take to make them.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Hooty trilled from the doorway.

“Hooty, what in Titan’s name are you wearing?” Eda said.

“Just a little something my new friend gave me.”

Eda stood. “Hooty, we talked about this. I swear if you’ve got another poor witch in that coat closet I will-”

“No, no. Her name is The Viper and she ran off to meet BQ.”

Eda bit back a remark about people who put ‘The’ in front of their names to probe for more info. “Yeah? And what does this Viper want from the Bat Queen?”

“Well, technically it wasn’t the Bat Queen she specifically wanted.” Hooty recounted the rest of his interaction with the stranger, catching the interest of everyone at the table. Eda could see the expression on Luz’s face when the story was over. A mysterious stranger arrives on the Boiling Isles with a mission. How could the teen not be interested?

“I’m not going to persuade you kids to leave well enough alone on this am I?” asked the Owl Lady.

“Nope,” Luz smiled back.

“Fine.” Eda groaned. “If you leave now you’ll probably be able to stop by the Bat Queen’s cave before school. But be careful!” She pointed at each one of the teens in turn. “You don’t know this person or where they come from.” The group did not wait for further instructions.

They heard the soft murmurs of discussion before even having to enter the Bat Cave. The further they delved into the cave the clearer it became, though it took some time. Each one of them was careful not to tread on the bones of small animals, preferring to listen in rather than interrupt.

“I understand why you have come.” The stern and wise voice of the Bat Queen carried to them. “But I do not believe I can help you. There is nothing of equal value you could possibly give.”

“I feared as much. Is there any help I can ask of you?” The second voice, which they assumed belonged to The Viper, was honeyed, yet distant. There was silence for a moment while the Bat Queen considered this. Willow directed everyone to a portion of the cave where they could hunker down and listen.

“Perhaps a trade is not the only way.” said the Bat Queen. “Maybe a solution for a solution will suffice this time. You’re kind still deal in riddles, yes?”

“Rarely.”

“Then you will answer this. Your solution will come.” Another beat of silence before the Bat Queen spoke again, louder.

“To have but not hold.

To give but not take

You must have care

I easily break

Valued by the wise

Near impossible to replace

The keystone of a camaraderie

Once gone I leave no trace”

The group exchanged confused looks.

“A mirror?” Gus whispered as a suggestion.

“Those are pretty replaceable.” Amity thought a moment. “A crystal ball?”

“No, you can hold those.” Hunter waved her off. It’s got to be something more abstract than that.

“Trust! It’s trust!” Willow exclaimed, forgetting herself. Horrified that she had given their hiding spot away she covered her mouth.

“Very good, mala kvetina.” Called the Bat Queen. “Bring yourselves closer.” Willow gave everyone an apologetic look, but they knew better than to disobey. “Ah. I see fate favors you, meli deti.” She stretched out a wing in presentation and addressed The Viper. “They have the solution. Go with them.” 

The Viper merely nodded in understanding. “I am satisfied.” She moved to address the group. “Let us go outside. We’ve intruded upon your guardian’s home enough.” And to further their confusion, the Bat Queen laughed.

The Viper waited patiently as the kids readjusted to the sunlight of the forest. Willow was the first to try to apologize.

“We didn’t mean to intrude. We heard that someone new arrived on the isles and-”

“You solved the riddle, yes?” The Viper asked.

“Mmm… yes, but-”

“Then there is no intrusion. You will help me find who I’m looking for.”

Amity was about to cut in about how that made little to no sense before Hunter stepped forward. 

“You’re not a witch are you?” He accused her. “You’re a fairy and a strong one at that.”

The Viper bowed slightly. “High fae, to be precise. Who are you that knows my kind.” Oh, he knew. Before Hunter knew better he used to sneak into the castle’s vast collection of books confiscated from the library due to their ‘wild teachings’. The section on fae creatures was vast. Every fairy creature varied, but they all had danger in common. The powerful breed of fairy called high fae were especially prone to setting nonsense traps for poor unsuspecting mortals.

“Someone who knows enough,” Hunter said in a warning tone.

“I’ve not come to cause harm.” The Viper said. “I’m merely looking for someone from my home country.” Hunter gave her an unconvinced glare. “If you know about my kind then you also know we are incapable of lying.” He nodded his acquiescence. That much was true, but it did little to reassure him.

“Well miss The Viper,” Gus attempted to relieve the tension. “If that’s all then we’ll help you find your friend, after school.” He pointed to his watch. “We’re already running late.”

To Hunter’s chagrin, The Viper insisted on following them to Hexside. Her only reasoning was that they had ‘the solution’, whatever that meant. Even worse, this fae seemed to take special notice of Willow.

“Your forest guardian called you ‘little flower’, yes?” The Viper probed.

“Is that what that means?” Willow fussed with one of her braids and answered with a nervous lilt in her voice. Hunter clearly didn’t trust this person. He must have his reasons. But still, she didn’t want to offend the stranger. “To be honest I was never really sure. I just sort of smile and hope she isn’t insulting me.” Willow’s nerves eased when The Viper chuckled. “I-I suppose it fits, though. I am a pretty good plant witch.”

“Willow’s the best plant witch.” Gus did not miss an opportunity to brag about his friend. He took Willow by the crook of her elbow and pumped his fist. “She can grow anything, anywhere, anytime.” Willow blushed.

The Viper cocked an eyebrow. “Then perhaps you could show me some of your craft.”

“Where are you from?” Hunter asked, desperate to get this fae’s attention off of Willow. “The high fae of the boiling isles dissolved themselves into the elements hundreds of years ago. If you’re looking for your own kind you’ll leave disappointed.”

“My contact is mortal, like yourselves. He’s one of many who escaped Malady Thicket. I need his help to free it now.”

Luz pushed past the dozens of questions blooming in her mind to ask the most pertinent one for this situation. “Well, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find them. Do you remember your contact’s name?”

“Yes.”

“... Are you going to tell us?” Amity couldn’t hold back the sass in her tone.

The Viper looked at her as if she had grown a third arm. She briefly checked to make sure she hadn’t.

“No.” The Viper explained. “Names hold power. Why do you think I haven’t asked yours? Knowing someone’s name is holding power over them.” Luz and Amity looked at eachother with worry. This would be more difficult than they hoped.

The group was mostly relieved to arrive at Hexside. They did worry that The Viper would follow them to their classes, but no one said it allowed for fear of speaking the idea into existence. They didn’t need to worry for long, however. Amity was in the middle of showing off the marvels of Hexside when they were interrupted by the school’s principal.

Every morning Hieronymus Bump enjoyed welcoming eager students into his institution and herding the late ones to their classes. He believed that students would be happier to see a smiling face each morning, and it helped him get an idea of how the day would proceed. Any student being too rambunctious in the courtyard that morning would likely find their way to his office by the end of the day. This particular morning his vigilance with his students rewarded him with an unexpected visitor.

“Vess-” He stopped himself just in time. She wouldn’t appreciated her full name being spoken with so many witnesses. The principal’s voice was barely above a whisper but she heard it just the same. 

“There you are.” Vess turned to give Hieronymus her full attention, face softening. If Luz didn’t know better she would have said she saw The Viper’s eyes turn watery. The fae presented her arm to him. A long-dormant reflex awakened and he clasped her hand in both of his.

“What are you doing here? Does this mean-”

The Viper held up her other hand to stop him. “No.” She said with a touch of sorrow. “I am The Viper now. It wasn’t enough.” As confused as the kids were it was clear this was bad news. The principal, finally remembering himself, invited her to his office for a more private discussion. The Viper dismissed the children by proclaiming her satisfaction and with that it seemed their mission was over.

No one could focus that morning. As each second ticked by a new question popped into their heads. It wasn’t until lunchtime that they could talk again. Hunter was the last to arrive at the table. When he arrived he found Amity and Luz pouring through the hefty stack of Hexside yearbooks they collected. They thought they had seen Principal Bump in them, but each time they closed a book they couldn’t be sure. Gus and Willow scoured the atlas they borrowed from Mrs. Jenkinmeyer looking for a place called Malady Thicket. He slapped his tray on the table with just enough force to get their attention.

“Whatever that was our part in it is over now.” He proclaimed. “We should be thankful for that.” The last thing he wanted was for his friends to get stuck in a trap set by some mad fairy.

“Come on, Hunter.” Willow reached a reassuring hand across the table. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

“I’m worried! We don’t know what she wants with Principal Bump or how long she’s staying here. What if…” He never got to finish the sentence. Their least favorite classmate focused in on the group and was headed this way.

“Hey half a-” Boscha crossed her arms and cleared her throat. “I mean hey Willow. I wanted to… I mean I thought… Here.” She dropped a drawstring pouch on top of the atlas. “You can have the extras back.”

Willow cautiously opened the pouch to look inside. To her surprise, this was not another one of her cruel pranks. They were indeed what was left of the slap dragon seeds she gave to Boscha the week prior. When the announcement went out that Boscha would be selected as grom queen very few sympathized with the bully. Many, if asked, said she was just getting what she deserved. Willow was one of them. At least for a time. But as the week wore on it became apparent just how much stress Boscha was under. She and Hunter spent one evening looking through potion recipes that Boscha might want to make use of. The morning before grom Willow presented Boscha with a bag of ingredients she harvested from the greenhouse. It was a tentative truce, but a truce all the same.

“Thanks.” Said Willow.

Boscha only gave her a curt “Alright” while struggling to make eye contact and walked back to her friends.

Willow pocketed the slap dragon seeds. “Whatever comes our way. We can handle it. We always do.”

The teens arrived back at the Owl House laden with homework and ready for some after-school snacks. Unfortunately, both of those things would have to wait. Eda and Raine sat in the living room in anxious debate with Principal Bump and The Viper.

“I mean they just returned to some sense of normalcy. I don’t know if-” Raine stopped their speech upon noticing the kids.

“Whoa. What’s everybody doing here?” Luz addressed the nervous adults, who looked to Bump in turn.

Their principal took a deep breath. “Malady Thicket is a vast forest that holds a great evil we call Czernobog. Thousands of years ago a spell was concocted to trap the creature, unfortunately, that spell trapped the people of Malady Thicket inside as well. The Lady Viper helped some of us escape some thirty-odd years ago. And now… well now..”

“I have a plan to free all my people from the forest.” The Viper placed a hand on Bump’s shoulder and picked the explanation up from there. “We’ve heard tell of heroes strong enough to save the Boiling Isles from a Collector.” She scanned the kids until her gaze settled on Willow. “Your principal tells me that’s you. I need brave souls dedicated to their craft. Plant magic would be especially helpful. The forest is far from tame.”

“So no pressure or anything.” Luz’s half-hearted attempt at lightening the mood failed. “Look we want to help your people if we can, but going to a different land with a person we just met it’s…”

“Suspicious” Gus completed the thought.

Principal Bump and The Viper exchanged a knowing look before she rose from her seat. “Allow me to give you some time to come to a decision.” With a last glance a Raine she said “Your tea is just like your grandparents used to make. They would be pleased with you. I will be outside.” The Viper left the cottage, and Hooty did not hesitate to welcome his new friend back.

Eda leaned back in her chair “I don’t know what to say, Bumper Cart. I mean you tell us that a high fae from a different continent is seeking out the kids, but it’s okay because you know her.”

“I understand your apprehension, Edalyn, but Vess has never been the type to prey on mortals.”

Eda frowned. Her every instinct told her messing with the fae was a bad idea. Then again Bump never gave her a reason to distrust him. And he did drink the potion Raine added to their tea. If he were under a charm he’d be glowing like a light glyph. The kids looked eager. But if that was from a desire to help or a wish for adventure Eda couldn’t say. All with the exception of the moody blond, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to send this fairy on its way. There was also the trouble with the kids' various guardians. The children they thought they lost forever only came home a few months ago. Where would she even begin to explain? Then again, she knew Luz well enough. If Eda forbade this new quest, Luz and her friends would only find a way to sneak out.

“Alright kid,” Eda rose from her seat, placing her hands on Luz’s shoulders. “It’s your call.”

To their surprise, Luz’s acceptance of the mission was not the final word. The Viper, though pleased, instructed them to meet in the middle of the flyer derby arena for a test of skill. According to Bump, this was a tradition of sorts among their people. Accepting a quest meant nothing if the individual could not handle the task. So, the Champions Challenge was created as a way to ensure preparedness. Unfortunately, said challenge varied with the quest giver so Bump could do little in telling them what to expect.

The kids met The Viper on the field palismen at the ready. She smiled at them, waved her right and over her left, and a black sword appeared in her grasp. “Hieronymus has told me a little about the sport called flyer derby. He tells me you excel at it. This has a similar concept.” She drove the sword into the dirt. The field divided itself into four sections with the sword at the center. Snow covered the first piece, the next became rocky terrain, sand and water spread out over the third making a tiny beach, and the last section did not change, maintaining its status as a grassy field. The Viper took a breath, momentarily drained by the use of so much magic. “I will guard the sword. You will attempt to take it. Anyone who crosses the bounds of the arena is out of the game.” The kids nodded their understanding and chose their corners. Luz and Amity opted to start in the tundra, Gus chose the beach, Hunter decided that the cover of rocks might give him the advantage of stealth, while Willow made a beeline for the field. Once satisfied with their positions the challenge began with a simple “Begin.”

They took to the air. Gus started by creating the distraction. He created the illusion of a great wave headed straight for the center of the arena. With a flick of The Viper’s wrist, the illusion dispersed into a rain of tiny blue sparks. But that was all the time Amity needed to send her abomination toward the center of the arena. She and Luz followed under its cover, headed straight for the sword. The Viper reached a hand into the abomination's chest and whispered something unintelligible. It melted. With a snap of The Viper’s fingers, two saplings rose from the ground and struck the back of Amity and Luz’s staffs. They spun out of control. Luz crashed into Gus as he was preparing another illusion and they fell out of bounds. Amity just barely managed to stay in the game. She summoned another abomination if only to keep The Viper busy. Hunter took advantage of this. With his newly carved palisman, Waffles, he dashed for the center of the field. His hand was on the sword’s hilt until The Viper grabbed his shadow. With a yank on his shadow, Hunter was physically thrown into the abominations. The Viper’s amusement was cut short when Willow’s vine snaked around her person. The up until recently unnoticed plant witch was within grasping distance of the sword. The Viper snapped and Willow’s vine suddenly had a new commander. It shot for its creator. Willow dodged, but only barely, summoning another vine to hold the first one down. Willow landed before the sword, and just like with Hunter, The Viper reached for her shadow. But just as she grasped it, another vine shot from the ground, holding her arm still. Willow fought against the forces pulling her back but to no avail. Then, in a moment of desperation, she summoned one last vine to crawl up and around the sword and squeezed. The sword shattered.

The sections reverted to their original forms as shards of metal it the ground. Willow’s friends rushed forth with congratulations. The Viper stood staring at the shards. “Interesting,” she said. Willow was relieved to find curiosity in her tone rather than outrage. “Though I’m not sure you’ve won.”

Willow bent down and brushed the pieces of metal that were once a sword into her hand. “I believe the only goal was to take the sword from you. You didn’t say anything about the state it had to be in.”

She dumped the shards into The Viper’s cupped hands. The high fae gave a joyous laugh that turned to wretched choking. She doubled over, clutching her chest. To the group’s horror, The Viper’s left arm transformed from smooth skin to rough, rotting bark. “I’ve been gone too long.” she rasped. “We must leave. Will you be ready to leave tomorrow after sunrise?”

Chapter Text

“So why can’t we fly to Malady thicket?” Luz asked while she unpacked the trunk Lilith gave her. The moment Lilith found out Luz was setting out to a different continent she insisted they cartograph and take note of everything they could. It was filled with maps, parchment, empty journals, pens, ink, protractors, and all manner of rulers.

