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Think, Idril. How else can you get across?

The Earth shifts and sways, and as it does, a plan begins to take shape in my mind.

Could it be that simple?

The moment the question pops into my head, the ground trembles. Not with fear or anger. With excitement.

My lips curl into a smile.

“Idril!” Branwen’s shout is panicked, and I spin, taking in the very real fear in her eyes. Her gaze darts to the ceiling as rock and debris detach, falling from unfathomable heights and shattering at our feet.

So far, nothing’s been large enough to hurt us. But now, chunks of rock and packed dirt the size of softballs take their place, narrowly missing our heads by inches.

I have to hurry. It’s only going to get worse from here.

Giving Branwen what I hope is a reassuring smile, I wrap my fingers gently around her wrist. “It’s going to be alright. I know what to do. Just stay here. Do not follow me, no matter what.”

Her lips part, eyes wild with fear and uncertainty, but before she can respond, the ground swells and heaves. She throws her arms out to keep her balance, then gives me a shaky nod.

I wait long enough to watch her back up, taking a few panicked steps away from the water.

Once I’m sure she’s far enough away, I turn back to the pillar.

I feel as confident as I did in my dream, but this time with a clarity I was missing before. It fills in more of those cracks, reminding me of who I am.

The lake splashes and churns violently, but I feel no fear. Lifting my foot, I let it hover above the spitting, churning water, mere inches from the current. I can hear Branwen’s sharp intake of breath as I step down and onto solid ground.

The stone cracks and the dirt rushes up, reshaping to form a bridge of packed Earth beneath my feet. With each step, it lengthens further, expanding until it reaches all the way across the water. To the platform beyond.

It’s as effortless as breathing. There’s no command. No pleading. I simply form the image in my mind, and it appears.

When I step onto the onyx rise, I have to crane my neck to take in the pillar's height. Up close, it towers above me. Easily ten feet in diameter, it dominates the cavern and reaches so high it disappears into the darkness beyond.

Just as I knew it would, its surface is covered in ash and soot. Without hesitation, I stride over to it and swipe it away with a steady hand.

The ice is cool to the touch, and my palms tingle as my skin heats, melting the ice and creating rivulets of water that smear streaks in the soot.

I press both hands to the surface and pull on the heat inside of me. Life hums through the layers of ice, so I push more heat into my palms in answer.

Branwen curses as the shaking intensifies, but I push it away until it’s nothing but background noise.

I need to work faster. This is taking far too long.

Using as much caution as I can, I coax flames to my fingertips and push them into the ice. My skin hums with power. I can feel Vharax inside, and the longer I work, the more desperate I am to get her out.

I still don’t know exactly who she is, but it’s not hard to imagine her in there, cold and miserable. How long has she waited, sleeping in this prison of frost?

No living being should be trapped like that. Locked up like a feral animal and left to rot.

We don’t belong behind bars—metaphorical or solid iron. No one should be forced into that kind of hell unjustly. Not humans, not vampires, and not wolven.

And certainly not Vharax.

Determination shoots through me, so intense I can taste it. I’m going to free her. I’m going to get her out of this prison, and she’ll never be shackled again.

And neither will I.

Pressing my forehead against the surface of her cell, I will my power to work harder. Faster. The ice resists, and the smell of ozone that appears from nowhere makes me feel like I’m working against something more.