The wind is doing its best to fill up the tracks, but there are still two visible sets of footprints, and a trail of claw marks clearly belonging to Fiona. We can’t be that far behind. I lift one foot, then the other, cleaving through the snow.

“What is it?” Aysha asks when she catches me glancing left and right.

“Nothing.” My mind is playing tricks on me, fear making me think every flitting shadow might be a monster reaching for my throat.

But there! No, I didn’t imagine it. Between the trees, wisps of green flicker and dance, knotting into balls of flame.

Taika, you came… There’s still time… Natalie’s voice is faint, but it sends a jolt of energy through my cold and tired body.

“Is that Natalie?” Katya asks.

“She’s glad we’re here. We’re close. We can do this.” I forge ahead, thighs aching and calves on fire.

This is it. I know it deep down in my bones. This is our last chance to stop the chaos mage and save Natalie, Hannah—all of them. The memory of Aoife’s blood on the snow, of Morgan’s terrified face, drives me forward. Six balls of green fire accompany us, zipping ahead through the trees.

“Those eyes are watching us. Are they, like, the mage’s security system or something?” Katya asks.

“No. I think…” I pause and stare back at a particularly bright pair of yellow orbs suspended above my head. “I think they belong to the forest. Maybe they’re part of the hiisi’s security system.”

Which gives me an idea. It seems silly to be talking to a pair of eyes, but I’ve got nothing to lose. Morgan said he felt fear and anger because his magic hurt the forest. Maybe that’s why the forest let me go. It wasn’t afraid of me and didn’t see me as a threat.

“We’re not here for the shard,” I say in Finnish. “We’re here to protect it.”

“What are you doing?” Katya asks.

“I’m sorry we hurt you,” I continue, ignoring Katya for the moment. “We didn’t mean to. We want to stop the tietäjä from getting the Sampo.” Gods, I feel ridiculous, but if this works… “We don’t want another hiisi to get hurt either. My friends and I, we need to find my brother. Can you help us?” I rest my hand on the nearby trunk of a rowan, not expecting much from the trees or the eyes. Some are actually still dripping, freshly excavated from whatever unlikely creature’s skull they used to call home.