“I may not fly.”

Hunter scoffed. “What kind of ‘powerful high fae’ can’t fly.” He had been dreading this journey since the Champions Challenge. Despite his warnings, his friends” desire for adventure won out over any caution regarding fairy tricks. And the boy would sooner cut off his arm than let his friends alone with this ‘The Lady Viper’.

A flicker of sadness crossed The Viper’s features and she looked towards the sky. “You misunderstand. A long time ago when my brother was young and headstrong he offended the wind. From then on our family was barred from its domain. It was before my birth. In truth, I’ve flown. Though it does seem lovely.”

Willow, not knowing how to respond asked, “How’s your arm?”

The Viper lifted her withering appendage for examination. “Not progressing quite as fast anymore. My fault,  I should have been more careful about the amount of magic I was using. It will repair once we reach the Thicket.” The Viper flexed her gruesome fingers in an attempt to prove that all was well. The children cringed and excused themselves.

A mere hour into the trip Gus was faced with his first obstacle. He was bored. There was no scroll signal, reading made him seasick, and the rocking of the boat made it impossible to nap. There was only one option left, illusionary mischief. Gus had a reputation to maintain after all. He scanned the boat for a victim and settled on fresh meat. But what to do, that was the real question.

“This place we’re headed, Malady Thicket. It’s not anywhere near the Titan Trappers is it?” Luz asked, drawing dotted lines along the map that matched their direction.

“No,” The Viper said, as she dipped a finger into the boiling sea and tasted it. “Those… individuals are best left where they are.” Distaste dripped from her tone. “A tad starboard, captain!” she called to Salty at the helm, he grumbled about this not being worth his wages but obeyed regardless. Amity scowled at the map. The pattern of direction made little sense. From what she could tell they were merely making a large circle in the middle of the boiling sea. She sighed.

“This doesn't make any sense.” Amity gestured to the map. “How can we possibly be on our way to anywhere with this route?”

With mild amusement, The Viper leaned over the girls to see the path they charted. “We just have to keep this up until nightfall.”

“So, what, we’re waiting for a portal?” Luz asked, “Because if we are I should have read something about that when-”

The Viper shook her head and pointed to the sky. “Malady Thicket lies East of the Sun and West of the Moon that is all the direction one needs. We keep this course until sunset, then use the moon to guide us the rest of the way till sunrise.” Salty scoffed but they politely pretended not to notice.

“You could have told us we were wasting our time.” A disgruntled Amity slammed her pen down on the crate they repurposed to use as a table.

The Viper laughed. “Forgive me. It’s entertaining to watch mortals test themselves. Allow me to repay the slight. Ask anything you wish. I will answer.”

Amity thought for a moment. “Your name isn't really The Viper, is it?”

“No.”

Luz chose a question that branched off of Amity’s. “So it's like a nickname?”

The Viper pulled on the collar of her shirt to reveal a tattoo of a snake. The tattoo draped over her shoulders with the snake’s head and tail resting on her collarbones. “Its a title. Malady Thicket is under the guardianship of The Wolf and The Viper, my brother and myself currently, and our parents before us. But as our situation does not require formality, you may call me Vess, if you wish.”

Luz and Amity exchanged a glance and took up their pens and journals again. “Alright, Vess, what does a fairy from your home typically eat? Toes? Bones? Souls of the lost?”

The Viper smirked. “Mostly cream, bread, and soft cheeses, though it depends on species and temperament. Dryads have a distinct weakness for sweets, but rusalki love nothing more than to nibble on the bones of those who carried violence in their hearts.”

The impromptu interview went on like that for some time. Vess was just beginning to tell the girls what to do if they ever accidentally insult a brùnaidh when she was interrupted by a deep guttural growl.

The wild-eyed water bear stood on its hind paws and released a roar that splattered sea foam on the ship’s deck. Luz and Amity jumped into defensive positions as the beast raised a spined claw.

“Incredible.” Vess breathed out in awe. The water bear paused, confused. “Such detail. You must be truly dedicated.”

“You knew?” The water bear shouted in disbelief. A puff of blue smoke later and a disappointed Gus stood in its place. “But I thought I was improving. What gave it away?” He asked between his friends’ shouts of disapproval. Luz chucked a journal at him. He ducked out of its path.

Vess frowned. “Nothing you can help, I'm afraid. Illusions flicker when they move. It usually happens too fast for mortal eyes to notice, but immortal ones are more difficult to deceive.”

“Difficult, but not impossible?” Gus's ambition lunged at the idea of conjuring illusions so clear that they could fool anyone.

“There are a few tales of mortals able to do such a thing, with some help.” Vess answered cautiously.

An all too eager Gus sprang up on his toes, near the fae's eye level, and a tad too close. “How? What did they do? I have to know!”

Vess stepped away, assessing him, her mouth pursed into a thin line. Pointing to his ear she asked. “May I see that?” Gus removed the spyglass earring that Graye left behind when he was chased out of Hexside and placed it in Vess's open palm. She ran her thumb over the lens and peered through it at Gus. For a brief moment, he swore her pupil changed to a slit. “I can enchant this. Looking through it you'll see your magic as I do.” Gus beamed and made a grab for his spyglass. “But,” The Viper closed her fingers around the object before he could touch it. “For the power to deceive immortals, there must be fair bargain.”

Gus frowned, the atmosphere turned heavy. Hunter told them to be careful, and told them what happens to people who indebted themselves to fairies. It was common, expected even, for memories, limbs, and even children to be lost in these bargains. But to create the perfect illusion… He could do so much. There wouldn't be any harm in hearing what she wanted for it, would there? If the price was too gruesome he could always refuse… couldn’t he?

“I-it…I-… is it going to be something painful?”

“Unlikely.”

“What do you mean ‘unlikely’? You don’t know?” Gus was starting to understand what Hunter meant by ‘fairy nonsense.’

“I know. It’s an errand of sorts. It’s not painful by nature, but I can’t control how you go about it.” The Viper pulled a large white feather from her sleeve. “A swan loaned this to me, it’s important she get it back. I’d like you to give it to her.”

“What? That’s what you want?”

 “I'm very fond of swans. Don't tell the others. We're not supposed to have favorites.” The Viper winked.

“I don’t know your home, though. How will I know where she is? Which one she is? When will I have the time to-”

She held up a hand. “It will tell you. You will know. The bargain will make it so.”

Gus gave an apprehensive look to Luz and Amity. They were just as confused as him. It was just an errand. Find a swan, and give it its feather, simple as that, right? Sure there might be a few bumps on the way but what was a small adventure compared to perfecting his art? With a deep breath, Gus reached out his hands. The Viper gently placed the spyglass followed by the feather in them. Carefully, Gus laid the feather within his journal and fixed the spyglass back on his ear. Luz and Amity looked less than thrilled with his decision, but nothing could be done now. He sat down to practice and listened to more questions about fairy culture. After all, how burdensome could one feather be?

By the time he finished reading the tenth anecdote, Hunter had to close the book and call it a lost cause. He borrowed it from Mrs. Nocera hoping for some last-minute information. But despite the title Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales, it was severely lacking in fairies or grimwalkers. Instead, it consisted, almost entirely of stories about humans who can't mind their own business. Hunter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have known a book about fairies written by Grimwalkers was too good to be true. He just had to hope that he remembered enough to avoid danger.

“I have some licorice root if you need it.” Willow’s voice interrupted Hunter’s internal review session. “It also helps to look at the horizon.” She took a seat next to him and started rubbing calming circles into his back. Hunter stretched, letting his arm rest on Willow’s shoulder. He kissed her temple and settled into his chest. He always loved it, the way they fit together, like they were made for each other.

“I’m not seasick,” Hunter murmured. Willow’s gaze fell to Clover and Waffles. Their palismen prodded at the book with mild curiosity, and she connected the dots from there.

“Learn anything?” Willow asked. Hunter shook his head. In truth, she thought her boyfriend was overreacting. It wasn’t that Willow didn’t understand why. He was raised to be a soldier by a tyrant bent on genocide. Paranoia was to be expected. Hunter was actually doing very well, all things considered. “You know, there is such a thing as being over-prepared.”

Hunter pulled her closer. “She knows your name, Willow.” It wasn’t Gus’s fault. He didn’t know, and the idea of names holding power was just always just a theory. Then The Viper confirmed it, and he couldn’t stop replaying the moment in his mind. Such a simple exchange, yet so crucial. “I don’t know what I’d do if… if she..” He couldn’t even bring himself to voice the hypotheticals running through his head.

Willow lifted a hand to Hunter’s cheek and he leaned into it. “Maybe you don’t have to worry.” She soothed. “I mean no one’s been threatened yet. She probably has no intention of using anything against us.”

“As long as we continue doing what she wants.” Hunter’s sour response was cut short by the sound of laughter from the helm of the ship.

“Think we’ll run into any rodents of unusual size?” 

Willow knew her attempt at levity hit it’s mark when Hunter chuckled. “It’s not entirely… inconceivable.” Once settled back into their lives Gus and Luz insisted on regular Human Movie Nights. The group was dubious when Luz introduced them to The Princess Bride but conceded when she claimed it was a classic. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and one of Willow and Hunter’s favorites. The idea of a love so powerful that two individuals could find eachother again, no matter what lay between them, struck a chord.

“Don’t forget.” Willow playfully entwined her fingers with Hunters. “She needs us because we’re a force to be reckoned with.” She jumped to her feet, pulling Hunter up with her. “If that fairy princess tries anything I’ll skewer her before she can lift a finger.”

The next morning they woke to fog. It was a cold mist that settled on the ship like a blanket. No one could see beyond the taffrail, and despite Vess’s insistence that they were, indeed, going the right way everyone was uneasy. Their anxiety was only made worse by the wind. Or at least that’s what they told themselves it was. Faint, almost indiscernible whispers whipped past the children’s ears the further they went. Willow focused in on the sound and swore that she could make out the pained ‘ hungry’ from whatever it was.

Vess breathed in slowly, tasting the air around them. “Not long now.” She murmured. Then as if it were never there, the fog dispersed. Before them loomed the dark jagged shores of a stark island continent lined with a snowy, birch forest. The Viper gazed at Malady Thicket somewhere halfway between longing and trepidation. “Heros of the Boiling Isles.” She addressed the children. “Welcome. There are three rules you must abide by while in my homeland, or even I cannot save you. Do not whistle at night. Never touch The Rot. And whatever you do, do not bleed where the trees can taste it.”

Chapter Text

They walked along the treeline, waiting for Vess to find a suitable entry point, whatever that meant. By all accounts, they should have been able to walk in from anywhere. The trees were far enough apart for comfortable walking. And while there was no trail, there was no brush or roots to create tripping hazards either. Much more inviting than the current terrain they were made to navigate. Each step on the rocky shore threatened the kids with the possibility of a broken ankle. Amity came the closest to one when Vess stopped short in front of her.

“It’ll have to be here.” Vess sighed stepping forward to examine the boundary. “The forest will be paying attention no matter where we go, but at least here-” Her leg gave out from under her. With a surprised yelp, The Viper crashed forward onto the stones. Willow offered a hand to help her back up, but Vess’s attention was elsewhere. Her ankle was withered, just like her arm. She muttered something unintelligible and fixed her gaze on Willow. “The forest takes special interest in strangers, that’s attention we don’t want.  It’s possible to get in without notice, but it will be difficult. You must lead.”

“What do I need to do?”

“You've called plants to you before, yes? You know their language. We will harness that, convince the forest to lower its guard.”

Willow nodded apprehensively. She never considered summoning circles a language, but then again it wasn't entirely inaccurate. Each time she took control of a vine or sped up a seedling's growth there was a command to it. The Viper took her hand and allowed Willow to help her to her feet.

“Our flora responds to different magical designs. But if you can keep the intent up, I can disguise it.” Vess turned to address the others. “Follow us close. Try not to speak above a whisper. If you lose sight of us stay where you are until someone comes for you.”

Once given instructions, Willow collected herself and drew a spell circle that came to rest on her fingertips. The Viper gently pressed her palm in the center of the circle. Swirls of deep pine green emanated from her fingers towards the edge of the spell. They were followed by waves of Willow's more familiar spring hue. The two shades of magic chased each other from center to rim like ripples on a lake. Then they started walking.

Willow sensed it the moment she stepped over the border. The root systems squirmed under her feet, snaking their tendrils up to investigate. The branches, ever so slowly bent low, reaching for them. An unfamiliar melody crept into her mind, soft like a lullaby. Willow walked to its tempo. As the forest reached for her and her friends each part found itself gently redirected. As they passed each root and branch concluded that nothing of note was going on. Out of curiosity, she expanded her power’s reach. Willow felt everything from the unseeable eyes of trees passing over her, to a fox tending to her kits in a bush a thousand miles away. Yet there were a great number of spaces that felt, numb. A draining sensation pulled at Willow as she tried to focus on them. The same plaintive whisper from the fog called to her, and dragged her closer. More I need-

A harsh tug at the back of Willow’s mind brought her back. She looked back at the group. The Viper met her gaze from where she limped at the back. She nodded to the left, indicating a clearing where the trees were not so close together. Willow led the group that way, holding up her spell circle until Vess told her it was safe to disperse it.

The Viper knelt near one of the trees and dug into the snow with her hands until she reached muddy earth. She sank her withering hand into the mud and held it there. Slowly, the limbs of stiff rotting bark shifted back to warm skin.

“What is that voice? The one in the fog and-” Willow asked while the group waited. She stopped when she saw The Viper’s stern gaze. Willow turned to her friends. They looked back at her with concern. They had no idea what she was talking about. Luz placed the back of her hand on Willow’s forehead checking for a temperature. “Willow, are you feeling alright?”

“She’s fine.” The now healed Viper stood. “In truth, I don’t know what that voice is. And I’ve never met a mortal who could hear it too.”

Hunter crossed his arms. “So we’re to understand that the moment we enter your domain a mysterious voice starts targeting Willow and you know nothing about it.”

Vess shrugged. “It’s been crying out the same thing since the beginning of Malady Thicket. It could be Czernobog, or the spell holding him inside.” she placed a hand on Willow’s shoulder. “All I know is it’s best not to listen.”

Hunter’s scoff was barely audible over the sounds of barking. The group turned to see four sleds heading in their direction. Nine dog-like creatures pulled each sled. They looked like huskies for the most part, but their tails were finned and their feet were webbed. Each sled was accompanied by witches garbed in red fur parkas. A short, gray, older witch with gangly limbs jumped from the lead sled and called to them.

Vess smiled and raised her arm in acknowledgment, and the party took that as an invitation to approach. The grey fellow, who the kids took to be the leader, knelt before Vess while the other witches halted the ‘dogs’.

“Domovoi” She greeted him. “How are The Foxes?”

A hush swept over the party. Domovoi kept his eyes downcast and said nothing. The other witches suddenly found the runners of their sleds very interesting.

“Please.” The Viper softened her tone. “Speak freely.”

“It’s been difficult.” Domovoi rose to his feet. “The forest has gotten more ravenous. Artair left to assist The Wolf but… he succumbed last night.”

“My deepest condolences to you and yours. You have my word that Artair will be the last.” The Viper turned back to the kids. “Heroes of the Boiling Isles, this is Domovoi, leader of The Red Fox Clan.”

Domovoi nodded to them hesitantly. “These are children, my lady.”

“They completed a Champions Challenge.” The air changed. The Red Fox witches surveyed them with more attention, some were impressed, others were skeptical, but most wore a mix of the two expressions. Hunter took Willow’s hand and gently guided her toward their friends while Vess stepped forward to speak with the other witches individually.

