“You’re serious?”
The nod that follows confirms that she is.
So I take a moment to ponder the long list of things I could ask for, then I turn to her and say, “Bring me Chay’s body so I can give him a proper burial.”
She shakes her head. Her tone as final as her gaze, she says, “No. Absolutely not. My intention is to grant a wish that serves you—not someone else.”
“But that’s the thing. It is for me. Chay was my mentor, my friend. In a lot of ways, he was like a father to me, and I let him down. If you’ll just see it within you to grant me this wish, I’d feel a lot better, which would benefit me immeasurably.”
“First of all, you didn’t let him down. Chay died doing what he’s always done best, which is helping others. While I admit, when things got hectic up here, we lost sight of all of you down there. But eventually Eagle managed to get through and alert us, and it wasn’t long after that Chay’s guide went down to greet him. He’s in a good place now, I promise you that. They buried his body near that spring you like so much down in the Lowerworld.”
“The Enchanted Spring?”
She grins. “I know it’s one of your favorites. Which is one of the reasons we chose it. That way you can visit him whenever you want. Though, as I know you already know, you don’t have to go there to find him . . .”
“He’s a part of everything now.” I allow myself a ghost of a smile. Another one of Paloma’s lessons. “Though, as I recently discovered, you don’t have to die in order to achieve that—we are all of us connected to everything around us.”
“You’re a good student,” Zahra says. “And an even better Seeker. Still, there’s one last thing left to do.”
I squint, having no idea what she means. The Richters are gone. The three worlds are in order. What could possibly be left undone?
She points to the tourmaline ring on my finger. “Use it to release the residents of Enchantment. We guided them home, but they’re lost, confused, running on empty. As the Seeker, it’s up to you to restore them to their former selves and help them find their way.”
“How?”
“You’ll figure it out.” When she smiles, her entire being is illuminated. “In the meantime, please consider my offer. And when you’ve decided on a wish that’s entirely for you, ask Lita for the eagle feather and I promise to see that it’s done. Actually, in light of all you’ve accomplished, I’m feeling generous. So, how about I offer a wish for each of your friends as well. But for now . . .” I look at her. “I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s time for you to go back to your worlds. The portals will close soon, and if you stay here much longer, you’ll be staying for good. You know how to return?”
“Follow the same trail I arrived on?”
“Yes. Only now you won’t find the journey nearly as treacherous.”
When she turns to leave, I’m overcome with the strange sensation of loss. And before I can stop myself, I say, “Will I see you again?”
“I’ll see you every day. I’m always with you, Daire. But, if you can manage to stay out of trouble, I don’t expect to see you in these parts again for a very long while.”
I have so many things to ask her, so many puzzles to solve, but before I can get to the words, she walks a few feet away and disappears into a wondrous burst of white light.
FORTY-EIGHT
DAIRE
It’s not until we stop in the Lowerworld to pay our respects to Chay that I decide on a wish just for me.
The thing about being a Seeker is my gifts of healing and insight are mostly geared toward helping others. When it comes to my own stuff, I’m as clueless as anyone, left to rely on a gut I’m still learning to trust.
Still, it’s the only thing I can think of, and, if I place the right parameters around it, it might prove to be fun.
But first, I’ll let my friends have a go. So after asking Lita for the feather, I hold it before me and relay everything Zahra told me.
“Trust me,” Lita says, happily nestled in the shelter of Axel’s arms. “This is an opportunity you won’t want to waste. That feather is magick.”
In a sign of respect for the elders who have given so much, I offer it first to Leftfoot, but he’s quick to decline. Claiming he has everything he could every possibly want now that he’s lived long enough to see Enchantment liberated from the Richters’ hold, he passes it to Chepi, who clutches it in both hands, closes her eyes, and says, “I wish for my son to find peace and forgiveness for what he’s done.” Her gaze centers on Dace as he squeezes my hand.
Jennika’s next, wishing to never lose sight of the things Django taught her. Then she hands it to Axel, who turns to Lita and says, “My wish is standing right here beside me.”
Xotichl is next, and we watch as she pinches the quill between her fingers and takes a moment to settle her gaze on each of us, pausing as though trying to memorize our individual features. “I wish to be returned to the way I was before I first came to the Lowerworld,” she says.
“Xotichl!” Lita gasps. “You only get one shot—how could you—”