Page 75

A black blur in the sky, Eastbrook wheeled above him.

Montrose shouted something to his right.

Westvane ignored them both, fighting to stay level. The gust died down. Hot air whispered around him, becoming heavier, leveling him out. His feet slammed into the top of the stepping stone. He didn’t bother correcting the pitch and tilt. Tucking his wings, he rolled into a somersault, regained his feet, and leapt across the crevasse between stones.

He scanned the ravine.

Large paw prints dimpled the sand below, but…

No sign of Truly. No blood splattering the ground. No Hyraxes in sight either.

He took a moment to absorb the details and frowned. Something was wrong. The anomaly wasn’t huge, was barely detectable, but…

He scanned the rocks again. His gaze narrowed on the steep drop.

Scorch marks marred parallel cliff faces. Five smooth tracks: blunter, wider than claw marks, bright blue in color, the glow inside the impressions faint. More droplets littered the ground, leaving indentations across the red sand. His attention sliced up trail. Even from a hundred feet up, he smelled it.

Magic. Powerful and persistent. Traces of Truly everywhere.

Jumping to the next stone, he followed the spray of blue droplets. Seven stones ahead, Eastbrook circled above, a shadowy stain in a darkening sky. Gaze on the raven, Westvane opened a channel inside his mind.

The connection sparked.

He spoke to Eastbrook.“Got her?”

Eastbrook chuffed in answer.

“Show me.”

An image moved through mind-meld. A glowing blue sphere, Truly at its center, surrounded by Hyraxes appeared on screen. In pursuit, holding the picture Eastbrook sent him in his mind’s eye, Westvane watched rock badgers attack the sphere, clawing, biting, batting it like a ball. Truly went spinning. The sphere skidded between towers, slamming into stone walls, throwing her around like a ragdoll.

Running hard, Montrose came abreast of him. “Anything?”

“Just ahead,” he said, veering left to flank the pack. “Follow me. Be ready for anything.”

“With Triple, I learned that months ago.”

Smart gargoyle.

Westvane clenched his teeth. He should’ve picked up on it immediately. Been quicker to understand. Learned faster, been smarter, realized sooner… the moment she’d gone toe-to-toe with him on the front porch. Truly might be human, but she wasn’t normal, and nothing ever went to plan with an undisciplined Door Master gumming up the works.

25

HAMSTER ON A WHEEL

Shimmering liquid splattered across stone as Truly tumbled by inside the ball. A ball she wasn’t controlling. A ball drawn from a mysterious place. She tried to tap into it, but the source of the conjuring remained hazy. Though she knew it emanated from her.

She felt the pulling claw of magic beneath her skin, sinking deep to infuse muscle and bone as the sphere warped, moulding into a protective shell the instant she started to fall. No warning. Zero explanation. Evidence of her abilities once more on display, even as she struggled to pinpoint the origin. Power rose from a well deep inside her. A powerful place, one connected to everything and nothing at the same time.

She wanted to take the time to explore. To turn inward instead of away as ribbons of light blazed inside her mind before swelling out to surround her, creating the shell she stood inside. Another time, perhaps. Right now, she had more immediate concerns. She was too busy running.

Elbows and knees pumping, Truly propelled the sphere through toothy crevices, racing along crooked trails created by tall standing stones. While a pack of snarling Hyraxes attacked the outside of the ball. Clawing, biting, trying to maul their way inside, animals the size of lions leapt from high ledges and low hollows, hurling their bodies at the magical-fueled shield surrounding her.

Each collision jolted her.

The sphere veered left only to hurtle to the right, skipping over rough ground, slamming into the sides of tall towers. Knocked sideways, she hit her knees, then clambered back to her feet. Forward momentum was a must. The faster she moved, the more power the sphere gained, outer shell toughening, becoming harder as snarls echoed. Huge paws slammed into the ball. Lethal-looking claws shrieked against the hard surface as Hyrax after Hyrax attempted to slice its way inside.

Not that she could see much beyond the slime.