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I'd never wanted someone's touch like this—like my skin was starving for it, like every point of contact was both too much and not nearly enough. The intensity of it blindsided me. A month ago, I would have run from this feeling, from the way my body seemed to recognize his touch before my mind could catch up. Instead, I found myself leaning into his hand, craving more.

I wasn't sure who moved first. His fingers slid into my hair as I pressed closer, erasing what little space remained between us. My hands found his chest, feeling the shadows writhe beneath his skin, feeling his heart racing as fast as mine. He exhaled against my lips, the sound nearly undoing me, and then he was leaning down, his forehead touching mine?—

Three sharp whistles cut through the darkness.

We jerked apart, reality crashing back. My heart thundered in my chest as we both turned toward the sound, instantly alert.

"Upper level," Aether said, already moving. I followed close behind as we raced back through the tunnel, taking the spiral steps two at a time. The whistles came again, more urgent.

We burst into the main chamber just as Vexa's voice echoed down the corridor. "Over here!"

The passage opened into a vast cavern, and I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes fell upon the back wall. Dozens of crystals jutted from the rock face. Their violet-blue light cast strange shadows across the chamber.

Arcanite.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

"We'll needto break it down," Dannika said, examining the crystalline formation. She reached out to touch one of the smaller pieces and it separated easily from the larger mass, like a magnet releasing its hold. "That's... interesting."

"What is it?" Vexa moved closer.

Dannika pressed the piece back against the formation and we watched in fascination as it seemed to meld seamlessly back into place, the crystal structure realigning itself. "The arcanite—it wants to stay together. Like it's drawn to itself."

"Of course," Tamir breathed. "That's how they were able to construct such massive towers. The crystals naturally reform once they're in contact. It's not just a mineral, it's almost..."

"Alive," I finished, watching as Dannika separated another piece, larger this time.

"This makes things much simpler," she said. "We can break it into smaller pieces for transport, then reconstruct it once we're back in Ravenfell."

"The Vördr can handle that weight if we distribute it properly," Aether said. "But we'll need something to secure them with."

"We can use some of these old support beams," Theron suggested, gesturing to several fallen timbers. "Fashion makeshift harnesses, spread the load between them."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We don't even know if I can actually imbue it yet," I cut in, suddenly feeling another pressure weigh me down.

Piece by piece, we carried the arcanite out of the mines, laying each crystal in the clearing where we'd left the Vördr. As the fragments touched, they pulled together seamlessly, rebuilding themselves into their natural formation. Soon, a structure nearly as tall as me and twice as wide rose from the ground, its violet-blue light even more breathtaking in the dying sunlight.

"That's... a lot more than I expected," Vexa breathed, circling the formation.

"Quite the haul," Rethlyn said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Though I suppose that's what happens when no one's mined here in decades."

"It's beautiful," Effie whispered, reaching out as if to touch the crystals before pulling her hand back.

"But will it be enough?" Theron asked, his voice tight with something between hope and doubt.

I studied the formation, watching how the light seemed to move within each crystal, like something alive trapped beneath the surface. The sun had nearly set now, painting the sky in deep purples that made the arcanite's glow even more pronounced.

"Even if I can do this," I said carefully, "we don't know how much essence it will take. How much I can give."

"You don't have to do it now," Aether said, moving to stand beside me. His entire frame was silhouetted by the last fragments of the setting sun, so stark and bright that it was nearly impossible to take in the sight, as if the two were one in the same.

"No." I shook my head. "We should know if this will work before we transport it back to Umbrathia."

I stepped closer to the formation, my fingers hovering over its surface. The crystals hummed with their own strange energy, but I had no idea how to actually transfer essence into them. I pressed my palm against the arcanite, its surface cool. Nothing happened. No surge of power, no transfer of energy—just smooth crystal against my skin, as lifeless as any common stone. A knot formed in my throat as I pulled my hand back.

What had I been thinking? That I could just touch it and somehow fill it with essence? Everyone was watching, waiting, their hope almost palpable in the fading light. Hope that probably died a little more with each passing second of failure.

"Maybe try..." Vexa started, but fell silent as I exhaled sharply.