“Wait…Cora thinks it will help?” I ask. I can’t keep the smile off my face, and I immediately bounce onto my toes. “We’re going to do it? AndIget to go?”
“Apparently,” Oskar says, chuckling. “Sebastian and Cora have business to attend though, so they’re sending me to accompany you. I hope that’s all right.”
“Yes, of course,” I say. I bob my head and try to tame my smile. I’m terrified he’ll retract the offer if I seem too eager, but I can’t help myself.
I get to go. Sebastian is trusting me to go.
“All right,” Oskar says with a nod. He steps back, sweeping his arm into the hallway. “Well, if you’re ready, let’s go.”
I don’t give him any reason to hesitate. For the first time, I get to be an active part of the team. I’ll break the curse with more than just my blood. I’m actually contributing an idea. Something to break the curseandsave my life.
I snag my jacket from the dresser and follow Oskar into the hall, making a mental list of everything I’ll take from Tessa’s apartment. Beyond Dad’s box of letters in my closet, I can get my phone and my favorite perfume and Mom’s old sweatshirt. If Oskar isn’t paying attention, I’ll grab some lingerie too.
By the time we exit the manor, I’m beaming. I spentmonths terrified I’d never see Aberlena or the human world again. Now, I can’t wait to say my final goodbye.
Oskar runsthrough the Night Realm with me in his arms. He’s noticeably slower than Sebastian, and yet, I end up retching once we reach the neutral territory. I fold over, hands on my knees, and breathe through the lingering nausea. It feels like we just ping-ponged across the Echo, and my brain is struggling to find steady ground.
“You all right?” Oskar asks, roughly patting my back.
“Fine,” I say.
I wipe my sleeve across my mouth, blinking down at the blackened ground before us. The burnt soil spreads all throughout the neutral territory, from what I can tell. I make a mental note to ask Sebastian about it later, but for now, I’m just trying not to hurl again. I squeeze my eyes, grunting when Oskar slaps my back again, harder.
“I’m wearing weird clothes,” I say when I finally stand up. I glance at Oskar, and his outfit is no better. He’s wearing black slacks, a buttoned shirt, and a medieval-looking coat. “We’re going to stick out in Aberlena. The humans will probably notice.”
It’s the first time I’ve said that.Humans, as if they’re something I’m not.
I swallow and refuse to let myself dwell. Instead, I focus back on our surroundings. I haven’t seen the neutral territory since Sebastian first carried me through it, and I’m surprised how ordinary it seems. Aside from the startling black ground, it’s far more like the human world than the Night Realm.
The buildings are simple and painted dull shades ofbrown, grey, and white. In the distance, an evening market is starting. There are colorful booths with lush bouquets of flowers and silken scarves, dried meats and assortments of strange weapons. People mill throughout the streets, and even from here, I can tell they aren’t human.
As Oskar leads us into the neutral territory, I struggle to absorb the endless sights and smells and sounds. This place is filled with obvious signs of poverty: overflowing garbage and boarded windows and the distinct smell of waste. And still, the partygoers hoot and holler, clearly ecstatic for the escape.
“How are they outside?” I ask as we approach them. “It’s nighttime. Shouldn’t vampires be out hunting? It feels like they should all be hiding.”
“This is the neutral territory,” Oskar says gruffly. He moves closer, keeping his hand on my shoulder as we merge into the crowd.
We’re surrounded by too many strange creatures for me to process them all. There are women with papery wings and short, wrinkled goblins. Children with animal horns over their brows and a woman with misshapen gills on her throat. Down a nearby alley, a group of teenagers play with a ball between them. It floats, untouched by gravity, as they shout and laugh.
We’ve already passed them before I realize what they are. Witches.Like me.
Only they seem as foreign, as strange as any other creature we pass.
“I don’t understand,” I say, clearing my throat. I glance back at Oskar, stumbling when he hurries me along. “Why is the neutral territory different?”
“Any physical harm attempted here happens to the attacker instead of their victim,” he explains. “The wholeneutral territory is protected. That’s why the ground is black. Nasty spell.”
I start to ask another question, but Oskar tightens his grip and urges me faster. We press through the overbearing crowd, until finally, he veers down an unmarked side street and then another. I steal a final glance at the celebration before we turn a corner and it disappears from sight.
Oskar doesn’t slow his pace, and we navigate through a twist of sleeping neighborhoods and empty streets. Before long, even the melodic festival music fades, and we’re left with only our quick footsteps and my embarrassingly heavy breathing.
“I’m glad the master found you,” Oskar says as he finally loosens his hold on my shoulder. “I feared he would never love anything other than himself. It’s a relief, truly, that he found you.”
I sputter out a surprised laugh, even as a pleasant warmth spreads through my chest.
“I’m not sure Sebastian loves me,” I say carefully. He’s certainly never admitted it, and yet, the idea doesn’t feel as preposterous as it should. Whether he loves me or not, I’d be lying if I said I haven’tfeltloved these past few days.
“He does,” Oskar says. He finally eases his steps, coming to walk at my side. “It might not be clear to you, but I’ve known him a long time. He looks at you like I looked at my wife. My Freja.”
