HUMOR. UNEXPECTED.
“Yeah, well, I’m just full of surprises.”
The Eyes moved closer to her—uncomfortably close. One limb reached out, almost touching her face.
YOU WILL NEED THAT. WHEN THE CHOICES COME.
And with that cheery thought, it retreated into the darkness, limbs folding in on themselves until it vanished completely.
Leaving them alone with the door.
“So,” Ava said, trying to sound braver than she felt, “who goes through first?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ava stared at the ordinary-looking door, her fingers hovering above the worn brass knob. The air around it seemed to shimmer with possibilities—or maybe that was just her imagination working overtime after everything she’d seen.
“I don’t like this,” Nos said, his mismatched eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“You don’t like anything. Except maybe for Ibin.” Ava rolled her eyes. She glanced at Ibin. “What do you think?”
“One, that we don’t have a choice.” Ibin’s expression was unreadable. “And two, I think that sometimes ordinary doors lead to extraordinary places.”
“Again, that’s not actually helpful.” She really would give a finger for a normal companion. She had to be careful not to say that kind of shit out loud, though—someone would take her up on it.
“I know.” Ibin smiled faintly. “Well, see point one, then. And besides. Doors are meant to be opened.”
Book warmed against Ava’s side, as if agreeing with Ibin. Or maybe it was just reacting to whatever was beyond.
“Right, well.” She sighed. “If there’s another fae trying to eat my eyes, I’m blaming both of you.”
“None of this is our fault.” Nos was back to sounding annoyed.
“And I don’t care. I’m blaming you anyway.” Gripping the knob, Ava turned it slowly. The mechanism clicked with a sound that seemed impossibly loud in the strange, echoing darkness the Eyes had left them in.
The door swung open.
Light spilled out—not the golden supernatural light of Book, but ordinary, warm sunshine. Beyond the threshold lay what appeared to be a perfectly normal garden. Flowers bloomed in neat beds. A stone path wound between them. Birds chirped from fruit-laden trees.
It was so mundane, so pleasant, that Ava immediately froze. “Okay. Nowthisdefinitely looks like a trap.”
“Obviously,” Nos replied.
“Painfully so,” Ibin agreed.
“At least, for once, we’re all on the same page.” She paused. And snorted. “Book pun.” Ava took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway. “Well. No going back. Might as well get this over with. Hello, trap! Trap people! We’re here!”
The moment her foot touched the garden path, the door behind them slammed shut. When Ava whirled around, it was gone—vanished as if it had never existed.
“That can’t be good,” she said, with what she felt was admirable calm given the circumstances.
“It never is,” Nos said dryly. “But you do get used to it.”
The garden stretched out before them, impossibly beautiful and peaceful. Somewhere in the distance, wind chimes played a gentle melody.
“Right,” Ava said. “First key. Let’s find it and get out of here before something tries to kill us.”
But even as she spoke, a figure appeared on the path ahead—a woman in a flowing white dress, her dark hair falling in waves around a face of impossible beauty.
