Page 46 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

“And they could wreak havoc on entire human villages.” My observation held a question.

“Yes,” Ezren cut in. “They could.”

The monsters were gaining ground fast now, nearly three quarters of the way to where we stood.

“We can’t let that happen.” My words were more of a plea than a statement.

“I could try a different spell,” Dane thought aloud. “To freeze them, maybe for an hour or two at the most. It is a tricky one, like a counterweight to my fire. I’ve only done it once, and I’ll need to link with someone. It should work, but I’m too drained to do much more than that.”

“Do it,” I said. “If nothing else, it will buy us time.”

Jana shared with Dane,and together they sent a freeze down the slope of the mountain, which settled through the trees like an unforgiving frost. The Crona stayed fixed, contained for the time being. And thus began the debate.

Dane was hollowed out. Jana too, having forfeited the last of her reserves. Parson had shifted maybe six times in the hour; he couldn’t put down a thousand rabid creatures with whatever Fae magic he had left. The rest of the group was tired, emptied, or lacked the skill to offer a solution. It seemed it would come down to Ezren or me.

“Ezren could shift again and burn the suckers,” one of the other Witches mused.

“That would only work if someone controlled his Dragon form,” Dane refuted. “And I do not have the strength to bend the will of a Dragon right now.”

“He listens to me.” I swallowed. “Well, sort of. I think my voice calmed him.”

“That’s not enough,” Dane said. “Controlling his actions takes skill and practice, which we clearly don’t have time to develop.”

“I don’t really remember the time in my shift. I fought to stay present, and I heard Terra’s cry on the plain, but… it was distant. I didn’t have control,” Ezren admitted.

“Terra could split the Earth again, let the ground swallow the bastards whole,” Parson chimed in. “Like when she trained with Dane.”

“Far too risky,” Jana countered. “If she too greatly disturbs what lies in that valley, well… we don’t know the consequences. She could risk the collapse of the realm barrier entirely.”

“I’m not sure I could do that anyway,” I said quietly. “The valley does not respond to me.”

“Could you suffocate them with your Earth storm?” Dane eyed me with suspicion.

“You mean raise up dirt from the mountainsides and individually asphyxiate each one?” He nodded, and I considered. “Maybe…” I grimaced. “I don’t know if I have enough strength to do it.”

Jana inclined her head. “The blood of your power is life. To cause death to a thousand creatures individually would be a tax.”

“You need your damn Siphon,” Dane muttered to himself, but then he looked at Jana in realization. She studied him a moment and then turned to Ezren and me.

“A joining might do it—but even that doesn’t produce such a surge in power. But if you performed a coupling…” Jana trailed off.

In an instant, Ezren’s face was alight with rage. “Absolutely not.” Ezren’s body tensed, his eyes blazing.

I felt a small punch in the stomach, now that I knew the coupling meant sharing power through… intimacy.

“Ezren, youmustset your past experience aside. Terra is not Esmie. She is made of the Earth. She is far stronger than you give her credit.” Jana’s words had a gentleness to them, as if she spoke to calm a wild, cornered dog.

“You know Esmie isn’t the only reason your suggestion is so foul,” he growled.

Foul? Ouch.

“Ezren, please consider the alternative—hundreds,thousandsof humans could be at risk,” Dane begged.

“You’ve heard my answer.” Ezren’s voice was low.

“Leave us, please,” I said, my eyes trained to the ground and my face heating. At once, they retreated, making to find the horses should we fail and need a fast escape.

I turned to Ezren when he spoke, “I’m so sorry, Terra, that they would suggest such a thing, truly, I would never?—”

---