Page 148 of Of Serpents and Ruins
"Kine." I bit the inside of my lip. "I don’t know what’s going to happen in here, but—"
"I have failed you, Bug." He cupped my cheek, his gaze soft. The wind ruffled his azure curls. "I didn’t question Elias as I should have. I gave in to my own desires to see you, and I broke my vow to protect you. He used me to gain access, and I failed you."
"No." I shook my head and hugged him tight. His heartbeat thudded dully against my ear, steady and slow. "No. No, what Elias did was not your fault. You made a mistake. That’s all. We all make mistakes. I trusted Elias too, and I’m a seer. So did Auntie Runa."
He shook his head, his posture rigid and his expression hard. "It doesn’t make it right. I should have known better. But somehow, I will find a way to fix this." He gripped the spear tighter, his knuckles yellowing.
He then pushed past me, striding after the rest.
There was nothing to do but follow and end this.
How were we going to survive?
Would we?
Probably not.
But maybe Sepeazia would.
STELLA
Our plan was simple. Get in. Find the other talismans and throw them and the reagents into the heart of the Ember Lord’s Crest. Easy enough. It was even outlined in blue lava.
Tile insisted that so long as the talismans went in first, the reagents could be cast into the heart in any order.
And there was only one safe way into the Ember Lord’s Crest. A single opening led into the heart of the volcano where this ritual had to be completed. While it was possible that there were other ways, we didn’t have enough time to seek them out. This way was the one that had been enchanted in heartstones. Carved deep into the rock itself.
It was simple. Terrifyingly simple.
The Gola Resh and Elias almost certainly knew about it if they had half a brain between them. She’d probably make it hard for us to find the Goblet and Axe. So we would have to begin our search once we reached the primary chamber.
Elias with his faction or the Gola Resh—perhaps both—would ambush us. Really it was just a question of when and where.
I choked down my fears and reminded myself I was a queen, a seer, and a water serpent. And I was in the best company a woman could ask for.
Brandt led the way, followed or flanked by Hord depending on the pace. I followed behind, almost within arm’s reach. Kine strode beside me, gripping the spear, eyes set straight ahead and jaw uncharacteristically fixed. Buttercup followed, nudging and lowing her complaints. Candy and Cahji were farther back with the crewmen and the few remaining arcanists who had survived, interspersed with a couple parasaurs and triceratopses and a handful of warriors. Arjax and Lorna brought up the rear, but they had already warned us in the case of an attack, they would shift into flying creatures and soar to the front for the element of surprise.
The path leading up to the volcano was rocky and uneven, surrounded by craggy cliffs and the ominous shadow of the looming mountain. The thickness of the atmosphere intensified, humid and unpleasant. The very air tasted like bitter ash and metallic sulfur. The ground beneath our feet rumbled.
Ihlkit.
My hands worked at my sides, brushing against the dagger in my belt occasionally and working against my shifter ring at others. The sharp tang of the ring’s energy reminded me of the power I could tap into.
Buttercup nudged me, lowing softly. I tried to comfort her, but I wasn’t sure what to say. "Not your first time in battle, girl," I whispered. "But it’s my first time in this body." And I had never felt less prepared for anything in my life.
Another gurgling growl from the volcano warned that something had disturbed it. The Gola Resh, almost assuredly. And she hadn’t made it any more forgiving. Even with spells to provide protection, the heat of the volcano bled through my sandals.
It grew hotter and more treacherous as we reached the overhang and passed into the black stone chasm. My simple blue and white dress was already damp, and a sheen of sweat shone on everyone’s faces.
Buttercup nudged me again when I hesitated. I stroked her snout. Her eyes were bright, her stance strong. If I had to guess, she was more worried about me than she was scared about entering the volcano.
A sudden bit of cold chattered down my spine as a rock clattered off the edge and plunged down into the river of lava below.
Auntie Runa’s wretched vision played through my mind once more.
Death.
A couple embracing one another as they burned in lava like loose rocks.
