Page 33 of The Witch & the Tiger

“But let’s get out of here before anything else shows up. I don’t know if I can do that again.”

Wordlessly, they all hurried up the pathway, only to find that the path itself was fogging over, making it more dangerous and harder to traverse. Before Martin had even reached the top of the path, the fog cleared away, and his paws instead trod upon solid ground.

The world around them had shifted, becoming the woodland just beyond Oakwend.

They were safe and sound. He shifted back into human form, still quite unable to process the full thing – especially when it came to time. He hadn’t noticed anything. One moment, he was in the tunnel; the next, Marlon was screaming instructions for something only he could remember.

“Who died?” Kati asked softly.

“I don’t think that’s worth knowing since no one died this time,” Marlon said gravely.

“I’m curious, though…”

“I assume not me since I was able to give you a strategy,” Umber said, now back in his human form, picking something from his teeth. “Too much fire gives me a little heartburn these days...”

Marlon sighed. “Willow and Professor Z’Hana died. Z’Hana first, then Willow was too freaked out to react and got eaten before any of us could process what was happening. Martin ditched Yannick in the water and went on a rampage underwater – I don’t know exactly what he did, but it caused the hydra to emerge. Professor Umber then suggested what to do before distracting it, and… and I returned.”

“Wow,” Martin said.

“Literally everyone was needed,” Willow said, a little pale from having heard that, in one scenario, she’d died. “This stuff is way more dangerous than I ever expected. I’m not sure it’s the kind of life for me…”

While Willow looked pale, Martin dwelled on what Marlon had said about him going on a rampage. Maddened by grief? Rage? Both? He shivered, a sudden sense of loss flooding through him at the thought of losing Willow. That couldn’t happen.

He and Willow had so many more memories to make together.

Professor Z’Hana examined the weary group before her. “Well, needless to say, you’re all getting extra credit for all this. Going in and out of a fae realm alive after dealing with a fae hydra, of all things, is pretty good. Willow, as well; you better keep practicing that magic. You’ll go a very long way like that.”

She smiled briefly, though still appeared troubled. They headed back to the academy, and though Martin could swerve and go home, he instead trailed behind with Willow, holding her hand and not caring who saw.

She leaned against him and exhaled in relief. “I feel so tired all of a sudden… how are you holding up?”

“Happy,” he said. “Happy we found Yannick. Happy we’re all alive.” He didn’t quite dare to say I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you, but it was implied in the way he hugged her then, and she leaned harder into him.

“It’s weird. Thinking that I actually died, but I don’t know or remember or see it.”

“Maybe Marlon was right; maybe it wasn’t worth knowing.”

“Ah, but then I’d be too curious.” Her fingers ruffled his hair in a pleasant, familiar way. “We did it, though. We broke the enchantment. We made it out.”

“We did,” he said, still uncaring that the eyes of others were on them as he breached the distance to kiss her firmly on the lips.

“Does that mean you’ll be returning to the academy, then?” she asked against his mouth, her cheeks flushed, eyes glazed over in the faint stirring of desire.

“You can bet on it.” He kissed her once more, hugging tight, before letting go and holding her hand all the way back to Dreadmor Academy.

Epilogue – Martin

Back at last. Though the reception from his own-year group had been tepid, the reception from the professors, those who went to the coast with him, and Yannick were happy and excited for his return.

Yannick, after spending a few days recovering from deep hibernation, more or less corroborated Morgryn’s story as they walked through the garden to the spot where they once used to hang out.

“He was kind of an asshole about it, but I had limited options at the time. I couldn’t get back out. I was convinced everyone was dead, and it was my fault – all my damned fault for taking us there just because I thought I’d found a cool spot.”

It was good to see Yannick, though the scars left from losing three of their friends wouldn’t ever fully disappear.

“All that time, I’d been focused on searching for your body, Yan. But there was a part of me that was worried if you had purposefully set us up since you were the only one unaccounted for.”

Hurt flashed across Yannick’s face before he recovered. “I suppose I get it. It’s not fun to consider, but yeah.” He sighed, looking at the empty stone bench. “I really thought everyone was gone. Man, it’s good to know you made it.” He bumped fists with Martin before adding, “I see you ended up making some new friends in the five months. What about that woman, Willow? You two seemed pretty cozy on the walk back.”

---