Once Kestrel had managed to make a time halt bubble big enough for all of us, we stepped inside, and none too late. The phantoms swirled and shrieked around it and knocked into it. With each blow, Kestrel gritted her teeth.
"Hurry," John said. "We're not that strong."
"You're strong enough," I told him with a smile that hopefully showed more reassurance than I felt. I knelt on the path and put my hands flat against the dirt, seeking the flow of energy directing us to the Fae capital. I knew my path ended at the palace, and I suspected the others' did as well. Otherwise, we would have kept Ellerin and Troubadour with us. It troubled me that Ellerin had bailed on us, but I couldn't worry about that now.
I closed my eyes, and my palms tingled against the cool dirt. Or maybe the dirt was ch
