Page 50 of Memory of Ashes

“This way,” she said. “This is it.”

The large, gnarled roots spread across the forest floor like tendrils. As they drew closer, she recognised the hole she’d crawled from. It was barely bigger than a badger’s sett.

She knelt, pushed back her hair and peered into the hole.

“This is where you came from?” Ruven asked.

“Yes, there’s a tunnel that leads underground.” She paused. “But the cave collapsed. How am I going to get back?” She’d have to follow the tunnel back into the cave system and see if there was another way back.

“That hardly matters,” a voice said from within the trees.

They both jumped.

The king stood there, Tharos by his side and the army behind them.

How had they not seen or heard them approach?

The king’s cool gaze swept from Ruven to Amelia. Would he kill them both? She was suddenly sure he was going to kill her.

“This is the place?” the king asked Tharos, who nodded.

An army had stood in plain sight, and she had missed every trace of it. Was Tharos powerful enough to hide them all?

“Break the veil,” the king commanded.

When Amelia didn’t move, he repeated the order louder.

“I don’t know what you mean!” she yelled, confused. “I came through this tunnel.”

“It isn’t just a tunnel,” Casyl said, walking out from behind one of the trees. “It’s a rift, a weak spot in the magic. Close your eyes and let your other senses feel it.”

The man before her wore Casyl’s face but none of the conflict she knew. She stepped back.

Who was this person? She wouldn’t have let this person touch her.

At that moment, he looked just like his father. She closed her eyes against the sight of him and tried to sense what he meant.

Faint vibrations surrounded her. She followed them with outstretched fingers. The closer to the mountain, the stronger they became.

“You feel it, don’t you?”

Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at him. “Why?” she asked through clenched teeth. What would happen if she did this? Why had they gone to all this trouble to get her here?

“That magic you feel, block it, Amelia, and you can go home.”

“Why don’t you just do it?” she asked them.

“Because our magic feeds it.”

This was wrong.

She turned to the king. “No. I won’t do it.”

Casyl signalled to the guards, and eight of them surrounded Amelia and Ruven with their swords drawn.

He walked over to Amelia and stood unflinching as her eyes pleaded with him.

“Do it,” he commanded. His jaw tightened.