CHAPTER FIVE

Winter

Climbing off the boat, I tether the rope to the dock. Damon climbs out behind me, and we take in the town. It's early morning, gray and with a light mist.

"Come on." I hurry down the pier. We need to find a place to hide. Who knows how many Silver Hunters are still in this area.

Damon hustles to keep up. "I still can't believe this. I mean, it's amazing. Alec is alive."

"Something like alive." I touch his necklace hanging around my throat. "Remember, my dad said he's not alive, and he's not dead."

Damon is quiet, his brow knitting in that way that suggests he's deep in thought.

"What?" I ask.

He stops at the street and turns to face me. "Your dad said that you can use the coin to save Alec."

"Yeah." I sigh in frustration. "Problem is, I have no clue how to do that."

"Can I see it for a second?"

I hesitate, but then realize how silly that is. I can trust Damon. He put himself on the line for me and Alec in that pocket dimension, and even though he also went in there searching for the coin, he hasn't argued the fact that I already have a plan for using it.

I hand the coin over, and he holds it up to the light. "What does the inscription say? The first person to touch the coin makes a sacrifice?"

"Is the sacrifice," I correct him. "I have no clue how I read that. I don't recognize that language."

"Another one of your amazing gifts."

"The coin doesn't tell us how to use it, though," I grumble.

"No, but there's something I read years ago, back when I was studying archaeology at school... Something about a potential way to activate the Golden Coin… I dismissed it then because it seemed too easy, but we don’t have anything to lose. We could try it."

I lean in, my attention piqued. "What did you find?"

"It's a ritual," he says, his eyes intense. "It involves using the coin and a specific combination of herbs and oils. It's said to have the power to bridge the gap between the living and the dead."

"Really?" I'm intrigued, but cautious. "How do we know it's true?"

"I don't know," he admits. "But it might be worth trying. If there's any chance it could bring Alec back, we have to try."

He hands the coin back to me, and I tuck it safely away in my pocket. "Okay, let's do it. Do you know what we need?"

"We need mandrake root, black henbane, and nightshade. Those are the most important ingredients."

"But where do we even find those?" I ask, feeling lost already.

"From a magic shop. A real magic shop."

I raise an eyebrow. "Like a New Age shop? But those aren't really magic... right?"

"Sometimes they are. You have to ask the right questions, though."

I frown. "Have you heard anything back from The Guild? Maybe they could help us."

He turns his phone on, which he's been keeping off to conserve the battery. "No. Which is really weird." He looks up and down the street. "Let's ask around and see if we can find a place."

We wander the town for close to an hour, asking locals if they know of any magic shops. Most of them just give us strange looks, but a woman finally tells us about a "crystal and herb" store she knows about.

The gray mist still hangs in the air, adding an eerie quality to the streets. I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched, followed. I glance over my shoulder every few seconds, but there's no one there.

"How do we know if the shop is legit?" I ask Damon as we walk.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we can ask if they have the ingredients we're looking for. If they say yes, we can assume they're legit."

I nod, and we turn a corner onto a street that's livelier than the others. There's a coffee shop, a diner, and a few boutiques. And then, on the corner, a small storefront with a sign that says, "The Enchanted Emporium."

"The name looks promising," Damon says.

Inside, the air is heavy with incense and the shelves are lined with jars of herbs, crystals, and various other mystical objects.

A woman with long, curly hair and a flowing dress greets us. "Welcome. How may I assist you today?"

"We're looking for some specific herbs," Damon says, stepping forward. "Mandrake root, black henbane, and nightshade."

The woman raises an eyebrow. "Those are rather dangerous herbs. What are you planning on doing with them?"

"We need them for a ritual," I say, stepping up beside Damon. Might as well get to the point. "To bring someone back from... the other side."

Her eyes widen. "I see. The other side?"

Damon and I glance at each other. Does she think we're crazy?

“And why would you want to bring someone back from the dead?” She arches an eyebrow. “That’s serious dark magic you’re playing with there.”

I take a deep breath, trying to come up with an excuse. The only thing that comes to mind, though, is the truth. It means taking a big chance, but it’s worth it.

“Have you ever heard of the Silver Hunters?” I ask.

Her eyes widen, and the fear in them tells me everything I need to know. Not only has she heard of them, but she’s most definitely not on their side.

“It’s related to them,” I say. “We need to get our friend and then save our school, and–”

She nods. “An enemy of the Silver Hunters is a friend of mine. Come.”