“Willow,” Amity started. “What happened back there? You weren’t yourself.” They were worried. Of course, they were worried. They saw Willow leading them into Malady Thicket. The way she walked, like she wasn’t there.

“I saw everything,” Willow sighed, wishing she could explain it better but she was still coming to terms with it, herself. “I think that spell gave me a door to what she sees.” Her friends exchanged dubious glances. She didn’t need to ask to know what they were thinking. Doors can swing both ways.

“That voice.” Hunter urged. “What has it been saying to you?”

“I can’t understand most of it,” Willow answered, trying to recall everything. “In the fog, it said it was hungry. At the gap, all I could make out was the word ‘need’ before I got pulled back.”

“Gap?” Luz asked. “What gap?”

“When I was seeing, there were these areas dotted all over the forest, where it just felt like… nothing. I’m not sure what else to call them, but that’s where the voice was coming from.”

“It’s called The Rot.” Vess’s voice startled the kids. She turned back to Domovoi and his party. “Blessings on your hunt.” She dismissed them and the Red Fox witches took off on their sleds.

“I have to apologize.” Vess addressed the group. “I intended to take you straight to my brother’s castle once we got in. However, it seems like my absence has affected the forest more than I expected it to and some detours are necessary.”

“What detours?” Gus crossed his arms.

The Viper looked genuinely nervous, which did nothing to ease their minds. She bit her lip, looked somewhere off in the distance, and back to the kids. “It will be better if I show you.” She said. “Follow.”

They trailed after her, not that there was much choice. Now that The Viper had healed there was no more need for Willow and her to make a spell circle, a small relief. Vess stopped abruptly in front of a large decaying tree. Dark tendrils enveloped it from root to trunk, pulsating slightly as if drinking from the bark.

“This is The Rot.” The Viper said, reaching out her arm to make sure the kids kept their distance. “Remember what I said,” she warned, stooping to remove a dagger from her boot. “As guardians of this land. It is the duty of The Wolf and The Viper to make sure our forest maintains its strength against Czernobog.” She explained, holding the dagger to her palm. It was only now that they noticed the sheer amount of scars her hands carried. With practiced fluidity, she flicked the dagger across her hand. “These trees need to be fed.” Blood poured from her hand as she stepped towards the rot, each drop disappeared into the snow the moment it hit the ground. “Our people try to help when they can but, ours is more potent.” The Viper placed her bleeding hand on the suffering tree. After a moment The Rot receded, traveling down the bark, back through the roots, and disappearing into the soil. “Once the forest tastes your blood it won’t let you escape. So everyone born here is trapped.” Once sure the tree was satisfied The Viper stepped back. “This is why I need you. Once Czernobog is gone the forest will no longer need to keep its food source. My people will be free.”

Hunter stepped forward. “The one they mentioned, Artair. They said he succumbed.”

The Viper nodded. “Yes, The Rot took him. It is rare, but it happens. You must take special care. Your kind is particularly susceptible.”

“Our kind, as in mortals?” Gus asked.

She shook her head. “His kind. Timberward.”

Hunter stiffened. “I didn't catch that. What did you call me?”

The Viper blinked. “Have I offended? It was easy to tell by your heartbeat. You are one born of timber and magic.”

Hunter’s discomfort dissolved slightly. “I’m a Grimwalker, actually. Not whatever you called it.”

“Grimwalker?” The Viper sneered. “What a ghoulish thing to call it. No, I know a Timberward when I see one. There are quite a few here made by desperate couples unable to conceive. I do not know how a Timberward made from different trees will fare, but the ones here are wonderfully perceptive. They often grow to become the best trackers in the forest.”

They traveled on, less at ease with the location but more confident with their company. From what they could tell they moved in a large zig-zag pattern, making frequent stops so that The Viper could feed the forest. With every stop, The Viper’s pallor worsened. It seemed even the high fae were not immune to symptoms of blood loss. By evening they were forced to stop and make camp.

It took no time at all for Amity to form a sizable abomination tent, complete with cots for each of them. They sat by the fire outside with too much on their minds to sleep. The Viper disappeared into the forest just after they finished setting up camp. Over an hour passed and she had not returned. Gus was using his improved spyglass to add illusionary stars to the sky. Luz was the first to point out that no stars could be seen that night, not even the moon. Come to think of it no one could remember seeing the sun after entering Malady Thicket. The sky just turned from light gray to deep blue. The idea that the people here lived their entire lives without seeing the sun, moon, or stars, disturbed them.

“I’ve never heard of a Czernobog,” Luz said. “What do you suppose we’re up against?”

“She said it was thousands of years old, right?” Amity chimed in. “Do you think the Titans ever had to deal with it?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Gus said. “I wouldn’t want to live here either. But why now? What does she think we can do?”

“I don’t believe she knows.” Willow threw another log on the fire. “I think it's mostly hope. We can understand what that’s like.”

Her friends murmured their agreement. They remembered their time in the human realm well. Two months chasing leads only to find dead ends, never giving up on their home. It would be hypocritical not to sympathize.

“One of those witches looked a lot like Mattholomule,” Gus said, adding another star to his constellation. “Do you think he’s one of the escapee's descendants?”

Hunter elbowed his bro with a smirk and a wink. “Could be. I mean if Raine and Principal Bump have family here I guess anyone from the Boiling Isles could. We were never told how many people got out.”

“Or how they did it,” Amity added. “We should have asked him.”

Luz’s response was cut off by the snapping of twigs. Everyone jumped to their feet, staffs and spell circles at the ready. The Viper approached, gait unsteady. She smiled at the children and practically collapsed in an attempt to sit down with them. Blood from fresh wounds gleamed in the firelight. She caught Willow staring at her hands.

“As I stated, it is my job.”

“No wonder you want to end this,” Willow replied. “Opening wounds again and again. It’s awful.”

The Viper stared down at her hands, pensive. “Yes,” she said after a beat. “Among other things.”

Chapter Text

The next morning the kids woke to find a basket filled to overflowing with fruits they couldn’t identify. They were oversized soft lavender berries that smelled almost like citrus. Even Hunter, who read stories of unfortunate mortals who ate fae food was too hungry to resist.

Vess entered the tent with a second basket. Dark circles planted themselves under her eyes but she bid them a pleasant good morning all the same. “The castle will have more hearty fare, but the cordial berries will help keep your energy up.” They happily devoured both baskets. Willow asked if Vess would teach her how to grow cordial berry bushes someday and Vess agreed to teach her in exchange for a lesson on growing apple trees.

They went over the day’s route while preparing to leave. The castle was half a day’s walk accounting for the necessary detours. 

“You said this castle belongs to your brother, right? The Wolf.” Luz probed. “You’ve mentioned him a few times, but you don’t seem to talk about him much.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Who’s the older sibling.” Gus cut in. “What’s he like? Who’s better at magic?”

The Viper smirked. “He’s the elder by about five hundred years, or so and he never lets me forget it. He likes to think he’s wiser for it, but I know he’s just an arrogant recluse.” she winked. “In terms of magical strength, it’s impossible to tell. It’s forbidden for us to battle. One. another.” The Viper’s speech slowed as she looked at the ground, scrutinizing something they couldn’t see. Then rage.

Vess’s pupils turned to slits. A snarl worked its way up the fairy’s throat as she barred her fangs. Amity lept back as The Viper struck at her shadow with an energy that could only be described as feral. The mad fae seized Amity’s shadow at the throat and yanked. An inky-bodied, white-eyed creature resembling a cat with mouse paws squirmed in her grasp. The two fae shrieked at each other in a language no one could understand. It was a strange melodic mix of words interlaced with the odd hiss and growl. The Viper threw the creature to the ground and pointed off into the distance. It bounded away and the teens yelped to see a host of identical creatures evacuated everyone’s shadows and made for the tree line.

“What was that?!” Amity exclaimed.

“Scaths.” The Viper huffed, fixing her hair. “Vile little lesser fae known for hiding in the shadows of travelers and feeding off their energy until only a husk is left. They owe us a favor now, for letting them live.” She continued with a sneer. “I’ll let you decide what to do with it. We should keep moving.”

“By all means, stay a little longer.” A soothing baritone voice called from the tree line. “I only just got here.” There was no doubt that the high fae approaching them was  Vess's brother. Even if the snarling wolf tattoo along his neck and shoulders didn't give away his status, their structures were all too similar, long limbs and sharp angles with only slight differences in their coloring.

In comparison with The Wolf, The Viper was positively vibrant. He was faded, possibly fading, as if time, unable to touch his immortal strength, chose to take his pigment as consolation. Seeing them together was like watching dusk advance upon a sunrise. The Wolf took his time, carefully considering each of them, clear displeasure on his face. 

“Vesper,” his voice came barely above a whisper, but The Viper winced all the same. “What have you done?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, choosing instead to speak to the newcomers. “Whatever my sister has promised you is not worth the risk. Go back to your ship and pray that the forest hasn’t claimed you yet.”

“They can help us.” The Viper stepped up to her brother, challenging him. “They saved their continent from a Collector.”

“Then they are entitled to their own peace.” The Wolf snarled. “I thought giving you space was a good idea. That you needed time to cool down after…” he let his sentence trail off, exasperated before picking up the thread again. “I didn’t want to believe it when you left. When I had to care for the forest alone. When you came back and our people started whispering about outsiders.”

“We want to help.” Luz attempted to diffuse the tension. The gazes of two fierce high fae made her involuntarily shrink back.

“An admirable sentiment, but there’s nothing to be done.” The Wolf replied, making an effort to speak patiently to her. “We are unlucky enough to be born here without my sister thoughtlessly promoting false hope. Have any of you been injured? Bled anywhere?”

“I’ve kept them perfectly safe.” The Viper crossed her arms.

“Debatable.” The Wolf snapped, looking off in the direction the Scaths ran. “Get them out of here. That’s an…” Both Wolf and Viper froze, and overwhelming dread spread across their features.

“It’s close.” The Viper whispered.

“It’s here.” Her brother answered.

It was a witch, or at least it tried to look like one. The man stood eight feet away, watching them from where the treeline met the clearing. As if he had been there for hours. He wore a parka like the Red Fox witches they ran into yesterday. He was sickly gray from head to toe except for bright yellow irises and teeth. His smile didn’t reach his eyes and his shoulders moved up and down too fast in a failed attempt at mimicking breath.

He- It raised a jittery leg to step forward. The ground cracked under its foot like glass. It kept coming. On instinct each of the kids grabbed their palismen and took to the sky, ready to defend themselves from the air. It stopped eyes lingering on the children. 

“Fresh” a rattled voice echoed from its permanently smiling maw. A circle of rot-corrupted trees erupted from the ground around them. “Thousands of you will bleed.” It croaked. “For thousands of years.” The trees bent inwards, branches mingling together to form a deadly cage. The fae held the blades of their daggers to their hands. “It will never be enough.”

The Wolf lunged for the creature while The Viper ran to the corrupted trees, both holding out bleeding hands. It jumped back with impressive speed. The Wolf fell face-first into the snow. The trees honed in on the blood. Starving roots, vines, and branches lunged for the fae. They jumped, narrowly avoiding impalement from the larger ones, and earning a bevy of cuts from the smaller ones.

Willow ignored her friends’ cries to wait and urged Clover towards the frey. The fae caught sight of her and let out a roar of protest that swept her back just in time. Willow collected herself, confused.

“We can’t touch it, remember?” Gus said.

“Not unless we want to end up like him.” Amity drew a quick spell circle. Abomination gunk crawled down their arms and over their hands, making crude gloves for her and her team. They split off. 

Hunter and Gus pushed Waffles and Emmiline toward the creature. They used a combination of illusions and dash moves to bait and herd it to a place where The Wolf could grab it. It slashed at them with too-sharp fingernails, only managing to grab fabric and abomination gunk.

Luz and Amity shot down towards The Wolf, using their staffs to hack and hold back the aggressive foliage. It gave him time much-needed time to recover himself. In the split second it took him to assess the situation Luz swore she caught appreciation in his gaze. The Wolf charged at the creature again, flanked by Amity and Luz. Gus and Hunter managed to slow down the creature, but not enough. It evaded them again, laughing and biting at the air. “There is no end.” It mocked. “Wolves, Vipers, Mortals, Immortals. There will be nothing left of you and I will remain.”

Willow took a vigilant position at The Viper’s side. Like Luz and Amity, she kept any attacking branches and roots away while The Viper worked to heal the trees making their cage. For every tree that healed, the others became more desperate, stretching for her and Willow with increased speed. Willow cut away at a root that came too close for comfort and caught The Viper’s distressed eye. She surveyed the area. The Wolf didn’t look any better. The danger of being trapped here settled in. That thing only needed to wait for the forest guardians to bleed out, completely. They would do it, they had to do it. She looked back at The Viper, kneeling beneath another tree, feeding it. They stared at eachother for a moment, The Viper’s expression changed to something unrecognizable, she bit her lip and averted her gaze.

Gus cried out. The creature yanked him off his staff and held him in an iron grip. Gus choked on the sickly sweet smell of decay coming from its mouth. It raised its free hand to come down on Gus’s eyes when Hunter dashed into them both, knocking both Gus and the creature to the ground. The Wolf pounced on it, forcing his bleeding hand into the creature’s mouth. It grinned beneath his hand, and bit down. Its chest rose and fell truly breathing. Its eyes closed, it almost looked peaceful. Grey leached away starting at the boots, revealing natural colors. The Wolf slackened but didn’t let up. He murmured something that sounded like encouragement.

Willow helped The Viper to the last tree. Vess’s shaking hands plucked the dagger back out of her belt.

“Willow.” She breathed. “I have a plan. I need you.”

The young witch grasped Vess’s tunic. “What is it? What can I do?” She pleaded.

Vess guided Willow closer to the tree, where they knelt by its trunk. “Help this forest. I need you to say it. Swear.” The Viper hissed with urgency. Willow hesitated, confused. Was this part of the plan? Was the blood loss going to her head? More fairy nonsense perhaps? “Willow.” The Viper was practically begging now.

Willow nodded. “I’ll help you. I’ll help this forest. Whatever you need I swear, just tell me what I can do!”

The Viper sighed. “That will do.” With a quickness, Willow didn’t expect The Viper grasped Willow’s right hand and dragged her dagger across her palm. Willow attempted to pull back, more out of surprise than pain, but The Viper had her in an iron grasp. The fae forced Willow’s bleeding palm onto the tree alongside her own. Willow could feel the tree sucking the blood from her wound. A rush from within her veins made it difficult to stay aware like trying to breathe while buffeted by heavy wind.  She turned to The Viper for an explanation and saw only eager yearning.

The Wolf rolled away from the unconscious man. He lay on his back exhausted and panting. He tried to block out the mortal children surrounding him, bombarding him with questions. He just didn’t have the energy for it. Then, a shift. He felt the forest snap to attention. The ground trembled beneath them. His eyes sprang open as the thundering intensified. He stumbled to his feet, slowly. Too slow.

Vess, grinning wildly, had Willow’s left hand in hers. Willow, frozen from shock and the onslaught of unfamiliar power, watched as the snake tattoo rose from Vess’s neck and slithered toward her. Hunter, frantic now, dashed for them. Too late. The snake wrapped itself around Willow’s neck and settled there. She shouted his name. Then there was a swish, an invisible force pulled at her.

Vess tossed Willow unceremoniously into the snow. She couldn’t hear her friends anymore. She scanned the area and recognized nothing.

“You’ll be safe here until my brother returns,” Vesper smiled, ice in her voice. “good luck, Lady Viper.” The fairy was gone before Willow could take in her words.

Chapter Text

Flashes of gold littered the clearing. The Wolf staggered. Hunter refused to let up.

