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You know as soon as I touch it, I'm going to disappear,I countered, not wanting to leave them with this crazy person.
I know, and that's okay. Once you touch it, it's yours. You can stabilize the realm and do whatever you have to do. His plan will be over. You touching that stone takes away his victory. If he keeps you from it, he wins.
My stupid, smart, Hyperborean man had a point. Not that I wanted to admit it.
"You know, I think once the five of your men fall to the plants. I'm going to take you back, and my members and I will have a small celebration. One where we are serenaded by your screams because, let's be honest, it doesn't matter how many that savage mate of yours burns to death or how many drown...There are always more. More people want one realm than you can possibly imagine. And they're all loyal to me. Maybe you should have asked what we wanted instead of just assuming that everybody wanted to stay separate?"
I hated that he had a point. I never asked. I just assumed. Maybe...Maybe this was wrong? Maybe I shouldn't be trying to stabilize the realms? But then, thinking about them merging with one another and what that would mean and about all the lives that would be lost? I couldn't help thinking that was wrong too.
Don't let him get in your head,Niall said.He's trying to sway you. Trying to plant doubt in your mind so that you don't react when you need to. You are doing the right thing. Trust that the caretakers have a plan for how this will all work out. Nobody wants to watch millions of people die just for that to be followed by years of wars as we all fight for domination, which is exactly what will happen if the realms combine.
You're right. I know you are. Just do me a favor and be careful. I can't lose any of you, not now, not so close to the end.I began to edge further back, moving between Dres and Niall, standing behind me, calling on my fire magic to protect me against any poisonous plants.
"When I'm done with you, I'll use you as an example to get everyone to swear fealty to me, so when the realms do combine, we hit them with an overwhelming force. Not even your precious Ulrika will resist. Ugh, and to think I fucked that disgusting daughter of hers to bring Hyperborea in line. It was the only way she would listen, though. Now, where exactly do you think you're off to, little girl?" Timmon asked as he lifted his hand and pointed to me. Terror filled me as I expected to be overwhelmed by his magic, but it didn't. Instead, he just regarded me coolly as though I was a bug under a microscope.
"Tessa, go! We'll take care of Timmon and the others," Kai called before lunging forward, heading to the leader of Agartha.
The others? His words froze me, and as I looked around, I saw more and more people emerging with the black and white robes of the One Realm cult on. The last thing I wanted was to be separated from them again, especially while they were fighting.
"Even she knows that if she tries to get to the stone, she'll die," Timmon called out to his followers, trying to make fun of me.
"Please, siren. I know you want to stay and fight, but do this for us."
It was the same as before when I thought they all died, and I hated it. This time they could easily get surrounded and forced into the poisonous plants. I absolutely hated the situation but understood that we had no other options. The best way to ruin whatever Timmon was planning was to get the stone.
15
Tessa
I did the only thing I could and called on my fire dragon magic as I waded into the vines. The leaves curled and singed around me, the green blackening before turning to ash.
Each step took longer than I wanted, but there was no other choice if I was going to protect myself. The shouts that came from behind me threatened to draw my attention, but I resisted, needing to focus on the task in front of me as my guys fought against the members of the One Realm cult and Timmon, who seemed to be their leader.
Finally, I reached the tree. The hole in the trunk was almost as big as me now that I could see it up close. Where the hell the stone was inside that hole was anyone’s guess. Maybe if Timmon hadn’t slaughtered the priestess, she could have told me, but I doubted it since everything she knew seemed to come from a history book.
I reached out, pushing my hands through the vines and burning them away until I could get a better look inside. The vines seemed to wither at just the hint of a touch, parting and clearing for me.
As I peered into the tree, I realized that the hole wasn’t just through the center but also went down. A shout drew my gaze over my shoulder, and I watched as Timmon and Kai went after one another with a viciousness that I hadn’t expected. The brutality of their fight made me freeze.
The problem was Kai didn’t have anything other than a dagger with him, which I hadn’t even realized he had worn. Timmon’s gaze caught on me and snapped me from my frozen state.
I turned back and reached down, stretching as far as I could before my fingers brushed against something. With a jump, I forced myself to reach further, grabbing at what I hoped was the stone.
The smooth rock slipped into my fingers, resulting in a satisfying feeling of rightness. As leaves and roots started to wrap around me, I pulled myself up to a standing position.
A pained grunt drew my gaze, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw Timmon’s blade leaving Kai’s stomach. Panic clawed at me, and I tried to move, to go to Kai, but the leaves and roots held me firmly in place, forcing me to watch as Kai dropped to the ground, his shirt quickly becoming soaked in red.
A scream died on my lips as the magic of the stone finally took me. When I opened my eyes, I was in a room that looked like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie, where I should be lying on top of a giant gray bear-like beast. Only there was no beast, just me and the leaves.
The opposite side of the room was a riot of colorful flowers, which grew not only from the floor but the wall and ceiling until it almost felt like they were closing in on me. If I hadn’t been so worried about Kai, I might have been more apt to stay and admire the sheer beauty of the room.
As it was, all I could focus on was the cold sense of dread that had formed in my stomach. “Where is the egg?” I muttered to myself, knowing that the exit from this place wouldn’t appear until I’d claimed the baby dragon or chosen to leave it behind, which I obviously wouldn’t do.
Two giant sections of flowers moved, and I found myself staring at a pair of giant yellow eyes. The dragon blinked at me before I heard its voice in my head like a rockslide.
You are the key, yes?
I nodded. “I am.”
