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Bastien’s voice trailed off as his eyes moved further up the beach They fixed on an area in the distance He sped up again and then stopped after about half adifferent about this stretch of beach than the one we had just traversed There were no signs of holes or indentations anywhere I was not sure why he was stopping here…

My heart sank as he said, "The portal should be here I swear, it’s on this stretch of beach"

And yet there was nothing He raced further up the beach and then further down it, along the path we had already traveled, as though he ht have missed it But we hadn’t No portal was anywhere to be seen along this beach

"Are you sure this is the right beach?" I asked

"I’m positive," Bastien said

"Then what could’ve happened to the gate?" I breathed "Could the hunters have… closed it?"

"Not without the help of a powerful witch," Bastien murmured "But maybe they do have witches at their service… That would explain a nu that Ibrahim and Corrine were able to do, as well as Mona--since she had regained the strength she’d lost after Lilith’s death In the past we had fantasized about the three of the off all of them to solve this whole supernatural problem once and for all But they had discovered even before I was born that the ed to close them all, there were possibly hundreds of others ould never locate without a new map

I wondered what kind of witch would ever want to side with the hunters

"I wonder why they would want to close this gate," I ed

Maybe it was for more control They wanted as few points of entry--and exit--as possible while they were here Hates in this real away from the center of the beach and toward the shelter of the trees again "I don’t know," he replied "I a to do now?

Once ere deep within the woods again, Bastien halted and letup and down "I need to get back tothat Heath and Grace h the portal, and would hopefully now be safely returned to The Shade

"It’s possible we ht come across some other wolves who know of another portal… if you coested

I turned on hio now?" I asked, dreading to think how many more bumpy hours--or maybe even days--lay in wait for ht, I need to find allies I plan to head east, toward one of the few packs that the Blackhalls are--or were--actually friends with I believe they h away for the hunters to not have reached the do you esti myself for the answer

"It’s hard to say," Bastien said "I’ve not made the journey since I was a boy I would estimate perhaps a day It could be less or it could beon whether or not wethe way"