“Where is she?” He roared. “What have you done?” He knew this was wrong. They never should have come. He never should have let Willow out of his sight. Trusting the fae always led to tragedy. How could he be so stupid? Now, Willow was Titan knows where with Titan knows who. The Wolf was the only chance of seeing her again and he’d be damned if he let him get away. The Golden Guard was back and he was out for blood.

The fae in question did little to strike back, choosing to cover his face with his arms and jump out of the way of Hunter’s staff. The onslaught only stopped once Hunter’s staff connected with The Wolf’s temple. The Wolf doubled over. Hunter, too winded to continue stood over him, brandishing his staff.

“You’re going to take us to her.” He demanded. “No tricks, no deals.”

The Wolf recovered his posture and stared down at the boy. “Even if I do, she can’t leave with you,” he explained. “It would be pointless to-”

A wild-eyed Hunter raised his staff to strike again until an arrow cut through the space between them. The Red Fox witch they’d left on the ground stood, bow in hand, preparing to make another shot.

“That was a warning.” The witch told Hunter. “I don’t know who you are, but threatening Lord Wolf is not something we stand for around here.”

“Artair” The Wolf held up a hand to stop him. “It’s alright.” The Red Fox witch, Artair, lowered his weapon out of obedience, not trust. “I sympathize.” The Wolf continued. “Losing a friend to the forest… it must be difficult. But things will only get worse if you stay. Save the rest of your friends you can while you still can. He” The Wolf nodded to Artair “will take you back to the border.”

“That’s not good enough!” Hunter reached for the dagger Vess left behind, and before anyone could stop him slashed the top of his hand. If Willow couldn't leave neither would he. Blood spilled from the cut to the snow, where it disappeared. An errant breeze swept through the trees. Recognition.

“You stupid boy.” The Wolf let out a frustrated growl. “You stupid, reckless, stubborn… fine.” He snapped his fingers and midnight blue sparks trailed down the distant sky. “There is to be a clan meet until the guardianship can be settled again. Artair,” He nodded to the Red Fox witch. “take them with you. Since these children are so determined to condemn themselves they should get acquainted with their neighbors.”

“No, take us-” But The Wolf was already gone before Hunter could finish.

Willow had to assume she was in front of The Wolf’s castle. However, calling it a castle was generous. It used to be magnificent, once upon a time ago. But now, she wondered if it was safe even to enter. Its towers were half crumbled revealing spiral staircases with missing portions. What used to be a great dining hall sat half exposed to the elements, its exterior wall half gone.

Willow considered the castle for a moment before opting to head for the fence. It was an ornate, metal, barrier that separated the trees from the ‘castle’ and it was taller than it had any right to be. She looked for Clover and found that her poor palismen wasn't with her. Willow walked the length of the fence for some time trying and failing to find any sort of gate. In hindsight, the lack of a door shouldn’t have surprised her. Why would anything be easy?

“Alright,” Willow said to herself. “Time for the tried and true.” She made a spell circle, summoning a vine to help her climb. But it came out wrong. The circle was staticky and rough. Its color was a mix of ruby and pine rather than the soft spring shade of green Willow was accustomed to. And the thing that sprang from the ground certainly wasn’t a plant she knew. It was a vine, sure. But it was deep blue and coated with bright red thorns. Not good for climbing. Willow was confused but wrote it off as nerves. Just her magic responding a bit too much to her emotions again.

She attempted to summon a large flower. Something to stand on while it grew up and over the fence. Her spell circle reacted the same way. And though she got a flower, it was quickly deemed useless when it bared its fangs and tried to eat her. Did Vesper corrupt her magic? Willow shook the thought from her head. What’s done is done. The only thing that mattered now was getting back to her friends. She attempted to summon another vine only to be met with the same thorny one from before. “Okay.” Willow sighed to herself. “You can do this.”

She grasped the vine, trying to avoid the plethora of thorns running along it. It was pointless. Her hands discovered a new thorn every few feet. It was slow going, mostly because her hands were slick with blood. Thinking about how she would thrash that fairy when she saw her again helped. The climb down was less graceful than Willow cared to admit. It could hardly be called a climb at all. More like semi-controlled falling. But she made it. That was the important part.

Willow didn’t have time to celebrate. The moment her feet touched the ground, the trees around her creaked. She could feel their attention, their hunger. They spoke to eachother, sending a message she couldn’t hear, but could feel all the same. No matter. She wandered this forest before. She would do so again. Willow stepped into the treeline and it was like a trip wire snapped.

Rotted roots sprang from the ground at her from all directions. They clung to her wrists, ankles, and neck then grew thorns and dug in. Willow drew desperate spell circles around herself. They sparked, fizzled, and faded. She tried to tear herself away but only succeeded in spilling more blood, exactly what the roots wanted. Before long her strength was gone. She was trapped, they were going to drain her, and she couldn’t even muster up enough energy to be afraid. Willow could barely make out the now familiar whispers before darkness enveloped her completely.

“ devourer”

Artair was less than pleased with his company, and the kids were inclined to say the same.

“Should we… you know?” Luz whispered behind their reluctant leader.

Hunter considered it for a moment. “We could. I don’t think he’s all that inclined to come after us. If we split up and meet where we camped then-”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Gus cut in decisively. He had taken his journal out of his pack when they started to move. He was still clinging to it. “We should go to the clan meet.”

“What makes you so sure?” Amity asked him.

Gus looked down. “I just… know. She’s not done with us yet, I can feel that for certain. I think it’s part of our deal.”

“Deal?” Hunter raised an eyebrow, scowling.

Gus opened his journal to reveal the swan feather. “I’m supposed to give this back to the swan she loaned it from. It didn’t seem like a big deal at first, but now…”

Hunter stopped short. “This has gone too far. That conniving fairy has her claws in too deep already we can’t-”

“I can hear you, you know?” Artair called behind him. “If you want to leave I won’t track you down. But your friend is right, it would be stupid to do so.” He nodded to Gus. “I know the Swan that belongs to. She’ll be at the clan meet.”

“Then I suppose we have to continue.” Amity placed a hand on Gus’s shoulder and looked at Hunter. “To complete the bargain sooner rather than later.” She continued pointedly.

Hunter glanced behind them, to where they camped the previous night, where they fought the thing that possessed Artair, where he last saw Willow. Every instinct told him to run back, find the fae, and make them take him to Willow. But his mind knew better. At least the camp would have shelter and supplies. Not to mention terrible things happened when bargains went unfulfilled. Gus needed to go to this camp. With that begrudgingly settled, they continued on.

“I have a question.” Luz sped up her gait to walk beside Artair. He only grunted in response. “The Wolf rules this place right? Doesn't having a bunch of clans make that difficult? What's the point? Is it like a coven situation?”

Artair’s annoyance turned to bafflement. “Covens? Groups of witches that only study a singular discipline? That's sure to get your people killed. What were your leaders thinking?” No one had a response for that one. They knew exactly what their deposed ruler was thinking. The Coven system was key to the almost annihilation of their homes. When Aritair was certain he would not receive an answer he sighed. “I don’t know what your continent is like, but here large populations staying in one place too long means death on a massive scale. We have clans for survival, The Lord Wolf and Lady Viper have a lot of say-so here but they’re too busy to do more than be a consult. We have clan law and clan leaders for everything else.”

They could hear the clan meet before they could see it. The sounds of dogs barking and people calling led them the rest of the way through the trees. It was organized chaos in every sense of the word. A group of witches in grey parkas and three blue wavy lines tattooed on their cheeks were carrying woven baskets of food to the center of the crowded clearing. Another group of witches whose teeth were filed to a point and wore large claws on necklaces were tending to their shelters. They each grabbed a flat square from a sizable stack, tossed it to the ground, made a spell circle and a cabin magically unfolded. The large fire in the center was being tended to by witches whose skin was painted to resemble tree bark. The clan they recognized as the Red Foxes were tending to their ‘dogs’. Few took notice of the approaching party and the ones that did quickly decided they weren’t interesting enough to stop setting up camp. Except for The Red Foxes.

“Artair!” Domovoi was running their way. “Thank the guardians you're home!” 

Artair knelt down to clap hands with the smaller witch. “Forgive me, Domovoi. I should have been more careful but The Wolf needed-”

“There is nothing to forgive, my boy.” Domovoi shook his head frantically. “But you must rest. You have been through so much. Have you eaten anything? Are you injured?”

Artair stood straight, “We have guests we must tend to first, Panov.”

“Yes, of course.” Domovoi cleared his throat and addressed the kids. “Apologies, Heroes, our manners are usually better than this.”

“They are looking for Irina and Kedinn.”

Domovoi nodded as if that made perfect sense. “Of course. The Swans will be that way.” He pointed west. “Panov Kedinn has already departed for the Wolf’s castle, but Panova Irina is still about.” The witches he was indicating had white feathers braided into their hair.

“Swan. As in Swan Clan.” Gus realized.

Artair nodded. “If The Lady Viper borrowed that then I guarantee it's Irina’s. She’s a clan leader so she’ll be at the center of everything.”

“Thank you, Artair. For leading us here.” Luz said.

Artair rolled his eyes. “A word of advice. We don’t care for people disparaging our gentry. Try to keep your opinions to yourselves.” He said with a pointed look at Hunter. “Now, off with you!”

They hurried to The Swans, weaving between people carrying food, books, and firewood. A silver-haired young woman stood at the center, going over their stock of potions while rocking the baby on her hip. She turned as she heard the children approach, but didn’t seem surprised.

“You must be the Heroes.” She smiled at them. In any other situation, her expression would have been comforting.

“Yeah…How did you know that?” Gus replied, suspicious.

“It’s all anyone can talk about,” Irina said. “Strangers aren’t common, as you can imagine. What can The Swans do for you?”

Gus opened his notebook. “Actually, it's what we can do for you”.

Irina's dark eyes lit up at the sight of the feather. She snatched it out of the book and began tying it to the end of her braid. “Thank you, young man. I've been feeling too light without it. You'll be staying with me, yes? Follow me.”

“No,” Luz said. “I'm sorry but we must get to The Wolf's castle as soon as possible. Can you show us the way?”

Irina's smile faded. “I will not. Not today at least. It is almost dark. You have no iron, no potions, no food. You require hospitality. Clan law is very specific. You will come to my cabin, I will feed you, give you supplies and you will set out in the morning. As it stands there is much to discuss. Come.”

Hunter’s interest was suddenly caught. Iron was known to harm fae creatures, even strip them of their power. Odd that a fae-ruled continent would allow such a thing. “You mentioned iron. You have a forge?”

“Of course. You can’t be too careful with the things that lurk out there. They’re setting up near the center of camp,” Irina said, leading the way to one of the larger cabins. “The fires won’t be ready yet. But don’t worry, we’ll have you prepared for tomorrow.”

Irina’s cabin was bigger than the others. She explained that it was the clan leader’s duty to host guests, so they were allotted an extra bedroom. They tried to help with dinner, but Irina wouldn’t allow it, reciting the clan law on hospitality again. But she was happy to allow them to keep an eye on baby Fife while she got everything cooking.

Dinner that night consisted of lean meat from a creature Irina called aurelk glazed with cordial berry syrup and a roast vegetable that looked like a cross between leek and asparagus. They ate enough to be polite, but by this point, the kids were too anxious to be trusting. Irina clocked this. “You’ve been through a lot.” She prodded the kids, trying to get them to open up.

“You have no idea,” Hunter said.

Irina’s gaze traveled from his eyes to the wound on his hands. “We are not stupid. Our Lady Viper returned to us with five children, proclaiming them to be heroes. Shortly after that, a great quake disrupts our lands, and four of said heroes come to us seeking shelter. We have a better idea than you think. And I’m sorry.”

“Will Willow be okay?” Amity asked. “Do you know?”

Irina was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Our guardians are not cruel. Ignorant in some ways, yes. But if your Willow is with The Wolf then she is safe.”

“What if she’s not?” Hunter demanded. “The Viper disappeared with Willow, not him! We have no idea if…” he let himself trail off, not wanting to think of the possibilities.

Irina opened her mouth as if to respond, but couldn’t seem to find the words to say. Eventually, she settled for “Don’t upset yourself. Now is not the time for theorizing. You should rest. The morning is wiser than the evening.”

They left the table with little argument. More out of wanting to talk privately than wanting to please Irina. Hunter wanted to sneak out once Irina was sleeping.

“They’re clearly loyal to their ‘guardians”’ He explained. “They could be plotting a trap. For all we know she’ll be here in the morning to finish us off.”

Luz and Amity exchanged a look of concern. “I don’t think we have much choice.” Amity directed them to the window. Night had fallen and the previously bustling camp was positively silent. “No one goes out at night here, and there’s probably a good reason.”

“I don’t think scaths are the only things out there,” Gus added. “We want to find Willow as much as you do, but we won’t be any help to her dead or worse.”

“It’s just one night.” Luz attempted to comfort him, but Hunter shrugged her off. With nothing else to say they each crawled into their bedrolls for a troubled and dreamless sleep. Except for one.

Hunter waited for the sounds of deep unconscious breathing. It may have been minutes. It may have been hours. He couldn’t tell. One by one Luz then Amity and finally Gus succumbed to sleep, Quietly he stood, collected his pack, and crept out of the cabin. Hunter stayed near the entrance for a moment letting his eyes adjust to the dark then made for the forge. The door was unlocked and the fire was still roaring. He searched the space for something, anything he could use, and thanked the Titan for his luck. A rope net with iron attachments sat on the counter with a pair of iron manacles. Without a second thought, he shoved both into his pack and ran for the forest.

Willow came to consciousness slowly, her head pounding. She heard voices first, they were close.

“So that's it then?” Asked the familiar voice of The Wolf.

An unfamiliar man spoke “I’m sorry, my lord. I’ll head south and see if-”

“No.” The Wolf interrupted. “You won’t. It’s almost dark and she won’t thank me for letting you run around the forest at night. Get back here. We’ll figure out something.” The Wolf sighed and shut off his crystal ball. Willow was fully awake by now. Her mind was cloudy, her head pounded, and the back of her neck twinged a bit. She attempted to stand which only made her vision swim.

“Careful.” The Wolf warned. Willow jumped away as he tried to steady her, an action she quickly regretted. She stumbled on weak knees and would have collapsed to the floor if a bookcase hadn’t caught her. The Wolf rolled his eyes, sat at a large desk, and took up a quill. “Try to avoid further injury. If you can.”

Willow regained her balance and looked around the room. It was a library, or at least that’s probably what it was meant to be. It had enough books to be sure, there were two large desks, an armchair, and a fireplace. It would have been quaint if given any form of organization. Tomes were strewn open across nearly every surface in various states of disrepair from the desk to the backs of chairs.

“You should eat.” The Wolf pointed to the coffee table with his quill. On it was a bread and cheese plate with a goblet of some type of juice she couldn’t place. “You lost a lot of blood. It will help.”

Willow frowned at it. “How do I know it’s safe?”

“My sister’s foolishness is her own.” The Wolf did not look up from his writing. “I will not harm you.”

The mention of Vess had her looking around, paranoid. Willow wasn’t sure she could fight in her current state, but she would try. “Is she here?”

“We’re still looking.” The Wolf stopped writing to look her in the eye. “But you have my word. I will find Vesper and make her take back her title.”

Vess’s words came back to her. “Her title… I have her title… I’m-”

“Yes. You are the new Lady Viper. For now, anyway.”

“Why?” Willow practically begged for an answer. “Why would she do this? We came here for her. We were helping her. We… I…” The dizziness came on again and she moved for the seat. The Wolf snapped his fingers and the goblet floated from the table to her hands. Willow drank it gratefully. “So… you need my help. Don’t you? I have to..”

“You will do nothing.” The Wolf stood suddenly, knocking his chair to the floor. “Vesper is using you to force my hand. It won’t work. I will handle things alone until she comes to her senses. You will stay out of the way.”

