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He woke in the cavern, the hard stone floor against his aching back. All was quiet. He studied the ceiling above him, searching for signs of the shades, but they appeared to have been banished once again. With a groan, he pushed himself up by one elbow. Anrid lay crumpled beside him, hair spilled across the floor. The others were spread out further away, still unconscious.
And Talos—
He searched the dark recesses of the cavern, but there was no sign of the dark elf. He’d escaped.
Jael shifted to support himself better. His hand met an unfamiliar object on the floor, something that felt warm and dusty and rather like paper. A pile of ashes scattered around his hand. Frowning, he lifted his hand and shook off the ash.
It was the nameless tome, he realized. The pages and been burnt and the cover charred, so that only ashes and a few fragments of the leather binding remained. Had the strength of the binding spell been so great it destroyed the book in the process? Or had that been the work of the Bifrost?
The magic thrummed in the back of his mind to confirm.
Well, then. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about any other traitorous wretches getting their hands on the stone-eaten book.
The others began to stir, one by one. Kora sat up first, groaning as if he’d been beaten senseless. His shirt hung open in the front, burnt and torn beyond repair. Beneath the scraps of fabric, Jael glimpsed fiery red skin where his brother’s flesh and been burnt as well.
“The children!” Anrid’s moan refocused his attention. She’d clambered to her knees and was crawling across the floor on all fours to get to the two small heaps by the limestone crags.
“Uh-NEE?” Rig whispered.
“I’m here, love. I’m here.”
Jael stumbled toward them, relieved to hear the boy’s voice. He’d been so worried the strain of bonding with the Bifrost would be too much for him.
Anrid had her arms around both children and was trying to lean over Rig’s shoulder to check on his sister. The tiny goblin child lay motionless, her body as still as stone.
A cold, heartless emotion tore through his veins. “Medda,” he rasped.
Anrid clutched at the child’s tunic, frantically. “Jael! I—I don’t think she’s breathing!”
Chapter 39
Anrid blinked back tears as Jael kneeled beside her and reached for Medda. His large hands pulled her toward him, gently, out of Anrid’s shaking hands. He laid the goblin girl on the floor and pressed his fingers to her frail throat. Time stood still as they waited.
His shoulders sagged. “There’s a pulse, but it’s faint.”
She’s not dead…she’s not dead...Anrid burst into tears. “We need to help her…before…before…” Sobs punctuated her words.
Jael gripped her shoulder with a firm hand but offered no words of comfort. Footsteps approached moments before Teague crouched beside them. His expression, while grave, offered a hint of hope. “I can still get her to the healer in Nestra.”
Anrid lifted her face and clung to this slim hope. They still had time. If they could get her out of Agmon and into Gelaira as quickly as possible...
Jael tucked his chin to his chest. “I cannot take her.” He murmured the words as if speaking them filled him with regret. “My father has summoned us to Elysium. And I dare not leave Agmon…until we know for sure how things…how things stand with the Bifrost.” He met Anrid’s gaze at last. “And there is another matter to consider. The children—they’re bound to you, Anrid. When you left, they all became sick. Math and I suspect it’s because they’ve bonded themselves to you. We need to get back to Imenborg to check—to make sure—”
She pressed a fist against her mouth. “I didn’t know.” She squeezed her eyes shut against the horrible thought that her actions had hurt the children she loved so much.
His hand tightened around her shoulder. “You’re not to blame. None of us could have known.”
“But—what about Medda? If she’s bound to me as well…”
Jael said nothing, appearing distressed.
Rig stirred in her arms. “I’ll take care of her.” He spoke with solemn conviction. “I always take care of her.”
Anrid kissed the top of his head. “I know you do, love. I know you do. And you do it very well. But this is something else, something more serious.”
The goblin boy shook his head, stubborn. “I think I can keep her strong enough until we find the doctor. She’s my sister. I can keep her strong.”
Anrid’s hand stilled on the boy’s shoulder as she considered what he had said, what he meant.
