Page 81 of Soul of Shadow
“See what?” Abigail asked.
Charlie looked quickly around the forest. It was just as she remembered—brilliant-green vines and bright-orange sap on the trees, a cluster of purple älvor humming around a distant bush, everything a touch shinier and more beautiful than it had been before her first night at that house—and she didn’t spy any goblins or other threats lurking in the trunks. Even if she did, she realized—those creatures couldn’t hurt Mason and Abigail.
Not until they ate the eyaerberries.
She looked down at the vätte, who sat in the dirt beside her friends. “Stay here with them,” she said.
“Who are you talking to?” Mason asked, looking at the ground.
“Just wait here,” Charlie said, turning and jogging toward the front porch. As she ran, she pulled Sophie’s knife from her dress—in case Elias left any traps waiting inside.
This was a terrible idea. She knew it was a terrible idea. Was she really going to bring Mason and Abigail into this world? To put their lives at risk by opening them up to the dangers of Asgard? It was a selfish move on her part. She longed for someone to share this world with, someone who would understand what she’d been going through the past week. And she needed help if she was going to take on Elias and the Fenrir… but still. She could get them killed.
But if they did nothing, Lou would mostcertainlyend up dead.
I hate him, she thought as she ran up the front porch steps.I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.
The words propelled her through the unlocked front door, down the hallway, into the creepy dining room, and over to the fireplace. She got on her hands and knees in the soot and started to dig. Soon enough, she found the small black box. She lifted it from the soot and opened its lid.
As expected, there were four eyaerberries left. Elias must not have fed one to Lou. Why would he? Her best friend was currently under some sort of mare spell. If she made it out of this alive, she probably wouldn’t even remember what happened.
Good, she thought. It was better that she not remember.
At least one of them would be spared.
She closed the lid, tucked the box under one arm, and jogged back outside.
When she reached Mason and Abigail, they were staring at her with perplexed expressions.
“What,” Mason said, “did we just see?”
“I have no idea,” said Charlie. “The ash wives bewitched this clearing so that you couldn’t see the house.”
“The what?” Abigail asked.
“You ran toward the graveyard,” said Mason, “and then you just… vanished.”
“Huh.” Charlie lifted the black box and opened its lid. “Well. You’ll know the truth soon enough.”
Mason and Abigail eyed the purple fruits suspiciously.
“What are these?” Abigail poked at their shiny flesh. “Some sort of drug?”
“Nice.” Mason dug eagerly into the velvet, pulling out one of the eyaerberries. “Sounds fun.”
“It isnota drug.” Charlie glared at her older brother. “And it’s not to be trifled with, either. Your entire worldview is going to change after you eat one of these.”
Mason grinned. “You mean Abigail might realize there are things more important than getting into college and moving back to New York?”
Abigail narrowed her dark eyes at Mason as she picked up one of the fruits. “Not likely.”
“I’m serious,” said Charlie. “I need you to think very clearly about what you’re about to do.” She looked between them both. “The creatures of Asgard are beautiful, but they’re also deadly. If you eat these eyaerberries, your life will always be at risk. Itdoesn’t matter what college you get into. It doesn’t matter what city you move to. There are things you can do to protect yourselves, but at the end of the day, you will have opened yourself up to all the danger that magic entails.”
Abigail and Mason shared a look. For the first time, Charlie thought she saw some doubt ripple through their eyes.
For Mason, it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “I’m always up for some fun,” he said. With a wink, he tossed the berry into his mouth and bit down.
Charlie’s muscles tensed. She remembered what came next: the full-body shock, like electricity running straight through your veins. Mason’s eyes widened. He looked down at his limbs, as if expecting to see lightning under his skin. As the sensation grew, his hands flew up to his head, gripping it as he let out a groan.
