darkened as she blushed when everyone turned their attention to her. Gable reminded herself to learn her name – she was actually one of the more tolerable Guardians.
“I can't.” Terelle lowered her head and her long, perfectly straight dark hair fell over her face like a curtain. “A faerie without wings is like a great, flashing beacon to all other faeries. The second I crossed over they'd sense me and hoards would come from the dark region to assassinate me and everyone with me. Us Zawavians take our banishments quite seriously. Besides, it is near impossible for faeries to cross into a region not their own. I would surely perish the second I stepped foot on one of the Dark Islands.”
“Well that sucks,” Nicky stated unhelpfully.
“How exactly do we get to the Dark Islands without the key?” Charles asked, and Gable could have kissed him for bringing them back on topic.
“There's one other way for humans and Outcasts to get there,” Terelle began. “Most know nothing of this, not even other faeries. It's information only permitted to royals and those most trusted. The thing is, it's extremely dangerous.”
“How dangerous?”
“Possibly fatal.”
“Oh. . .yes, that does sound rather dangerous indeed.” He hesitated for a brief moment, like he wasn't sure he wanted to hear what was next. “Do go on.”
“There are certain spots around the human realm where the walls between this world and Zawavia are thin – thin enough to pass through.”
“Like a portal?” Walker suggested.
Terelle nodded. “These spots are rare, but they exist. And to get to the Dark Islands there is an area, a very small, specific area, at the bottom of the ocean a few miles outside of Hawaii. I am fortunate enough to know the precise coordinates.”
Kain raised an eyebrow, absentmindedly fiddling with his bow-tie. “So we. . .go to Hawaii? That doesn't sound too bad.”
“It's not quite that simple. You must go to Hawaii, find the specific spot in the ocean, and then. . . Well, then you must drown.”
Silence, and then, “WHAT?”
Everyone began talking at once, trying to be heard in their utter shock, their voices becoming louder and louder until eventually Gable leaned forward and slammed her hand down on Terelle's mahogany coffee table, so hard the teacups rattled and her palm stung in the most satisfying way. It wasn't like the idea of drowning appealed to her but honestly, she'd been expecting something worse. “Jeez, let her speak, yo!”
They settled, albeit reluctantly.
“You have to be at the very point of death before you can cross over,” Terelle continued to explain. “Once you're over you should be well again – if you're strong enough. However, if you don't cross over in time. . .”
“You drown,” Ward finished quietly. “And death claims you.”
“Well. . .” Gable said after a long, depressing pause. “That's kind of sick.”
Terelle shrugged a shoulder. “If you think that's bad, you should try crossing over to the Summer Fields. I won't go into detail, but it involves a volcano in Mexico.”
“You faeries are weird.”
Terelle smirked.
Charles blew out a long, resigned puff of air. “When you said fatal, I had quite hoped you might be exaggerating.”
“I never exaggerate.”
“Yes, I see that.” He rubbed his face tiredly, the recent events having taken a toll on him. “We need time to think this through very carefully-”
“I'm in,” Gable interrupted, determined. “You guys can do what you want, but I'm going to Hawaii.”
“Gable. . .” Nicky uttered desperately. She knew he still couldn't deal with her putting herself in so much danger. No matter how much time had passed, no matter what they'd been through together and apart, he still thought of her as that sixteen year old cheerleader who couldn't even change a tire.
“I'm in,” she repeated firmly. He needed to let her go, in more ways than one. “If there's even the smallest chance I can get Sacha
“I can't.” Terelle lowered her head and her long, perfectly straight dark hair fell over her face like a curtain. “A faerie without wings is like a great, flashing beacon to all other faeries. The second I crossed over they'd sense me and hoards would come from the dark region to assassinate me and everyone with me. Us Zawavians take our banishments quite seriously. Besides, it is near impossible for faeries to cross into a region not their own. I would surely perish the second I stepped foot on one of the Dark Islands.”
“Well that sucks,” Nicky stated unhelpfully.
“How exactly do we get to the Dark Islands without the key?” Charles asked, and Gable could have kissed him for bringing them back on topic.
“There's one other way for humans and Outcasts to get there,” Terelle began. “Most know nothing of this, not even other faeries. It's information only permitted to royals and those most trusted. The thing is, it's extremely dangerous.”
“How dangerous?”
“Possibly fatal.”
“Oh. . .yes, that does sound rather dangerous indeed.” He hesitated for a brief moment, like he wasn't sure he wanted to hear what was next. “Do go on.”
“There are certain spots around the human realm where the walls between this world and Zawavia are thin – thin enough to pass through.”
“Like a portal?” Walker suggested.
Terelle nodded. “These spots are rare, but they exist. And to get to the Dark Islands there is an area, a very small, specific area, at the bottom of the ocean a few miles outside of Hawaii. I am fortunate enough to know the precise coordinates.”
Kain raised an eyebrow, absentmindedly fiddling with his bow-tie. “So we. . .go to Hawaii? That doesn't sound too bad.”
“It's not quite that simple. You must go to Hawaii, find the specific spot in the ocean, and then. . . Well, then you must drown.”
Silence, and then, “WHAT?”
Everyone began talking at once, trying to be heard in their utter shock, their voices becoming louder and louder until eventually Gable leaned forward and slammed her hand down on Terelle's mahogany coffee table, so hard the teacups rattled and her palm stung in the most satisfying way. It wasn't like the idea of drowning appealed to her but honestly, she'd been expecting something worse. “Jeez, let her speak, yo!”
They settled, albeit reluctantly.
“You have to be at the very point of death before you can cross over,” Terelle continued to explain. “Once you're over you should be well again – if you're strong enough. However, if you don't cross over in time. . .”
“You drown,” Ward finished quietly. “And death claims you.”
“Well. . .” Gable said after a long, depressing pause. “That's kind of sick.”
Terelle shrugged a shoulder. “If you think that's bad, you should try crossing over to the Summer Fields. I won't go into detail, but it involves a volcano in Mexico.”
“You faeries are weird.”
Terelle smirked.
Charles blew out a long, resigned puff of air. “When you said fatal, I had quite hoped you might be exaggerating.”
“I never exaggerate.”
“Yes, I see that.” He rubbed his face tiredly, the recent events having taken a toll on him. “We need time to think this through very carefully-”
“I'm in,” Gable interrupted, determined. “You guys can do what you want, but I'm going to Hawaii.”
“Gable. . .” Nicky uttered desperately. She knew he still couldn't deal with her putting herself in so much danger. No matter how much time had passed, no matter what they'd been through together and apart, he still thought of her as that sixteen year old cheerleader who couldn't even change a tire.
“I'm in,” she repeated firmly. He needed to let her go, in more ways than one. “If there's even the smallest chance I can get Sacha
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