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Edgar’s fingers slipped out of mine. The weight of the sludge pushed down on me, carrying me away from Nadine. She began to slip out of my hold, my hands trailing along her arms. I found the ends of her fingers and squeezed her hands tightly. My lungs burned…
Then I felt nothing.
For a brief moment, I was completely unaware. Then my head broke the surface, and I inhaled a deep breath.
I wiped sludge from my eyes with the back of my hand. I saw that I was back in the cave, surrounded by our cats. A witch light still hovered near the ceiling, illuminating the cavern. Oliver’s shimmering form raced over to me, meowing in relief.
Nadine gasped from beside me as her head broke the surface. I quickly reached for the edge of the pit and climbed out. I grabbed Nadine’s arm, fighting against hell to drag my wife out of its depths.
She emerged from the sludge, heaving heavy breaths. Edgar reached the surface after her and dragged himself over to the edge. Nadine and I fell onto our backs, panting.
She rolled over and placed her hand on the side of my face. “Lucas, are you okay?”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of her touch on my skin. “Fine, Nad,” I rasped.
“No, Lucas,” she pressed. “Are. You. Okay?”
Her words held a deeper meaning. I was alive, but she wasn’t asking if I was physically fine. She wanted to know how I’d handled the pits.
I opened my eyes to stare up at her. “The darkness of the pit is familiar, but I’m not going back to that dark place,” I promised. “I’ll be okay.”
Coughing and sputtering came from the pits, and Nadine and I rushed over to help pull our friends from the sludge. We pulled Grant out, and he helped Nadine yank Talia and Chloe into the cave.
The cats gave a collective meow, and the glow from the spell faded. The cats laid down beside each other, appearing exhausted. The sludge drained from the pits until they were dry once more.
“We made it,” Grant said in relief.
Chloe glanced around frantically. “Where’s Edgar?”
“He’s right here…” I trailed off as I turned back to him.
Edgar was nothing more than bones covered in a dark robe, though his form wasn’t completely solid. I could see right through him—like he wasn’t on the same plane as me. I realized I was the only one who could see him.
Edgar offered a kind nod. “Now that you have pulled me from the Abyss, I am free to journey back to Alora. It takes a powerful warlock to see a reaper on Earth, which means your magic is getting stronger. It shouldn’t be long until we meet again. Goodbye for now, Lucas.”
Edgar waved his hand, and a portal emitting a bright light appeared beside him. I’d felt the encompassing warmth of that light before, and I knew it was Alora.
“Edgar, wait,” I called. “There’s so much about my powers I have yet to learn. I don’t understand how I'm going to pass the Warlock’s Trial. I’m merely an apprentice, but I have no master. Is there no way you can help me?”
He turned to me. “I am a master of death, but I am not your master, Lucas. But I will leave you with this. Continue your fight, and you will join the Reaper Order sooner than you think. You will know when you have passed.”
His words were ominous, as if warning me of something yet to come. It felt so final, as if he spoke of death itself—as if our fight with the priestesses was sure to end me.
“What does that mean?” I asked, but Edgar had already stepped into the light. His ethereal form faded, until my friends and I were alone in the cave.
“What did he say?” Nadine asked. Nobody else had heard him, and they all watched me curiously.
I couldn’t answer for a beat, as if I was waiting for him to appear again and give more answers. All I was met with was silence. I took Nadine’s hand. “He said I’m going to join the Reaper Order soon, but from what it sounds like, it’s not going to be anything like what I’ve faced before.”
“That means we’re closer to the Mortana Wand,” Nadine noted.
I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “Let’s hope so.”
Talia shivered. “At least we got one of the Wands.”
“Well worth it,” Chloe agreed. She flicked the Mortana Wand, and the remaining sludge dripped off our bodies effortlessly.
“Verla and Warren are waiting for us,” Grant said. “Let’s get out of here.”
