Someone coughed. “I’m proud of you too,” Maiela said dryly, raising a brow. “But perhaps we can move the celebration out of this mountain? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m getting rather hot.”
Now that Maiela mentioned it, my tunic was sticky, and the air was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. The crackling hiss of the Heart hadn’t ceased, and my entire body was too warm.
Everyone agreed. Xander drew me against his chest, holding me with one arm as our group gathered in a circle.
“How does it work?” Daegal asked, eyeing the amulet.
“We all need to be touching it,” Xander said gravely. “There is no room for error. When Inferna gave it to me, she reminded me in no uncertain terms that this was the only way out of here.”
The air was heavy with anticipation as the six of us exchanged glances. This was it.
“I can’t wait to see the sun again,” I breathed. My magic hummed eagerly, and I knew the earth was waiting for me on the other side of this. I’d been trapped once before, and that had almost killed me. I needed to be free. To feel the wind in my hair, the kiss of sunlight on my skin. I needed it all. “Let’s get out of here.”
Reaching out, I placed my hand on top of the Gilded Amulet. Ryllae’s slender fingers rested over mine, laced with Daegal’s. Maiela and Kysha’s hands slipped in around ours as we each confirmed we were touching the cool metal.
Only then did Xander speak. His voice was low and deep as he spoke in a tongue I did not recognize, reciting the same phrase repeatedly. As his voice grew louder, specks of gold appeared in the air, and then the amulet heated beneath our touch.
Xander kept chanting.
My fingers burned, and my heart galloped like a horse as he continued.
When my flesh felt like it was moments away from becoming charred remains of itself, Xander stopped talking. The only sound was that of my heart beating in my ears, and even that seemed like too much.
Then, a tremor ran through the ground. My magic throbbed, its persistent beat edging on painful, as a radiant light erupted from the Gilded Amulet. Beside me, Ryllae gasped. Red ribbons sparked in the air, and my stomach churned. I squeezed my eyes shut as a powerful wave of nausea rushed through me. Bile rose in my throat, threatening to erupt, as the earth shook again.
Then a cool breeze slammed into me, stealing my air as my legs trembled. The wind was so foreign after the heat of the Heart that it took a moment to realize I was back on firm ground. I let out a breath, feeling woozy as my magic pulsed with a rare sense of urgency.
“Open your eyes, Sunshine.” Xander’s voice was gruff, but there was something comforting about the bossy tone.
I did as he asked, a snarky retort rose to the edge of my tongue about his bossiness, but it fell away as I looked around.
“It worked,” I breathed, taking in my surroundings.
We must have moved to the other side of Shadowfell Mountain, because the raging river of lava was nowhere to be seen. Instead, we stood on the edge of a deep valley. A massive forest edged one side, stretching as far as the eye could see. On the other side, the gray mountain rose before us.
It was midday; the sun was high, and the clear sky was so blue that it practically hurt to look at it.
And the heat.
It should have been cold. Snowing. The ground should have been white and frozen and inhospitable. Instead, it was unseasonably warm, almost like summer. The air was sticky and wet, instantly causing my clothes to stick to me once more.
Just another sign of the broken balance.
None of that mattered, though. Not really. We were out, and we were safe.
The ground rumbled beneath my feet, a reminder of its presence. After pressing a quick kiss to Xander’s lips, I dropped to my knees. The land needed me. Reaching into the well of power within me, I pulled forth as much as I could before feeding it into the earth.
Thank you, High Lady of Life, the land said.
I fed my magic into it even as all the life in the area turned, acknowledging my presence. The earth needed more than it ever had before, and though I felt it replenishing my stores as I worked, it was a strain, even for me.
Slowing down, I listened to the earth’s cry. It was hurting. Pain and sorrow and sadness filled me as the land wept. Roots which had been strong were now tinged in black and brittle to the touch. Grass was dying. Plants were unable to grow. And the animals…
They cried out to me, their suffering deep as hunger pains wracked their bellies.
Tears pricked at my eyes and my cheeks dampened as I delved deeper. Pushing my consciousness forward, I listened to the earth. The situation was dire. While we had been in Shadowfell Mountain, inky darkness had swallowed the earth, tainting everything around us.
Behind me, faint whispers came from the others as they planned our return trip to Nonna’s cottage. I couldn’t focus on them right now. All my attention went to the land.