or Azura would have been smart.
I walked around the room gliding my hand on the cool walls and listened with my heart, my body, and my mind. Feeling a strong pull, I stopped, and an odd-shaped brown stone was in front of me. “So you’re what I’m looking for?”
It was bigger than I thought it would be. Not really pretty either. I figured I’d be getting some small stone that I could shove in my pocket, but instead this was bigger than my fist. I took the pickax out and banged on the cave wall until the rock was loose. Then I pried it out of the space. It was heavy and cool to the touch.
I opened my satchel and placed it in deep so there was no chance it would fall out. I returned to the very center of the chamber. The cool air swirled around me. I felt a little lightheaded and the ground rumbled again. “What is that?” I asked myself. The feelings nagged me and I had to figure out what it was.
Suddenly the fire in the middle of the room went out and erupted around the room on the floor in a circle. I was trapped by the fire. There was no other way out than through the fire. Sweat started to drip down my face. I wasn’t sure if it was my nerves or the temperature rising. Maybe both. I thought about the windstorm. I had become one with the wind, maybe I could do the same with the fire. Trying not to panic, and knowing I had to act quickly before I lost my nerve, I carefully stepped through the fire. It was hot, but it didn’t burn. Once I was through, the fire went out.
I put the faery light in between my teeth again and climbed back up the ladder. I retraced my steps back through the cave. I made sure the boulder blocked the passage and the stalagmites went back to their original height. Everything was back where it belonged.
It was getting lighter, which meant the exit was ahead. I wanted to run to it, but I was afraid I’d fall on the slippery ground. It felt like I had been gone for a day, but I had no idea how long it actually was.
When I reached the exit, I paused and nodded a thanks to whoever was helping guide me through. Then I walked out into the open air. The sun was heading toward the horizon and after being in that cave, my eyes blinked a million times to get used to the brightness. Kallan, Drake, and Dain were sitting on the ground. They all jumped up.
“Rylie!” Kallan called, gathering me in his arms and plastering kisses all over my face.
I laughed and kissed him back. “Has it been a long time?”
“Six hours. Did you get the stone?” Kallan asked.
I reached in the satchel and dug out the stone. Holding it in my hand, I asked, “Now what?”
“We need to take it to Shaylee. She can make it into what we need.”
My feet were throbbing. “Any chance we can rest a little before we go?”
“I’m sure Morian would love to see you,” Kallan suggested.
I thought of the blonde-haired Cyclops that ran the bed-and-breakfast place we had stopped at when searching for Oren. “That sounds good.”
He interlaced his fingers with mine and we began walking. My tired, achy feet felt every step. Dain questioned me non-stop on what was in the cave and how I got through. It must be hard being a miner and not being able to get in that cave. When we reached his village, he kissed my hand and bid me farewell. Kallan, Drake, and I continued on to Morian’s Hideaway.
I recognized the stone cottage with a roof made of grass as soon as I saw it. Kallan knocked on the door. It swung open fairly quickly and there stood Morian. Her face lit up when she saw us. “Kallan! Oleander! Come in.”
She gave us both hugs as we passed by her. Drake stuck out his hand. “I’m Drake.”
The one milky-white eye in the center of her forehead shifted to look at Drake. “A light faery being second in command to a dark. Something I thought I’d never see. Fabulous.” Morian’s full lips smiled with approval.
“Do you have two rooms available?” Kallan asked.
“I do. In fact, the room you two were in
I walked around the room gliding my hand on the cool walls and listened with my heart, my body, and my mind. Feeling a strong pull, I stopped, and an odd-shaped brown stone was in front of me. “So you’re what I’m looking for?”
It was bigger than I thought it would be. Not really pretty either. I figured I’d be getting some small stone that I could shove in my pocket, but instead this was bigger than my fist. I took the pickax out and banged on the cave wall until the rock was loose. Then I pried it out of the space. It was heavy and cool to the touch.
I opened my satchel and placed it in deep so there was no chance it would fall out. I returned to the very center of the chamber. The cool air swirled around me. I felt a little lightheaded and the ground rumbled again. “What is that?” I asked myself. The feelings nagged me and I had to figure out what it was.
Suddenly the fire in the middle of the room went out and erupted around the room on the floor in a circle. I was trapped by the fire. There was no other way out than through the fire. Sweat started to drip down my face. I wasn’t sure if it was my nerves or the temperature rising. Maybe both. I thought about the windstorm. I had become one with the wind, maybe I could do the same with the fire. Trying not to panic, and knowing I had to act quickly before I lost my nerve, I carefully stepped through the fire. It was hot, but it didn’t burn. Once I was through, the fire went out.
I put the faery light in between my teeth again and climbed back up the ladder. I retraced my steps back through the cave. I made sure the boulder blocked the passage and the stalagmites went back to their original height. Everything was back where it belonged.
It was getting lighter, which meant the exit was ahead. I wanted to run to it, but I was afraid I’d fall on the slippery ground. It felt like I had been gone for a day, but I had no idea how long it actually was.
When I reached the exit, I paused and nodded a thanks to whoever was helping guide me through. Then I walked out into the open air. The sun was heading toward the horizon and after being in that cave, my eyes blinked a million times to get used to the brightness. Kallan, Drake, and Dain were sitting on the ground. They all jumped up.
“Rylie!” Kallan called, gathering me in his arms and plastering kisses all over my face.
I laughed and kissed him back. “Has it been a long time?”
“Six hours. Did you get the stone?” Kallan asked.
I reached in the satchel and dug out the stone. Holding it in my hand, I asked, “Now what?”
“We need to take it to Shaylee. She can make it into what we need.”
My feet were throbbing. “Any chance we can rest a little before we go?”
“I’m sure Morian would love to see you,” Kallan suggested.
I thought of the blonde-haired Cyclops that ran the bed-and-breakfast place we had stopped at when searching for Oren. “That sounds good.”
He interlaced his fingers with mine and we began walking. My tired, achy feet felt every step. Dain questioned me non-stop on what was in the cave and how I got through. It must be hard being a miner and not being able to get in that cave. When we reached his village, he kissed my hand and bid me farewell. Kallan, Drake, and I continued on to Morian’s Hideaway.
I recognized the stone cottage with a roof made of grass as soon as I saw it. Kallan knocked on the door. It swung open fairly quickly and there stood Morian. Her face lit up when she saw us. “Kallan! Oleander! Come in.”
She gave us both hugs as we passed by her. Drake stuck out his hand. “I’m Drake.”
The one milky-white eye in the center of her forehead shifted to look at Drake. “A light faery being second in command to a dark. Something I thought I’d never see. Fabulous.” Morian’s full lips smiled with approval.
“Do you have two rooms available?” Kallan asked.
“I do. In fact, the room you two were in
Similar Books
