“But it may be our only way out,” Kull said.
Once again, everyone had way more faith in me than they should have. “I’ll do what I can.” And hopefully not release Theht in the process.
Kull eyed me. “Your mirror is broken?”
“Yes. Massive tornado. Long story.”
He stared at me a moment longer but didn’t press the issue. Maveryck’s moans came from where he lay, which was a good thing—it meant he was still alive.
The queen and her elves surrounded Maveryck and locked hands as they began chanting. Déjà vu returned as I was reminded of a scene similar to this, one I’d witnessed in the presence of the Everblossom tree, when I’d seen a vision of myself as an infant prepared to be sacrificed.
Time had come full circle. In a place like this where magic was so strong, it wouldn’t take much to bring Theht back into the world, and with the amount of power they already had, they wouldn’t need the sacrifice of an innocent like the others had needed when I was an infant.
Gathering my magic within me, I turned to Kull and Heidel. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll release the spell.”
He nodded, gripping his sword tight. “Heidel, follow me.”
They crept to the next coffin. Several elves wandered the room as they searched for us, but with the aid of the shadows and my masking spell, spotting us wasn’t easy to do.
When Kull and Heidel reached the tomb closest to Maveryck, Kull turned to me and nodded. Inhaling deeply, I stared overhead and focused as best as I could.
“Cirrus,” I whispered, letting the wind spell flow from my fingertips, up through the air, brushing the fires and making them flicker and dance, until the wind dashed against the domed roof.
Rumbling filled the chamber as the stones tore loose of their mortar.
The chanting stopped.
Debris rained down around us, followed by a massive stone that gained speed as it sailed to the floor and landed with a deafening crash.
Chaos ensued as more and more stones dislodged from the ceiling. Clouds of dust choked the air, making it hard to breathe. I moved away from my hiding spot as a boulder-size rock smashed the tomb in front of me.
“Get back,” one of the elven guards yelled as another giant stone fell inches from where he and his companions stood.
It seemed that I’d unleashed more destruction than I’d hoped for as one stone after another crumbled from the ceiling. My heart raced as I realized we had to get out before we were buried.
Kull and Heidel appeared in the dust cloud. They each supported Maveryck, who stood upright between them but seemed too weak to walk on his own.
The queen yelled over the chaos, “Bring him back! Don’t stop the summoning!”
I felt the queen’s power fill the room—a tight feeling in my chest that made me wonder if I was having a heart attack—as the blue swirls dusted the air and shored up the ceiling. Only a few pebbles continued to fall. As the queen’s magic dissipated, I felt my own spells diminish. The flimsy masking spell I’d used began to disappear. It wouldn’t be long before the elves spotted us.
“Run to the staircase,” I said to the others. “Hide under the stairs.”
I prayed it gave me enough time to remove my ruined box and create a portal. As we ran, I pulled the bag off my back and grabbed my mirror case. My blood pumped with added adrenaline as we made it to the staircase and hid beneath it. Sitting deep in the shadows beside the others, cold radiating from the stones surrounding us, I lifted the mirror case’s lid.
The cracked mirror stared back at us, reflecting the fear in our eyes as I pressed my fingertips to the fractured glass. My fear of being captured wouldn’t let me think properly as I unleashed the magic, and it exploded through my chest and into my arms and joints. As it collided with the mirror, the spell refracted off the broken glass and blasted outward, causing a storm of electrical intensity to radiate around us.
Sweat beaded on my clammy hands as I reached out again, feeling as if I couldn’t breathe, as though the spell had sucked away all my magic and left me an empty shell, but I knew we had only one way out. I had to create a portal.
I tried to ignore the queen shouting to her guards. They’d most likely spotted the magical spell I’d just used, which meant they would’ve spotted us, too.
“You can do this,” Kull whispered, reassuring me.
I nodded, tears blurring my eyes as I pressed my fingers to the broken shards, praying I could open the portal. Trying again, I listened to the pounding footsteps of the elven guards as they drew closer to us.
I can do this. I can open the portal…
But as I attempted to call the magic once again, my weakness was unable to keep Theht at bay, and the piece of her that had invaded my mind broke free from its prison.
I cried out as it took me, pain shooting from my head into my hands and down through my feet. Gasping, I felt my body growing numb.
I can’t let this happen!
Another voice intruded on my thoughts. Yes, you can. It is time for me to come forth.
No! Please, no!
The world seemed to fade around me as the goddess took control. From the edges of my consciousness, I watched the elves close in on us. I watched as they shot my friends, stunning them motionless on the ground. I watched as they smashed what remained of my mirror, a waterfall of crystal shards that broke into thousands of pieces. A piece of my soul went with it.
The sound of shattering glass was the last thing I remembered.
Chapter 31
Light pierced my eyes
