Rayna looked up. “How close are the other Stonekings, do you think? I mean, if they are controlling this opening, they would need to be close. Right?”
“They would. Within a few hundred feet, even our best would need to be close. Within gleaning range to control the stones. What are you thinking?”
She closed her eyes. Kai and Liam watched her. “You are right, they are close. Over there, two hundred feet to our left.”
“Where are you going with this?” Kai asked.
Rayna ran her hand over the stone arch. “If the door is locked, make a window.”
The curve of Liam’s mouth curled up. “Clever. I like her, Kai. You’re a lucky man. Come, I have an idea. I believe I can trick them. Get you in another way. The Guardians were created to protect the Katori way of life. Nobody has the right to judge your soul. Your parentage doesn't make who you are. Legend or not, I have faith in you.”
Liam stepped back to the ledge, knelt and pressed his hands into the stone ground. As quickly as it had fallen, the stone wall rose before them. With the twist of his hand, he pulled to the stone door through the void. No seam revealed Liam had ever changed the wall.
Damp from the water’s spray, Liam directed them away from the falls, they stood behind the towering pine trees. Kai and Rayna found themselves facing a sheer, straight wall. “Stand close to one another—single file behind me. This will take everything I have left. Move fast.”
“Liam, where are you taking us?” Kai asked. “There is nowhere to go.”
“Trust me. Stay close. As I step up, you follow,” Liam commanded. “We won’t have long. Once the Stonekings discover my plan, they will relocate and try to block me. We are going up the falls. Normally you would have climbed up through the cavern to reach the entrance to her tunnels. Instead, I'm going to drop you in from above. You will drop into a pool, which is part of Alenga’s Mountain.”
Before Kai could ask questions, Liam touched the wall and raised his foot. A rumble emanated from the wall. The rock receded. Steep stone steps cut into the wall. “Hurry,” Liam shouted. “We must climb the side of the waterfall.”
Kai and Rayna quickly followed. Each knee-raising step took them deep into a dark, narrow tunnel. The claustrophobic space left little room for Kai’s shoulders. After the first few steps, a crack of light appeared above. As they climbed, the skylight above became more prominent. Kai could feel the sunshine on his face once more. The blue sky made it easier to breathe.
Behind them, the stairwell began to close. Rayna stepped in closer behind Kai, kicking his heels. He lurched forward but caught himself before falling. Rayna called out, “Sorry!”
Liam kept a quick pace. “Hold on to each other and keep climbing,” Liam instructed, his body twisted to the right. He glanced at the ground beneath Kai’s feet. With his right hand behind him, angled outward, he curled his fingers into a fierce claw. Under Kai’s feet, the ground began to shake. Rayna grabbed Kai’s belt. She fell to one knee, pulling Kai down with her. Kai cringed as his knee struck the edge of the stone step. Concerned about the gap between him and Liam, he shouted, “Liam, wait!” Kai reached back and pulled Rayna to her feet.
“Hold on,” Liam shouted over the rumble, still climbing while his arm arched upward over his head.
Kai rushed to catch Liam, dragging Rayna with a firm grip. Her shoulder bumped the sidewall, and she grimaced against the pain. “Slow down,” she screamed.
The ground below their feet shuttered and rose skyward. Liam glanced over his shoulder, and with another twist of his hand, they were thrust forward. They were now moving in two directions at once. Up and forward. Alarmed, Kai put his hand against the wall as it slid backward. He dropped Rayna’s hand, and she shoved him back upright. The walls around them flew past them.
“Thank you,” he shouted to Rayna. “Are you alright?”
Sunshine continued to bloom around them. “I’m fine,” she hollered.
He steadied himself, squatting to touch the next step. With a firm grasp on Rayna’s hand, he took a few steps. His knees wobbled. They continued to move forward and higher. Within moments they were thrust to the surface. Free from the confines of the narrow space, Liam ran upriver and crouched near its rocky edge.
Liam motioned, wide-eyed. “Hurry!” He stepped into the river. “When I open the hole, jump, don't hesitate. I might not be able to keep it open very long. Once you are in, there is nothing they can do.”
Liam dropped to his knees and plunged his fist into the river. The ground unfolded like a flower, forming a cone-shaped sinkhole. The sound of stone grinding against itself startled Rayna, and she grabbed Kai’s wrist. Water gushed in the hole and dumped into a water-filled cavern. Liam shouted “GO!” as the hole began to shrink.
Kai leaned over the edge and glanced at Rayna. She leaped over the edge. Water sloshed around her as she slid down the steep gravel slope. Kai jumped after her. His rump struck the sloping ground harder than he wished. He slid right behind her.
Chapter 7
Conhaspriga
They plunged into the blue-green water below with a tremendous splash. Above them, the hole sealed shut, blocking out the sunlight. They swam to the surface. Waves bounced off the cavern walls, splashing back at them. Once they were sealed inside, Kai surveyed the cave. Liam was gone.
The cavern was not as dark as he had feared. Tiny multifaceted star-like gems were set into the rock, and these white-and-blue iridescent crystals illuminated the cavern. Each one was cut precisely and brilliantly beautiful. He could see the energy within set aglow. Magic thrummed from the walls, water,
