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Ice comes barreling toward me a moment later and I bend my knees slightly, getting in the best position to block when my eyes roll to the back of my head. I feel the impact of the ice before I’m knocked to the ground, but everything else fades away as a vision takes hold.
Darkness.
The dripping of water rings out in the distance.
Damp rocks are hard beneath my hands as I push up off the ground.
Blinking does little to clear my vision until it overwhelms me all at once.
Red.
Red everywhere.
It’s not blood… it shimmers like jewels in the sun.
Stepping back from the wall, it becomes clear this is a ruby mine. The way they’re all a part of the walls, embedded between the stones and shimmering in the darkness is special. I’ve never seen it before but I know what it is in my soul.
Inching closer, I run my hand over the jagged edges and my eyes fix on one.
It’s red. Redder than red, yet it’s tinged with what I can only describe as black ink inside it.
Why is it different from the rest?
Poten’s Ruby.
Stumbling back a step, I gape around the space. This is where the Poten’s Ruby is. Hidden among normal rubies. Where did Burton say he hid it? Ashdale? Fuck. In the caves.
It’s hard to make out much more of the space, but a green light seems to flicker in the distance, drawing me closer.
Stumbling over uneven terrain that I can’t actually see, my eyes widen when I get closer to see that the green I’m chasing isn’t a light, but another stone…emeralds, and they’re positioned more specifically than the rubies, forming an archway in the stone cobbled wall.
A shiver runs down my spine when shadows flutter over the archway, beckoning me closer, but when I look around, there’s no one else here with me. Just the rubies and the emeralds.
Red and green.
My eyes startle wide to find Raven hovering over me.
“Are you okay?” she breathes. “I saw your eyes roll, and then the ice hit you, but I couldn’t get to you before you fell.”
“I’m good,” I rasp, more winded than I expected.
“Was it a…” Her whisper trails off as I nod.
“What was that?” Fitch grunts, appearing behind Raven.
“I got lightheaded. I must have been tugging at my magic too much, and then the ice knocked me off my feet,” I mutter, standing to find Ruben frowning at me. I don’t need his attention right now, so I turn away from him.
“Take him to the medical center,” Fitch orders, and when my brothers all appear to help, along with Raven, he quickly shakeshis head. “You can’t all go. Just one,” he grunts before turning away, effectively dismissing me.
“I’ll take him,” Brax decides, placing his hand on Raven’s shoulder as she frowns at him. “You’re safer with two of us around than just one, especially when he’s still foggy like this,” he explains, and Raven reluctantly agrees with a sigh.
Her lips ghost my cheek for a brief second before she takes a step back. “Be safe and try to give him all of the details,” she murmurs, and I smile with a nod.
Brax stays right at my side as we step into the academy building and I take a second to lean back against the wall.
“You good?”
“Yeah, I just need a second.”
