“Yes, well, we’re just not going to talk about that,” Kenzie said with a shiver. “That is right out of a horror flick, which doesn’t count, because no one wants to be part of that. Ugh.” She shivered again, and I chuckled, though her next words froze me in my seat. “Normal...isn’t wishing you could just stay here, in Faeryland, because back home are doctors and tests and all those things you wish you didn’t have to face.” Worry and dread rose up, making my insides turn, but Kenzie shook herself with a forced smile. “So, I guess I’m just as un-normal as you, tough guy. We make a good pair, huh?”

“Hey.” I sat up, drawing her close. “It’s all right,” I murmured, smiling ruefully. “Normal isn’t the girl I fell for.”

She kissed me. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax into her. My hand rose, cupping her cheek, and her fingers trailed down my chest, making my breath catch. For a moment, I forgot about Keirran, Annwyl, the amulet, the war, and just lost myself in Kenzie.

I felt her smile as we drew back, my senses still reeling from the feel of her lips on mine. “That’s strange,” Kenzie murmured. “That’s the longest we’ve ever gone without Razor shouting ‘kissy kissy’ and interrupting us.”

“Maybe he’s getting used to it,” I muttered, leaning forward to kiss her again. But Kenzie turned her head and gazed around, looking for the gremlin. I glanced at the edge of the fire pit where I’d seen Razor last, poking at the flames.

He wasn’t there.

“Razor?” Kenzie stood, scanning the area for the missing gremlin. I rose, too, silently cursing him as I looked around. At first, I didn’t see anything. But then I noticed his tiny black body moving down the river bank. The gremlin seemed entranced by a small green light that bobbed and hovered in the air just out of his reach, drifting slowly toward the edge of the water.

I nudged Kenzie, nodding down the bank, and she frowned. “Razor!” she called, stepping away from the campfire. “Hey, get back here. Don’t get too close to the water.”

The gremlin ignored her. The light hovered in place for a second, and he lunged, swatting at it with long arms, but it zipped away. He buzzed and snatched at it again; it darted even closer to the water.

Kenzie sighed. “Dammit, Razor,” she muttered, picking her way down the bank toward him. He hopped onto a rock, hissing and making garbled noises at the light, now floating just out of reach over the water. Kenzie plucked him off the rock, and he gave a disappointed buzz. “Come on, little man, let’s get away from the edge before something drags you—”

A slimy black tentacle erupted from the surface, coiled around Kenzie’s leg and yanked her into the river. She screamed once, before the water closed over her head and she disappeared.

I flew down the bank, drawing my sword, as Razor screeched and scuttled back and forth, buzzing wildly. Wading into the River of Dreams, which was shockingly cold and clung to my jeans like frozen hands, I splashed to where I’d seen Kenzie go under, searching desperately for any sign of her.

“Kenzie!” My voice echoed over the surface, high-pitched and frantic.

And then, her face broke the surface with a gasp and an explosion of river water. A dark tentacle was coiled around her neck like a huge snake, dragging her back even as she struggled to stay afloat.

I lunged forward and reached Kenzie just as she went under again, leaving behind a swirl of dark water. But I caught a gleam of black through the murk, something long and shiny, vanishing into the depths. Praying I wouldn’t hit Kenzie, I surged toward it and brought my sword down as hard as I could.

The blade struck something hard and rubbery. There was a muffled screech somewhere below the water, and the tentacle recoiled. Kenzie thrashed to the surface again, gasping and choking, and I pulled her against me.

The water around us churned angrily, and several black tentacles erupted from the depths and circled into the air. I kept one arm around Kenzie, the other gripping my sword, as the first of the tentacles shot toward us. I lashed out with my blade, cutting it in two, and dark ichor sprayed everywhere as the thing writhed back before vanishing into the water.

The rest of the tentacles snaked in. I sliced at one, cutting deep, slashed at another and felt a slimy rope curl around my arm. Before I could register that I was in trouble, there was a flash of silver, and the tentacle thrashed away, leaving the end still coiled around my arm.

“Don’t just stand there, Ethan Chase,” the Thin Man snapped, turning briefly into view as he jabbed at another tentacle. “Fall back. Get out of the river already!”

Oh, right. Good idea. Protecting Kenzie, I edged back toward shore, swatting and hacking at the tentacles that grabbed at us. There were a lot of them, but between me and the Thin Man, we managed to fend them off. The closer we got to shore, the more frantic they grew, and I pulled my second blade to deal with the increased attacks.

My feet hit dry land, and I whacked a coil away before shooting a split-second glance at Kenzie. “Go!” I told her. “Up the bank. Get away from the water—”

Something warm snaked around my ankle and yanked me off my feet. I hit the ground on my back, driving the wind from my lungs, and felt myself being dragged back into the river. I managed to suck in a breath before my head went under and I was pulled down into the murky darkness.

Trying not to panic, I whacked at the thing around my leg, grazing it, but another tentacle reached up and looped around my chest, pinning my arms. I managed to keep hold of my swords, but couldn’t do much else as I was dragged farther into the depths.

Something rose from the bottom of the river, coming toward me. In the darkness and murk, I could just make out an enormous black blob, two pale fishy eyes fixed on me. A mouth gaped open, filled with lamprey-like teeth, and my heart seized up as the tentacles drew me toward it. I kicked wildly, thrashing in the thing’s grasp, but with my arms pinned I could only watch as the teeth loomed closer.

There was a flash of silver beside me, a slender blade stabbing from the darkness, piercing the band around my chest. The tentacle spasmed and recoiled, loosening enough for me to free my arms. With the gaping mouth only a foot away, I stabbed up with everything I had and sank the steel blade between two curved fangs.

A muffled roar went through the water, vibrating against my skin, and I was free. Kicking out, I swam for my life, breaking the surface with a gasp and immediately heading for shore. Kenzie and Razor were at the water’s edge again, eyes wide as I staggered out of the river. My lungs burned, and the ground didn’t feel as solid as it should, swaying under my feet as I stumbled onto dry land.

“Ethan!” Kenzie rushed toward me, taking my arm as I nearly fell to my knees in the mud, feeling my heart hammer in my ears. Close behind me, the Thin Man emerged from the river, shaking water from his blade and giving me an exasperated look as he grabbed my sleeve in long fingers. Together, we scrambled up the bank, Kenzie and the Thin Man half dragging me, until we were about a hundred feet from the water’s edge. Only then did I collapse, panting, never so happy to feel solid earth under my palms.

Razor let out a screech and scrambled to Kenzie’s shoulder, frantically pointing back to the river. I looked up, and my blood chilled as a long black tentacle rose into the air, followed by another, and another, as the huge, amorphous blob pulled itself onto the bank. Eyes gleaming, it opened its mouth to bare the circle of jagged lamprey teeth and slithered forward with a hiss.