Page 32 of Edge of Wonder

“You have to be kidding me,” I mumbled, removing the chain.

I closed my fist around the pendant, feeling the weight of watchful eyes on the other side of the room. As much as it pained me, I had to go back to the cottage.Again.But I’d be quick. It was just a little side quest to warn them they couldn’t linger around the cottage and to hand off the necklace. One last encounter and I’d be on my way to a haunted castle up north.

***

It took me over two hours to make it back to the cottage. For a presence that existed to throw me in Alice’s path, fate was having an off day. First, there weren’t any horses available, so I hired a driver. And then the carriage broke down a mile out of town. I had to walk the rest of the way, and by the time I arrived, it was almost noon.

I searched the house and found it empty. All traces of Alice were gone. Fresh wildflowers sprouted over her garden tomb, Julian’s portrait with the hidden clue was missing, and the room she’d slept in last night had returned to its seedy state. Even the attic had been emptied of any evidence she existed.

Which meant they’d already left to open the portal, and I was running out of time to return the necklace. Tessa wouldn’t have tried opening it so close to the house, and they were likely somewhere in the woods. But where?

I walked the tree line and found a small area of trampled grass leading deeper into the woods. The path ran along a narrow stream heading east. Tessa would need to call upon the elements to open the portal, so they wouldn’t stray too far from the water.

Their tracks were easy to follow, and I covered a good distance before I heard voices up ahead. The stream had widened into a shallow pool and sunlight glistened off the water. Tessa stood on the embankment, her hands raised. Wind swirled through the trees, creating a cyclone of water and air that funneled into a circular gateway. Golden light shimmered around the boundary as if the edges were smoldering.

Tessa sensed my approach, and she lowered her hands, though the portal remained active. Surprise etched across her features. She glanced at Alice, who lowered the hood on her cloak.

“What are you doing here?” Alice asked.

“Making sure the two of you got out of the house before Andrew came by to investigate the property. I saw him at the inn with a suspicious man. He had some story about wanting to tour the property, but I didn’t buy it.” I met Tessa’s gaze. “He had a tattoo with a black diamond. I fed Andrew a lie about staying away from the house because of residual ghost energy, but I don’t know if it will work.”

Tessa cursed. “Did you see anyone else?”

“No. The man was alone.”

“Is it one of them?” Alice asked. She turned in a slow circle, her eyes scanning the trees.

“I think so,” Tessa murmured. “The mercenaries all have tattoos with one of the four card suits. Red for a newer recruit. Black for an advanced asset. The queen must have had someone here, waiting on this side.”

“For ten years?” Alice’s voice rose to a high pitch.

“She's determined. It’s why we went to such lengths in the first place.” Tessa paced in front of the glowing portal. “All right. Let’s assume he’s a mercenary. He’ll definitely come here. I'll head back and cover our tracks. The property is wiped clean, so that shouldn’t be an issue. The good news is, once you're through the portal, he won't be able to follow unless he finds a witch to open another one. And that could take a while. We chose this area for its distinct lack of witches.”

Tessa jabbed her finger at me. “Stay here and make sure Alice makes it through. The portal is almost ready. When the light changes from gold to green, it’s time to go. It will close on its own shortly after, so there is only a small window of opportunity.”

She approached Alice and drew her into a tight hug, whispering something in her ear. Alice nodded and took a shuddering breath. Tessa squeezed her hands, then walked toward me.

“Don’t mess this up,” she said under her breath, then paused, her features softening. “And don’t stay away forever. Come home when you’re ready.”

I nodded, unsure which part of her request I was agreeing to. But she seemed satisfied with my tentative acceptance, and hurried down the path, using magic to remove any hint of our presence.

“So I guess this is it?” Alice glanced at the swirling vortex. “Tessa claims going through a portal doesn’t hurt, but she underestimates things.”

Alice twisted her fingers in her hands, betraying her nerves.

“You’ll live,” I said, with a quiet laugh. The joke must have eased her worry a little because she smiled.

“You’re right. There are worse things.”

“Like spirit cages.”

“And spiders.”

The gold light had started to shift color, framing Alice in its glow. I reached into my pocket and removed the necklace. Opening my hand, I let the pendant dangle on the chain.

“You can’t leave without this. I think you’re going to need it.”

“Wow, I haven’t worn that in ten years.” She studied the pendant, reaching out to hold the clock in her palm. “You know, I used to think this was my good luck charm. I’d hold it in my fist like this and make a wish.”

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