Chapter 29
Afternoon approached when we finally spotted the path matching the drawing on Dracon’s map. Despite the massive growth of foliage, the path looked untouched, as if a lightning strike had burned through the forest. Mirror-smooth, black stones paved the trail, and magic emanated from the path, so strong it made my hands grow clammy and my stomach sicken. I closed my mind against the magic to keep it from affecting me, but doing so only masked the symptoms.
“Didn’t you say we were supposed to be protected from the magic on these paths?” I asked Maveryck.
“Yes,” he answered. “I feel the magic, too—it’s unusually strong. Perhaps there is a spell keeping the paths protected from the forest’s magic.”
“Yes, maybe so.”
The forest grew quiet as we walked down the road. The constant sounds of insects chirping disappeared altogether, and only the echo of our footsteps—clinking as if we walked on glass—rang through the open expanse above us.
“I thought you said nothing manmade could exist here,” Heidel said. “How do you explain this road?”
“It’s a spell,” I answered. “It feels stronger than the forest’s magic. It must be keeping the road intact and the forest’s magic at bay.”
“How is that possible?” Kull asked.
“I don’t know. For a spell like this to exist, there has to be something fueling it.”
“Then the question is, what’s fueling it?”
“I have no clue. But there’s definitely something weird happening here. My best guess is that we’ll find out at the end of this path. At least, I hope so.”
“And I hope it’s not something that will kill us,” Heidel said.
“Good point,” Kull said.
Clouds thickened overhead, a mass of gray that overpowered the blue. At least it made the heat less intense. We found a few large stones alongside the path and stopped for a small meal of bread, honey, and some dried meat, though I wasn’t focused on the food. The pathway’s magic was getting harder to block out the deeper we traveled. It called to me with an almost overpowering voice, tempting me to test the magic. Theht’s voice chimed in, awakening more the closer we got.
The time for my awakening draws nigh.
“Is something the matter, Olive?” Heidel asked.
I looked up and found the others had already packed up and were ready to go. I hastily stuffed my half-eaten hunk of bread into my bag and stood. “No, I was daydreaming, I guess. We can go.”
Kull eyed me. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. Positive. Lead the way,” I said with as much enthusiasm I could muster.
Kull gazed at me a moment longer, not seeming to buy my relaxed attitude. “Maveryck, Heidel, go ahead; we’ll follow. I’d like to have a word with Olive.”
Maveryck and Heidel walked away, leaving me to keep pace with Kull.
“Olive, what’s going on?” Kull asked quietly.
I shook my head.
“You can tell me.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s… just… it’s hard to talk about.”
“Does this have something to do with Theht?”
“Yes,” I said grudgingly. “The magic here is stronger than anything I’ve felt before. I don’t understand how it behaves or what’s fueling it. And it’s… calling to Theht. In my head. I know that sounds ridiculous, but you asked. So there it is.”
Kull frowned as he pondered my words. “Calling to the goddess how?”
I wrapped my arms around my stomach, feeling the contents agitated and roiling. Every step we took made it harder to control the beast inside. A clammy sweat broke out over my skin.
“I’m not sure how to describe it,” I said. “I just feel like I’ve kept the goddess locked away, and now, the lock is crumbling apart.” Our footsteps echoed over the glassy stones with an eerie, musical quality. “This isn’t right. Maybe I should go back.”
“By yourself?”
“I know. Dumb idea. But I’m not sure how much longer I can control my magic.”
“Do you think we should turn around?”
“Turn around? No. We have to stop the summoning. I’ll deal with it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. We don’t really have another choice, do we?”
“But we can turn back if we have to. I can go with you.”
“And let Maveryck and Heidel go alone?”
Kull knit his brows. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be the best solution.”
Inhaling a deep breath, I did my best to keep Theht’s powers locked inside, but with the outside magic growing stronger, I wasn’t sure how much longer I would succeed.
“We can do this,” I said. “We always have.”
“Yes. But not without casualties.”
I knew he was speaking of his father. He was right—confronting the elven queen would come with consequences. I tried to tell myself it was for the greater good, that I was doing something noble and heroic, but deep inside, I was afraid, and not just for myself, but for all of us. Who else would die because we chose to face evil? Heidel? Maveryck? Kull? My stepfather?
As dusk approached, the trail sloped downward and we entered an ancient crater. The jungle suddenly disappeared, replaced instead by a barren land of stones and sand. In the center of the depression, far in the distance, we found a lake, and at its center sat the glittering towers of an ancient fortress.
“Tremulac,” Maveryck said in a hushed tone. “We’ve found it.”
“You’re sure that’s it?” Heidel asked.
“What else what it be?”
“I don’t know. A mirage, maybe?”
“It’s not a mirage,” I said, feeling the magic of the fortress in waves so potent I wasn’t sure I could withstand it. “That’s definitely real. What could be causing so much magic to be focused around one place?”
“We may not know until we go inside,” Kull said. “Olive, you look even paler than before. Can you manage?”
I took several deep breaths, trying to let the extra oxygen clear my head. “Yes, I’ll manage.”
“You don’t always have to be brave, you know,” Kull said.
“I know.”
He wrapped his arm around me, and with his strength, I found the power to overcome the darkness. Theht shrank back at his presence, making me wonder if perhaps Theht’s
