Since we couldn’t go through the portal at the mine, I am now at a loss.”
“I sense the same energy here that was blocking the portal, but what do we do if we find the cause?”
“Destroy it if we can,” Uriel said. “Or perhaps we will see how to neutralize it. Time will tell.”
Uriel pushed one of the doors open and peered inside. Then, signaling for Cassabrie to follow, he proceeded into a circular chamber with a domed ceiling. At the center of the room a brilliantly shining sphere sat atop a crystalline column. Moonlight poured through a hole in the dome above, striking the sphere and sending radiance throughout the sanctum and back through the ceiling and into the sky.
Uriel rubbed a finger across his wrist. “The sensation is pleasant, like a soft pillow with massaging tentacles.”
“That sphere is blocking the portal,” Cassabrie said. “I’m sure of it.”
Uriel picked up a fire poker at the wall and gripped it tightly. “I fear the ramifications of destroying it, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“We could wait.” Cassabrie pointed at the ceiling. “If moonlight is providing the sphere’s power, maybe the energy will subside when Trisarian begins to set, and the portal will be released.”
“That will be too late. You heard what your mother said. We have only an hour remaining.”
“Let’s look for another option.” Holding out an arm to block the light, Cassabrie tiptoed toward the sphere. Uriel followed, his head angled to the side to keep from looking directly into the radiance.
When they arrived, she set a hand a few inches from the surface. Like iron filings swirling toward a magnet, the glow swarmed under her palm. Cassabrie stood transfixed, now staring directly into the light. The radiance streamed into her fingers and filled her body. Her red tresses flared out. Beams shot from her eyes and pinpoints of light sprang from her pores. Yet, Cassabrie stood unmoved.
“Cassabrie!” Uriel hissed. “Get away!”
“I can’t,” she said in a bare whisper. “My feet … They won’t move.”
Uriel grabbed her around the waist and lunged backwards. They rolled on the floor, Cassabrie still emitting a brilliant aura. When Uriel helped her to her feet, the radiance surrounded her in a glowing ball as if she had been swallowed by a transparent moon.
“What did you do?” Uriel asked.
“I don’t know.” Cassabrie looked at her shining hands. “I feel so strange, like something hot is throbbing inside me.”
Uriel stared at the sphere. “It appears that you took whatever power that thing had and ingested it.”
“Then will the portal stay blocked even when Trisarian sets?”
A dragon appeared in the room, his wings beating as he hurried toward them. “What are you doing here?” he roared.
Cassabrie gasped. “Arxad!”
Uriel raised the fire poker, but Arxad whipped his tail around and slapped it out of his hand. “Fools!” Arxad bellowed. “What have you done to the Reflections Crystal?”
“Nothing!” Cassabrie said as she backed away. “I didn’t even touch it!”
The sphere brightened a shade as if absorbing some of the moon’s glow.
Arxad glanced at it before continuing. “You speak the truth, but something has greatly weakened the sphere, and you are wearing its radiant coat.”
Cassabrie rubbed a hand down the front of her tunic as if trying to slough off the light. “I don’t know what happened. It’s as if I absorbed it. I didn’t intend to; it just happened.”
Again the sphere flickered brighter.
“Zena has touched the sphere many times, and nothing like this has ever happened. What is different about you?”
A woman materialized. Slender and dressed in black, she walked to Arxad’s side. “You already know what is different about her, yet you fear to speak the truth. I have told you about Cassabrie. She is very dangerous.”
Arxad stared at Zena for a moment before looking again at Cassabrie. “Are you saying that she has
“I sense the same energy here that was blocking the portal, but what do we do if we find the cause?”
“Destroy it if we can,” Uriel said. “Or perhaps we will see how to neutralize it. Time will tell.”
Uriel pushed one of the doors open and peered inside. Then, signaling for Cassabrie to follow, he proceeded into a circular chamber with a domed ceiling. At the center of the room a brilliantly shining sphere sat atop a crystalline column. Moonlight poured through a hole in the dome above, striking the sphere and sending radiance throughout the sanctum and back through the ceiling and into the sky.
Uriel rubbed a finger across his wrist. “The sensation is pleasant, like a soft pillow with massaging tentacles.”
“That sphere is blocking the portal,” Cassabrie said. “I’m sure of it.”
Uriel picked up a fire poker at the wall and gripped it tightly. “I fear the ramifications of destroying it, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“We could wait.” Cassabrie pointed at the ceiling. “If moonlight is providing the sphere’s power, maybe the energy will subside when Trisarian begins to set, and the portal will be released.”
“That will be too late. You heard what your mother said. We have only an hour remaining.”
“Let’s look for another option.” Holding out an arm to block the light, Cassabrie tiptoed toward the sphere. Uriel followed, his head angled to the side to keep from looking directly into the radiance.
When they arrived, she set a hand a few inches from the surface. Like iron filings swirling toward a magnet, the glow swarmed under her palm. Cassabrie stood transfixed, now staring directly into the light. The radiance streamed into her fingers and filled her body. Her red tresses flared out. Beams shot from her eyes and pinpoints of light sprang from her pores. Yet, Cassabrie stood unmoved.
“Cassabrie!” Uriel hissed. “Get away!”
“I can’t,” she said in a bare whisper. “My feet … They won’t move.”
Uriel grabbed her around the waist and lunged backwards. They rolled on the floor, Cassabrie still emitting a brilliant aura. When Uriel helped her to her feet, the radiance surrounded her in a glowing ball as if she had been swallowed by a transparent moon.
“What did you do?” Uriel asked.
“I don’t know.” Cassabrie looked at her shining hands. “I feel so strange, like something hot is throbbing inside me.”
Uriel stared at the sphere. “It appears that you took whatever power that thing had and ingested it.”
“Then will the portal stay blocked even when Trisarian sets?”
A dragon appeared in the room, his wings beating as he hurried toward them. “What are you doing here?” he roared.
Cassabrie gasped. “Arxad!”
Uriel raised the fire poker, but Arxad whipped his tail around and slapped it out of his hand. “Fools!” Arxad bellowed. “What have you done to the Reflections Crystal?”
“Nothing!” Cassabrie said as she backed away. “I didn’t even touch it!”
The sphere brightened a shade as if absorbing some of the moon’s glow.
Arxad glanced at it before continuing. “You speak the truth, but something has greatly weakened the sphere, and you are wearing its radiant coat.”
Cassabrie rubbed a hand down the front of her tunic as if trying to slough off the light. “I don’t know what happened. It’s as if I absorbed it. I didn’t intend to; it just happened.”
Again the sphere flickered brighter.
“Zena has touched the sphere many times, and nothing like this has ever happened. What is different about you?”
A woman materialized. Slender and dressed in black, she walked to Arxad’s side. “You already know what is different about her, yet you fear to speak the truth. I have told you about Cassabrie. She is very dangerous.”
Arxad stared at Zena for a moment before looking again at Cassabrie. “Are you saying that she has
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