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Her chest heaved up and down with heavy breath, but she pulled back. For all Layala knew Varlett was lying, and she wasn’t going to play this game. But the slumber berries comment rang true. With a thumping heart, she turned away for the second time and tucked the dagger back into her calf sheath.Don’t turn around no matter what she says.

“She screamed and cried when I killed that stupid boy. He tried to defend her.” She clicked her tongue. “Ren, I think his name was. Such a shame too. He had the most innocent brown eyes.”

Layala’s legs suddenly went weak, and her steps faltered. The wind wrenched from her lungs like a gut punch. Ren—Ren was dead? How else would she know he had brown eyes unless she saw him? Her chin trembled and hot tears burned. She couldn’t turn around, wouldn’t allow Varlett to witness the anguish warring inside. If what she said was true… Maker above, not only had Novak died but Ren too? All because of her. A sob caught in her throat, but she blinked back the tears and drew in a cleansing breath. This wouldn’t crumble her. She wasn’t that girl they kept starved and weak in the tower anymore. She wouldn’t allow words or even lies to tear her apart in the middle of this party where so many watched her. She only slightly turned her head to say, “I’ll soon see you on the battlefield.” She couldn’t risk fighting her here and now or even alerting the guards if she held Aunt Evalyn captive.

Thane met her stare from across the dancing couples in the center and moved toward her. He pushed through them with no care for manners. He meant to charge around her to go after Varlett, still leaning against the wall with an arrogant smirk, but Layala grabbed his arm so hard her hand ached. “We need to use the stone and scepter now.”

* * *

The massive,heavy doors to the temple creaked open. A pair of guards who stood at the top of the light-gray stone steps, nodded as Thane, Layala, the four Ravens, and Prince Ronan stepped inside. To avoid drawing a crowd, they snuck out a side door and along a well-manicured path through lush gardens with gazebos and water fountains. Layala glanced back, paranoid that Varlett followed them. But of course, she would. She didn’t want them to find a way to end the Black Mage. But she wouldn’t risk attacking, would she? Three dragon shifters, two demi-gods, and four Ravens vicious and deadly in their own right, would be a lot to handle for anyone no matter if she delved into the dark magics.

The hall they walked into stood at least a hundred feet high. “This is the most warded place in Adalon. We’ve prepared for this day, in case things should go awry,” Ronan said. “So, if another Void is created it will be contained inside these walls. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”

Their footsteps echoed in the vast chamber above. Along the wall, twenty-foot statues made of gray marble stood. Five on each wall. All the females were to the left, the males to the right. Each adorned with details that Layala assumed had something to do with their characteristics. One female held an open book in her palms, another with serpents climbing up her arms, their heads blossomed into blooms on her shoulders, and she wore a crown of moon and stars. The center female carried a bow with an arrow knocked back, pointing up toward the sky. Maybe a goddess of battle or hunt? The final two stood back-to-back with a line of flowers between their feet and a sun behind their heads, their faces identical. Birds and other small creatures climbed on the left twin and the right had a tree growing out of her palm. Could Layala be descended from one of them?

“There are more,” Prince Ronan said. “These are just the ones our people had contact with or so the stories say. In Runevale there are many gods and goddesses.”

Layala turned her attention to the males, the first with an ax raised, ready for battle. The second held a ball of flame that hovered over his palm, real fire. Was it spelled to burn all the time? The third sat with a harp in his hands and a flute tied around his neck that hung at his chest. She wondered about the stories the dragons must have. The second from the end held a trident in hand and stone waves crested around his legs. And the last carried an hourglass frozen with the sands of time in the top end.

The walls were covered in murals of warriors riding chariots pulled by winged horses, dragons soared among the clouds with riders on their backs. Small windows let in the evening sunlight, staining everything with a golden glow. It was truly beautiful here, divine as it should be.

Ronan stopped at the end of the room and placed his hands behind his back. “And here, before the All Mother and the Maker you shall put the stone and scepter together, and hope you are found worthy.” Behind Ronan at the front and center of the temple, a male and a female sat on two massive thrones. They wore crowns. He held a hooked staff, and she, a balancing scale equally weighted.

Layala lightly bit down on her lower lip. What if she and Thane were simply powerful mages and not worthy? Would they die? Would they be burned to ash for their impudence? It was hard to know the truth from a lie when the elves portrayed Rhegar as the hero who died to save everyone from the Black Mage while the dragons claimed he worked with him.

Thane pulled the stone from within his suit pocket and held it in his open palm. He inspected it for a moment, as if he hadn’t memorized every nick and rough edge. Perhaps he was just as nervous as she about the whole thing. But if they ever wanted to rid the world of the Black Mage, this was the only choice.

Taking hold of the golden chain around her neck, Layala slipped the scepter over her head. She plopped it into her hand, and it grew to fit the width of her palm, and about twelve inches in length. Did it suddenly get hotter? Layala fanned her face and smiled nervously at Thane.

He pinned her with a concerned stare. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” she answered despite the uncertainty swimming through her. She felt like a fish circling bait that didn’t know it was about to get ensnared. She turned to the others who watched them with obvious anxiety. “Maybe you all should wait outside in case—something bad happens.”

Piper shook her head. “No. If anything happens, I’m going down with you.”

Ronan gave a single nod. “We’re not leaving.”

Fennan, Leif and Siegfried all agreed. “We’re with you,” Fennan said.

“No matter what,” Leif added.

Well, so be it. Thane raised the stone. Layala tipped the end of the scepter toward him. They locked eyes—what if this was the last moment they had together? What if this was the end? “It’s alright,” Thane breathed. “I’ll always find you.” He grasped under her hand. One beat. The stone was inches away. Two, it touched the metal. Three, it settled into place. For half a breath, nothing happened, then a golden light burst from the stone, a beam straight up into the rafters above scattering small birds. The scepter shook, almost as if it fought to break free. She gripped it with her other hand and Thane did the same.

“Keep holding tight,” Thane breathed. “Don’t let go.”

The sensation vibrated up her arms, growing more uncomfortable with each passing moment. Then it just stopped. The golden light showered down shimmering like snowflakes, until a whirl of wind brought the glitter together into the form of a… female. The golden gleam outlined her shape but most of her body was transparent other than her long hair that floated on air like she was suspended in water.

“Who has summoned me?” she asked. Her light voice lilted around the chamber as soft and beautiful as a harp.

Thane and Layala exchanged a glance. If it worked, she expected a voice or something like the portals, but this was a person. If it didn’t, she thought she’d be dead. She glanced about the temple to make sure everything was still in place and that all her friends were alive. They stood mouth open staring with the golden light reflected in their eyes.

“We have,” Thane answered.

Her doe eyes lined with long glittering lashes blinked a few times. “And why have you summoned me?”

“We need answers,” Layala said. “Are you able to give them?”

“I am the goddess of knowledge. I can give answers as I please as long as it doesn’t disrupt the balance in Adalon.”