“Hero,” I said. When Corrine’s eyes widened, I clarified, “That’s my name for him. I, uh, I’d like to bring him down too. I owe him my life, and I feel guilty just leaving him up here. Even if he doesn’t stay on the island, we’ve been traveling for days and I’d like to see if he’ll accept some food and water.”
Corrine dared reach out a hand and placed it against Hero’s sleek neck, as if testing to see if he would snap at her. Strangely, Hero flinched a little at her touch, but then he became still again.
“He’s been nothing but gentle with me,” I assured her. “I’m sure he’s of no threat to anyone.”
“Hm,” Corrine muttered. “A lot of things have changed in The Shade since you left. We’ve instituted higher levels of security than we’ve ever had before. The island has become like a fortress—not even the residents have permission to enter as they please any more. Once out of The Shade, you’re stuck out. As inconvenient as it is, there are only three people with the ability to let you in—currently the three most powerful witches of The Shade: myself, Ibrahim or Shayla.”
She moved her hand against mine, and to my surprise, I felt a strange prickle run along my arm. Like a mild electric shock. Then Corrine moved backward, and nodded. “What I just did was verify that you’re really River and not some imposter disguised by a spell. I must do this with any resident who leaves the island and returns, though admittedly, we’ve had a lot fewer people wandering off outside of late what with all this hunter craziness…”
“But will you allow me to bring Hero down?”
She nodded, to my relief. “I tested him just now. He’s under no disguise. He is… actually a griffin. I guess our island is already a zoo. An extra supernatural shouldn’t make a lot of difference to anyone. Let’s go down.”
I wasn’t expecting Corrine to climb onto Hero’s back, but she did, settling behind me. Again, Hero’s intuition was uncannily sharp and he didn’t wait for either of us to urge him down. He took a dive, and Corrine’s arms slid around my waist and tightened, while I gripped his neck. With Corrine making contact with the both of us, we were able to pass through the boundary and then… Oh, sweet relief. I gazed down at the most welcome sight. The magical island couldn’t have looked more beautiful to me than it did in that moment, as we soared over its sea of redwood trees, its picturesque mountains looming in the distance.
Being back here, in Ben’s home, filled me with an unbearable surge of longing for him. Although I was almost certain Corrine’s answer would disappoint me, I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Has he returned?”
I’d been so absorbed in thinking about Ben… my love, my best friend… that I didn’t even refer to him by his name. But Corrine understood.
“He hasn’t,” she responded quietly. “I’m sorry.”
I swallowed hard, hollowness welling in the pit of my stomach.
There was a span of silence before Corrine spoke again. “So you, uh, want to see your family first, yes?”
“Yes,” I replied, my voice lower than usual.
“That’s a good idea,” Corrine said, in a painfully obvious attempt to keep the subject on other matters. “Your mom has been worried sick.” She pointed toward a clearing in the trees beneath us. “The Vale is down there, if you want to descend with… what did you call him?”
I smirked. “Hero.”
“Hero. Well, if you’re certain he’s safe, he can fly down there with you to the town and you can go see your family. In the meantime, I’d like to inform everyone else that you’ve returned.” She slid off the griffin’s back and soared in the air alongside us. She gave me a warm smile and squeezed my hand. “Your mom and siblings aren’t the only ones on this island who’ve been worried about you.”
I returned her smile. “Thank you,” I said.
With that, Corrine vanished, leaving me and my trusty escort alone again. He had already begun descending toward the clearing. We leveled with the tops of the trees, and the Vale’s town square appeared directly beneath us. As he landed gracefully near one of the fountains, I slipped off his back. My knees felt unsteady after being seated for so long, and it took a moment for me to find my balance. Then I faced the griffin, looking him directly in the eye. Slowly, I leaned forward and planted a kiss on the side of his face.
“Thank you,” I whispered, meaning it from the very core of me.
He nudged my shoulder, as if urging me to go see my family.
“Wait here,” I said, still having no idea whether this creature would want to stay in The Shade after I’d fed him, or where else he might go if he left. “I’ll come back for you very soon.”
Turning, I cast one last glance over my shoulder before I bolted toward the street where our townhouse was situated. I was oddly short of breath as I reached the door and knocked. It took three minutes for somebody to wake up. I caught the sound of a door groaning open upstairs, and then footsteps padding down the staircase. It was Jamil who answered the door. His jaw dropped open as he laid eyes on me.
“River!”
I leapt into his arms and hugged him tight.
“Mom!” he bellowed over his shoulder. “River’s back!”
Doors burst open upstairs, and my mom and two sisters came stampeding down the staircase. They squealed and threw themselves at me, holding me so close I found it a struggle to breathe.