The shimmering lines around me became like an upside down whale carcass, like the ribs we used back in my old village in many ways so there wasn’t waste. A little part inside of me was screaming, but I ignored the screaming, knowing the light would have every answer possible.

“Janneke!” a voice yelled, followed by another. I turned as the monster closed its trap, encaging me in its long, bone-like fingers.

I ran to the sound of the others calling me as quickly as I could, hoping the fingers had a weak spot or an empty place somewhere I could get free. The warm, calm feeling in my chest turned into an icy fire in my lungs as I ran toward Soren’s and Lydian’s voices and as Lydian told Soren exactly where to strike. Meeting him somewhere between the tips of the fingers, I screamed out, “I’m here! I’m here!” and thumped on the wall of bone.

Soren turned immediately in the direction Lydian pointed and brought out his swords. Unsteady and shaking in his grip, fighting against a monster no one but Lydian and I (to a lesser extent) could see, he lunged, and the goblin-forged steel cut through the bones like sliced cheese. I burst out of the opening he made for me and into his arms.

The monster that got to me was wailing in pain and the ground shook as it stomped away to look for another meal. Lydian nodded. “And this is why you don’t leave the path.”

Shaking and out of breath, I took a moment to respond. “What—What was that?”

Soren shrugged. “Most likely some type of lure for a giant or something equally as chaotic. Let’s hope we scared it away and it’s not coming back with more friends.”

“You could see it, couldn’t you, Janneke?” Lydian asked. “Not well enough to avoid walking into its trap, but well enough to direct us to where you were stuck.”

“I didn’t see anything but shimmers,” I said. “Just outlines shimmering that something was there. Otherwise, like Soren, I didn’t see it at all.”

Lydian shook his head. “No, it’s something. Your use of your stag powers earlier are probably breaking down whatever is covering your third eye and taking down the wall between you and the stag until you’re one being. Your powers are coming in.”

18

THE GAUNTLET

“HOW DO YOU know so much about the stag?” I asked as Soren led me back into the snow den and back into a warm position. My body trembled and shook even though it was nearly entwined with Soren.

“Because I know everything,” Lydian said.

“That’s a shit answer,” I muttered. “I want you to tell me what’s going on with me.”

“Tomorrow,” he said. “There’s still a few hours of sleep we can reach if we want.”