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Chapter 1

There’s no electricity, no hu in the field beside hi across the cloudy sky

"This is silly" I frown at Alex and pout out et it right"

A crooked sreen eyes shine lustrously His dark brown hair is a et there Practice ht?" He saunters behind me and leans his head over my shoulder "If you want to break into the City of Crystal, to get your dad back, you’ll have to be able to protect yourself Dyvinius and the Foreseers aren’t going to go doithout a fight"

I square lesthe knife, I aiet mounted on the tree

"Breathe," he whispers "And focus"

Releasing a breath, I flip the knife through the air toward the target It flies like a dart, but stops several feet short of the tree, curving down and stabbing into the grass

"You’ll get it" Alex lets out a breath "You want to practice using the sword instead?"

I tilthis eyes "Why does it feel like you’re trying to turnto teach you how to defend yourself" He pauses, his eyes darkening with a look that h, you’d make one hell of a hot ninja"

My face reh my stomach spins a sorass has had enough of my bad aims for one day"

He nods and heads to his old cherry-red Chevy Camaro to collect the swords I hike to the tree and pick up the knife It’s verging on springti with the warentle breeze There’s peacefulness in the air, but it’s unnerving Every tih Stephan and the Death Walkers are gone and the portal can’t open, I fear danger and death are always around the corner, waiting for the perfect time to strike

"You okay?" Alex waves his hand in front ofat?"

I blink "Nothing I was just dazing off"

"You’re worrying again" He rubs his jawline and adjusts the duffel bag on his shoulder "I told you everything’s going to be fine No one’s out to get us We’re out to get them"

We rass is shorter and drier Thunder boo reflects in our eyes

"Are you sure we’re safe out here?" I glance at the dark sky

He hands me the sharp sword "We’re fine Trust raved with the inscription: mortem ubique

He poises his sword in front of him and arches an eyebrow "You ready?"

I take a practice swing "Yep, I’m ready"

He stalks me like a rival, but he won’t hurt ets close, I spring forward and swing He shields his knife up and our blades clink together I twirl quickly and bring the sword around again, hoping that I don’t actually hit him He ducks and his hand snakes around rass

Alex laughs softly and his fingers explore ainst his shoulder "I think Iviolently beneath our feet Alex’s grip tightens on rass splits apart and the dirt rises He stabs the sword in the dirt and forces our weight on it But our feet lose traction as the field opens up, striving to shole

I grasp onto Alex asto foresee us the hell out of the way, but my head fills with a buzz that crushes insidehis feet onto the flat land Still holding me with one hand, he rolls on his stoainst the world, he haulsinto the darkness

We collapse, panting, pulses racing As the earth ruround waves after us, thunder boo strikes at the trees It’s the end of the world coain

Then just as suddenly as the insanity began, it ceases We halt and slowly turn around Dirt has overtaken the grass Trees are singed to a crisp and the sky is inactive and silent Expanding out of the hole in the ground is a largetree There is a person standing by the coarse trunk, but the branches cape down, shielding the person’s identity But it’s a person I think I know

Alex starts for the tree, but I draw hi my head "Don’t… that tree’s from The Afterlife"

His eyebrows furrow as his eyes drift to thetree A woman steps from underneath the wispy branches Her white hair dances around her elongated face, her red lips are pursed together, and her silver eyes shimmer