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What had been a light drizzle fast turned into a downpour Staring out at the rain beating against theus, we lapsed into silence It was surprisingly dry back here, and Idown on this rock, but there was no way I could sleep now and I kneouldn’t either

My thoughts turned back to the hunters How many other lairs had they reached already? Was the olf realeted so far? If not, which others had they gained a foothold in? And as their gae to supernaturals that they could just as easily cause havoc in their real to ht anxiously about Grace and Heath again I had never witnessed what happened to theht of the loved ones I’d left behind on Earth It killed ht now I feared that they would coet captured themselves Please be okay My uniforhly doubted it would work in the supernatural world

"How a aloud, fear constricting h Bastien’s own contelanced at me

"You need a portal," he said

Well, yes and no It depended on where the portal would lead in the huet back there, but I couldn’t just be dumped anywhere… like in the middle of a wasteland overridden by Bloodless I had to find a safe portal--one where, on the other side, I could find help to get back to The Shade

"Do you know of any other portals in this olf realm?" I asked all the same

"Yes," Bastien replied "I do know of one other It is on the shore, souessed I could see where it led to If it dropped me somewhere terrible, then I would just have to hope I could scraate… and ask Bastien to wait for me

"Would you take me there?" I asked, tentatively

Bastien looked away, his expression rather morose He nodded "We’ll have to hope the hunters haven’t already taken control of it But I’ll take you there, if you’d like"

"Thank you," I said, even as I felt an unexpected stab of guilt I felt bad for Bastien The thought of leaving hidom, or even a safe roof over his head

"You know," I ventured, "assu in the way, and assuht be safer off in the huht now… Have you ever heard of The Shade?"