Though it might all be some sort of elaborate trap by the child-witch, the next words out of his mouth, hardly planned, were, “What’s your name?”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Name?”

  “Yes. What are you called?” Theo said, as if the question needed clarification.

  She frowned, hugging herself tighter. “Remember.”

  “Should I remember?” Theo asked, confused. He blinked at her. “Or do you not remember?”

  She backed another step away from him, the shadows wrapping around her. “Remember. Name.”

  Theo reached his hand toward her, and she jumped at the movement. He let his hand drop. Softer now, he said, “I’m sure you can remember.”

  She blinked her large green eyes at him, then finally, after several drawn out moments of silence, said, “Lorelei.”

  He gave her a smile he hoped was encouraging. “Okay. Lorelei. I’m Theo.”

  She nodded slowly, looking at him with curiosity in her eyes. He thought about explaining that he really just wanted to know her name, because calling her ‘the witch’ in his head was irritating, but he doubted she would believe him.

  “Will you take me to Emberion?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Follow.”

  As they walked, she shot him curious looks over her shoulder, hurriedly turning back whenever Theo looked back. They walked down the corridor and passed a larger area with two comfortable-looking couches and large pillows on the floor, and an open hearth with a grand fire. Light spilled in through the window. How long had he been asleep?

  “What time is it?” he asked.

  “Morning.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You let me just… sleep all night?”

  She shrugged, though anxiety flickered across her face.

  She was strange, that was for certain, but how bad could she be?

  They continued into another corridor and the witch opened a door that looked much like the door Theo had left his room through.

  Theo stepped through to find a room that looked nearly identical to his own. A large wooden bed with white linens, green curtains hanging around the single window, with the forest spreading out behind the window.

  There was the same shimmering quality to the walls as in the room where he had woken, like it was not quite… real?

  On the bed, with a cover pulled up to his chin, lay Emberion. He was paler than usual, shadows beneath his closed eyes. His cheekbones looked sharper, like he’d lost weight, though that should be impossible.

  Next to the bed, on the small bedside table, stood a nearly empty bowl of what looked like soup, tomato by the scent in the room, as well as a glass of rose-colored liquid. It seemed Lorelei’s claim to have given him sustenance was true, unless it was some sort of advanced illusion.

  “Sleeping,” Lorelei said, and Theo jumped because she was suddenly right next to him, moving as quiet as a cat. “Rest good. But… need more.”

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  “What do you mean?” Theo asked. “What is it he needs?”

  She pointed at the bowl of soup.

  “He needs food?” Theo asked.

  She nodded.

  Theo swallowed hard. “Because it saps the energy. So he needs… new energy.”

  He wanted to slap himself for not realizing. Of course.

  “Did I—I did I almost kill him?” he asked. “In my pocket?”

  Her gaze was steady and serious, and there was no need for the small nod she gave.

  Theo’s heart stuttered and his eyes burned. He had nearly killed Emberion by letting him go to sleep in his pocket.

  “I should have given him food,” he whispered, barely getting the words out.

  She nodded, expression grave. “Yes.”

  Theo blinked rapidly as guilt welled over him. “But he—he’ll be okay?” Emberion had to be okay—not just to lessen Theo’s guilt, but because Emberion was important. Very important. Seeing him like this, weak and pale, only drove that realization harder into Theo’s gut.

  “Yes. Gave food.”

  Theo let out a shuddering exhale. “Thank you.”

  Again, she stared at him, as though she had never heard those words before.

  Emberion’s lashes fluttered, and Theo caught sight of a sliver of amber. “Theod’re?”

  Theo automatically stepped closer to the bed, kneeling beside it so that he wouldn’t stand there and look down at Emberion. A part of him wanted to reach out and touch Emberion, take his hand, but that was inappropriate. They didn’t know each other well enough for that sort of touch, right?

  “Hey,” he said instead. “You should rest.”

  “Feel like I was… bowl’d over by a stone giant,” Emberion mumbled.

  “Stupid,” Lorelei said behind them in a tone that suggested she was frowning. “Wraith. Stupid.”

  “Who’s that?” Emberion asked.

  Theo didn’t answer, but turned to Lorelei. “Would you give us a minute, please?”

  He wasn’t sure how he dared—she was supposed to be the wicked witch who burned down villages, after all—but she didn’t seem that bad from the brief conversations he’d had with her. No, she was more like a skittish colt with strange clothes.

  And she’d said she didn’t have the amulet. Of course, that could be a lie.

  He shook his head to focus back on Emberion when the door closed, Lorelei having left.

  “Where ‘re we?” Emberion asked, turning his head to Theo—or more like letting it fall toward him. His eyes were mere slits, as if his eyelids were too heavy to hold up, his words mumbled.

  “The witch’s house,” Theo said.

  A line appeared between Emberion’s brows and he said slowly, “An’ we’re not dead?”

  “No, she’s… she’s helping us, I think,” Theo said. “I’m not sure she’s very wicked at all.”

  “Oh,” said Emberion. “’s a surprise.”

  “Tell me about it,” Theo said. “But you should rest. I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t lying about you.”

  “And you, Theod’re?” Emberion asked. “You all right?”

  Theo nodded. “I’m fine. Rested, even.” Whatever Lorelei had done when she knocked him out, it had been like a really good night’s sleep. Even his hurting arm felt better. “Do you want some more to drink?”

  “Pro’ly should,” Emberion mumbled. “There was a girl… think she said I need to eat and drink.” He frowned. “I think… she turned me back to this.”

  Theo nodded. “That was the witch. The girl who was just in here.”

  “But she’s a child.”

  Ageless she waits as decades pass.

  Theo made a humming sound. “She might not be wicked, but she’s definitely a witch.” He moved to the other side of the bed and picked up the glass. There was even a straw, so that Emberion didn’t have to sit up to drink.

  “Hope it’s not poison,” he mumbled to himself.

  He placed the straw to Emberion’s lips and Emberion took a few small swallows of it. “Tastes like apples.”

  Theo reached out and pushed a strand of hair away from Emberion’s forehead before he could think the wiser of it. To his surprise, Emberion turned into his touch. He looked up at Theo, eyes nearly completely open for a second, his amber gaze tired but swirling with… something Theo couldn’t name but which left him with a tight knot in his stomach.

  He pulled his hand back and said in an unsteady voice, “You should rest. I’ll come back after I check on the others.”

  “Maybe you can bring a cookie,” Emberion said, eyelids once more falling shut.

  Theo knew he would do everything to fulfill that wish. Either he would need his bag, or a kitchen with the necessary ingredients—perhaps the witch could give him what he needed.

  He shook his head. Just because she hadn’t immediately killed them, did it really mean she was good? Or sane, after being alone for fifty years? That he could ask her to get him baking ingredients? No, he had to keep viewing her as someone possibly dangerous.

  Though he didn’t really want to leave Emberion, he did. He needed to see Freya—who, after all, had also been touched by the wraith, and besides that would be crazy with worry about him—and Bruni.

  The witch said she knew nothing of the amulet.

  Then where was it?