Willow couldn’t help but feel insulted. She was the strongest plant witch of her age, the strongest plant witch on the boiling isles. Who was he to say she wasn’t capable? She placed stood up to meet him trying and failing to hide her momentary vertigo. “I can help you know.” The Wolf merely raised an eyebrow, knowingly. “That’s different.” She defended herself. “If I didn’t have to climb over that fence then-”

“Climb?” The Wolf was baffled. “Why did you not walk through?” He asked as if it was the most obvious solution in the world.

“Through where?” Willow was only getting more frustrated. “There’s no gate!”

“That fence keeps the forest out.” The Wolf said. “Everything else may do as it pleases.”

Willow let out a frustrated grunt and mumbled something about fairy nonsense. “Why did the forest do that, anyway?”

“That’s how it always responds to guardian blood.”

  “It never did that for her.”

The Wolf sighed irritably. “My sister and I are immortal high fae trained since birth to take on guardianship. You are a mortal who has been ambushed with it.”

“Then I’ll practice.” Willow wanted to continue pleading her case, but she could feel herself losing steam. “I can’t just sit around and let others fight my battles.”

“Let’s continue this in the morning.” The Wolf conceded. “We don’t have many habitable rooms anymore, so you’ll have to take Vesper’s.”

He led her down a long, broken hallway to one of the few intact doors. “Get some rest. You can continue to plead your case tomorrow.”

Willow said an empty “Thanks.” and he winced.

“My name is Enoch. And I am sorry.” The Wolf murmured.

Willow was startled at that. “Aren’t you worried I’ll use that against you?”

“Should I be?”

She thought for a moment “I don’t know.”

The Wolf smirked. “Then take it as a gesture of good faith.” He walked away before she could say anything else. Willow wasn’t even sure she should have done it. But something compelled her to ignore common sense. Just for a moment. “I’m Willow.” She called after him. Enoch gave no indication of hearing her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Ruin

Morning brought an uncharacteristically golden glow to Malady Thicket. Hunter hadn’t slept a wink and the first signs of exhaustion had begun to take hold. He couldn’t fly straight and he caught himself dozing twice. They scanned the forest together, obsessively, hopelessly. No sign of Vesper or Willow. No sign of anything, actually. Hunter swayed on his staff, eyelids growing heavy.

“Hey!” Gus caught Hunter before he could fall. “Watch it, man!”

Hunter lurched upright and awake thanks to the surprise. Gus beamed proudly at Hunter’s look of astonishment. They landed, in need of a break.

Hunter looked around. “Luz and Amity?”

Gus gestured behind them “Still back at the camp.”

“How did you-”

Gus chuckled. “Come on dude, I know you better than that. Couldn’t just let my bro go it alone out here.”

Hunter smiled slightly. “Thanks. Luz and Amity are going to be mad.”

“Furious.” Gus nodded. “So what’s the plan?”

Hunter reached into his pack. “Track down Vesper, make her come with us, and take back whatever she did to Willow.” he pulled out the iron devices he stole from the forge.

“Got it,” Gus said. “How?”

Hunter deflated a bit. “I’m not sure. I haven’t noticed anything useful from the air. And I wouldn’t know which tracks to follow even if I knew how.” 

Both boys looked dejectedly at the snow, where the footprints of every creature in the area seemed to cross over one another. Boot prints walked over hoof prints which were dotted by pawprints of all sizes. One in particular, the familiar print of tiny clawed hands, caught Gus’s eye.

“Maybe we’re looking for the wrong signs.” He said, kneeling to take a closer look. “I have an idea.”

Baby Fife wailed louder than anyone thought her tiny lungs could have allowed. Luz rubbed her eyes and groaned. She turned over to face Amity, who had also been woken up by the crying child.

“Good morning,” Amity whispered.

“Good morning.” Luz greeted back, taking Amity’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. “Good morning, guys.” she stretched and said a bit louder. There was no response. “Guys?” Luz looked to the other side of the room. They were gone.

“You don’t think they…” Amity didn’t give herself time to finish the question. They would. Of course, they would. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Both girls booked it to the kitchen where Irina was feeding a much quieter Fife.

“Sorry about the noise.” She told the girls. “She’s usually not this… What is it?” Worry clouded her eyes.

“The guys.” Luz huffed. “They left last night.”

“No.” Irina jumped from her chair and ran past the girls. “No no no no no.” Luz and  Amity watched her open every door, search every room, and even look under the table. No sign of Gus or Hunter. “You have to find them. If something else hasn’t already.”

Irina hurried them through the rest of the morning, cramming parkas and food into Amity and Luz’s packs while they rushed through breakfast.

“You’ll need this. All the potions you might need. Make sure you don’t lose it.” A medicine horn was shoved into Luz’s hands before Irina hurried them outside.

“You still need iron.” She called to them from behind. “You’ll be no good to your friends if you’re lost or trapped.” Luz and Amity had to jog to keep up with her. By the time they caught up to Irina, she was already pounding on the blacksmith’s door. A tawny-skinned man with lavender hair and square glasses opened the door immediately as if he had been waiting by it.

“Hatchets, I think,” Irina told him before he could greet her. “And perhaps a dagger.”

The blacksmith did not invite them inside. They went back behind the door for a few moments before emerging with a leather pack. Inside it were three hatchets, two daggers, and ten iron darts. At the sight of the last item Irina’s mouth thinned into a disapproving line, but she said nothing of it.

It didn’t take long for Luz and Amity to figure out which way they guys went. It hadn’t snowed that night, so their tracks were relatively uncovered. They tried to say their thanks in between being hurried out to the forest, but it was hard to make their words feel genuine with everything that happened.

Irina watched Luz and Amity take off from the borders of the clan meet as fast as they could given their current load. She sighed, keeping a tight hold on Fife, and hurried to Panov Domovoi’s home the moment the girls were out of sight. Artair was there to greet her, with their guest. Vesper stood to take Fife from Irina’s arms and cooed over the baby.

“They left.” Irina plopped herself into the now available chair. “I made sure they have everything they need.”

“Almost,” Vesper said giving Fife a little tap on the nose.

Willow dreamed of being home. She walked hand in hand with Hunter. Their friends waited for them at the Owl House. It was the beginning of a beautiful day. Then she woke up. Willow looked around the room of the woman who did this to her. She wanted to tear down the dark green curtains, shred everything in that oversized wardrobe, and take a match to everything else. But this was her only place to stay. The castle as a whole was in taters anyway. It would likely fall to ruin on its own. So Willow settled for getting dressed and leaving the room as soon as possible. She stood and had to take a moment to recover. Spots swam through Willow’s vision. She wrote it off as stress and the corruption of her magic.

She retraced her steps from last night to the library and heard muffled voices from one of the adjoining doors. Curiosity got the best of Willow. The door was open just a crack. She peered through. It was a throne room. Like the rest of the castle, it had seen better days. Most of the tapestries were torn and small puddles littered the floor thanks to the holes in the roof. Only the two thrones at the far end of the room remained intact. Despite this, The Wolf, Enoch, stood before his visitors with the regality of any king. Willow counted about eight men and women that she could see, all wearing different types of clothes, jewelry, or body paint. Only one was familiar, Domovoi, the man from the hunting party stood with them.

“How long is this expected to go on?” A woman with waves on her cheek asked. “We don’t have forever to-”

“It will take as long as it takes.” Enoch rubbed his temple. “But rest assured I will-”

“Rest assured?” Snapped a man wearing a claw necklace. “You’re telling us one thing. The other one told us another. Now the ground is shaking, the trees are restless, and The Viper is gone! How can any of us trust anything you say?”

Willow caught herself leaning forward a little too late. The door creaked and she was sure everyone would hear it until the man with a swan feather stuck into his inky black ponytail started coughing. He glanced at Willow, still covering his mouth, and winked. She took a step back.

“All will be as it was, Panov Rian.” The Wolf replied. “Until then everyone needs to stay together. If you can't handle this then I suggest finding a successor once you return.”

The throne room erupted with protesting voices. Willow could only catch a few words like “can’t” and “killed.” Domovoi stepped forward. “Alright, alright.” He tried to soothe his angry fellows. “There’s enough uncertainty as is. Fighting isn’t going to do us any favors.”

“Absolutely right, Panov.” The man who coughed stepped forward to join him. “Things are strange right now. We’re scared. But we’ll make it through like we always do.”

The Wolf nodded. “Go home. Tell everyone to stay put for now. I’ll send another beacon when something changes.”

The meeting seemed to be over, despite the mutterings of some attendees as they retreated. Only the Swan feathered one stayed behind.

“That was productive.” He said sarcastically to The Wolf.

Enoch sighed. “You’re staying then?”

“At least for the night. Thought you could use the help.”

“Yes, well you know where everything is. I’ll be there in a moment.” The Wolf dismissed him. To Willow’s dismay, rather than following his fellows, the man walked straight towards her door. She jumped back just in time for him to step into the hallway. He didn’t bother to act surprised. He merely gave her a fanged smile and winked. It was then that Willow noticed his eyes. One warm brown the other ice blue.

“Breakfast?”

The little tracks led Gus and Hunter to a cove embedded into the hillside. The boys exchanged a concerned glance before gathering enough courage to knock. Nothing happened.

“Maybe they’re out?” Gus suggested.

“They didn’t seem to be the sunlight-loving type to me,” Hunter murmured. “Hey!” he called. “Hello in there! We’re here about that favor.” He ducked to look into the opening and was met by dozens of little white dots. They hissed at him. Both boys jumped back as the shadow in the cavern expanded towards them until the cove was littered with Scaths.

The largest one sat directly in front of the mouth of the little cave, watching them.

Gus stood up to address it. “Do uh… do you speak?”

“When necessary.” It hissed with its too-wide mouth. “What is your will?”

Hunter jumped in. “The fairy that was with us, Vesper, help us trap her.”

The lead Scath pulled his ears back and bared his fangs, as did all the others. “You do not know what you ask.”

“Even if I did it wouldn’t change much.” The remark earned Hunter a low growl from the lead scath but he pushed on. “Don’t forget that you owe us.”

“Never.”

“Then help us track her.”

A smaller scath lept from the shadow of a nearby tree and whispered in the leader’s ear. He flicked his tail and jerked his head in a shooing motion. “No need. She’s on her way to you.” This news would have alarmed the boys if Gus hadn’t been struck with an idea.

“You don’t just hide in shadows, do you?” Gus probed. “You use them to travel.”

“Go ahead and have a seat.” The man told Willow. “I’ll see what’s salvageable.” He had led her to a kitchen far smaller than it should have been considering the castle’s initial size. But at this point, Willow was just grateful to find another room intact. She grabbed one of the chairs at the small circular table and watched the man from the meeting mutter as he opened and closed various cupboards.

“Are you like them?” Willow asked. She probably could have phrased the question better, but she found she didn’t really care.

“Only a little.” He turned around to face her, chuckling a little. “But if you’re asking if I happen to be a member of our dear gentry then, no. Like yourself, I am quite mortal.” His gaze lingered for a moment, eyes moving from the snake tattoo coiled around her neck to her eyes and back. Troubled, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle without every piece. Willow cringed for a moment and the man seemed to remember himself. “My name is Kedinn.” He was back to investigating the cupboards.

“Willow.”

“And how has the master of conversation been treating you?” Kedinn asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“Alright, I guess.” Willow shrugged. “Is he always so…?” She couldn’t think of an inoffensive descriptor and opted for a noncommittal noise instead.

“You’ll have to forgive him.” Kedinn reached for a loaf of bread, voice sadly nostalgic “Enoch has existed for over five hundred years. And I don’t think he’s truly lived a day. He doesn’t understand mortals. Probably afraid to.”

“Afraid?”

Kedinn busied himself with slicing. “Forget I said that,” Willow noted that he said it a little too quickly.

“So you know Vesper and Enoch well?”

“I do. Tea? It helps with mornings.”

Willow shook her head. “No. My dads say too much caffeine is bad for growing minds.” It hit her then, how much she missed her dads. The fear that she might never escape this forest and see them again. It was a familiar pain. And that notion hurt her too. The idea that she knew such a wretched emotion so well. Willow couldn't bear to cry in front of this stranger, but the emotions crept up too fast. A strangled sob escaped and the best she could do was try disguising it as a humorless laugh.

Kedinn froze, regarding her again. The puzzlement was still there but different now. Closer to sadness than before. “You're so young.” He whispered more to himself than to her.

Willow couldn't handle pity right now. She straightened her spine. “It's fine. I'm strong. My friends and I have been through way worse.”

Kedinn said nothing but Willow could tell it didn’t have the desired effect. He had the same disapproving set in his jaw her papa got when she told him about her witch-eating plants.

They were both saved from continuing by the screeching kettle. Enoch creaked into the kitchen shortly after and grabbed a mug for himself.

“We need to have another talk about stocking your pantry,” Kedinn said by way of greeting. “For the sake of leaving the castle at least.”

The Wolf raised an eyebrow at him as if deciding to dain this statement with a response. “Trivial.” He answered, finally.

“The Vi-” They both shot a glance at Willow before Kedinn corrected himself. “The previous Viper didn’t think so. And the clans loved seeing her. Being visible to the people might help with… things.”

“And how much they love her patronage now that she’s abandoned them?” Enoch sneered. “Now that she’s left Malady Thicket to ruin.”

“Don’t say that.” Kedinn slammed his down on the table. “She loves this land just as much as you. People just love in different ways.” He sounded genuinely hurt. And to The Wolf’s credit, he didn’t pursue an argument.

“You said you’d explain more to me in the morning.” Willow cut in. “It’s morning.” The Wolf sighed and flicked his wrist in her direction. She took that as permission to continue. “Are my friends alright? Where are they?”

“The clan meet last we heard,” Kedinn answered her. “Staying with my wife, actually.”

Willow brightened and stood. “Great, when should we head back?” Uncomfortable silence. “You’re taking me back with you. That’s why you’re here, right?”

“You’re a liability.” The Wolf kept his eyes on his tea. “The Forest is still after your blood. Anyone around you is in danger.”

Willow bristled. “I’m not helpless!” She shouted. “I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here, but I’m strong and I’m a fast learner. Everything doesn’t have to be doomed if you just teach me!”

Enoch placed his mug on the table, slowly while Kedinn shrank back. “Alright, mortal.” The Wolf spat out the words. “Let’s say I do take vital time away from our search to teach you. You learn to become a proper Viper. What then?”

“I help you find Vesper,” Willow answered pointing to her neck. “We make her take this back.”

“And how long do you expect that to take? Days, weeks, decades? You don’t have a lot of those.” The Wolf continued. “Time is not, nor will ever be a luxury afforded to your kind. And with no heirs every breath you take we come closer to Viper magic dying with you and Malady Thicket falling to ruin. So no, we do not have time to waste on lessons.”

“You said your sister was trying to force your hand.” Willow pensive rubbed the sore spot on her neck. “This is what you were talking about, isn’t it?”

The Wolf nodded. “She thinks I’ll agree to her plan now that there’s a… deadline.” He winced slightly at the last word.

“She always was persistent,” Kedinn smirked. “But we can’t just trap the poor kid here, Enoch.” He gestured to Willow. “Teach her, enough to defend herself at least. It’s not like she’s going to keel over in a matter of hours.”

The Wolf pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something Willow couldn’t make out. “Get dressed.” He said finally. “Be in the courtyard within the hour. Don’t make me wait.” He was gone before anything else could be said. Willow mouthed a thank you at Kedinn and he winked.

Gus’s suspicions were correct. The scath jumped into one shadow to appear in another, making them possibly the only creatures able to leave Malady Thicket without issue. Gus and Hunter managed to exchange their debt for a message sent to the boiling isles. Unfortunately, the scath only agreed to send one. So deciding who to give it to and what to say took more time than they were comfortable with.

