Herlips tighten, “Andthe army at the border, you didn’t know about that either?”
Ipaused. “No,Ididn’t.”
“Doesn’tseem like you know anything.”Shetilted herself away from me, locking her eyes back on the lake.Itstung me.Shewasn’t wrong.ButIpushed through it.
“Thislake is a well of sorts, a spring of wild magic.It’sbeautiful, isn’t it?”
Sheslid her fingers forward, just letting the tips touch the surface of the water. “Yes, it reminds me of…Jun’ssinging.”Myheart stuttered.Junhad sung for her, really sung for her.Notthat terrible and beautiful song the collar pulled from him, but the perfect and untamed song he used to sing for me.Pallaslooked at me again, andItried to see her, to see what he had seen.
Buta moan sounded behind us, and we both snapped around asAvlynslowly sat up.Theyrubbed their head and wiped the now desiccated leaves off their body.
“Fuckinghot in here.”Theytook in their surroundings, but their eyes locked on the dragon first. “So, it wasn’t all just some really fucked up ambrosia dream.”Theyscanned over to me andPallas. “Whatis she doing here?”IfeltPallastense beside me, butIshifted my body between them.
“Shewas protectingJun.Sheis with us now.”BothPallasandAvlynscoffed at that.
“Well, this day can’t get any worse so… might as well.”Theywalked over toAbraxas, andIleftPallasto join them.
“So, you really had no idea?”Iasked.
“No.Andsomething like this?Theamount of magic it would take to transform…”Theyfell silent, and the moments stretched into minutes.
“WhatAvlyn?!Justsay it!”
“Hedidn’t have it anymore.Thatmagic.He’dbarely been able to control the wind these last few years.Somethinglike this— it would have tapped directly into his life force.Hemight not…he might not be able to wake up.”
No.Nothat couldn’t be.Iwouldn’t let it.Iplaced my hands on him, just asIhad in the forest.Iwaited for that warm feeling from the earth.Butthere was nothing.
Ifocused my breathing, and when that didn’t work,Ilet rage fill me.Butnothing changed, and he still felt cold as stone beneath my hands.
Ilooked at him, andIsaw them.Shadows, slinking just beyond the vines wrapped around him.Soft, but hungry.Theywere waiting, the hand of death reaching out.Isank to my knees again.
“Whatdo you know about magic,Avlyn?Youcould be wrong.”Iknew they weren’t.
Theytwisted their fingers, and a small drop of water from the pool flew over, dancing over them like a crystal ball, “Iknow a few things.”
“Forfuck’s sake, didIknow anything?Anyother great, important secrets thatIshould know while we are trapped here?”
“Ifit makes you feel better,Abraxasis the only one who knew about this,” they said, molding the sphere of liquid into various shapes before discarding it back to the pool. “I’vebeen good at keeping it a secret.”
“Iguess you got that from him.”Theythinned their lips and nodded.
“Ifyou are done, maybe you could look for a way out of here.”Weboth jumped asPallasappeared right behind us.
Avlynshrugged their shoulders, “Isuppose that’s better than just sitting around.”
Pallasscowled, “Good,I’llstay and watchJun.”Imade to argue, butAvlyngently pulled me away.
“Let’sfocus on surviving for now,Princess.Wecan figure her out later.”
Chapter69
Tori
“Abraxasmust have gotten us in here somehow.”Asif the sky responded to my words, the moon popped out from behind a dark cloud, andIcould just make out a hole in the ceiling of the cave.Itwas likely over five hundred feet above us, and evenIdidn’t thinkIcould make that climb on the concave ceiling. “Let’skeep looking.”
Wewalked around the great lake.Plantsgrew everywhere, plants that reminded me ofNiata.Talltrees with broad palms sticking out at odd angles from the top, covered in climbing vines blooming with purple and white flowers.Plantswith huge, vibrant green leaves full of holes blocked our path but were easily moved out of the way.Eachshake caused dozens of insects to scatter, andIcouldn’t help but shudder.
Thisplace was teeming with life, and where there was life, there was always death.ItseemedAvlynhad the same thought.
