Maybe she should have joined them, but something held her back. She couldn’t have explained it, other than she felt too much was left undone.

She turned to look at the ocean and asked Ever, “When can we get back?”

“We just left. Why would you want to go back?”

“Not to the pier—to the Fae plane.”

Ever bit her lip as she tried to think. “I’m not sure. We may be stuck here for a while.”

“That can’t be. We have to get back,” Mina’s heart told her something was wrong.

“There’s another natural gate, but it may take a while to sail there,” Kino answered as he came to stand by them. His face was covered with soot, and his arm had numerous cuts.

“Where?” Mina demanded.

“Well, the biggest one is the Bermuda Triangle.” He rubbed the back of his head and winced when he brought his hand away with a bit of blood on it.

“We don’t have that much time.”

Annalora was out there somewhere, and Mina didn’t know what else she had planned. But she would not let that stuck up gnome destroy everything.

“Well, you could always go yourself and use the seam ripper, but what’s the hurry?”

“Annalora. I feel like I’ve missed something obvious. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on over there. There’s… there’s something big happening, and I can’t tell what it is.”

Ever faced Mina. “Let’s use the seam ripper. I’ll go with you. I trust your instincts.”

Saying goodbye was difficult, but Mina knew her grandparents and Kino would watch over Charlie as they sailed toward the Bermuda Triangle.

None of them belonged here. She didn’t even know if she belonged here, but they would all find each other again on the other side.

Ever and Nix stood directly behind Mina as she pulled out the seam ripper and opened the gate between worlds. But something was wrong. The gate didn’t glow like it had before. It opened into a dark swirling vortex of wind, and sparks of lighting shot in and out of the gate.

“What’s happening?” Ever yelled as she held up her hands to deflect the flying debris stirred up by the gate.

“This is what I’ve been feeling,” Mina answered. “I think the gates are closing.” She stared at the gate with mixed emotions. For a few years, this had been all she wanted, to close the gates between the worlds and to stop the Fae from coming over. Now, if it closed behind them, it would trap the sirens and her brother in the human plane forever. And it would also mean she’d never see her friends again.

“But why are they closing?” Nix yelled as he held onto Ever’s shoulders to try and steady her.

Mina, unafraid of the wind and the vortex of darkness, walked toward it and listened. She let herself hear and feel what was coming through the gate. “There’s not enough magic to keep them open anymore.”

Mina took a step back before running toward the gate and jumping through. Coldness rushed through her body, followed by prickly pain. When she landed, she rolled through rough grass that scratched at her arms. Mina sat up and watched the gate close slowly. Come on, guys.

Ever and Nix came flying out at the last second.

The gate closed, and the wind stopped. They were left in utter silence.

Ever was the first one on her feet. Her mouth dropped open, and her hands flew to her mouth in horror. “Holy snickerdoodles on toast.”

Mina got up and looked at the Fae plane. The trees were brown and withered, the grass had dried up to a crusty brown, the river beds were dried, and fish lay dead in the mud.

Nix turned away and covered his eyes. As far as they could see, the magic and life in their world was fading away.

“What’s going on?” Ever cried out in despair.

Mina knew. She could feel it deep in her soul, and she answered. “The Fae plane is dying.”

“How can that be?” Ever whispered. “We only just left.”

“We have to get to the Fates and fast,” Mina answered. “They were last in the swamps.”

Nix looked around at their surroundings and ran up a small hill. He placed his hands on his hips and turned around to look at them. “I hate to tell you this, but I think we’re in the swamps. Or what’s left of them.”

Mina turned full circle and then ran up to where Nix stood. Sure enough, he was right. The valley lay in the distance, and she recognized the mountains, so that meant the Fates should be here. She turned and spotted the large willow tree. And she took off running.

It was easier to cover the distance when the swamp was dry as a bone. She kicked up dust as she leaped over dried shrubs. She slowed when she came to the withered and dead willow tree. She should have been stopped. A guard or Reaper or someone should have tried to stop her, but there was no one. She reached forward and gently pushed the withered hanging branches to the side. She stepped under the boughs.

Her breath caught. Captain Plaith kneeled in front of the bodies of the Fates, who were laid out along the ground. Dried flower petals had been scattered across their formal outfits. The Captain of the Guard turned to look at Mina, his eyes red-rimmed and his face pale and covered in a fine coat of dust.

“Captain Plaith, what happened?” Mina asked, staying as far away as she could from the grieving man.

“How dare you enter here!” He spun on his knee and pulled a weapon out of his robes to attack.

Mina held up her hand in panic, and his blow froze mid-air. All she wanted him to do was stop, and he had.

His eyes looked about wildly, his teeth gnashed, and spit came flew out of his mouth. “I know you! I remember you from the maze, but you look different. How are you doing this? With the death of the Fates, there shouldn’t be any magic left in our world.”

“Well, maybe it’s because I don’t come from your world,” she said coldly. “Now, I’m going to ask you again. What happened?”

“Poison,” he said. “An offering came from the gnomes, and it was poisoned.”

Mina closed her eyes and felt a pang of deep sorrow. It seemed that the all-powerful Fates were not immune after all. The whole family fell to poison. “What can we do?”

“There’s nothing to do but prepare for the end,” Captain Plaith answered. “The reason the Fates are so strong is because they are the conduits of all power that flows through our plane. That link has been broken. If Prince Teague were here, he could save us, but I fear he doesn’t care about his people anymore.”

“He’s dead,” Mina answered solemnly. She released Captain Plaith from her hold.

“Then I fear the worst.” He put away his weapon.

“There has to be someone else.”

“The strongest Fae have gone to the palace to see if they can restore the magic to our lands. Others are looking for ways to cross over to your world, since ours is doomed.”

“Then we will go to the Fae palace,” Mina said.

“Good luck. It’s become quite the battleground. I’d stay very far away from there.”

“Look, I didn’t have to come back. I’m not even sure why I did, but if I’m not giving up on your world, then you better not either. Do you understand? That’s an order.”

Captain Plaith swallowed nervously, and a small smile crept onto his face. “Yes ma’am.” He stood taller and gave her a bow before walking to the willows and pulling the branches aside so she could pass through.