Page 97 of A Cage of Crystal

Calm moved through her, stilling her thoughts. She focused on the strength of the stone floor beneath her feet, the air that flooded her nostrils, the warmth of the blood rushing through her veins.

“What will it be, Aveline? If you don’t play nice, I will make you. I’ve gone easy on you long enough. Do you recall when I offered you half my heart? I no longer have half to give, and I didn’t come this far just to be stopped by you again.”

She barely heard him. Barely let herself focus on anything but the elements moving through her, wrapping around her. On the Art that radiated through every inch of her body. Its presence was louder than Morkai’s. Stronger.

But what was it asking her to do?

Hide, it had said the first time.

Forgive, it had urged the second.

Stop fighting, it had told her the third. Her mind settled there, on the battlefield at Centerpointe Rock. She recalled how her Art had somehow transported her through space, past physical matter and across a short distance in the blink of an eye. She needed that now. Needed to get to Valorre. To safety.

But how could she repeat that feat? She’d tried to replicate it a few times since that singular incident, but each attempt had been futile. She knew it had to be some form of astral travel, the rare gift witches only talked about but never performed. She knew no one who could do more than astral project—the invisible form of the Art that allowed one to project their souls during meditative states—and it wasn’t something she’d ever trained in. So how had she traveled the once?

Feel, her magic told her.

She remembered then.

Emotion had driven her at Centerpointe Rock. She’d moved because she’d had to. Because Teryn’s life had been at stake. And then there’d been that time in the council room, where anger had made her feel certain she could take a single step and find herself on the other side of the table, confronting Lord Kevan in all her fiery rage. She’d stopped herself then, had written it off as simply a whim.

But she knew now it hadn’t been. It had been her Art.

Morkai gripped her shoulders and whirled her around to face him. “The longer you keep that crystal from me, the more it hurts Teryn’s body. The more it ages him. Kills him.”

She shuddered but refused to look him in the eye, refused to lose focus. Valorre called out to her again and she latched onto his presence, to his view of the castle wall, to the smell of the earth, to the sound of his hooves beating an anxious rhythm on the forest floor.

“Give me the crystal or I’ll take it from you.” His hand covered hers. From how feebly he struggled to pry her fingers from around the crystal, she could tell his strength was waning.

If she wanted, she could wrest it from him. She could take the crystal far away, just like Teryn had asked.

And kill him in the process.

Or…

Calm settled over her heart, and she knew there was only one thing she was willing to do.

With a slow exhale, she closed her eyes, fully immersing herself into her connection with Valorre. She could almost feel the earth give way beneath her feet, as if she were standing beside him, could almost sense the mild summer breeze dancing through her hair.

Yes.

She felt it.

Felt everything about the location as if she were already there.

Tugging her hands from Morkai’s, she opened her palm, dropped the crystal to the ground, and took a wide step back. Soft earth cradled her heels, rooting her upon moss and soil.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself outside the castle wall, a startled Valorre blinking back at her.

40

For hours they rode, stopping only when they were far enough away from the castle that Cora felt safe. She didn’t think she’d been followed, but she wanted to place distance between herself and the castle nonetheless. The night was still dark when she finally slid down from Valorre’s back. She groaned with relief, her legs aching from riding bareback after having spent so much of her recent time indoors. Valorre nudged her shoulder with his muzzle in a comforting gesture, and the sympathy she felt from him nearly brought a sob from her throat. But she refused to cry. She didn’t have time to break down, no matter how deep her fatigue.

The sound of running water snagged her attention. A small stream trickled over a narrow rock bed, a soothing melody in contrast to Cora’s frantic heartbeat. She crouched before it and gathered a handful of water in her palms. The cool liquid chilled her fingertips and tingled her skin, which served to sharpen her mind. After taking a few sips, she splashed some on her face. It was so cold it was almost painful, but at least it made her feel more awake. More capable of sorting through what had happened. What she’d learned.

Morkai was somehow alive.

In Teryn’s body.

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