Finally, they decided that if anyone could help them, it was probably Eda. Neither boy had a pen or paper and the scaths seemed to think that their debt didn’t extend to providing materials. So the message had to be short and easy to remember or risk being muddled while still being clear. Gus and Hunter decided that three words should get the point across. Separated. Trapped. Help. The young scath lept into Hunter’s shadow and from there all they could do was hope for Eda to find her way there.

The boys didn’t stick around after the deal was done. Though they wanted to trap Vesper as soon as possible, it was unsettling to know that she was looking for them too. Still, this was an opportunity and it would be stupid not to take it. They found a small clearing and got to work.

“What do you think?” Gus asked. He had conjured a convincing picnic illusion complete with fresh bread, soft cheeses, and apples. Hunter couldn’t say for certain, but he caught the faintest smell coming off of the trick as well. He was thoroughly impressed. This illusion rested neatly on top of a net trap. All they needed was for Vesper to step inside. It wouldn’t hold long, but they only needed a moment to get the iron around one of her wrists. And that’s where Hunter’s speed came in handy. 

They had no idea how the iron would make her react specifically. In some stories the unfortunate fae creature was rendered powerless. In others, it writhed in agony as the metal seared their skin. In any other scenario Hunter might have hesitated to use something so potentially painful. But the part of him that needed to get to Willow won out over any possible guilt.

“Great work.” The boys fist-bumped. “Do you have enough energy to make us disappear?”

Gus nodded with pride. “Sure can. That fairy princess won’t know what hit her!”

“The correct title is Duchess, actually.” The boys jumped in surprise. Vesper sat on a tree branch smirking like a cat. Hunter and Gus made a grab for their palisman, but ultimately didn’t need to do anything. By the time Emmiline and Waffles had assumed their staff form Vesper had jumped from the tree to face them.

There was the slice of a rope being cut and the real net sprang from the ground as the images of Gus and Hunter faded. A streak of golden light came from the left and in a blink, the so-called high fae was captured and cuffed. Gus dropped the rest of the illusion and joined Hunter in front of their prisoner.

The time it took to be sent off did little to calm Luz down. “Sólo espera hasta que alcancemos a esos dos! I’m gonna kill them.”

“We’re going to kill them.” Amity corrected. Her tone was calmer but she wasn’t any less irate. “But first we have to make sure something else doesn’t beat us to it.” Luz and Amity followed the tracks until they disappeared by a river bank. “They must have flown from here,” Amity said, looking for any sign of direction.

Luz heaved a sigh and they decided to rest by the river for a moment. They had been walking since morning and while neither of them carried a timepiece, the hazy sky was bright enough to suggest that afternoon had come.

“We’re gonna get out of this one. Right?” Luz asked.

“You’re asking me to be the optimistic one?” Amity asked with concern. “I mean, yeah. We’ve been through worse.”

“We were together before,” Luz said.

“Come on Batata.” Amity made an effort to smile and pulled Luz to her feet. “We’ll find the boys soon. And you know Willow. I bet she’s giving those fairies what for as we speak.” Luz laughed a little at that. Amity was going to continue but was interrupted by a whiney and the clop of hooves.

The creature was unlike any horse either of them had ever seen. It was taller than either of them with a shining black coat and bright green eyes that matched its long mane. It walked their way confidently and spoke.

“My my, it’s not often that a young couple stops by my river.”

Luz and Amity stood. “We didn’t mean to trespass,” Amity said. “If this is your home then-”

The horse laughed. Or at least they assumed it was a laugh. It was difficult to tell. “Please, take as long as you need.” He told them. You look tired.”

“We’re looking for our friends. Have you seen two boys come through here?” Luz asked. “They’d be about our age.”

The horse thought for a moment and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. But I can help you look for them if you like.”

Willow begrudgingly threw on one of Vesper’s coats. She hated it. She hated having to sleep in the fairy’s room, hated having to wear her coats, and hated how easy it seemed for her to ease into the space she left behind. Willow debated leaving altogether. Let The Wolf wait forever while she ran to find her friends. But she abandoned that thought the moment the scar at the back of her neck twinged. If she had any hope of leaving this castle she needed this lesson.

The Wolf stood on the front lawn impassively watching the house. Beside him was a lone white tree half consumed by rot. Kedinn stood off to the side. His desire to be encouraging was clearly at war with his instinct to keep a distance from the tree. It was then that Willow noticed Kedinn’s hands. Unlike every other Malady Thicket resident she met his were completely free of scars.

“No doubt my sister has told you how we typically deal with rot.” The Wolf jumped right into the lesson. “Blood is the most typical treatment because it is the easiest one. Magic, though more draining, is also acceptable. I allowed this one in for our demonstration.” He placed his hand on the tree and indicated for Willow to do the same. Willow stepped up, careful not to touch any rot. “Breathe.” He told her. “Push your power into the bark.”

It took a moment for the magic to come. Willow had never done magic without a spell circle before. It felt unnatural, more difficult to control. Once she began she could hardly stop her power slipping through. Willow could feel the tree desperately drinking from her magic she feared it wouldn’t stop. But the Wolf was there, his hand glowing red as opposed to her green, expertly slowing her loss while providing his own sustenance. Willow’s limbs started to weigh her down. Her eyelids grew heavy.

“Not long now.” The Wolf said it was probably meant to be a reassurance.

… burned… That voice. The very same one that called to her on the boat and from the rot spoke to her again. It was clearer than before. Closer. If she could just dive deeper maybe she could-

“Willow!” Her eyes flew open. When did she close them? And when did she end up on the ground?

“Careful, young lady,” Kedinn said. He and The Wolf knelt at her side. The former looked far more concerned than the latter.

“Did it work?” Willow asked, making herself stand despite Kedinn’s protests.

“See for yourself.” The Wolf said. Willow looked towards the tree and found nothing. It was gone without a trace.

“Where is it? Did we do it wrong?”

“You didn’t expect it to stay here did you?” The Wolf said with some surprise. “It went back home as soon as it was healed.”

“So it worked?”

The Wolf nodded. “You have much to learn when it comes to restraint.” Kedinn gave him a disapproving look. “But I suppose there is hope. Come along.” He led them back into the castle. “I’m sure the library will have something helpful to study from.”

Vesper sat cross-legged on the ground. Hunter and Gus cut the net down as soon as they were sure the iron would hold. She looked them up and down with annoyance but once her eyes caught the scar on the back of Hunter’s hand she turned more pensive.

“Where are the others?” She asked looking about as if Luz and Amity would come join them at any moment. They ignored her question.

“What have you done with Willow? Where did you take her?” Hunter demanded.

Vesper smirked and held up her palms in a complacent gesture. “Rest assured our new Lady Viper is perfectly safe. The castle is one of the most secure places in Malady Thicket. Safer than here anyway.” She continued jerking her head around at that last statement. Looking for something. “Where are your other two friends?”

Again the boys ignored her question. “Take us there.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing,” Vesper said, the annoyance was back.

“Now. No more tricks. No more deals. No more nonsense. Take us to the castle!”

Vesper shivered, her eyes went wide, and she jerked forward. “Your friends. I told you to stay together.” She gasped. “Where are they?”

Gus and Hunter looked at eachother then back to her. “Why?”

“They’re in danger. We have to go.”

“Oh like you care all of a sudden.” Gus snapped.

“You know my kind can’t lie.” She pleaded with Hunter. “Your friends are in grave danger.”

Chapter Text

The horse extended its foreleg to the girls and bowed. “Please, allow me to give you a ride. I’ll reunite you with your friends in no time.” Amity gave her girlfriend’s hand a concerned squeeze. Luz didn’t pay it much mind. She was enamored.

“That’s so sweet.” Luz chimed. “But don’t we have to pay you or something? I don’t think we have anything to give you.”

The horse grinned. It was unsettling, but they tried to be polite. “Very right. You outsiders are quick.”

Amity raised an eyebrow. “How did you know-”

“It’s a small continent and everything talks here. Everyone knows you by now.” The horse shrugged. “And while we’re on the subject, you don’t have much time to waste if I remember correctly. All I ask is that you remember little old me.”

Luz wanted to be skeptical. She truly did. But when does anyone get the opportunity to ride an enchanted horse?

The scath leaped from the shadow of a red pine and blinked. It knew the sun existed based on his ancestor’s stores. But it never bothered to go anywhere he could see a celestial body. Why would it when all the prey it could drain were trapped in one little forest? The sun took some getting used to. This Boiling Isles continent was strange and overdeveloped. As if these witches in their little lives could truly claim a territory that would remain for eons after they were gone. The scath growled and pattered from shadow to shadow until it found a house fitting the disrespectful mortals’ description. It leaped to the window and peered inside. Dark. It would have to wait for the ‘Eda’ to return. The scath stretched its long spine and-

“Wah!” A young Titan tackled the scath out of nowhere. It laughed and the scath panicked. A titan was here. A titan lived. And what’s worse, the scath intruded upon its territory.

“Hey, hey, it's alright, little buddy.” King backed up to give this new creature space. “What are you doing looking through our windows?” He wagged his tail expectantly. King had been getting increasingly lonely Luz sailed off on another adventure and this little bandit looked fun.

The scath took a moment to catch its breath, then another to realize it wasn’t going to be eaten or flayed or… whatever titans used to do. To be honest he didn’t know much about titans. The elders told him that they used to be powerful and respected, but never why. This young titan was still watching, waiting for an answer, best not to keep it waiting. It opened its mouth to respond but-

“King!”

Another interruption. This time in the form of a mortal. She matched the childrens’ description, gray hair, bicolored eyes, and a hook for a hand. She joined the titan and didn’t even bother to bow. What a strange continent.

“Don’t pounce on the echo mice.” Eda lectured King. “You’ll get bookworms.”

“I don’t think this one is an echo mouse.” King shook his head. “Look. He’s fleshier.” He looked at the creature, still expecting something.

“I’m not.” The scath confirmed, sitting back on its haunches. “Not an echo mouse. I have a message for you.” It pointed a gangly finger at Eda. “From the mortals on our land.”

Hunter took the lead. He didn’t trust Vessper enough to take the front and it was better that he go first if they were being led into a trap. The fairy grew increasingly frantic by the second. And while they didn’t know why she would care, they did move fast. It wasn’t long before they heard a familiar yell near the river, and bolted the rest of the way. Luz sat atop a dark horse, thrashing or at least trying to.

“Why?! Why is the horse sticky?!” She cried, struggling to get free from the horse’s flypaper back.

Said horse reared up, headed for the river as Luz called for help.

“Don't let them reach the water!” Vesper ordered. But there was no need. Amity had already lept forward, magic circling her fingertips. Gus and Hunter weren't far behind her. An abomination barrier rose in front of the horse. It lept. Amity made a larger one in its path. The horse tried to dodge, but Hunter managed to startle it back in place with a dash. Gus and his illusion selves took up the other side in a desperate attempt to corral it. Vesper took advantage of the confusion and lunged at the creature. In one fluid motion, she wrapped the chains of her manacles once around its muzzle and pulled it close. The creature jolted at the touch of iron.

“Don’t touch it.” She hissed to the kids. “This kelpie won its prey fairly. If you fight it you’ll lose.” This announcement only made Luz thrash around more.

“Help her.” Hunter brandished his staff at Vesper, the threat was clear. The fae looked between the staff and the boy, unimpressed, and turned back to the kelpie. She used the same language she used with the scaths before, whispered, hissing, and somehow musical. The kelpie relaxed, but Hunter was still suspicious. “What are you telling it?” Both Vesper and the kelpie gave him a withering look.

“You fell for his trap fair and square,” Vesper told Luz. “So by rights, I shouldn’t interfere. But he’s willing to make an exchange.” She released the kelpie and muttered, “The vain thing.”

“Okay?” Gus asked. “What does he want?”  The kelpie made a raspy noise they had to assume was a laugh.

“A bridle,” Vesper said through gritted teeth.

“Well, that’s not so bad.” Gus brightened. “Amity, can you conjure up a-”

“It has to be made from a more precious magic than that. Humans are rare, so he’s demanding something of equal value.”

“And that would be?” Amity asked, quickly losing patience.

“High fae tears.” The kelpie grinned. “What a shame she’s beyond those now.”

Vesper gritted her teeth. “You named your price and you will have it.” She snapped. Vesper grasped Luz’s shoulder and pulled her from the kelpie with one swift tug as if she had never been stuck. Get out your medicine horn.”

Willow hadn't taken the time to notice the tapestries before. In her defense, she had a lot on her mind and there was little to notice. The wall decorations were clearly meant to represent eras in history, but like the rest of the castle, most were too torn and moth-eaten to decipher. One tapestry, slightly better preserved than its predecessors, depicted a royal wedding. A high-fae bride and groom stood exchanging rings beneath at the base of a glistening blue mountain. It was lovely if not confusing. Malady Thicket was flat. This landscape was all wrong.

“The Mountain of Glass,” Kedinn said, approaching the tapestry. “It was shattered during the battle with Czernobog. But I'm told it was breathtaking.”

“In more ways than one.” The Wolf added, his voice clouded by nostalgia. “Creatures traveled from all manner of dimensions for a chance to reach its peak. They say scaling The Mountain of Glass was once the ultimate test of devotion. But it only allowed very few to do so.”

“Did you?” Kedinn asked.

“I was still a child when it shattered. Your grandparents,” he nodded to the couple woven into the tapestry before them. “Were the last two souls to reach the top.” Kedinn’s eyes brightened with wonder.

“Was it really made of glass?” Willow asked, she couldn't resist such an interesting history lesson.

The Wolf reached into his coat to pull out a crystal clear shard the size of Willow's fist. “You tell me.” It caught the torchlight perfectly, dazzling refraction of the torchlight danced in the hallway. Willow reached out tentatively and he let her take it. She'd never held anything so smooth, so sharp, so cold.

“That's all that's left…” Kedinn watched the exchange as if the shard were sacred.

“Hardly.” The Wolf took his piece of the mountain back, reassuming his more distant demeanor. “If anyone were to go looking in earnest they'd find plenty more where that came from. It's a trinket at best.” He continued towards the library and Willow and Kedinn took their cue to do the same. 

The next recognizable pattern showed another celebration. It depicted the royal couple from before but with children. A boy, he must have been no older than twelve,  with stark white hair and gray eyes stood between the royal couple proudly clutching a wooden sword. The queen held a baby with brown hair and the same gray eyes, Enoch no doubt. But the oldest son, was another sibling lurking around the castle? Willow turned to ask Kedinn but the tightness in his jaw made the question die on her lips.

Kedinn pointed to another tapestry a few feet down. On this one, the king’s throat bore an all too familiar snake tattoo while the queen's neck held the mark of The Wolf. Both parents placed their hands on the shoulders of a much older Enoch. No joy, no glass mountain, no eldest son.

The Wolf cleared his throat from the end of the hall. He held the library door open, waiting. “I thought we were eager to be reunited with our friends.”

All necessary ingredients for the concoction were laid out on the ground. The medicine horn carried an excessive amount of potion ingredients come to think of it. They watched carefully as Vesper wet a red powder and used it to draw symbols in the snow. It was an awkward undertaking with her hands bound, but she managed.

“What’s all this for?” Amity asked.

“The kelpie wants tears. You're going to get them.”

“Correction.” Gus snapped. “It wants your tears. “I don't see how we need to be involved.” The other kids nodded in agreement. As happy as they were that Luz was okay, Vesper was far from forgiven.

“Because as irritating as it is, the kelpie is right. They won't be easy to get. Because if my part of the bargain isn't fulfilled he will drown us all and be within his rights to do so. So you have to go the mindscape to retrieve them.” Vesper snarled. “Consider it a way of getting the answers you seek.”

