She studied me for a long moment, evaluating me with a stern expression. “You’re fierce, but you’re going to fail. That means you and my brother will die.”
The words sank into me like an iron blade, and whatever hope I had left drained from my heart. I stepped toward the ghost. “Please, you’re here to help, aren’t you? There must be a way.”
“You’re not whole. You’ll never be able to defeat the Dark God as you are.” Her words filled me with despair, yet her face revealed no emotion.
I took a step forward. “The Moon told me that the Soul Knife severed a part of my wolf’s soul. That’s how the Dark God is taking control. How do I get it back and heal the wound?”
She pointed to my shoulder. “Your wolf’s shard is here with us. You must come to the land of the dead. That’s why I’m here.”
The land of the dead? Right now?
The forest began to spin around me, and I had to steady myself against the trunk of a slender sapling that was clinging to the cliff’s edge. The poor thing was clutching at the world just as precariously as I was.
In the last month, I’d discovered invisible cities and been to the land of dreams. I’d spoken with werewolves, demons, and ghosts. But entering the land of the dead? For fuck’s sake.
I studied her face, but her expression gave me no clue. She just waited patiently for me to recover my senses.
Was this seriously where my destiny was leading me?
I had to defeat the Dark Wolf God and bring my wolf back, so I had to go after that part of my soul. What other choice did I have?
I took a deep breath and straightened, letting go of the tree. “How do I get there?”
She smiled and motioned through the forest at a path that ran parallel to the shoreline. “Follow me, but not without my brother. You two are mates. If you enter without him, he’ll go insane.”
Fuck. Me going was one thing, but Jaxson?
I knew without a doubt he would follow. I licked my lips. Time for a pretty crucial question. “Is there a way back?”
She smiled. “Yes. Your strands of fate still tie you to the world of the living. That’s why you can return, but I cannot—at least, not in any form more than this.” She gestured to her ephemeral body.
I looked back at Jaxson, and then in the direction of the council. “We need to prepare Magic Side. We’ve made plans with the Order and sorcerers, and we need to see them through.”
She shook her head. “You’ve put everything in motion. They can defend Magic Side. You must defeat the Dark God. And you cannot do that while you’re broken.”
That meant putting it all in the hands of Sam and Regina, of Casey and my aunt. I trusted them, but how would the pack respond without their alpha? Would the council still cooperate? Would they be able to work with each other without me to make peace?
Wolfie would have said, Tough shit. Time they grew up and learned to get along…now come get me out of the fucking Deadlands, already!
Doubt swirled in my mind. Could I trust the ghost? Was she really Jaxson’s sister, or an illusion sent by the Dark God? All my instincts screamed that she was telling the truth, but how could one tell with a ghost? Their expressions weren’t exactly like a living person’s. More distant. And they had no scent, no tells.
As if reading my warring thoughts, Stephanie cast me a knowing look. “This isn’t a trick. Jaxson and I were close. He’ll be able to ask me questions that only I can answer. I’m sorry, but it’s the best proof I can offer.”
Would that work? Or could the Dark God’s magic replicate her memories, too? My head spun. At some point, I’d have to trust my gut, and my gut said, Go with it. How else will you get your soul back?
I looked back at Jaxson apprehensively, and she followed my gaze. “I know that there’s no reason to trust me in this, but the Dark God has no power in our realm,” she said. “He’s trapped in the Dreamlands. But once he escapes, he’ll be able to enter the land of the dead—that’s why our kind have been helping you.”
“How do we find the shard of my wolf?” I asked.
“I’ll help guide you, but you’ll have to find your way to her.” Stephanie gestured to where Jaxson crouched, waiting to come to my aid at a moment’s notice. “Get my brother and meet me in the Garden of the Wolves.”
Desperation and indecision muddled my thoughts. I would tell Jaxson, and then we would decide what to do.
I turned and started to walk away, but her voice stopped me. “A warning, Savannah. The journey won’t be easy. You have enemies in the Deadlands, and your wolf may not wish to return. That part…that’s up to you.”
Then she vanished like a rainbow in the sun.
My gut knotted as I walked back to where Jaxson stood waiting beneath the trees. Concern etched his face. “I heard only your half of the conversation. Who were you speaking to?”
My mouth went dry, and my chest constricted so tightly, it became hard to breathe, but I forced myself to meet his eyes. “Your sister.”