CHAPTER#108

The front street was empty, so she peppered it with wards along the walls and sidewalk. If anyone approached, she would know. Her last act was to use the Eight of Pentacles, the Six of Swords and the Six of Wands. Long, thick wooden staves grew from the ground, ripping through the grass and concrete to form a barrier in-between the lions. The swords fell from the sky, stabbing into the ground. The energy from the Eight of Pentacles swept up the blades, stretching and reforging them to form a series of bladed bars that lay across the barrier. The barrier glowed intensely for several seconds, the magic fusing metal to wood.

If someone came, that would hold them for several seconds. To be safe, she left the King, Queen, and Page to watch guard over the yard while she went back inside to recuperate.

She had done it. She had protected the house. Barely containing a squeal of delight, she went to the kitchen to fix herself a snack. She didn't recognize most of the food in the fridge and didn't feel like trying to cook something from scratch. Digging in the freezer, she found a box of something called Eggos hidden away.

"Weird." The little yellow disk in her hand had square grooves all along it. The picture on the box showed butter and syrup. She practically salivated at the idea of something so rich. Her diet had been primarily what she could raise in her garden and the occasional animal she caught. She followed the oven instructions, tapping her finger impatiently on the counter while she waited for the oven to heat up. Once ready, she tossed the Eggos on a sheet and slid them in.

A few minutes later, she sat over a mouthwatering pair of the tiny waffles, slathered in way too much butter and syrup. Each piece clung to the plate when she pried it up with a fork, and every bite was absolute heaven.

Halfway through the second Eggo, she felt the pressure of the room drop around her. Standing up, she sniffed the air, trying to ascertain what she was feeling.

"No. No no no no no!" She left the table, her finger just barely hooking the remaining Eggo with her claw to take it with her. Running up the stairs, she left syrup on the knob of the closet, pulling it open to reveal the long cave. Running down the cave, she stuffed the Eggo in her face and went on all fours, transforming just enough to run faster.

Emerging into the underground cavern, she could smell it now. Both the air pressure and magical pressure of the room were fluctuating wildly.

Someone was using powerful magic, deep in the Labyrinth. It was the odious smell of portals being opened and closed.

Growling, she swallowed the rest of her snack and descended toward the large maze below. Whatever Tink and the others were doing, she would put a stop to it right now.

…

Mike gazed morosely at his cellphone, watching the timer for the sundial eventually hit zero. For good or bad, he wouldn't be there to reset it.

Time was up.

Standing on the terrace of the tower, it took a supreme effort to stick his phone back in his pocket rather than throw it off the side.

"I take it the dial has reset." Ratu spoke from the chaise lounge behind him, her legs dangling off the side. She was engrossed in another of Yuki's journals. She had stayed up most of the night, unable to sleep herself, poring over as many of them as she could. Apparently, Yuki had quite the talent for poetry, and Ratu had shared more than a couple with him.

He had been up most of the night as well. They had built a nice fire in the fireplace to keep the room warm, and he had done his best to try and sleep. It wasn't meant to be. On top of his concern for the others in his house, he realized just how much he depended on snuggling up to Tink to stay asleep. Apparently she had somehow become his personal security blanket, because he had woken up more than once with a sense of dread.

Zel was down below, rummaging through Yuki's alchemical stores. It would seem that the kitsune wasn't particularly skilled at making potions, but Zel was hoping to put together a few basics before they set out.

A centaur horn played outside, eliciting a groan from Ratu.

"They're still there, aren't they?"

"Have been all night, as far as I can tell." He turned his head toward the cliffside trail. Orion was down below, pacing back and forth. The centaur had gotten particularly vocal last night with the help of a concoction likely brewed by his shaman, but the wind had carried away most of his words. Mike shook his head. "I don't think they're going to leave."

"Neither will we, unless we discover a secret exit of some sort." Ratu turned the page. "How is Zel doing?"

"Still shaken up, but she's determined." Last night, Zel had discovered a comfortable stable for her to sleep in. It was attached to the yard out back, and she had quickly wandered amongst the statues, a look of horror fixed on her face. She was adamant that she recognized some of the faces out there as members of her tribe that had wandered off to face the Snow Queen, never to be seen again. He found it odd that Yuki would keep them stored away like that, rather than simply pushing them over a cliff.

Then again, based on what Ratu had told him, Yuki wasn't all she seemed to be either. Her journal spoke often of her journeys among the island. Any encounters with centaurs typically ended with her sneaking off or, at worst, getting into a fight or playing a magical prank. There was no malice or hate in her journal, only a desperation to understand what had happened to her dearest Emily.