9
“Helping them feels good,” Maren said as we headed back to the mainland.
She paddled at a quick pace, and the boat glided along the water effortlessly as if it wasn’t on the verge of falling apart.
“I’m sure they appreciate it,” I replied. “Languishing on the beach for months while slowly fading from existence isn’t something anyone would enjoy, dead or not. And, hopefully, the flow of magic will return to normal once there aren’t as many souls feeding off of it.”
“Yes, I hope that is the case.” Maren sighed wistfully. “I don’t feel like myself without magic.”
We reached the shore, and another group of souls climbed aboard. Just as before, a barrier kept the others at bay. We pushed off the beach and turned the boat around, then headed back for the island. It seemed like such a lo