Chapter Text

“Not so fast.” Hunter stepped in the way of Vesper’s drawings. “Even if we did agree to this, which we don’t. You can’t possibly expect all of us to go into your head or to trust you to let us out.”

Vesper sat up, gaze lingering on the new scar on Hunter’s hand. “Do you believe you’re exempt from our laws simply because you know the most basic facts about our kind? For someone so worried about ‘fairy traps’ you were quick to thrust yourself into one. Look around. You are already exactly where I need you. Anything further would be redundant.” Hunter, unsatisfied with the answer, did not move. Vesper gave an exasperated sigh. “Here.” She pulled a knife from her pocket and tossed it to him. Hunter caught it, confused and perhaps a bit tempted to use it. “Look into the blade.” Vesper hissed as if it should be obvious.

Hunter unsheathed the weapon. It was lighter than any other weapon he’d wielded, too fragile for any real combat. The blade was forged of glass and rather than seeing his own eyes staring back, there was a fireplace, bookshelves, and most importantly, Willow. Hunter's heart lurched. The scratches on her arms and cheek were new, her hair was coming loose from her braids. The tattoo around her neck gave a constricting air. But despite the dark circles under her eyes, they hadn't lost their fire. She was okay. Thank the Titan! She was pulling tomes off shelves and skimming them to add to her already sizable stack.

“Willow!”

“It's only a visual enchantment, I'm afraid. She can't hear you. Still, if it calms you down it's yours to borrow.”

“You can see anyone with this?”

“As long as they're near a reflective surface.” She made a fluttering wave with her hands, “Now let me finish this.” Hunter stepped aside never taking his eyes off the blade.

“Hunter.” Luz placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his daze. “Will you be okay? Last time you went into someone’s mind you-”

“I remember.” Hunter cut in. He was struggling enough with the idea as it was. He didn’t need it spoken aloud. But he was on alert this time he wouldn’t be caught off guard. He couldn’t be. Not when he already knew the subject’s true nature. Not when Willow was on the line. “This time it’s… different… it has to be.” His friends looked just as convinced as he was.

“ Todo va a salir bien” Luz assured her friends. “As long as we stay together, we’ll get through this.”

“That’s the spirit.” Vesper stood to admire her work. “Of course, it bears mentioning that if you had stayed together you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Well, we can’t take all the blame, now can we?” Amity gave her a sardonic reply that Vesper acknowledged with an equally sardonic smile.

Vesper chuckled and tossed her a vial. “You’ll need that to collect the tears. I’ve set up the spell to bring you out again when it’s full, so don’t lose it.” The snow crunched behind them. The kids turned to see the self-satisfied kelpie, watching from a few feet away.

“No more stalling.” Vesper huffed. “In you go!” And with a snap of her fingers, the symbols lit up and the kids were dragged into her mind.

Willow couldn’t concentrate. Not from lack of motivation, but because too many things fought for her attention. How did the faires in the tapestry die? Most likely it happened in the battle with the Czernobog, but how? Where did the Czernobog come from? Willow hoped that the library would provide at least a vague answer, but the books she pulled so far were next to useless. One shelf consisted of books containing laws, most of which seemed irrelevant since the takeover of the forest. Another shelf held ancient stories, or perhaps histories, it was hard to tell. Unfortunately, none of these stories mentioned bloodthirsty trees, vipers, or wolves. So Willow moved on to the spell books. If today wasn’t the day for answers, maybe she could find a way to make her magic work with her again.

The library had books on plant magic in abundance from instructions on keeping a healthy garden to wilderness survival guides. Willow chose a large volume titled The Guardian’s Syllabus for Upkeep and Understanding Volume I . It was plain, no decorations, no illustrations, no listed author, and written entirely by hand. The opening paragraphs were the driest collection of sentences Willow had ever read. And considering the books she had to slog through during her time on the abomination track, that was saying something. She skipped past the thirty-page explanation of guardian obligations, did the same with the following fifty-page diatribe on the importance of Malady Thicket’s upkeep, and found a summoning spell. It was for something called a Spiderpetal Bower. The book described it as a purple flower with hundreds of thin petals that can be crushed to make a wound treatment. Summoning it looked simple enough, no different than summoning plants back home, at least. Willow read the page over again, making sure not to miss a thing. She made a small spell circle with one hand, and a perfect flower sprouted from her open palm. The scar at the back of Willow’s neck twinged, but other than that it was like her magic was back to normal. It was wonderful and confusing.

The Wolf jerked his head up from his writing. Willow startled back and was about to apologize, but he was looking in the opposite direction as if he could see through the wall. The Wolf ripped his coat off the back of the chair and made for the door without a word. Willow looked to Kedinn who gave her a noncommittal shrug in return. His face brightened when he saw the Spiderpetal Bower still in her hand.

“Looks like your magic has settled.” 

“Sort of.” Willow handed the flower off to Kedinn to inspect. “I still can’t summon anything from memory. And my hue isn’t as light as it used to be. It’s a lot closer to your mother’s shade than mine.”

Kedinn plucked a petal from the flower and sniffed it absentmindedly. “Probably because you’ve been trying to summon plants that aren’t native to the forest. So the magic was just doing its best to find…” He stiffened and looked at her again as he comprehended her last statement. Willow crossed her arms in a defensive stance. “You are a quick one.” He handed the flower back.

Willow shrugged. “You’re not subtle.” From the first moment she met him, something about Kedinn struck her as off. When Enoch mentioned his grandparents in the tapestry she knew she had a fifty-fifty shot at getting it right. And to be perfectly honest, The Wolf did not seem at all fatherly.

Kedinn relaxed a bit. “It’s genetic, I’m afraid. Please understand, I’m on your side. I know just as much as you do. Less than you do, actually.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

“But if your mother was just trying to prove a point by making a mortal Viper, why didn’t she pass it to you? Wouldn’t that be more convenient?”

Kedinn frowned, looking almost resentful. “I was hoping you could answer that same question. But it must have to do with this.” Kedinn pulled an old book from his inside coat pocket tossed, it onto the desk, and flipped to the end. Or at least where the end should have been. The last half was torn out. It was tan, faded from age, and smelled musty. The pages were weathered from exposure to moisture. Willow picked it up to read the title. The Eternal Manuscript of Blood. 

“Pleasant.” She said dryly.

Kedinn huffed his agreement. “My mother never said where she found it just that it would fix everything. Enoch found her with it and I don’t know the details but the fight got pretty ugly. And now… I don’t think The Wolf would take too kindly to us having it.”

Willow looked at the doorway over her shoulder. “How long till he gets back?”

“Long enough.” Kedinn grabbed a shining maroon book from Willow's discard pile, Ancient Heros: A Memoir. He drew a pale green spell circle and tapped the gold title and the two volumes swapped covers. “Just don’t draw too much attention to it. See if anything jumps out at you.”

The group found themselves in a forest, not unlike Malady Thicket. The trees were the same and there was snow. Where it differed was the large portraits nestled in the hollows of trees that went as far as the eye could see. About half of the trees were snow-covered while the others carried more spring-like qualities. It made an interesting patchwork out of the terrain before them.

“What now?” Gus asked. As the only one present who hadn’t ventured into a mindscape before he was cautious.

Amity checked to make sure she still held the vial. “Now, we find a memory that looks sad.”

“Or useful.” Hunter added, “This is probably our only chance to get clear answers. May as well use it.”

Luz wasn’t listening at least not to her friends. A distant conversation caught her attention and she wandered towards it. The voices came from one of the spring trees and as she got closer she realized that the portrait was moving. It was a recent memory. Vesper sat at the desk in Principal Bump’s office, scratching his palisman behind the horns. Luz reached out to touch the tree and everything stopped.

“I think we’re supposed to see this one,” Luz said once her friends caught up.

Gus shrugged. “You’re the expert.” And they went in before Luz had to think about the implications of being a mindscape expert.

Bump’s office materialized around them and as the door opened they had to fight the urge to hide or apologize for the intrusion.

Principal Bump led Vesper inside, closing and locking the door behind them. Frewin released his grip from the principal’s head and jumped to the desk. His pointed tail flicked back and forth, waiting for the newcomer to greet him. “It’s good to see you again,” Bump said softly. “In truth, I never expected to get the opportunity.”

“Neither did I,” Vesper said, she smiled down at the palisman and scratched him behind the horns. Frewin purred.

“Vess, I need to-”

She held up a hand to stop him. “I already know.”

“You do? And you're not upset?”

“Devastated. But I didn't come here to re-open wounds. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your little friend?”

“This is Frewin. He found me not long after arriving here. He’s been a great help.” Vesper reached out to touch his scars, ever so gently rubbing her thumb next to his lost eye. “We couldn’t get to a healer in time.” He explained.

Vesper winced and hurriedly looked around the room. “So, you’re an educator.”

“I thought it the best use of your gift.” Bump pulled out the chair for her to sit and took his own place at his desk. “Helping young witches discover their strengths, it’s rewarding.”

“It suits you. As it happens I’m in need of strong young witches.” Vesper leaned back, allowing Frewin to curl up in her lap.

Bump frowned, refusing to meet her gaze. “Vesper… I want to help you. But I have a duty of care to my students. They’ve already been through so much.”

Vesper sighed. “I wrote you. For a time. With our situation being what it was I don’t know if you ever got the letters. I just needed to try.”

“I got them.” He looked grateful for the sudden change of subject. “Popping out of my fireplace once a month. I tried to find a way to send word back. But when they stopped I’ll admit I feared the worst.”

Vesper shook her head and touched her tattoo. “I ran out of magic to spare.”

“I’m sorry. I should have-” It was said in that earnest way when one apologizes for many things.

“Don’t. If we weren’t young and foolish I wouldn't have Kedinn or our granddaughter.” Vesper reached forward to place her hand on his. “You'd be proud. I wish you could meet.”

Bump leaned back in his chair, watching the window. After a moment he spoke again. “You’ve put me in a tough spot, Vess. I can’t just hand my students over to you. No matter how much I want to help my homeland… Help you… But… If we made a deal…”

“I’m listening.”

“I will introduce you to who you’re looking for. I’ll even support them going with you. But in return, you will keep them safe. You won’t let them get lost or fall into a trap or experience any other form of harm. You will swear to me that those kids will return home whole.” Principal Bump stood, holding out his hand.

“Sworn in fair bargain.” Vesper stood to shake his hand in turn, waiting a beat too long to release him. The two of them settled back down to continue their conversation but just as their principal was asking about where the fairy intended to stay for the night the kids were ejected from the memory.

They flopped out of the portrait each one caught too much by surprise to land with any sort of grace. Hunter was the first to regain his bearings followed by Amity who helped Luz and Gus to their feet.

“I guess it’s nice to know we weren’t completely sold out,” Gus said.

“Of course not.” An all too familiar voice chimed. The Inner Vesper stood by the tree, clearly waiting for them. Hunter groaned. He had been hoping they wouldn’t run into her. “Hieronymus knows what he’s doing. You may not trust me, but you can trust him. I’ll help you. No matter how difficult you make it for me to honor that bargain.” The Inner Vesper eyed the new scar on Hunter’s palm.

“I guess it’s nice to know using people as leverage is your M.O.” Hunter sneered. “I guess we won't take it personally.” 

The Inner Vesper scowled “You speak of what you don’t understand.”

“We need tears.” Amity cut in, holding up the vial she was given as some form of proof.

“That’s not the only thing you need.”

The Eternal Manuscript and The Guardian’s Syllabus were written in the same handwriting. But where the syllabus had instructions the manuscript had history. At first, Willow thought they could have been written by The Wolf, but a quick look at his desk eliminated that theory. She thought about asking Kedinn about the author but Willow wasn't sure she could take Kedinn at his word yet. Working directly with the son of the woman who betrayed her didn’t set right but it was probably better to stay on his good side for now. She skimmed through a few chapters while the man in question searched Enoch’s desk.

It documented alliances with the Titans, trade agreements, and inventions between descriptions of royal lineage. Kedinn had bookmarked the beginning of the ‘Second Era’ where the rulers welcomed a second son into their family. Not long after that the rulers made contact with celestial beings that called themselves Archivists. Willow shuddered at the name. If the Archivists were involved it was no wonder things were so messed up. Unfortunately, that was as far as Willow could read in the book’s current state. She groaned, slamming the book shut.

“I concur.” Kedinn shut the last drawer and threw himself in one of the chairs at the fireplace.

“How hopeless is it?” Willow asked, rubbing the back of her neck. It was getting worse likely from bending over books all afternoon.

“Not at all.” Kedinn straightened up, though his voice had a higher pitch than normal. “There’s plenty of places to look.” He smiled in a way that he probably meant as reassuring but just came off as tense.

“So that's what it looks like when you're lying.” Willow raised an eyebrow. “You're terrible at it.”

He dropped the smile and sunk back into the chair. “Genetics. I truly am sorry, Willow. If I knew of any way to help you I would.”

Willow decided to take a break, herself and joined Kedinn at the fireplace. Besides, she had other questions on her mind that the books probably couldn’t answer.

“Must be interesting. Being the child of a fairy, I mean.”

Kedinn huffed. “I guess that’s the word for it. They do their best despite… complications.” Willow tilted her head, urging him to continue. “Enoch never really approved of… me. Grief is different for immortal beings and he fears it. So when his sister had a mortal child… I’m sure you can imagine.”

“So what, he just hides away?” Willow asked, nonplussed.

“That’s about the size of it. You know he once found a spell to make me a vampire?” Kedinn chuckled a bit. “I almost went through with it too. But by then I had met Irina and… it was for the best. There’s too much bloodletting going on around here as it is.” They sat in contemplative silence for a moment. It made sense to Willow, in its own unfortunate way. “My turn.” Kedinn piped up, bringing Willow back to the present moment. “Everything talks around here, and I’ve picked up a few things about your friends. One young man in particular is giving our guardians quite the headache.”

“Hunter.” Willow breathed out, almost on reflex. “Is he alright?”

“Yes, though he’s frantic about seeing you again. Actually tried to fight The Wolf.” Kedinn said with a knowing smile. “What I wouldn’t give to have seen that.”

Willow put her head in her hands. This wasn’t right. She should be out there. Trying to find him, putting his mind at ease. Not sitting in a cushy library sharing stories. “It’s not your fault,” Kedinn reassured her as if he could read her mind. “If you go out there now the forest will drink you dry. And somehow I don’t think he would appreciate that.”

“He means a lot to me,” Willow said. “Not that the others don’t too. I’d do anything for them. It’s just… Hunter…” She could feel her face getting warmer.

“I think I understand.” Kedinn winked. “Love is a very special kind of magic. The key to mastering it is to make sure not to fall out of practice.”

“That is so corny.”

“I thought it was quite good. Was going to save it for when Fife is old enough to start dating.”

“Keep workshopping it.”

Kedinn was about to make some form of witty retort when something else caught their attention.

“Willow?”

Someone outside was calling her. It sounded like… But it couldn’t be.

“Willow? You in there, kiddo?”

Could it? Willow bolted for the door. She ran the countless steps to the gate. To that voice. To… Miss Eda?

There was no mistaking it. The Owl Lady in what she called her ‘harpy form’ grasped the fence with King perched on her back.

“Oh thank goodness.” Eda sighed, leaning against the bars. “We’ve been worried sick. Are you okay?” But the intonation was all wrong. Like she wasn’t entirely sure what words to emphasize. Willow felt a prick at the back of her neck and the whispering voice chimed in her head.

Wrong

“Eda?” Willow stepped forward, slowly trying to get a better look.

She reached through the fence “Look, we don’t have a lot of time. Come on the others are waiting.”