“Thank you,” I sigh in relief.

She leads us to a small corner of the shop, where she pulls out the jars of the herbs we need. "I must warn you," she says. "These herbs are not to be taken lightly. They have been known to cause hallucinations, delirium, and even death in some cases. If anyone asks, you didn't get this from me."

"We understand the risks," Damon says firmly. "And thank you for doing this. We won't tell anyone."

"As far as money..." My face warms. I hate begging.

The woman shakes her head. "Not to be cruel, but you kids look like you've already been through Hell and back. Whatever you're doing, whoever you're bringing back... they're a good person, right?"

"Amazing." Tears prick my eyes. "He's been helping me to... basically save the world."

Does she know about the Silver Hunters? I don't know. If not, I don't want to take time to explain. I just want to get these ingredients and get out of here.

The woman waves her hand. "Then all of this is on me."

"Thank you," I croak, full of emotion. If it weren't for her kindness, we would be at an impasse.

The woman nods, and we also get some candles, a lighter, and oil--the rest of the ingredients that Damon says we need.

"So how does this work?" I ask as we leave the shop and walk down the street. "Will this... bring Alec back?"

Damon frowns. "That's not the impression I got from what I read. It said that someone has to take a journey... I don't think they were talking about the person who's already on the other side. I think one of us has to go and get Alec."

A shiver runs through me. What he's talking about is terrifying, but after the pocket dimension filled with monsters, how bad can it be wherever Alec is?

"I'll do it," I say without any hesitation.

He nods. "It could be that you astral project. You know, like your dad. Or your soul leaves your body completely. I don't know what to expect. That's why we need somewhere private and safe. That way, if you leave your body behind I can guard it."

Another shiver. God, this is terrifying.

And exciting.

I could have Alec back.

I take a deep breath, thinking about his sly smile, his lips on mine...

Getting my hopes up is foolish, I know, but I can't help it when it comes to him.

"Now we just need to find a place," Damon mutters as we walk down the street. "Somewhere no one else will go into."

I twist my lips. "Like someplace that's abandoned."

Damon nods. "Exactly. We need somewhere that's secluded, where we can perform this ritual undisturbed."

We make our way down the street, scanning the buildings for any that look like they might be abandoned. Most of them are storefronts, but eventually we come across an old house that looks like it's been abandoned for years.

"That looks perfect," I say, pointing to it. "No one would think to go in there."

Damon nods. "Let's go check it out."

We make our way over a rusted fence and through the backyard to peer in through the broken windows. The inside is dark and musty, with debris scattered all over the ground.

"It's perfect," Damon says. "We just need to clean it up a bit and set up the ritual."

I try the back door, but it's locked, a heavy padlock on it. As much as I hate breaking and entering, I have no choice. Gathering my supernatural strength, I kick the door. The force breaks the padlock and splinters the wood.

"Oops." I cringe.

"It worked, though." Damon steps over the broken door.

Inside, the air is thick with mold and dust. We look around the dim space and find a table left in what was probably the dining room.

"We'll do it here." Damon starts mixing the herbs together, crushing them into a fine powder. He adds drops of oil and water, creating a thick paste.

"Okay, now what?" I ask.

"Now we need to light the candles" he says, his voice steady. "After that, I don't know."

We light a few candles and sit around the table, placing the coin in the center. Nothing happens.

"Maybe you should get on the table," he suggest. "Sit or lay down between the candles. And hold the coin."

I nod, feeling a little foolish. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get Alec back. I climb onto the table, taking the coin in my hand and lying down between the candles. Damon places the jar of herbs beside me. The scent is overwhelming, but I don't close my eyes. I need to stay focused.

Suddenly, everything changes. The candles flicker and a gust of wind blows through the room, even though the windows are closed. I feel a strange pressure in my head, like something is trying to push its way in.

"Something is happening," I try to say, but my tongue is too heavy. I can't even get one word out.

I feel my body start to tingle. My hands are slipping away from me, my feet, my legs, like my soul is becoming untethered from my body.

I try to fight it, but it's too late. My soul is lifting out of my body, and I'm dragged upwards, like I'm floating on a cloud.

Then, all of a sudden, I'm falling.

I'm falling through a dark tunnel, my body flipping and spinning out of control. I try to scream, but the air is sucked out of my lungs. My heart is beating so fast it feels like it's going to explode. I try to yell out to Damon, to tell him I think he made a mistake, but I can’t get the sound out.

I’m falling, falling into nothingness.