WinterI stare at the creatures, their long hooded cloaks barely skimming the ground, fear filling my every cell.We need to run.We need to hide.I know these things are dangerous. What it is they do, I don't know. Maybe I did at some point, but it's like information is slipping right out of my brain."Run!" I point at a break between two wisps, and Alec and I duck through it.We take off, our feet pounding against the spongy earth. We sprint through the mist, our hearts racing and our breath coming in short gasps. I can hear the wisps behind us, their eerie whispers filling the air. I glance back and see them getting closer."We need to find somewhere to hide," I say, looking around frantically.But there's nowhere to go. The landscape is barren, with only twisted trees and gnarled roots around us. I can feel the wisps closing in, can feel their cold breath on the back of my neck."Alec!" I shout, my voice quivering with fear. "What do we do?""I don't know!" he yells b

Nora"What's that?" Charlie asks.I cock my head and listen to the bumps outside of the room. It's hard to say since the doors at Hawthorn are so thick.Instead of responding, I go back to my work. After Jared was killed, my resolve to get myself and the other captives out of this hellhole doubled. I refuse to see anyone else murdered.It took a lot of practice, but finally I got that spell right. The old, almost-forgotten one that's said to work on even the strongest magicked cages and locks.Taking a deep breath, I hold my hands against the bars of my cage and recite the incantation--or what I can remember of it. This is probably my hundredth attempt, and I just pray to God that I'll get it right eventually.Suddenly, I feel a warmth emanating from my hands. Sparks fly, and the bars of the cage begin to warp and weaken. My heart races with hope as I continue to pour all of my energy into the spell."Everyone, wake up!" I yell to the other captives in nearby cages. "Get rea

WinterWe're standing in complete darkness, the only sound the beating of our hearts."Where are we?" Alec asks, his voice barely above a whisper."I don't know," I reply, trying to make sense of our surroundings. "But I think we did it. I think we defeated the wisps."As I speak, the darkness begins to lift. We're standing on the edge of the river, right in front of the dock.The ferryman and his boat are there, a lamp bobbing at its bow."Welcome back," the ferryman says, his voice gruff. "I've been expecting you. You did well. You discovered and used the greatest force. Earth is fortunate to have you two on it."“Love,” I breathe with realization. “The greatest force is love.”"How did we get here?" Alec asks, still dazed from the battle. “Love… sent us here?”"The Golden Coin sent you here," the ferryman replies, gesturing to the coin in Alec's hand. "It has the power to transport you wherever you need to go. And it seems like you needed to come back here."I look at

Tyr"Back so soon?" John Grace doesn't even bother to look at me as I stride into the room in my high-rise apartment that houses his cell.I smirk. He's always so cocky, so sure of himself, even though he's been my captive for weeks now."I have some happy news I would like to share with you," I say.He stiffens, and I can nearly read his thoughts. He's worried that this is about his daughter."I did run into Winter," I say, "if that's what you're wondering. She's alive, though. For now."He glares daggers at me and I laugh. For the first time in years, I feel like I'm walking on air."Look what I found." I pull the Golden Coin from my pocket and hold it up for him to see. His eyes widen in shock."Where did you get that?" he breathes."Off your daughter," I say, drawing the words out, enjoying how much the news is tormenting him. "And there's more, too. I figured out how to activate the coin."His eyes narrow. "No one alive knows how to activate it.""But you were hopin