My heart still raced in my chest, a ghost of the way it had pounded when Maiela fell. Fear had run through me—mine and Daegal’s. I’d never felt anything like that before in my entire life. Some instinct deep within me had urged me to work with Aileana. That white magic… I wasn’t sure where it had come from, but it was right. I knew that in the depths of my soul. A part of me was permanently altered when we worked together.
And now the six of us were here. Alive and well, standing on the other side of the Heart.
“Why isn’t it over?” I asked Daegal.
Shouldn’t something have happened? We made it across. We survived the trials. And yet, the fire still raged. The heat was still oppressive. The treasure, which had appeared so close when we first got here, was still out of reach. Rigid stones that might at one point have been stairs spiraled up toward the platform before disappearing out of sight.
My mate’s brows furrowed. “I—”
A slow clap came from behind me. Daegal stiffened, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled as we turned around.
A deep, masculine voice said, “Well done.”
My Fortune Elf shoved me behind him, but not before I noticed the towering Spirit of the Flames. Easily twice the size of the others we had met; this one did not have the same welcoming appeal as his counterparts. The Spirit lacked clothing, which was apparently a theme among his kind, and his form was muscular. However, unlike the other Spirits, the flames comprising his body were so hot; they were nearly white. He shone brightly, as if we were looking at the sun itself.
After a moment, I averted my eyes. Something about this male made me feel strange. Perhaps it was the way he towered over me, or it could have been the exhaustion already creeping in from this never-ending day, but I did not want to be in this Spirit’s presence any longer than necessary.
Apparently, the others felt similarly, because as I glanced around, I saw that Maiela and Kysha huddled together, standing behind us. Both Xander and Daegal had drawn their swords, and Aileana’s dagger glimmered in the firelight.
“Who are you?” the dragon shifter asked.
The Spirit of the Flames replied, “My name is Thrandor. I am the Eldest Spirit of the Flames, I am the Light Bearer and the Keeper of the Heart of Ithenmyr.”
“We have come for the Gilded Amulet,” Xander said.
“I expected as much.” His flames grew brighter, the light nearly blinding. “I have been waiting for you, Son of Aranuil.”
Clearing his throat, Thrandor began what was now becoming a rather repetitive refrain among the Spirits. “The balance in the Four Kingdoms is broken. Darkness has arrived. Evil has awoken. Those with pure hearts and good intentions shall enter the Gate, pass through Shadowfell Mountain, and leave with the Gilded Amulet. With it comes great power.” He peered down at us, his expression bordering on mockery. “I am assuming that you do, in fact, plan on leaving?”
“Yes,” Xander said gruffly. “We do.”
A beat passed as the Spirit of the Flames studied our group. “So be it. If you want the Gilded Amulet, Son of Aranuil, all you must do is get it.”
“That’s all?” Suspicion leaked into Aileana’s voice. “After all this, we just have to—”
“No,” Thrandor thundered, stomping a flaming foot on the ground. Fire sparked and sizzled, and we all took a step back. “Not ‘we’. Your bonded mate must do this on his own. The Gilded Amulet is not some trinket to be passed around lightly. If the dragon shifter wants the amulet, he needs to get it himself.”
Thunder boomed and Thrandor disappeared in a flash of golden light.
We were alone once more. Daegal’s shoulders relaxed, and he sheathed his sword before holding me against him. Footsteps sounded on the rough stone, and when I looked up, the others were circled around us.
“What are we going to do?” Maiela asked.
Kysha furrowed her brows. “Thrandor’s directions were clear. We can’t leave without the Amulet.”
“What if—” Aileana started, and at the same time, Xander said, “I’m going.” The dragon shifter clapped Daegal on the shoulder, meeting my Fortune Elf’s eyes. “You’ll look after them?”
My bonded mate nodded. “With my life. I swear it to you, brother.”
“Thank you.”
Xander wrapped his arm around Aileana, drawing her to the side before pulling her into a deep embrace. The depth of emotion passing between the two of them was a storm of energy, and I soon grew uncomfortable, averting my eyes and burying my face in Daegal’s tunic.
Though they said no words, Xander and Aileana remained in that position that for a few minutes. None of us spoke; the sizzle and popping of the Heart of the Ithenmyr was the only sound in this massive, hollowed out mountain.
After everything we had been through, the silence was the greatest relief.
Eventually, the pair rejoined us. Aileana’s cheeks were flushed and her hair was mussed, coming out of its braid, and she held her mate’s hand.