CHAPTER 110

When the sun had finally risen, the island had been reborn. Large swaths of it had been wiped clean, as if a massive wave had gobbled up the architecture of the land. Most of the trees were gone as well, and the only thing that remained the same was the presence of the house.

Unable to move, he had let Velvet hold him up. She told him stories about her childhood, her hopes and her dreams. His only regret was that he had become too weak to speak back. He was completely drained.

The others checked in on him one at a time. No longer just blurs of energy, they all came by and sat with him as he recovered. Though they had done the bulk of the work rebuilding the beach and holding the dark waters at bay, it occurred to him that they were actually just extensions of his soul. Their drive had gotten the job done, but he was the one paying the price.

A golden glow settled over him, and he tilted his head enough to see Titania sit down on the beach next to him. Her body glowed as if she was bathed in moonlight, and her cloak swirled around her despite the lack of wind.

"I'm very impressed, Caretaker." She smiled wistfully, then looked at him. "There were many times during the night that I was certain you would fail."

"Ergh." It was all he could manage.

"I have news." She drew a circle in the sand. "After learning of your plight, I made a trip to your world. Specifically, to Oregon."

"Eh?" Curious, he was able to raise an eyebrow.

"I'm not at the cabin with you. On my way there, I discovered that a magical seal had been built around the land. It's one-way, so as they walked in, they became trapped. The enchantment on your land couldn't turn them away, because they would simply be bounced back inside. Since they couldn't leave, it was only a matter of time before they were able to seep in and establish themselves.

"While breaking it myself would be seen as interference, I can tell you that the only way to get rid of it is to kill Leeds or force him to leave. As long as he is inside his own enchantment, you will be unable to leave. He could maybe let you go, but I don't know that he would be open to negotiation." She moved next to him and took his hand in hers. Warmth flooded his limbs and he sighed in relief.

"You have quite the task ahead of you," she said, and then her features blurred. The world fizzled out like static and then sank into darkness. Velvet's body no longer felt warm and inviting, but slightly damp and cool to the touch. The sounds of the ocean had faded into nothingness, replaced by a distant rumble that sounded like snoring.

Opening his eyes, the blurry figure over him shifted. He wasn't sure who it was until he saw large, furry ears rise up as he groaned.

"Mike?" Yuki's voice trembled.

"Ugh," he replied. His mouth was so dry that his lips had cracked. "Th...thirsty."

Yuki wrapped her arms around him and let out a sob of relief. Someone shifted in the corner, and now Velvet stood over him, lines of concern on her face.

"You're awake!" she declared. "Thank the gods!"

He smiled weakly, then tried to lift his arm to hug Yuki. His fingers wouldn't even curl.

"Don't move, not yet." Yuki sat up and wiped tears from her bloodshot eyes. She lifted his head with one hand and held up a cup of water. "Let's get some fluids into you, but I need you to promise me something."

"Okay?" He stuck his tongue out toward the cup, willing the liquid to flow across the air and into his mouth.

"Never again. Never ever do that again." Her face was stern. "If it ever comes down to a choice between you and me, you let me go, you hear me? You are far too important."

Unable to argue with her, he groaned in response. Satisfied, she held the cup to his lips and surprised him by lifting ice chips out of it. She stuck one in his mouth and he let it sit under his tongue until it melted. They tasted better than anything he could remember drinking as the cold liquid ran down his throat.

Somewhere in the house, he heard a growl, followed by banging. He looked at Yuki and frowned.

"That's a problem for tomorrow," she told him. "You're in no shape to help yet."

He nodded.

"I've got this." Velvet took the cup from Yuki's hands. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you if I need you."

Yuki didn't bother leaving. She yawned and fell forward onto the bed, her body shrinking down until she was a normal-sized fox with three tails. Curling up next to his belly, she settled into the soft rhythm of sleep almost right away. With what little strength he had, he placed his hand gently on her head, right between her ears.

He didn't know what they had gone through or even how long it had been. The hopelessness he had experienced in the Dreamscape had seemed as if it would go on forever, but he had survived. Tender fingers touched his forehead, pausing just long enough to swirl his hair. When he looked up into Velvet's brown eyes as she fed him ice, all he could think about was her constant presence, both here and inside his head. She had kept him from slipping away, holding tight to him when the darkness threatened.

"What?" She paused, an uncertain look on her face. Her hair hung down, diffracting the light and making it seem as if her entire body glowed with an aura of warmth.