Page 92 of Riftborne
He gave us all a devilish grin. “That was nothing. How do you feel about a grand entrance?” he asked in a low voice, a strange twinkle in his eye.
Briar lifted his hands from his sides. The ground began to rumble and shake. I grasped onto Raine to keep my balance.
Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw what looked like hundreds of tangled snakes flying off the ground, pummeling towards us. They were coming from each side.
As they neared us, I realized they were tree roots being manipulated by Briar’s focus. The two sides slammed into each other with a loud crunch, and the snapping of wood ricocheted through the space as the roots twisted and braided themselves into a raised walkway directly in front of us, leading to the center of the crowd. Everyone’s eyes were on us now, and the clearing had grown eerily quiet.
Briar held up his hands, stepping up onto his creation and clearing his throat. He looked at the sea of Aossí and shrugged apologetically. “Sorry we’re late!” he yelled, and the crowd erupted in chaotic cheers. The dark feeling I had only intensified as we stepped onto the platform.
Two hours later,I stood on the edge of the clearing with Raine, who was still reeling from her lightning performance. I had to admit; it was the most impressive thing I had seen all night.
She lit up the heavens, creating sparkling embers that shot through the clouds above as streaks of light cracked across thehorizon. The entire clearing stood aghast, watching in amazement. She got more cheers than the illusionists and the fire wielders combined.
I leaned against a tree, waiting for Osta to bring us the drinks she insisted on getting. My eyes followed her and Briar through the crowd, never letting her out of my sight. A sigh of relief escaped me as the two finally made it to the table closest to the lake.
“I told you this would be fun.” Raine looked at me, raising an eyebrow in expectation.
“It’s fun. Doesn’t mean it's not dangerous,” I snorted, still keeping my eyes on Osta. Raine let out a deep chuckle and leaned her head back.
“You’re so stubborn, Fia. I caught you smiling earlier when those twin initiates were racing.” She elbowed my side.
I stole a glance at her and tried to bite back a smile. “I mean, it’s not every day you see something like that. They moved so quickly; they were nearly invisible.”
“We were given these gifts. It’s a shame not to use them. Especially when it’s harmless,” Raine said.
“Speak for yourself,” I laughed. There was nothing harmless about mygift.
“Erm–well, clearly you’re the exception.” She grinned at me. “Mind shredder.”
I had never told Raine about the incident in the woods. The one that changed the entire trajectory of my life. And she had never asked. There were several occasions where I considered telling her everything, but just as the words were on the tip of my tongue, I couldn’t force them out. Some-day, maybe.
My eyes returned to the tables near the lake, searching for Osta. She and Briar had moved away from the drinks and were standing at the river’s edge. Osta looked up at me and waved, smiling brightly. The distance between them grew as Osta sidestepped a fallen branch and Briar struck up a conversation with agroup to the left. I waved back just as specks of muted orange formed behind her silhouette.
I began walking closer, trying to get a better view. Raine’s footsteps crunched twigs behind me.
“What was that?” She asked, curiosity peaked.
“I don’t know, but let’s find out.” I picked up the pace.
Suddenly, a roaring torrent of fire soared across the river.
“Osta!” I shouted, sprinting in her direction. I wasn’t going to make it in time. Osta was in the direct path.
Horror overcame me as the fire crackled inches from Osta, heat blasting me in the face. I screamed as Osta stumbled over the rocky terrain. She fell, bracing herself, and threw her arms over her head just as a man raced out between her and the explosion. The flames seemed to hit a wall and ricocheted off. The man stayed, unmoving, until the fire subsided into the night.
I blinked trying to readjust my vision, my legs still pumping as my feet hit the damp earth below. The entire clearing was quiet as I finally slid down to Osta’s side. She was breathing heavily, and her body still trembled with fear, but she was otherwise unharmed.
“Osta!” I said, grabbing her hands.
“I–I’m fine,” she managed to whisper, but her attention was on the figure ahead.
I looked up to see Nazul staring down at us.
Nazul?
I looked back and forth between the two of them before standing up.
I reached down to offer Osta my hand at the same time as Nazul. Without even thinking about it, I shot him a scowl, which he ignored.
