Page 465 of Axis of Fire

No markings.

No hints.

Just two enormous crystal-clear orbs.

"It's not ordinary glass," Taylor explained.

"Kallist."

"It's made from sand mixed with opal and turquoise—the two most fragile natural gemstones in the world."

He spoke with complete certainty.

"Our magic isn't supposed to shatter it."

"So how am I supposed to know how weak the spell needs to be?" I asked. Then another thought struck me. "And how do you even know all this?"

"Kallist glass is famous in the Realm of Dreams and Illusions. That's where it was created."

Silently, I listened.

I'd completely forgotten that every realm held some kind of advantage during this year's Selection.

And suddenly, I felt incredibly lucky Taylor had landed here with me.

"A tiny spark is enough," he continued. "Imagine you're trying to light the wick of a candle."

Then he demonstrated.

A faint current of air brushed against the surface of the glass.

The sphere absorbed the tiny spark.

Moments later, Taylor's map began to glow, revealing two new destinations.

Point D.

Point K.

I drew in a deep breath before slowly letting it out, relaxing every muscle in my body.

The calmer I became, the easier it was to connect with my magic.

Separating energy from raw power—the way Tarven had taught me—I released the smallest pulse I could manage.

The sphere filled with a soft green glow.

A heartbeat later, my own map shimmered to life, revealing two new markers.

Point C.

Point I.

"It worked." I grinned, waving the map triumphantly in front of Taylor's face. "We're actually a pretty good team."

Then I glanced toward the scorpion on his shoulder.

"Just... stay on the side without him."