Page 36 of Of Blooming Embers
A dizzying hum of energy clung to me as we neared the entrance. Our skiffs floated through the trees, which were wide enough to allow passage side by side. Breena and I passed through first.
A damp chill washed over my skin as Breena shivered. A soft rush of cherry hues flushed over her. My aura shuddered and flashed over me as well. Looking over my shoulder, a rippling wall of reflectivewater covered the archway, blocking the men from view and making our boat appear sliced in half.
When the rowboat continued its trajectory, the men shook their heads as if clearing away a fog, runes glowing on their hands.
“Always a delight. Your adventures.” Rhaegar winked at me. I smiled, facing forward as our energies vanished beneath our flesh.
Now, a tunnel of bent, graying boughs stretched several lengths before us. Drooping down, soft, wispy vines twined between the limbs. The raven flew ahead, disappearing as it reached the end and swooped out of sight with a final croak.
Swamp crickets and lapping water serenaded us as we made our way through to the end of the passageway.
As the clouded light seeped over my face, a plethora of twisting doombarks sprinkled outward, interspersed with mossy knolls and flat slabs of rock protruding from the gloomy water.
In the center stood a wooden shack, precariously balanced on thick, crisscrossing poles that creaked under the weight of the structure. Mixing with the fragrant dampness in the air, a briny breeze brushed against my cheeks. The weathered planks were adorned with a bright, painted medley of various flora, trees, and animals from all of Midst Fall’s regions.
It was a stark contrast to the milieu cradling it. And the grizzled female rocking in a chair on the deck, observing us with steepled hands.
Gavrel moored our vessel to a tree, and I stepped onto a partially submerged boulder next to it.
As we leaped across the hummocks and stones, my heart thrummed faster, my inhalations shallow. If she helped us find Kaden, and hopefully Mama, all our efforts would be worth it.
With time etched into her joints, the Augur rose slowly, holding her arms out to her sides in greeting. My breath caught. “Hello, child. Come, let’s begin.”
She flicked her hands at the others as they stood their ground by my side. “Go on. This time is for me and the girl.”
Breena examined her nails. “Pass.”
Gavrel’s body sidled closer, the heat of him brushing against my arm.
The female’s eyebrow quirked, her forehead wrinkles creasing deeper.
I brushed my palm along his biceps as they tensed. “It’s all right. If she wished it so, I’d already be dust.”
The line of his jaw flexed, and he nodded to Rhaegar and Breena.
“Fine, Ryn-Ryn. We’ll go stab one another over there.” Breena drew her dagger and jabbed it toward a patch of hummocks several yards away.
Lifting my chin, I faced the Augur as they went off to spar. She tilted her head, studying me. “Show me.”
14
THE THREAD THAT BINDS YOU
SERYN
Clammy dread caressed my skin, my pulse tapping under my star-shaped scar. The Augur’s frail frame leaned forward as she waited. She’d be waiting forever before I unleashed my ember. My fingers curled into fists, heels digging into the spongy surface.
Sighing, she slowly lowered herself to the rock below her porch and then held her hand out in invitation.
Watching her, I moved across a few compacted peat mounds until she paused atop a smooth, level slab of charcoal-colored stone. My hips wobbled as I balanced upon the rounded perch.
Her gaze was direct, but a touch softer than before. “No need to be afraid.” A sheen of sparkling power flickered over her. “Here you will find yourself. Show me.”
My eyes closed, my blood pumping in time with the power vibrating under my skin. I opened my eyes and stared at my hands, letting myself feel the hum of my energy. Letting the echoes of its radiance simmer.
I loosened the reins on my ember. It sparked over me, clawing at the surrounding space agitatedly.
“You’ve been chaining your gift. Fearing it,” the Augur observed.
