Page 51 of Fading Sun

“If you want your friends to join you on your journey… which I’m assuming you do?” he asks, and I nod, since I’m obviously not leaving them behind, and he continues, “Then there will be another element added to your challenge.”

Morgan moves to my side, and I appreciate her support, given that Blaze appears more interested in staying as close to the door as possible, and Damien refuses to look at me.

The Abbot’s gaze remains on me. “You and your friends will select a sun disc on the floor to stand on, while holding smaller crystals,” he says. “You’ll use the reflective properties of the crystals to direct your sunlight not just through the one you’re holding, but through theirs as well, connecting your light to the large crystal on the door so it can empower you all.”

“Like reflecting light off mirrors?” I ask.

“Exactly,” he says, and he looks around at the other monks, who are waiting along the sides of the room. “Hand the crystals out to the participants, and we’ll get started.”

Amber

The crystals the monks hand out to us are the size of tennis balls. But unlike tennis balls, they’re flat on the bottom, which makes them easier to hold. And I’ll need the others to hold them as flat as possible, so I don’t accidentally blast off their fingers.

I think supernatural healing would grow their fingers back—or any other limbs, for that matter—but I don’t want to test it out right now.

Or ever.

“There are nineteen sun discs on the floor, representing the nineteenth major arcana card in a Tarot deck—the Sun,” the Abbot tells us. “Choose the ones you want to stand on. You will remain standing on your disc while Amber is directing her light through your crystals and ultimately, to the portal.”

“How do I know the directions the light will reflect through the crystals?” I ask.

“I suspect it’s not you who will know, but your magic,” the Abbot replies, giving me a close-lipped smile.

It’s a challenge, and if his intention is to make me doubt myself, it’s not going to work.

“Okay,” I say, and my magic warms inside me, as if telling me it’s here for me.

Wasting no time, Damien moves to a disc on my right. “Amber—take the disc in the back, near the middle. Morgan, stand there, and Blaze, stand there,” he says, pointing to the ones he’s referring to as he speaks.

He says it with so much authority that Morgan and I hurry to the discs assigned to us, placing our packs down near our feet.

Blaze stays where he is, zeroing in on Morgan.

“Shouldn’t you be the one telling us where to stand?” he asks her. “You used your magic to get us out of that lightning storm.”

There’s venom in his tone, which I know is because that’s the moment Morgan was forced to reveal her magic to him.

She swallows and glances around at the monks, fear in her eyes.

“No—don’t use up your energy like that,” I jump in, since I’m close to positive I know what’s going on.

She doesn’t want the monks to know she’s a blood witch.

Focused on Blaze, Damien says, “The places I picked are the simplest angles for Amber to use to reflect her magic. It’s best not to complicate this more than necessary.”

“We can always try different spots if these don’t work,” I add.

“Actually,” the Abbot cuts in. “You will not be able to try other spots.”

“We’re locked into these?” I ask.

“No,” he says. “But the crystals can only handle being hit with one beam of sunlight. They’ll explode on a second attempt. So, you only get one try. If you fail, your journey ends here.”

Wow.

Talk about amping up the pressure.

I steady myself and study the crystal in my hand. It pulses with life, as if it senses my magic.

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