“Agreed. But listen, if this is about the Sampo, I think we might be getting in over our heads.”

He frowns and I think I must’ve messed up the phrase again when he says, “You think? I mean, look at where we are?” He gestures to the snow-soaked forest. “Do we even know where we are? And we’re on the trail of a league of chaos mages. This is kinda crazy, but also kinda epic.” A sly grin creeps up the corners of his mouth.

“I just don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“Tai, please,” he says. “I don’t care if they expel me.”

“I do,” I say. “And I care a lot if you die using up too much magic.”

“Hey.” He puts a hand on my shoulder. “We O’Connors are pretty tough. It’ll take more than that to off me. Promise.”

I want to believe him, but doubt is starting to erode what little courage I had to begin with.

“Besides, we’ve come this far.” He punches my shoulder lightly. “No point turning back now.”

As if we even could if we wanted to.

Despite how fast we’re walking, the cold seeps into my bones, making my spine ache and teeth chatter. It hits me smack between the eyes that we could die out here and no one would ever find us.

All the more reason to succeed. I will not die out here and I will not get Morgan killed. I refuse. Turning my attention away from the morbid thoughts circling like vultures, I focus on what Morgan said about the stones and think I’m finally starting to get it.

If opening the portal to the hiisi’s forest took so much out of him, no wonder those who are after the Sampo are kidnapping magical kids. What good would it be if opening the doorway left the mage passed out for hours? They could be using Natalie and the others to open the tonttukivi—but that doesn’t explain why Natalie became a liekkiö. Or does it?

I study Morgan: his bloodshot eyes and pale, almost gray face. Is he going to start fading and turn into a ghost? I’m trying to decide whether or not to voice this concern when the trail widens, and the wind dies down. So does the flashlight, plunging us into ink-black night.

“Hey, look up!” Morgan nudges me with his elbow.

Above us, a canopy of stars stretches across the patch of sky visible between the leafless branches.

“Whoa, are those the northern lights?” he asks.

“Yeah.” Ribbons of color dance above us in shades of green and purple and vibrant pink.

“Damn, this is so sick. I didn’t think they could really be those colors. I thought it was some CGI trickery when I saw videos online.”