I looked into Liz’s eyes. The thought of taking a walk through that tangled mess inside was not appealing; it was terrifying.

“What exactly will I be doing?” I asked.

“You’ll walk the spiral path into the shadow-land where Brock is lost. If you can find him, you can lead him back.”

“If you can find him,” Moondance parroted.

“Do you have a better suggestion for getting him back?” I asked, anger spiking my voice though I’d tried to keep it calm and level.

Moondance’s chin jerked back. She shook her head, the soft flesh under her chin wobbling. She looked frightened.

“I think someone should explain to Callie how dangerous the vision quest is,” Ann objected, her voice trembling. “Not everyone who walks the spiral path returns. She could get lost in the shadows as Brock has.”

I took my hands out of Liz’s grasp, laying one hand over Ann’s twisted and shaking hands. “I want to do it. I need to.”

What I didn’t add was that I suspected I was already half-lost in the shadows and needed to find my way back out.

Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

LIZ PLACED THE Aelvestone at the center of the labyrinth, beneath the bench where Brock lay. Diana placed four candles around Brock and lit them while Tara poured salt around the outside perimeter. We all sat on the ground, spaced out around the circle so that we could just reach each other’s hands.

“It’s important to be grounded when summoning this kind of power,” Liz explained.

“Before we join hands, I want to remind everyone that once we send Callie down the spiral path it’s essential that the circle remain unbroken so that we can bring her back. Anyone who breaks the connection will be putting her in grave danger – and will answer to me.” Liz looked around the circle, her gaze resting on each face. When she came to mine she said, “Skald will keep a record of the energy so we’ll know if anyone breaks the circle.”

I wondered why Liz thought it necessary to make such a warning. After all, I was the one who had broken the circle last time. Shouldn’t the rest of the witches know that it was dangerous to break the circle? Instead of reassuring me, Liz’s warning made me even more nervous. Did she have some reason for thinking that someone in the circle might be planning to sabotage my vision quest and send me spinning out into the void?