Willow stopped just out of reach. Why hadn’t she flown past the fence? How did she know to come here? And most importantly, why wasn’t she breathing? She was inclined to agree with the voice. This was wrong. Eda, or the thing pretending to be Eda grunted in frustration.

“What are you?”

The thing pretending to be Eda twitched and pulsated. “Fresh blood.” It rasped, reaching a much longer arm through the fence.

In a blink, a flash of magic severed the arm. The rot fell at Willow’s feet, clawing its way towards her before evaporating completely. The creature didn't cry out, didn't so much as blink. It just kept calling to her with Eda's voice even as the disguise melted away to reveal a vaguely witch-shaped mass of rotting wood.

“Quiet you.” The Wolf emerged from the treeline. He was out of breath, his sleeve was torn, and his arm was bleeding but he kept his composure. The thing turned to face him. Or at least that's how it looked. It was difficult to tell.

“Quiet you.” It repeated back in a chant of many voices. The rot collapsed the stretched into a less familiar form. Willow couldn’t see much from behind it, but the features were fae. Colorless, bloodless, and towering this was the prince from the tapestry. Heat from the back of Willow’s neck to the rest of her body. A rage that she couldn't understand.

No

Enoch stumbled back frozen. His mouth formed words, but he couldn’t make a sound. With barely a thought Willow drew a spell circle, summoning whatever would listen. Thankfully some vines did. They wrapped around the creature’s neck and pulled back, slamming it headlong into the fence. It gave an outraged roar, losing its shape and thrashing against her.

The Wolf recovered not a moment too soon. The rot creature tore through Willow’s vines and headed straight for him. He out of the way and a great grey wolf landed in his place.

“Help him!” Keddin ran to meet her creating a spell circle of his own. “He’s exhausted!” Water pulled itself from the snowy ground, shaped itself into arrows, and hardened to ice. They lunged themselves at the rot, whittling it down with each puncture.

Willow called the vines back, ordering one to wrap around one arm and then the other. The creature thrashed, but she held firm. Willow was back in control and it felt good. The Wolf chose that moment to lunge, he seized the creature’s neck in his jaws and bit down. The head evaporated just as Willow commanded her vines to rip the rot’s body in two. And with that, it was gone, as if it never existed.

The Wolf huffed and stepped through the gate. With each step, paws turned to limbs and the Enoch was back fussing with his hair and straightening his coat.

“Thank you.” He said to Willow. “I had been chasing that thing around the perimeter for hours.”

Willow backed up a few steps. “So ‘The Wolf’ is… literal?”

Enoch narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Of course.”

“Did you think our guardians had those titles just for dramatics?” Kedinn laughed. “It's all in that Syllabus you found.”

“I may have skipped that part,” Willow said. “Does that mean I-”

“Yes,” Enoch said. “With practice. It took Vesper some time to master the great snake but when she did it was…”

“Terrifying.” Kedinn finished the sentence for him. “But you’re a quick learner. I’m sure you’ll be baring your fangs soon enough.”

“In the meantime,” Enoch called them back to the present moment. “I didn’t recognize that form. Was someone missing when we met?”

Willow thought it was a stretch to call that incident in the forest a meeting, but she didn’t press. She shook her head. “No. We were all together when you came.”

Enoch and Kedinn exchanged a worried look. “Then how did the rot know to take that shape?”

They were led through a bleaker portion of the mindscape, passing countless portraits depicting the familiar themes of daggers, rot, and blood on snow. The Inner Vesper kept her eyes trained forward, not wanting to see them until finally, they stopped at the last tree before frost overtook grass. The only hint of what could be inside was a book, small and unassuming titled The Eternal Manuscript of Blood .

“We’ll start here.” The Inner Vesper led them inside.

The memory of a younger Vesper walked with purpose. The group had to jog to keep up with her long strides until they came upon a group of witches, ten or so. She stopped just out of sight, watching them. Most of the witches sat in the snow talking animatedly about something they couldn’t hear, except one. A young man with long dark hair paced around their little circle, head bowed. Vesper backed up a step as he got closer. A twig snapped under foot and the man took notice. He raised his head, brown eyes scanning the area. He was familiar to the kids, but they couldn’t quite place him until…

“Vess.” He ran to her.

They knew that voice anywhere. Though not as gravely from age they could tell.

“Principal Bump?” Gus whispered. He and Luz exchanged a glance. It was weird seeing him like this. Not just without a palisman, but young and noticeably unscarred.

The memory took the hand he held out and let him walk her to their little gathering. The witches waved excitedly, and she gave them a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Everyone’s here?”

“Just waiting on Graye.”

“When are we not?” Vesper nudged Bump playfully. The wind shifted her hair exposing her neck long enough to notice the lack of a snake tattoo. The group laughed nervously.

“Yes, yes.” A haughty young man with green hair, a matching tail, and a looking-glass earring stepped forward. “One last joke at my expense. Enjoy it while you still can, princess, for I know you will miss me dearly.”

“Or perhaps she’ll enjoy the quiet,” Bump smirked. The group laughed.

“You have the ship?” Vess asked.

Graye pulled a little wooden boat from his sack. “Primed to regrow once it hits the water. Just like you said.”

A young lady with green eyes and prominent fangs helped the others to their feet. “I think we’re ready.”

“One last thing.” The memory walked from witch to witch, taking each one by the hand and pressing their foreheads together. “A glamor spell. It’s been hundreds of years since we made contact with the Boiling Isles. I have no idea what you should expect but, this should help.” Vesper moved down the line until she reached Bump. She pulled him closer than the others and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Just start by living your lives the way you choose. Everything else should fall into place.”

The memory made to pull away but Bump refused to let go of her hand. “Vess.”

“You need to go before you miss the window.”

They headed South stopping a grudgby field’s length away from the shore when the wind picked up. The group looked to Bump for a reassurance he wasn’t sure he could give.

“The spell was done just as the book said. We’ll be fine.” He managed to say, though the last sentence sounded more like a question. They stepped forward. Leaves rustled but nothing shot out at them. A few steps more and the group gained confidence until a root wrapped around the leader’s ankle. The memory of Vessper snapped her finger the root pulled back and retreated into the ground. The trees creaked and groaned in protest. Panic set in.

Vesper shoved the witches forward. “Keep going.” The witches broke off in a sprint for the shore just as the ground started to shake. Bigger roots shot up from the snow with a vengeance on either side of the party. The tendrils reached for them and the memory reached back, holding tight as the roots shook against her power. But all power has limits and it was clear Vesper was reaching hers. She sunk to her knees, exchanging the strength to stand for the strength to hold the forest back. She didn’t see the lone root aiming itself at her back. But she didn’t need to. In a blink Bump was beside her, spell circles at his fingertips, cutting it down with abomination magic.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The memory grunted, the save giving her an opening to stand.

“I changed my mind.” Bump pulled a book from his coat pocket, the one from the painting, they realized and threw it to the ground. “He can have it back for all I care. I can’t leave you. It was stupid to think I could.”

“Hieronymus.” The memory breathed out, something akin to relief flashed in her eyes briefly before the forest made another go at the retreating party and she had to grasp hold of it again. “You could have told me about this earlier.” She snapped. “What even is that?”

“The reason we’re doing this.” Bump grunted having another go at the surrounding root system. The Forest pulled back again giving them enough time to catch up with the rest. “Your brother gave it to me. It has the spell.”

Vesper looked confused. “But he-”

“Hates me.” Bump panted. “I’m aware. It was a bargain. Watch it!” The next moment Vesper was shoved to the ground and sprayed with blood that did not belong to her. Bump fell next to her rapidly losing consciousness, his left eye bleeding heavily. The memory managed to hold the root back as it came back for a second swing. The fanged witch managed to notice and dashed back to them. 

“What do we do?” Vesper looked from her to the book they left behind, to the rest of the witches. They had made it beyond the border and were doing their best to hold the opening.

“Keep going.” She shoved the wounded witch into her arms. She paled, but to her credit didn’t hesitate. The fanged witch sprinted for the shore just seconds before a copse of trees made a wall separating them seemingly forever. And the forest went quiet once more, the only sound coming from the memory’s failed attempt at choking back sobs. In hindsight, they should have been more prepared. The kids went in with the intent of collecting tears after all, but this felt all too vulnerable.

Footsteps crunched the snow behind them. The Wolf, or what would become The Wolf stopped a distance away. “It’s done then?” No response. “You need to come with me.”

“Is that so?” The memory snapped.

“It attacked father.” Those three words put an end to whatever wrath she meant to unleash. “Hurry.” He added before running off again.

The memory followed, stopping to grab the book her brother deemed worthy of bargaining with.

The Inner Vesper moved to the spot where her previous self lay sobbing. She bent down, ushering a small puddle into the vial, and filling it halfway. “Time to move on.” No sooner was it said than the world around them began to shift.

Eda circled the island three times looking for a break in the canopy. With none in sight, she opted to crash in and hope for the best. The strategy seemed to work out in Luz’s favor most of the time. Why not her? Eda yelled for King and his new ‘friend’ to brace themselves, and catapulted downwards. The landing was about as graceful as one would expect, but they made it. King and the thing he insisted on calling Bandit jumped down from her back after the more or less safe landing.

“Alright.” Eda huffed, stretching her back and rooting around in her hair. “You got us here.” She pulled out a juice box and held it aloft. “Now how do we find the kids?” After the scath delivered its message it was distressed to find out that the Titan and the mortal were not so quick to let it be on its way. King pounced on the scath again the moment it tried to scamper away and Eda couldn’t make any headway with interrogation. Bribery, on the other hand, seemed to work and Eda had to respect that at least a little bit. Lucky for them Raine discovered that the little bandit liked apple blood.

The scath sat on its haunches, ears pricked, looked about itself, and sniffed the air. “Four to the West one to the North. But you should probably be more concerned about that.” Eda looked over her shoulder to where the scath was pointing. Where a dark writhing mass glided across the ground and headed straight for them. Eda snatched up King and the creature and took back to the air.

“What is that?” King yelled.

“We call it, rot.” The scath said, shoving a straw into his juice box. “Not the best welcoming committee, but then Malady Thicket isn’t very welcoming to begin with.”

“How do we ditch it?” King asked.

“Your best bet is North.” The scath crawled to the top of Eda’s head to take point. “Straight ahead until you see a castle. Can’t miss it.”

They found themselves in a library now. Or it might be better to say that the library found its way around them. The memory sitting at the desk was much more familiar to them, older, sharper, with a viper tattoo coiled around her throat. She poured over the book from the previous memory, making notes and cross-referencing it with other tomes. It was hard to tell if she was too focused or too tired, either way, she didn’t hear her brother come in.

“You shouldn’t have that.” The Wolf’s obvious attempt at authority was softened by the note of surprise in his voice.

“Oh no?” The memory drawled. “Then, pray tell, who should?” The Wolf said nothing and that was answer enough. She pulled the cloth off the crystal ball to her right, dragging her finger along its surface. “You know, we don’t give crystal balls enough credit. Wonderful inventions. They pick up so much useful information. And their memories… it’s like they go on forever.” She tapped the top of the device with her pen. It glowed and started to speak.

‘Leave Malady Thicket. See what’s out there. This will show you how.’

‘Lord Wolf, I know it’s been difficult but-’

‘You love my sister?’

‘Y-yes. I-’

‘Then don’t make her watch you die. Take your friends and live a full life far away from here.’

Vesper placed her hand on top of the crystal ball, silencing it.

“I don’t expect you to understand.” The Wolf said abruptly.

“No.” The Viper replied, eerie calm building to visceral emotion. “I suppose I wouldn’t. But maybe in your infinite wisdom, you could explain to our people why despite having the answers right here freeing them is not of the utmost importance. Explain to Kedinn exactly why he will never know his father. Explain to me why you cared so little for our mother that you would send her research away with the mortals you banished !”

“Honestly, Vess.” The Wolf scoffed. “Use your head! If she found a way to free us do you truly think we would be here right now? That plan is useless and dangerous. If you want to help our people you have to accept that all we can do is defend them.”

“You pompous, ignorant, traitorous-”

“Careful.”

“My son will not end his days imprisoned here! Fife-”

“Don’t delude yourself.” The Wolf snapped. “This is exactly what I warned you about. These mortals-”

“Our family! Your family!” Whatever rage The Viper still had left faded to desperation. “They’re all we have left. I don’t understand why you won’t try. For them.”

The Wolf took a calming breath. “I would do anything to protect our family, Vess. Which is why I won’t hear another word of this. That’s an order. No more talk of that book or what it says. It’s taken enough from us. Are we clear?” Vesper growled under her breath but nodded. “You’re excused.” The Wolf stepped aside as she rushed from the library and the library crumpled around them until they stood back in the forest of the mindscape.

“I don’t expect forgiveness. Not after what you’ve been put through.” The Inner Vess wiped a tear from her eye and dropped it into the vial. “With circumstances being what they are, there’s only so much I can say.” She assessed the water level in the vail and corked it. “But I am asking for your cooperation.”

“It’s a deal,” Luz said, gently taking the vial from her.

The Inner Vess chuckled. “Then we better not keep the Kelpie waiting.”

With a flash of light and a feeling of queasiness that Luz swore she was never going to get used to they were back in the real world. Vess took the vial from Luz and gave her a basket of cordial berries, urging them to eat.

“It’ll help the after-effects.”

“That book…” Gus started to ask.

“Still in the castle. I think.” Vess said.

“Probably hidden,” Luz added.

“Probably so. We’ll need to find it once we get there.” She uncorked the vial, coaxing the liquid to take shape. “There’s a few hiding spaces my brother thinks I don’t know about. It’s likely in one of them.” The tears twisted themselves into a shining silver and sapphire bridle. The Kelpie stepped forward with pride, lowering its head for the high fae to place its new adornment. “That wasn’t in the bargain.” Vess tossed it at the Kelpie’s hooves. “Best of luck finding someone willing to get close enough to put it on you, though.” It huffed, took the bridle between its teeth, and cantered away. The kids couldn’t help but snicker at that last little victory over the bloodthirsty trickster. “Now that that’s over and done with” she clapped her hands together. “I think it’s long past time for a reunion.”

“Hold on!” Hunter exclaimed. “Your hands are free! How-”

“Oh! Right.” The fairy snapped both her fingers and the manacles reappeared on her wrists.

“You could get out of those the whole time?” Gus exclaimed.

Vess shrugged. “You trusted me more when I was wearing them. If it’s any consolation they do chafe something awful.”

“So another friend of yours is in the forest.” Kedinn placed the tea tray on the fireplace mantle. “Small wonder that thing was so persistent.”

“It’s looking for her?” Willow asked.

Kedinn nodded. “The forest reacts… strongly to unexpected population changes. It gets excited to try fresh blood.” The three of them shuddered slightly. “Still, there’s a lot of people who want to make sure you’re okay. Kind of nice if you think about it.”

“Only as long as they don’t get hurt for my sake.”

“I wouldn’t worry.” The Wolf chimed in. “It’s a persistent group out there. To an almost irritating degree. The only thing I worry about is having enough rooms for all our ‘ guests’ .”

Kedinn stretched and collected his jacket. “I need to head back. I promised Irina I'd be home by evening. Any final decrees you'd like to send me home with?” The Wolf gave him a dismissive wave and Kedinn turned his attention on Willow. “Keep at it. I'll be back in a few days. If all goes well your friends will be with me. If he gets snippy, don't be afraid to flick him on the nose.”

“Aren’t you in a hurry?” The Wolf slammed his pen onto the desk. Kedinn laughed, and waved, mocking the gesture given to him seconds ago.

The Wolf rolled his eyes and went back to his writing, but Willow caught him smiling. Kedinn hadn’t even made it over the threshold when the forest erupted into the castle.