Page 56 of Children of Blood and Bone

We follow Tzain’s voice until we’re facing the only standing structure on the mountain. The temple towers into the sky, built against theledge of the last rock’s incline. Unlike the stone bricks, this structure’s crafted from blackened metal, streaked with yellows and pinks that suggest it once shone gold. Vines and moss grow up the sides, obscuring endless rows of ancient runes carved into the temple’s frieze.

Zélie moves toward the doorless entrance, but Nailah lets out a small growl. “Okay, Nailah.” Zélie gives her nose a kiss. “Stay here, alright?”

Nailah grunts and collapses behind a pile of broken stone. With Nailah settled, we walk through the opening and greet a magical aura so thick even I can feel its weight in the room. Tzain scoots closer to Zélie as I run my hand against the air; the oscillations of magical energy slip through my fingers like grains of falling sand.

Rays of light peek through the cracked oculus above, illuminating the patterned dome ceiling. The designs feed into rows of pillars, decorated with colored glass and shimmering crystals.

Why didn’t they destroy this?I wonder as I run my fingers along the carvings. The temple is strangely untouched, a lone tree in a scorched forest.

“See any doors?” Tzain calls from the other side of the room.

“Nothing,” Zélie calls back. The only visible fixture is a large statue pressed against the back wall, collecting dust and overgrown vines. We walk over, and Tzain runs his hands over the weathered stone. The statue appears to be that of an elderly woman, cloaked in rich robes. A golden crown sits in her sculpted white coils, the only untarnished metal in sight.

“Is it a goddess?” I ask, inspecting the sculpture up close. In all my years, I’ve never seen a rendering of a single deity. No one would dare place one in the palace. I always assumed the first time I saw a god or goddess, it would be depicted like the royal portraits hanging in the main hall. But despite its tarnish, this statue holds a regal air even the most stunning painting couldn’t achieve.

“What’s this?” Tzain points to an object in the woman’s hand.

“It looks like a horn.” Zélie reaches up to inspect it. “It’s strange.…” She runs her hand across its rusted metal. “I can almost hear it in my head.”

“What’s it saying?” I ask.

“It’s a horn, Amari. It’s notsayinganything.”

My cheeks flush. “Well, if it’s a sculpture, it shouldn’t be making sounds at all!”

“Just be quiet.” Zélie hushes me and places both hands on the metal. “I think it’s trying to tell me something.”

I hold my breath as her brows pinch. After a few long moments, her hands begin to glow with a glittering, silver light. The horn seems to feed on her ashê, glowing brighter as she strains.

“Be careful,” Tzain warns.

“I am.” Zélie nods, though she begins to shake. “It’s close. It just needs one more push—”

A slow creak rumbles under our feet. I yelp at the sound. We whip around in surprise as a large tile slides away from the floor. The opening reveals a staircase spiraling down into a room so dark it masks everything in blackness.

“Is it safe?” I whisper. The darkness makes my heartbeat spike. I lean down to get a better look, but there isn’t a source of light in sight.

“There’s no other door.” Zélie shrugs. “What choice do we have?”

Tzain runs outside, returning with a charred femur bone wrapped in a torn bit of his cloak. Zélie and I recoil, but he brushes past us and lights the cloth with our flint, creating a makeshift torch.

“Follow me,” he says, his commanding voice diminishing my fear.

We begin our descent with Tzain leading the way. Though the torch’s bubble of light illuminates our steps, it touches nothing more. I keep a hand on the jagged wall, counting my breaths until we finally reach thenext floor. The moment my foot leaves the last step, the opening above us slams shut with a deafening crack.

“Skies!”

My shriek rings through the darkness. I fling myself into Zélie. “What do we do now?” I tremble. “How do we get out of here?”

Tzain turns to run back up the stairs but stops when we hear a hissing in the air. Within seconds, his torch blows out, leaving us in total blackness.

“Tzain!” Zélie shouts.

The hiss grows louder until a warm gust of air hits me like rain. When I inhale, it instantly slows my muscles then begins to cloud my mind.

“Poison,” Tzain manages to croak before I hear the thud of his body hitting the ground. I don’t even have a chance to feel afraid before the darkness takes hold.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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