Page 96 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

Inever thought I would be grateful for Fayzien’s presence.

Over the past few months, my feelings for him had oscillated between pure hatred, pity, and apathy. But, in that moment, I was thankful for the Water Witch.

The Convallis had become a ring of fire, a storm of ash. A halo of embers rained down around us, lighting up what had been a night sky the moment before. It happened quickly; I comforted Cobal one minute, and the next, smoke stung my eyes and burned my lungs.

I counted heads—two half-breeds, two Fae, and one Talpa. The air grew so thick and suffocating that Leiya couldn’t fly through the smoke and ash. And even if Fayzien and Icouldportal everyone out of there, which we couldn’t without leaving someone behind, we had no idea what awaited us on the surface.

Fayzien ran away from the group, and for a brief moment, I thought he would leave us there. But he did not. He let out a small cry of victory and yelled at us to follow.

We ran blindly towards him, and his position came into focus by a small pond at the edge of the clearing we’d stood in. My eyes burned, and we began to choke, but seconds later, a bubbleof Fayzien’s making shrouded us, the curved edges of it a thick lining of pond water. The smoke dissipated, and we blinked our eyes open, surveying our surroundings.

The scene we opened our eyes to was unlike anything I’d ever seen. The moon had been strong before, but now the fire illuminated the meadow like it was high noon. Burning trees cracked in half and thudded onto the charred Earth. Body parts flung through the air—maybe the Skøl watchers who’d failed to evacuate, their remnants soaring down and splattering on the arena floor. The air was opaque from the fire, and an orange hue coated everything I could see. A rip of pain tore through my chest and I held in a cry at the sensation of life leaving the plants and trees and turning over in the soil.

“I’ve never seen fire spread so fast,” I choked. The smell of smoking flesh, even in Fayzien’s bubble, threatened to turn my stomach over.

“Thes esna any fire ye’ve ever seen, Lassie,” Leiya responded, dread and awe churning through her words. “Et’s magic, te be sure.”

“What do we do?” I wheezed.

“There is nothing we can do,” Xinlan whispered. “Not against spelled flames. No one survives them.”

Cobal let out aharumph. “Unless you’re the one who cast the spell.”

“And you let ‘em walk right ento our kingdom,” Leiya growled at Fayzien. “We should send ye to them flames ferst, see how the Water Wetch wilts.”

“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea. Send away one of two here who can portal. And don’t forget, the protective mist around you would dissolve in an instant.” He scoffed. “Good fucking luck. You wouldn’t last a?—”

“We don’t have time for this,” I croaked, my voice rough from the inhaled smoke. “We need to find a way to stop the flames.Fayzien could portal far from here, farther than I can. He could find safety, double back, and double back again—but I’m not sure we could survive the smoke long enough without his shield. And we don’t know how the fire will spread.”

Cobal nodded in agreement. “It would ravage the kingdom worse than the soldiers. If it hasn’t already.”

Silence held us at our throats for a few moments as the implications of my and Cobal’s words settled on the group.

We hadnogood options.

“Terra could control it,” Fayzien said, his voice so low it almost held regret.

We all looked at him, and I was unsure if I heard him correctly.

He winced and faced me reluctantly. “What is the Earth, if not the product of fire and water and air? The Earth is the intersection of the elements. Air, water, those might be trickier. But fire? Fire cannot burn—cannot spread—if there is nothing to ignite. You have been welling your power now, unintentionally, as you have not called the Earth properly in some time… you’d have to dig deep, but itcouldwork. They say the first Earth Daughter could control fire with only a thought.”

“Why would you tell us this? In fact, why help at all?” I rasped, uneasy about his willingness to collaborate. “You’ve only tried to wreak death and destruction on my life and the lives around me. Why not just portal yourself out of here?”

Fayzien’s sculpted face contorted into a sneer, his blonde locks falling over blue eyes as he stared me down. “Don’t mistake my current actions for some weakening of heart, Princess,” he spat. “I’m simply following orders. I was sent here to keep you safe.”

I did not have time to wage an internal debate on Fayzien’s morality or motivations. “What do you think, Leiya?” I asked, keeping my eyes on Fayzien.

“I don’t trust hem as far as I can throw hem. But I dinna see how et’s not worth a try. We’re setten’ ducks en here, weth no way out.”

I contemplated for a moment. “Okay. I’ll try. Do you have an idea of how?” I asked Fayzien.

He pursed his lips. “I do not. But Idoknow how my element feels. Like it is my domain, stronger than how I command my own limbs. As if I have power over… its experience. The Earth is yours—it’s your choice if the brush around us burns or not.”

I looked at the group, and they gave me terse nods back. The Talpa whimpered from behind me, but there was no other protest. So I walked through the wall of moisture and into the inferno.

My bittenand already-blistered skin singed at the temperature in the air. I clamped down on my bottom lip to keep from screaming at the pain.

I had to work fast.

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