Page 106 of Beneath the Flames
“The seed he gave you was for the Magmara, a very powerful flower in Avalea.They’ve nearly gone extinct over the centuries, and his seed was the very last one in all fourkingdoms.When the seed begins to sprout, it releases a burst of magic.Every Fae from here to the edges of Siris likely felt it the moment the seed split open.”
My brows twisted in confusion.“What?”I looked at the pot again, to be sure.It still looked exactly the same as the day I’d planted the seed.Just black dirt.“There’s nothing happening.It hasn’t germinated.”
Carrow scoffed and muttered, “Ignorant human.”
And then he shoved his palm toward the ground, a burst of violet magic erupting toward the pot before it splintered into a hundred pieces, the dirt cascading onto the floor.
“No,” I breathed, racing over to it as if I could fix it, even though there was no way without magic.“Why would you do that?”Anger filled my veins.I wished I had magic, a weapon,anythingto hurt him back.I’d never wanted to fight back before, but now I desperately wished I could.
Carrow’s face was bored as he explained, “The unique thing about trying to grow plants in moonlight.”He pointed at the dirt now spread all over the floor.“They don’t growabovethe dirt until their roots are established.”
I tore my gaze from the dirt and met his, traitorous tears welling in my eyes, trying to understand.When I didn’t react, he let out an exasperated sigh.
“Meaning,” he drawled, clearly annoyed by my stupidity, “your infernal seed has been growing downintothe dirt this entire time.It likely sprouted not long after you planted it.”
He brushed away a lump of dirt to reveal a green stem about an inch long, a tiny brown pod sitting at the end of it.
For a moment I could only stare.
Then elation flooded through me, and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.
It worked!It was growing this entire time!We just couldn’t see it.
I did it.I had amended dead soil to give life once again.
“You foolish girl,” Carrow snapped, fracturing my happiness at the sight of the sprout.He stepped toward me, and my focus zoned in on him.“You clearly have no understanding of the reality of what will happen if you complete the third task, if you free Rhydian from this curse.”
Swallowing down my fear, I stood to face him.“I think you’re just afraid of Rhydian getting his full magic back.Then he’ll be powerful enough to get rid ofyou.”
Silence.
Then the world turned into violet light.
***
My back slammed into the wall, Carrow’s face inches from mine as his fingers wrapped around my throat and squeezed.
“If you hadany idea,”he spat but didn’t finish his sentence, his chest heaving in furious breaths.
Even if I wanted to ask what he meant, I couldn’t get any air in my lungs, couldn’tbreathe.
“I thought you wanted to go home to your family.Why would you abandon them for a monster?”he asked, still digging his fingers into my neck.“Aren’t you worried about them?”His questions were like daggers in my soul, cutting me to pieces.
OfcourseI was worried about them.This whole time all I had wanted was to get home and make sure they were all right.But Rhydian’s time was almost up, and he needed my help too.I’d never been someone who could give up on those who needed me.
“Maybe I should show you your family, then you’d see how foolish you’ve truly been.”
At this, the blood drained from my face, leaving me dangerously lightheaded.Show me my family?What did he mean?
Carrow released his grip on me, and I collapsed to the floor, coughing.I barely had a moment to try to breathe before his cold fingers dug into my arms and pulled me to my feet.With a flourish of his hand, violet smoke coalesced in the air in front of us, swirling for a moment before it settled, showing an image of…something.
I waited for it to become clearer, to stop moving.But that was when I realized it wassupposedto be moving.It was some sort of vision or video—whatever you’d call it in a world of Fae and monsters.
At first, all I could see was the inside of a building, and though it looked familiar, the picture was too fuzzy to make out.
And that was when all the air left my lungs and my knees buckled beneath me.
Somehow, I was looking through the mirror that sat on the mantle at home.Lila and Joey were huddled together on the bed in our room, my mom standing between them and my father.Her face was riddled with bruises.Even with one eye slightly swollen, she glared at my father.She was saying something, her face twisted in anger, but whatever magic Carrow was using didn’t let me hear it.
