Chapter 27

Which meant…Eddie managed a laugh and looked at the horizon. Which meant there was something trying to keep him from going forward. Which meant there was something trying to keep him away. He spoke—to himself, to the sea—and though his voice was weak, something in his core firmed with resolve. “Which means there’s a good chance I’m getting somewhere real.”

As if the words inspired it, the water around Eddie hissed and began to bubble. His freezing limbs began to warm, then heat, and then the water wasn’t water, but fire.

Go into it! Agony rippled through his muscles, panic raced through his mind, and the only move Eddie could make was to writhe. Fucking agony! So much…too much!

He said the only thing he could think of, and whether it came out as a scream or simple silence, Eddie didn’t care. “I believe, you fucking fuck!”

He dove into the—

Fire.