Even dreaming, even now, the Star yearned toward her temple. Like iron to a magnet, I felt drawn by the same invisible tie.

The temple lay behind me.

“Okay,” I muttered. If I could not trust myself, I would have to trust her instead.

Once again, I turned and slid my foot forward. Water lapped up the side of my legs. I clenched my fists and took another step.

“You did this to me!” Finn accused.

The water rose to my knees, ice-cold and bitter. I kept my eyes squeezed shut.

“You said that you loved me, El.” His voice was raw. “How can you leave me here?”

“Not real,” I breathed.

“Look at me! Look at what you’ve done to me!”

I took another step, and another. The water came up to my hips. I wanted to flee back to the beach. This could not be right. The lake reached my neck.

“I hate you,” he cried.

I took a final breath and let the water cover me.

The Old One howled. The sound cut through me, freezing the blood in my veins. I was choking, I was drowning, and still the howl rang out. It burrowed itself into my brain and erased everything but terror.

I took another step, clutching my head, and suddenly the water was gone. I fell to my knees, heaving. There was blood in my mouth where I had bitten my tongue.

The sound stopped.

I could do nothing. I sagged onto the hard dirt of the path, and my body trembled. My clothes were dry.

“El!”

“Not real,” I whispered.

Osan dropped to the ground and wrapped his arms around me. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay now, I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

I buried my face in his shirt. His heart was pounding.

“I’m sorry,” I croaked. “I was so stupid.”

He squeezed my shoulders. “It’s all right now.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you. I was trying to do the right thing.”

“I know you were. Don’t worry about that, it doesn’t matter. Lean on me now, let me help you inside.”

“I’m so sorry. You are my friend, Osan.”

“Shh. Come on, I’ve got you.”

I let him guide me back to the boathouse. The lake was placid and the air still, the night deceptively calm. Although I could not see the Haunt, I knew that it was still watching me.

CHAPTER

FORTY-THREE

When dawn arrived, we saw the smoke of their campfires.

“They’re here,” I said.

The thin grey ribbons rose from beyond the marsh. I strained my ears. In the distance, I heard the yapping of a Cat.

We had doused our own fire hours earlier to conceal our location. In the morning light, the slopes of the mountains seemed much closer, and the marsh would slow our pursuers. But with Cats … I laced my boots and stood. It was going to be close.

“Let’s get moving,” said Osan.