"Oh, move your pectorals out of the way, Alex," I snapped, brushing off my skirt. "I am the ranking official here. If there's a shimmering wall, it's probably a magical firewall, and I'm the only one here with the divine login credentials."
I shoved past them, which took some effort, given I now weighed about as much as a bag of feathers, and stepped out into the mud.
The scene was unsettling. We were deep in the forest now, the trees gnarled and leaning in like gossiping neighbors.
Ahead of us, stretching across the dirt road, was a wall of literal light. It looked like a vertical sheet of oil on water, shimmering with iridescent purples and golds. It wasn't solid, but it hummed with a frequency that made my teeth ache.
"It's a Soul-Gate," Viking murmured, appearing at my elbow. "Specifically tuned to the Under Realm. It's a toll booth, Seraphine. And I don't think they take royal credit cards."
"Watch me," I muttered.
