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Maybe it was us Maybe we didn’t grab the right stones Maybe they messed up the chants or the herbs or—

“Piper” Jayce pulledboth of his large palms around my smaller one He turned et him back”

“When? Now?” My face ith tears, but I couldn’t even feel“Because it has to be now, Jayce Gavriel will shred hi?”

Shen turned toward me and blinked “What do you mean, dear?”

“Why aren’t they transporting us back to earth? What’s wrong?”

As I asked the question, I realized with a start that the pounding had stopped

How long ago had it stopped?

My eyes ide and lass in my chest I had left Xero in the underworld I was home He wasn’t I pressedstop I couldn’t breathe I couldn’t see for the tears

No This isn’t possible It can’t be happening

I couldn’t have abandoned my Xero in the underworld

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I wiped the tears froht

“I have to go back,” I said as loudly and clearly as I could

Hannah stared at ether in a thin, disapproving line Shen laughed “You’ve gone mad What on earth would you want to do that for?”

“Did you notice that soerously loud and unsteady “Where’s Xero, huh? Where’s Xero?”