The Soul Seekers: Horizon (24 page)

The Lowerworld is in chaos.

The Upperworld will soon follow.

Turns out, when Auden beat Paloma’s drum, it didn’t illuminate only the Rabbit Hole portal like we’d planned.

It illuminated
all
of the portals.

Swinging those glowing doorways wide open—allowing the Richters an all-access pass to dimensions long denied them.

Once again, Coyote was one step ahead.

Orchestrating, if not second-guessing, my every move.

With the crowd quickly dispersing and Leandro long gone, I get to my feet, retrieve my athame, and duck behind a small grove of trees, where I hope to go unnoticed until I can figure a way to
regroup.

Reaching for the buckskin pouch at my neck, convinced that if there was ever a time to call upon the aid of my ancestors and talismans, it’s now, I remember something Paloma once told me:
Someday you will need to call on us like never before—use your light
.

Well, I’m using my light, my talismans, my will, my intent—I’m using every trick my grandmother taught me, and calling to them with all that I’ve got. But after a few
moments of silence, there’s still no sign of them. Not even Raven comes to my aid.

I’m alone.

Truly alone.

Just like the lone raven that soared above Paloma’s grave the day I buried her.

Seems my ancestors, along with my spirit animal, are dead set on ignoring me.

I push away from the trees, determined to locate my friends and do what I can to gain some semblance of control, when Chay whispers my name from a few feet away.

“Our magick failed.” He lumbers toward me. His face grief-stricken, hand clutching his side. “We were down here working. It was all going as planned. But then . . .” His
voice fades, both of us knowing there’s no need to finish when the evidence surround us.

“It’s a disaster,” I say. “I thought I had it all under control, but once again, Coyote was pulling the strings.”

I start to yank the tourmaline ring from my finger, convinced Chay was right. I never should’ve made him dig it up. It’s only served to enable Coyote by allowing them direct access
to me.

“Don’t.” He shakes his head, places a hand on my arm, as I shoot him a questioning look. “If it’s truly working against you, then it won’t be long before the
Richters find you. They’ll want to celebrate breaching the three worlds by killing the Seeker. Which means you still have a chance to get to them before they get to you.”

“Leandro already had a go at me.” I rub the sore spot on my face where his fist met my jaw. “But then he took off. Guess raiding the Upperworld held more appeal.”

“He won’t be the one to kill you. He’ll save that particular victory for one of his sons.” The words are spoken in a straightforward manner, though his eyes betray the
magnitude of his grief.

“How altruistic of him.” I roll my eyes, crack a sardonic grin, noting the way Chay grimaces in response. “How do you know so much, anyway?” I study him carefully,
convinced there’s more going on than he’s willing to share.

“As a veterinarian, and a life-long citizen of Enchantment, let’s just say I’m well-versed in the ways of Coyote. I always figured this day would come.”

“It was fated.” I shut my eyes tightly, briefly; the words cut to the bone. Remembering the day I first learned Dace was my fated one. How happy I felt. How secure my future seemed.
Never once daring to think we were fated to this . . .

My gut pings with grief, I find it hard to breathe, and I instinctively reach for the key that hangs from my chest—the symbol of Dace’s and my love. My fingers curling around it,
seeking the assurance it’s never failed to provide.

I can’t give up.

Won’t give up.

The Richters have taken enough already—they won’t claim Dace too.

I lift my hand before me, watching as the tourmaline glimmers and glints as though it’s taken on a life of its own, then I glance all around. Taking in a once peaceful world now left in
ruins, and it’s only bound to get worse.

“This marks the start of the prophecy.” Chay’s voice is gruffer than normal, as though each word is a struggle. “It may have nothing to do with the ring.”

“Either that, or once again, Cade got impatient and decided to jumpstart the event.”

“While we may never have the answer, perhaps you can find a way to make the stone work
for
you. What is it you told me about its properties?”

“It’s a shamanic tool, it activates the third eye, and in times of trouble, it can guide one toward safety . . .” My eyes grow wide with understanding. “So, you’re
saying I should use it to lead me to the Richters instead of it leading them to me?”

His eyes shine as much as they’re able under the circumstances. “Either way, you’re bound to meet. But at least this way puts you in control of the situation.”

It doesn’t take long to concede that he’s right. But before I enact my new plan, I first need to know that the elders are safe. “Where are the others?” I ask.
“Leftfoot, Cree, and Chepi?”

“They’re all here, somewhere. Figured it was best to separate so if worse came to worst, the Richters couldn’t take us all at once.”

I close my eyes. Hardly able to believe the danger I’ve put them all in.

“Hey now. There’s no time for regrets.” Chay tips a finger to my chin. “We’ve been part of this fight from the start. Long before you were born. What happens from
this moment forward is not your fault. You hear?”

I nod because he expects me to, but I can’t quite shake my remorse.

“If you’re going to worry about anyone, save it for Jennika.”

My eyes snap open.

“I couldn’t stop her. She insisted on coming.”

“Tell me you didn’t really just say that,” I plead, wondering how it’s possible for this to get any worse. Though the look on his face confirms it’s the truth.
“Is she at least armed?” Figuring what’s done is done, it’s better to veer toward the practical. “And what I mean by that is—is she armed with something other
than a fierce maternal instinct to save her cub no matter the cost?”

Chay attempts agrin, but doesn’t get very far before his lips flatten, and his face pales from the strain. “She told us she’s quite proficient at archery, so Leftfoot set her
up.”

“Proficient?” I frown, allowing a quick trip to the past when she took a few lessons during filming breaks on a movie set, but I don’t remember her adding it to her short list
of hobbies. “At best, she’s an amateur,” I say, growing inexplicably angry at Jennika for overstating her skills and putting herself in grave danger.

