Page 30 of The Rowan's Stone
The view from the hill is chaos. Instead of one army meeting the other, the field has been broken into groups, thanks to Daire. When he came up the middle of the battlefield, riding the massive golden bird, he looked magnificent, his fierce countenance a warning for anyone standing in his path. After saluting his father, the bird took a hit, and he rode off to deal with it. We haven’t seen him since, but it’s all Lucifer can talk about.
Alain, on the other hand, might actually have an apoplectic fit soon. His face is purple with anger, which would be comical if I weren’t worried about him snapping. He’s dangerous when calm, but in a rage, he’s capable of mass destruction, literally. He’s known for his natural disasters.
I’ve been quietly standing to the side, watching the armies in the back, my hands clenched so tightly that all the feeling left them long ago, constantly reminding myself they all know how to fight. As a distraction, I’ve started to watch the soldiers standing nearby, hoping to categorize them as ally or enemy. Typically, the guards are pretty stoic, but little tells are quickly giving away their allegiance. When one of our troops wins a skirmish, you can see which guard is quietly rooting for Lucifer. Either by the sneer on their face or the clench of their fist, these nonverbal cues tell me if they’re an ally or the enemy. It’s not foolproof, but unfortunately, in battle, you’re guilty until proven innocent. Better to be wrong than sorry.
A loud boom fills the air, and I scream as the mountain comes roaring down in a landslide of trees, rocks, and dirt, directly on top of Fallon and his men. I glance at Lucifer, and he’s staring at them in horror too. Alain is smirking.
My phone pings. It’s a text from Daire.
Daire:I need you. We can’t find Fallon and his men.
Arden: On my way.
Glancing at Lucifer,I motion him over to the side. Alain’s suspicious eyes follow us, but he doesn’t dare step closer and give away his position.
I pull Lucifer into a hug and kiss his cheek, whispering as quietly as I can. “Beware your disciple, for he stands at your right hand and calls you rabbi, while placing a kiss upon you in front of the crowd.” I step back, not daring look to his right, while Lucifer stiffens and glares at me. His disbelief and subsequent glare assure me he understood the message. Hopefully, Alain won’t make a move until I get back. “I’ve got to go. I’ll try to get back soon, but if I don’t, please be careful. Daire needs his father.” I open a portal and step through.
When it opens at the other end of the field, I find Daire running around with his vampires, trying to clear the debris. He strides over to me, his hands running agitatedly through his hair, dirt covering him from head to toe. “We’re removing the debris as fast as we can, but it keeps shifting. Is there any way you can lift the earth away from them?”
I eye the mountain in front of me. It’s much bigger in person, and I’m not sure I can lift the entire thing without making it worse. Plus, there might be some kind of spell holding it in place. I pace, thinking and listing my options. “I can do large chunks, but I can’t lift it all away at once. And if I make the mountain disappear, everything in it will disappear too, including Fallon and his men. I can try to figure out some sort of exchange like dirt for feathers, but thousands of pounds of anything is still heavy.” I place my hands on the top of my head, thinking quickly through the options. “First, I need to use a counter spell to…”
Suddenly, I feel a tingle directly in front of me. It’s faint, but I know it’s Fallon. I feel him, about fifty yards away. Scrambling over the debris, I point to the area. “Dig here. We’ll get Fallon out first. He’s got the strongest connection with nature, and he’ll be the biggest help to get the rest of his men out.”
Daire eyes me with skepticism. “How do you know where he’s at?”
“We can feel each other,” I reply. Waving a hand, I lift a huge chunk of debris and shift it to the side gently. I don’t know if any of the chunks contain Fallon’s soldiers, and I don’t want to take a chance I’ll hurt them.
Working in sections, we make our way foot by foot to where Fallon is located. Finally, we’re close. Using a soft wind, I scatter the dirt in front of me, carefully removing it inch by inch, until suddenly, I see a hand. I place mine against his and feel some type of membrane between us. I tap his hand to let him know we’re here and use a spell and my hands to push the remaining dirt to the sides, like a curtain parting for the sun.
Daire and I peer through the membrane and gape at the sight in front of us. Fallon and all of his men are holding up the mountain above them with Elven power. When the mountain came tumbling down, they must have formed this barrier between it and them. In awe of the sheer collective power to move mountains, I watch while they cluster together and shift toward Fallon. The mountain above us groans.
Cutting through the membrane, they slide out one by one, maintaining their hold on the mountain, until the last one remaining is Fallon. He slides out, and they all strain to let it down gently. Once it’s down, they all slump to the ground, including Fallon.
Daire starts shouting for his men to get them water, but they’re engaged in keeping the demons off our backs. Fighting ferociously about ten feet behind us, Valerian and another dragon at their sides, they valiantly hold back the horde.
I motion for Daire to join them. “I’ll get them water. Go,” I tell him, knowing the battle needs him more right now. He strides off, leaving me with hundreds of men and little water nearby. I rapidly consider my options. I’m not skilled enough to create water yet, which means I need to find a source of water. Opening the portal to the pond where I’ve been training, I close my eyes and ask Mother Nature for her help. After connecting, water starts flowing directly from the pond to each of the men lying nearby. They drink thirstily, then splash water over their faces and bodies to get the layers of sand and rock off.
I run over to Fallon, who hasn’t moved. When I get to him, I realize he’s devastated. “What is it? Are you okay? Drink some water.” He shakes his head no, but I ignore him. Using the stream of water, I wash his hair and face off. When he looks up, I direct the stream to his hands, and he drinks.
“Garrett didn’t make it.” He shakes his head, tears forming in his eyes when he tells me. “A demon came out of nowhere and grabbed him before we could get the shield up. He pushed me forward and went down.”
Remembering how we felt when we thought Fallon and all his men were lost to the mountain, I realize there could be a chance. “You don’t know that for sure. We thought you lost, and here you are. Where did you see him go down?” I stand up and pull him up with me.
Gah, it’s like moving an elephant.
Motioning for all the men to stand up, I hold on to Fallon’s hand. “Concentrate on him. You know him. Try to feel for him like you do me.” He stares at me incredulously. “What do you have to lose?”
The men crowd around Fallon, reaching out a finger or a hand to touch him, lending him their power to help find Garrett. The buzzing grows, and static electricity fills the air between us. Fallon’s face is scrunched up, concentrating.
Slowly, his hand raises, and he points to the right. “I think he’s that way.”
We run to the area he pointed. “How far do you think?” I yell.
“Forty feet, maybe?” he replies excitedly. Using their power, the men begin to lift the debris from the area, slowly revealing a body on the ground, wrapped in a small cocoon. “Garrett!”
The Elven man lifts his head, and relief flashes in his eyes. Once they’ve broken the seal, they get him water to drink and try to sit him up. Several large gashes cover his body, and he’s very pale.
He claps Fallon on the back. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down, son.” He coughs and leans over. A deep gash in his chest spurts blood. When he sees Fallon eyeing it, he spits out, “Poisoned blade. I’m not healing.”
