Page 60 of Beneath the Flames
Never mind that I was involved.
MaybeIwas the death following her.
The telltale signs of her too-large boots crunching and scuffling on the path met my ears before she arrived at my side.
“I thought you said I was safe with you,” she spat.
Blinding fury had my hands clenching automatically to keep the magic from lashing out, but nothing happened.No golden light, no magic.
“I said I’dkeepyou safe,” I retorted.“There’s a difference.”
Maren scoffed.“We almost just burned to death!”
“But we didn’t.I saved you.”
She quickened her steps to get in front of me and then stopped, forcing my feet to skid to a stop.
“I thought your magic kept the lava at bay.”
I scowled at her, hating the reminder that my magic had failed.Again.
“It does.”It did.
“Then what happened?How did it reach the tent?”
My throat still burned from the smoke I inhaled, and I sucked in a slow breath, careful to keep another coughing attack from starting.
“I don’t know,” I finally answered.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”her voice rose another octave.
Stepping into her space, I lowered my head until it was inches from hers.Fear widened her eyes, but she didn’t move even as I ground out, “I.Don’t.Know.My magic has never failed to hold back the Scorching Rivers before.I don’t know why it failed this time.”I held out my palms.“There doesn’t seem to be any left at all.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, finally rendered silent for once.Her entire body shook from head to toe.I may havespent my entire life living in these conditions, but it didn’t mean I was immune to the cold, and tonight was particularly frigid.Even I was having a difficult time staving off the shivers.
Though I was likely being ridiculous, it sure felt like Eroth was doing its best to keep us from reaching Mount Kharos, from completing these tasks.
As if in answer to that particular thought, the wind kicked up even more, ripping at our hair, our clothes.
Maren glared at the sky.“Seriously?”
My sentiments exactly.I grunted my agreement.
Eroth was about to crumble into dust as soon as the last petal fell.One would think that it would try tohelpus along rather than hinder us.
The Scorching Rivers had grown too strong, and there were powers at work that wanted to ensure wedidn’tbreak the curse.Though with the Beast going silent all those centuries ago, the source of Eroth’s life and magic, it was no wonder the land was confused.Punishing.
My hands fisted at the reminder.
“What do we do now?”Maren asked through chattering teeth.
“We keep moving.”
She glanced at the moons, and I could tell she was trying to understand how they worked.
“It’s two hours to moon rise.”I pointed at the moons.“If you look closely, you’ll see markings on the moon.The one with the mark that looks like a frown, that moon moves around the other.That’s how you can tell the time of day.Plus, during what you refer to as daytime, the moons glow a little bit brighter.”
Maren glared at the sky.“That’s it?Constant night and tiny moon markings to tell you what time it is?”She blew out afrustrated breath, the air clouding in front of her face.“This place is ridiculous.”
