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disappears. Soaring golden tree trunks mark our trail on each side. The leaves block the sun and cast shadows over us, but the gilded trunks and branches provide a light of their own as we pass.
    The adrenaline I’ve been running on is fading, and the bottoms of my feet feel like giant bruises. “How much longer until we reach Ellauria?”
    “Not much farther,” he says, his voice bouncing off the trees.
    “Why don’t we flicker?”
    “Mother Nature created this as a buffer between the mystical and mortal realms. The only way to get in and out of Ellauria is to travel through the Between. You can’t flicker past it.”
    It’s the second time he’s mentioned Mother Nature. I’ve never given much thought to Mother Nature as a mythical creature. She’s always seemed abstract, without shape or voice—more of a way of personifying Earth itself rather than having an identity of her own. Seth talks about her like she’s a person instead of a presence, and I have no idea what to make of that.
    We reach the end of the tree-lined corridor, and Seth stops in front of a large boulder covered in a jumble of twisted, olive-colored vines. Before I have a chance to enjoy the fact that we’re standing still, Seth’s fingers circle my elbow, digging into my arm, and he pulls me toward the boulder. I squeeze my eyes shut, reasonably certain the introduction of my face to the stone won’t end well for my nose. The air changes—cooler, damper—and I open my eyes.
    We’re standing in a rounded tunnel carved from firmly packed ground. It’s lit by glowing lanterns hanging from the walls on either side of us at evenly spaced intervals. I turn around, pressing my hand against the solid rock behind me.
    We walked through the boulder.
    Through the boulder.
    Holy sheet .
    Seth speaks to me in a slow, even tone. “Listen, you’re basically being thrown into the deep end here, and you have to understand—I’m your lifejacket. I need you to do what I tell you, even if you don’t always understand why. What you’ve learned today is nothing compared with what you need to know.” He leans over, placing his face directly in front of mine. “You’re going to be fine.”
    I press my lips together and nod.
    Seth nods toward the dark end of the tunnel, pressing us forward. “When we get to Ellauria,” he says, “try not to act too awed by everything. Your tendency to gawk could be a problem.”
    Is he seriously criticizing me right now? “I’m not gawking, I’m noticing. I’m studying the details. I’ve always done that. It comes in handy when I put scenes on paper.”
    The tunnel grows darker as we get closer to the end. The lanterns gradually become farther and farther apart. I don’t like the darkness. I don’t like the uncertainty of not knowing what might be in the shadows. Seth takes my hand.
    “It doesn’t matter why you do it. Pretend you’ve seen these things a million times. It shouldn’t be obvious to everyone that you’re new. You’re not like the other Apprentices. They’ve known about the Fellowship and Ellauria their whole lives.”
    “Why wasn’t I raised like that?” My heart races as the darkness grows bigger, and Seth squeezes my fingers.
    “It’s a long story,” he replies, “and I swear I will tell you every detail, but for now, trust me when I tell you that, for your safety, you were hidden from the Fellowship and the Fellowship was hidden from you.”
    It’s just like him to decide what I need to know and expect me to accept it. Before I have a chance to lay into him, Seth says, “We’ll be in Ellauria in five minutes. We’ll meet up with Adele and Sam, and then Adele and I will tell you everything. Can you wait until we’re all together?”
    I take a deep breath.
    Listen to Seth .
    “Fine.” I exhale.
    But I don’t have to be happy about it.
    We walk in silence until we reach the end of the passageway. Blank walls of earth surround us on three sides. I barely see the outline of a