Dominicus grunted, waving off the thanks. “I have these wings for a reason. I may as well use them… though if you could refrain from falling into pits of magical shadowy death, that would be appreciated.”

  I snorted, leaning against him now that the initial adrenaline was wearing off. “It definitely wasn't on my to-do list today. Unfortunately, the world had other plans.”

  Flashing back to Time’s shout and Maya’s terrified face, I hummed. “Were the others alright?”

  He grimaced, pausing in massaging his wing to glance at me. “They’re safe, though Henry had to hold your friend back from the edge. He seemed about ready to jump after you.”

  I winced. “I’m going to get an earful when we get back.”

  It was strange to think Time himself had been so frantic.

  “Nikolas!”

  His shout echoed in my mind, tinged with fear.

  …Maybe it wasn’t that surprising after all.

  Shaking the thought aside, I took in our surroundings—or what I could see of them through the thorn barrier. Darkness twisted and writhed, stretching endlessly. It almost seemed to breathe, as if the cloud itself was alive.

  Then again, it had been made by a spirit’s grief, so maybe it was.

  Dragging a hand over my face, I sighed. “How’s your wing?”

  Dominicus shook his head, adjusting as much as the thorns allowed. “Bruised and possibly sprained, but not broken.”

  I scowled at the dim lighting. “I have a healing spell, if you don’t mind moss.”

  Hopefully, the spell didn’t require sunlight like actual plants…

  Dominicus flexed his wing toward me in answer. “I’ve dealt with worse in life than moss.”

  Same.

  I pressed a palm to his wing, feeling along the surface until Dominicus hissed. “There.”

  Nodding, I focused my mana into my hand. Once it pulsed warmly, I envisioned it flowing into his wing.

  Holding my breath, I watched as moss began to spread—first the size of a pebble beneath my palm, then stretching outward until it coated the entire wing. When the moss fully covered it, I imagined the magic sinking into the injury and healing it.

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  Dominicus sighed, relief clear in his voice. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working.”

  I smiled. “Good! Because I’ve never used this before, and it was a shot in the dark whether it would work or not.”

  Dominicus shook his head, amusement returning. “Absolutely insane.”

  I shrugged. “Genius, insanity. Potato, potahto. More importantly, we need to figure out our next move.”

  Trapped in a magical pit of shadowy death, as Dominicus had so kindly put it, we didn’t have much to work with. I couldn’t see anything beyond the barrier, and if we wanted to get back up, we needed to hold off the shadows long enough for him to fly us out. A light spell would be perfect right about now… or, failing that, Time’s staff.

  Forcing down frustration over what I didn’t have, I looked up into the canopy of darkness. The wave had stretched out into a suffocating blanket, sealing off any cracks.

  Dominicus picked at his wing, peeling the moss off bit by bit. “I’m of little use, unfortunately. I can sense the tendrils, but not clearly. That’s why dodging them was so difficult. They have mass, but not much. By the time I pinpointed where they were, I had half my usual reaction time.”

  I patted his back. “You did plenty. Though I guess it’s too much to hope that you have some kind of light spell?”

  He offered a rueful smile. “Unfortunately, I do not. Most of my arsenal revolves around physical attacks. I can cast magic, but the visualization component doesn’t come easily to me.”

  That made sense, though it wasn’t particularly helpful.

  Before I could start brainstorming, a low whistle broke through the quiet.

  “A barrier that cuts through the shadows and protects you afterward. Impressive.”

  I twisted toward the voice, heart in my throat. “Who’s there?!”

  And how in the hell had they survived down here?

  The thorns were thick, making it hard to see, but through a crack, I caught a glimpse of pearly white armor and a golden cloak.

  “Before we get into introductions, let’s take care of these shadows, shall we?”

  I didn’t even have time to argue. A brilliant flash of light exploded through the darkness, and the shadows shrieked, their high-pitched wails grating against my ears. Dominicus covered his with a grunt, and I followed suit, watching as the writhing mass slunk back.

  The light remained hovering overhead, and the voice—a woman’s, now that I was paying attention—continued.

  “Much better. Those things make my skin crawl, and I’m sure at least some of it is thanks to my patron being the Lady of Light.”

  Relief hit like a wave—only for suspicion to immediately follow. “A little too convenient that the one person we need just happens to be here…”

  She snorted, but there was no offense in her tone. “Suspicious? Good. I’m not a threat, but you’d be an idiot to trust just anyone in your position. The good news is, I can prove it easily.”

  Tipping her head upward, she hummed, speaking to someone unseen. “My Lady, if you would please vouch for me?”

  The response was immediate. Power surged through the air, pressing down like a blanket of electricity. A ball of light formed above her head, and as the glow intensified, the shadows shrank back with another screech. From the ball, a voice rang out.

  “Chosen of Karma, Chosen of Fate. I have spoken to Time and heard of your predicament. My Chosen will see you safely back to your party.”

  Good enough for me.

  Exchanging a look with Dominicus—who nodded in agreement—I let the thorn barrier fall, finally getting my first full look at our rescuer.