Page 34

The next morning, after breakfast and a quick chat with Pia and Xala, I went straight to work on Rowen’s plan.

He was hopeful that I could infuse our weapons with the Alcreon Light.

But after trying short blades, long swords, and arrows, I was no closer to strengthening our weapons against the Voro-Kai.

“It’s not working,” I said, dropping the knife to the table.

We were in one of the weapon storerooms filled to the brim with pointy objects.

The dome was bathed in the afternoon sun.

The golden rays bared down through the wooden structure and onto my brow.

A breeze had yet to pick up, and I was hot, frustrated, and tired.

The weight of the situation threatened to collapse my ribcage, just like the Crypts I dreamt about each night. The war, the prophecies, and the threats from Erovos loomed closer and closer.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have time to discuss this plan with you first,” Rowen said, sensing my stress.

“The idea just came to me, and I had to get Driskell off your back. He was about to start making plans regarding your body and how to wield it. I had to sway the conversation and keep you in control. ”

“It was a great plan, in theory,” I said, charging the Light into Rowen’s ax, but the steel heated and glowed briefly before dying out. “The Light goes in for a few seconds but then dissipates. It won’t hold. None of these materials are strong enough.”

After trying twenty different blades made from varying metals and using different strategies, I finally gave up, slumping in exhaustion.

“You look like shit,” Maddock said, appearing in front of me, wearing new clothes. Pia and Xala had done an excellent job dressing him in brown pants and a loose, blue linen shirt that brought out the warmth in his eyes.

He ran a hand through his jet-black hair, sweeping back the strands that had fallen into his face. He swung a leg over the bench and joined me at the table.

A piece of my agitated bond settled as Maddock appeared in the room,

“I’ve never felt better,” I said sarcastically, rubbing my temples.

“I thought my new clothes would make you happy. Pia and Xala have excellent taste,” he said, modeling his new outfit for me.

“You do clean up nice. Although the incarcerated look was growing on me,” I chuckled half-heartedly.

His eyes traced my face before roving over the piles of weapons. “Why don’t I give it a try?”

“You?” I asked incredulously. “My Light is your Light. If I can’t do it, you can’t do it.” Rowen shot me a stare, and I remembered I said I would go easier on him. I swept my hand over the broad array of weapons. “Be my guest.”

“Careful,” Rowen said, leaning against a weapon rack with casual yet deadly grace. “She’s competitive.”

Madds picked up a small blade and looked at me with a cocky grin that made a single dimple appear on his left cheek .

His broad hands became aglow, and my eyes widened. Watching Maddock wield the power he had stolen from me was marvelous yet jarring.

The metal went alight and held and then dulled back to normal.

I let out a breath, shocked he’d been able to hold the light longer than me.

I couldn’t let him hold the record for the longest-lit weapon. So with a newfound fire, I doubled my efforts.

Madds and I kept our techniques to ourselves as we battled to be the first to make an Alcreon Light blade. Sweat dripped from our brows as we tried method after method with no luck.

Rowen straightened his posture. “We will find another way. Or do you two want to keep battling it out?”

“Yes,” we replied at the same time.

Rowen shrugged with a smirk and leaned back against the rack. “Then carry on.”

Just as Takoda promised, he awaited me at the Hymma.

I had chosen not to speak with him beforehand, but if the healer was disappointed, he didn’t let it show.

I’d assured him I was strong enough to face what lay ahead.

But what if I was wrong? A Voro-Kai demon had already slipped through the crack in the mountain, leaching into our world like a poisonous weed.

The thought of more slowly escaping until Erovos tore the mountain apart was unbearable, especially without proper weapons to defend ourselves.

Each day, the clock ticked louder, and the war drums echoed closer.

I walked toward the Hymma, the geodesic dome reflecting the outside world panel by panel. At this distance, it appeared as no more than a mirage, a strange ripple against the rich forest landscape.

The last time I’d been in the Hymma, half of my body lived on Luneth while the other half laid comatose on Earth. I was weak, poisoned, and astrally torn.

Now, the mirror reflected a different image back at me.

I strode toward the Hymma with strong, determined steps. My hair was twisted down my back in a single braid, my dark pants fit snugly and laced up either hip, and my dark blue vest came to a point at my navel.