“Well, it’s going to have to prove good enough.” Chay brushes a hand across his forehead, coming away with a film of sweat coating his fingers. “Anyway, you
ready?”

I look at him.

“Fun’s just getting started.”

“You call this fun?”

“Like anything, it’s all in the perspective.”

He slips his Eagle ring from his finger, holds it high above his head, and emits a quick series of whistles that perfectly imitate their high-pitched peal.

“What’re you doing?” I ask, worried he’ll attract Richters and demons before I’m ready to face them.

Chay flattens a hand to his belly. Seeing my look of concern, he jabs a finger toward the sky, gesturing toward the beautiful Eagle soaring in ever-widening circles above. “He’s
hunting for Richters,” he says, watching his magnificent spirit animal at work, which only makes me wonder what happened to mine.

“Will he bring them back to us?”

Chay tries to laugh, but it’s as unsuccessful as the grin. “Not likely. But if you follow, he’ll lead you to them. Think of him as a backup to the tourmaline.”

I shift my focus to Chay, adding up all the signs of physical distress he’s displayed since he arrived, and becoming even more convinced that something’s gone terribly wrong.
“If
I
hurry? What about you? It’s your sprit animal. Aren’t you coming with me?”

He shakes his head sadly, and flips open his jacket. Revealing the place where blood continuously pumps from a wound hidden inside his shirt. “Looks like you’re not the only one who
met up with Leandro.” His complexion pales, his gaze grows blunted, distant, and when I rush to help, he pushes me away.

“I’m a healer! I can help you!” I cry, mentally reviewing the short list of quick fixes and remedies.

“That’s a side gig.” He grasps my hands and folds them in his. “You’re the Seeker first and foremost, which means you cannot afford to get distracted by me. Go,
Daire. You’ve got a job to do. I’ll be fine.”

“But what if you’re not?” My lip quivers, my eyes sting, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear that my heart has splintered into a thousand jagged shards. “I
can’t do this alone! I can’t lose you too!”

“But someday you will.” His gaze is resigned, leaving no doubt he’s fighting to hang on long enough to convince me to leave. “If not today, then someday, and it’s
perfectly okay. Paloma is waiting for me, and when my time is up, I’ll go gladly. I’m ready to find her. So don’t you worry. My breath may cease, but my soul will transcend. So
go, Daire. Trust in your abilities. Trust in Paloma’s teachings. Trust in the wisdom of your ancestors. But most importantly, trust in your heart. It will never lead you astray.”

My eyes meet his, and I instinctively know he means Dace.

“Love is a powerful force. If anyone can save him, it’s you. So go. Go do what you were born to do.”

I cup a hand to either side of his face, tip onto my toes, and press my lips to his forehead. Hoping he can somehow intuit all of the words I’m too shaken to say. Then, with a heavy heart,
I turn on my heel, and race to catch up with Eagle.

The second I discover we’ve landed in the Lowerworld, my first instinct is to flee.

The place I once begged to visit—the place I once held so dear—the place that bestowed me with what I once considered the most incredible gift by restoring my sight—has
descended into a scene so hellish, it’s like a mirror image of the wasteland of emotions warring inside.

I pound my fists into the dirt.

I thrash, kick, and scream with all I have in me.

Driven by an all-consuming hatred for this place—blaming it for fueling my dreams and encouraging me to believe the old me wasn’t quite good enough—that I needed improving.

But mostly, I hate myself for relinquishing my blind sight with barely a thought, in a desire to be
normal,
like everyone else.

It’s the reason I couldn’t get a read on Luther.

Why I couldn’t warn Auden against signing that contract.

Couldn’t warn Daire that something awful was afoot.

And because of it, the three worlds, like our lives, are in ruins.

Those weren’t sapphires embedded on that pen, they were blue tourmalines from Cade’s mine.

And the blood Auden spilled on that contract—the blood he accidentally spilled on my cheek—ties us to the Richters for all of eternity.

Because he agreed to beat the drum that illuminated the portals allowing Coyote unhindered access to the worlds long denied them, Auden will have unlimited riches, unsurpassed fame and
success.

He’ll live the life of his dreams

But the fame will be fleeting.

The success comes with a shelf life of one single lifetime.

While our souls are doomed for all of eternity.

“Flower, hey—you okay?” Auden crawls up alongside me, brings a hand to my tearstained cheek. “Are you injured?”

I shake my head.

“Scared?”

“Not in the way you might think.”

“So what then?” He brushes a hand through my hair, tucks the strands back behind my ear. His touch so tender, his gaze so caring, I can’t bear to tell him the truth.

Though I guess he reads the look on my face, because he takes my hand and says, “How long have you known?”

His voice is somber, face grave.

“Probably not as long as you.”

“Xotichl—” He squeezes my hand. “I’m so sorry. I messed up. I wanted this so badly, but only because I wanted you to believe in me. I wanted your mom to believe in
me—I wanted to be good enough for her—to get her approval . . .”

My throat grows hot and tight. “Oh, Auden. Don’t you get it? No one will ever be good enough for my mom. That’s just how she is when it comes to me. But you’ve always
been more than good enough for me—isn’t that what really matters?”

“It should’ve been. But I was so desperate for her blessing that I . . .” He shakes his head, squints his eyes closed as though he can’t bear to see or be seen.
“And now, because of it, I’ve endangered you.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

Auden opens his eyes, looks at me.

“Just because our plan’s a fail doesn’t mean we can’t improvise. There’s got to be a way to turn this whole thing around and I’m determined to find it.
I’ve had enough of the Richters. They won’t get our souls that easily, not without a fight.” I get to my feet and entwine my fingers with his. Putting on a brave face and the
voice to match, I say, “First, we need to find our friends and make sure they’re okay. Then we’ll deal with Luther and the Richters once and for all.”