Rowen and Maddock flanked me on either side. The man on my right, his presence like warm wood and sharp steel, had been in the Hymma with me, while the other, like stolen silver and gold, had slept next to my motionless body in the hospital.

They offered their support, reminding me that though the journey in the Hymma was mine to make, I was not alone.

“Remember, no earthly possession may enter here,” Takoda said reassuringly. “Set the intention and have it be so.”

“I will,” I said, glancing over my shoulder as Takoda averted his eyes. “Maddock, look away.”

“Why? Are you getting naked?” he asked sarcastically.

“Do as she says,” Rowen said, gripping his shoulders and spinning him around until his back was to me.

Shock lanced through his voice. “She is getting naked!”

“After the well, I told you if you ever laid your eyes on her like that again, I would rip you limb from limb,” Rowen said without a shred of jest.

“Why did we bring him again?” I asked, unlacing my top. Takoda had busied himself, walking around and checking the Hymma.

Madds remained turned from me. “It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”

“I might just rip you limb from limb for your tongue,” Rowen remarked, his eyes boring into the back of Maddock’s head, but then quickly darting back to me as I slid my bodice off my shoulders.

I removed everything, my eyes never leaving Rowen’s as I stripped down to my bare skin. My soul flame’s gaze heated my flesh as the cool air kissed my naked body.

“See you soon,” I said, turning and stepping beyond the moon-encrusted doorway. I took a deep breath, feeling the ancient energy of the Hymma becoming one with my body.

Takoda’s words rang through me like a guiding melody.

My intention was set.

I sat cross-legged on the ground and attuned myself to my breath.

I hadn’t realized it my first time here, but the Hymma was an introspective ceremony, like stepping into the room of your mind.

The splashes of color and inverting shapes that existed behind my eyelids came to life around me.

It was a reflection of the stardust that danced in my mind—a whole universe within me.

The lights pushed and pressed against the black cloak of consciousness.

As I started to float away from my body, my mind began to feel adrift, as if it had nowhere to land.

The last time, I’d been so weak that I hadn’t noticed how odd the sensation was. I had been without a body before, and I didn’t want to repeat the experience.

It would have been easy to give way to panic, but I needed to remain calm. I couldn’t let my fears influence my time here. I promised Takoda I would be careful.

I intended to find the desert elves, but it felt like I waded through the sea of my mind, finding no real answers.

The glimmering lights and otherworldly landscapes blurred together with no clear direction.

Frustration gnawed at me, but I brushed it aside, knowing such an emotion would hinder my progress.

After what felt like ages of wandering—and maybe it had been—I felt a gentle golden ripple through my chest.

My soul flame bond!

I quickly reeled myself in, like smoke returning to a candle’s flame. I opened my eyes to the familiar weight of my body, grateful to be back in it. I exited the Hymma, blinking against the light.

Rowen was immediately there and quickly wrapped me in a robe. “Is everything okay?” I asked anxiously.

“You’ve been in there for hours,” Maddock said as Rowen tied the garment around my waist.

Rowen cinched it tight, his fingers lingering on the tie. “We grew worried.”

“I felt you calling to me,” I said, rubbing my chest, still feeling the aftermath of his glow.

Takoda answered, his eyes searching me, “I had him call you back.”

I glanced between the three men, understanding their concern. It felt like I had run a mental marathon. “I didn’t realize how much time had passed. It’s . . . it’s different in there.”

“Did you find anything?”

“No,” I replied, my eyes locking with the healer’s. “I need to go back in.”

Takoda shook his head. “It is too taxing on the mind. I understand these are dire times, so you will be permitted entrance every other day.”

Annoyance flared within me. “We don’t have that kind of time,” I urged, light-headed and exhausted. Even though Takoda was right, I wanted to charge right back into the Hymma and spend as much time in there as I could until I found some helpful information .

“Your sanity and Light are more important than losing yourself,” Takoda said, his eyes soft with understanding but rimmed with authority.

“We need you for when the battle arises. Erovos and the Voro-Kai escaping could happen any day. You are too valuable. If we lose you, we lose everything. You promised me that you would be careful. Please.”

“Every other day then,” I agreed, letting his orders sink in. On the days I didn’t go in the Hymma, I could focus on training with Dyani or looking for a solution with the weapons. And while I felt overwhelmed with tasks that had no clear solution, I was grateful for the support I had helping me.