“Somehow that doesn’t sound like a good thing.”
What do you know about the deep magic?
I fold my arms over my chest, ignoring the fact that it unbalances me. The Phoenix adjusts to steady me and I’m guessing it won’t let me fall. “Not enough, apparently.”
The Phoenix glides toward the mountains.When humans forced the elves and gargoyles from the surface of the Earth, many gave their lives to create this new world. First, the gargoyle King became the force that separated the layers of the Earth. Then, the elven King became the sky. The elven Queen became the sun and the gargoyle Queen became the moon.
“I’ve heard that story.”
It’s not a story. I flew both Queens into the sky myself. After that,many more lay down on the ground and from their bodies sprang mountains, trees, and grass. You see, the deep magic is life itself.
The Phoenix shakes its beak.The storm is deep magic too. It was created by a gargoyle who gave her life for revenge.
I jolt. “I saw a female in the storm today. Was that her?”
The Phoenix lifts its wings, the closest to a shrug that it can manage while flying.I can’t tell you what you saw. But something happened on the night you were chosen. Something happened between you and the Storm. When I look at you, I don’t see an elf like Mai or the others.
It cranes its neck, slowing its flight to study me.When I look at you I see… something else.
I shudder. Clear my throat. This conversation has gone places I’m not prepared for. I bury my head in the map, ruefully eyeing the top of Scepter peak. It would be so easy to fly straight there. “You should drop me on the south-western side of the mountain. I’ll show you where.”
We travel more slowly after that and the Phoenix doubles back a couple of times to allow the other champions to catch up. I need any nearby elves to see my path and avoid it. I also need to start at a similar distance from Scepter peak so the other elves think this is where I was supposed to land.
Finally, we approach the ground three miles out from the nest, but the Phoenix doesn’t give any signs of landing. I glance left to check the other champions. I can see two of them, each a quarter of a mile apart. The first one stands, balances, and leaps from his eagle, rolling to the ground in a flurry of snow. The second one casts himself sideways, equally graceful, diving and also rolling.
It looks like jumping is the way to the ground. I check that my pack is secure. I can’t afford to lose it or leave anything behind. I opt for efficiency over elegance, standing and balancing. Before I leap over the side, I pause for a moment, the wind rushing past me. It’s anormalwind. Not a storm wind.
I breathe it in, filling my lungs. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
I’ll be hovering over you, Marbella Mercy. If you need me, call me.
Without another word, I cast myself off its back, grateful for the snow to soften my landing. I roll to my feet and don’t look back. The wind swirls around me as the bird returns to the sky.
After that, I pace myself, jogging through the shallow snow, seeking a better pathway toward the nest. I keep my map hidden, having memorized the distance to the nest, constantly checking side to side that the other champions are keeping their distance. So far, so good.
I lose sight of the others as I enter the heart of the mountain, the craggy pathways obscuring my line of sight. Rock faces soar around me, the snow cover is heavier, and the sun will set within another hour or so. It should only take me another half an hour to skirt around the nest, make sure none of the other champions have followed my path, and then I can keep going. To make it to Scepter peak in time, I’ll have to travel through the night.
Exhaustion from fighting the storm sweeps through my bones now that the exhilaration of flying has worn off. I try to conserve my energy by slowing down, reducing my speed to a slow prowl as I approach the location of the nest—a cave within the maze of rocky crevices.
The signs Elise told me to look for are warmth and a lack of snow, since gargoyles give off more body heat than elves. There would also be an increase in spider webs because the warmth attracts insects that in turn create a food source for spiders. Like moths to the flame. Apparently, the gargoyles don’t mind.
My heart rate’s already thumping by the time I press against the cliff face only fifty feet from the nest. A quick glance around the corner tells me that the cave opening is wide enough that I’ll be seen if I try to sneak directly past. Not that I was planning on doing something that risky but it will take me longer to skirt around it.
I grip the edge of the rock face, ready to take another glance, replaying the first image of the open cave mouth in my head.
Something isn’t right. I’d looked straight at the cave. There weren’t any spider webs obscuring my view.
I check again. Snow is built up around the area. The path is clear. There are no signs of life. My hands shake as I check the map again. I can’t have got it wrong…
According to the map, I’m in the right place, but the nest isn’t here. The gargoyles must have moved. I have to find the new location… and fast.
I sprint past the mouth of the empty cave and up the incline opposite, seeking higher ground to get the best view of my surroundings.
Twenty minutes later, I find myself at the edge of a cliff, facing outward. Further to my left is a fissure between cliff faces—a narrow pathway. If I don’t want to go between it, I’ll have to scale the cliff somehow. I study the valley below, then cast my gaze to the opposite peaks. Some of the other champions have already lit lamps. The golden lights bob between crevices and trees.
If I were a gargoyle, where would I nest? I’d want to be able to take flight easily but still have cover. I would need a deep enough cave but not one that stretched too far into the mountain in case there were other openings that compromised safety further along. I wouldn’t go down, only up.
I take the pathway to the left. As I suspected, the cliff face is too steep to climb and the narrow pathway is the only way through. I check my pack, pull out my lamp and light it, but I can’t see very far down the path before the shadows close in.
I’m only about halfway along when the gap suddenly widens into a clearing. I freeze, because I’ve just walked through a cobweb and on top of that, I’m sure I heard… growling.
I’m suddenly aware of a wide opening on my left. The mouth of a cave yawns like dark jaws only five feet away. I spin to it, lifting my lamp high.
A creature shifts in the darkness. It steps into the light, lips drawn back over sharp teeth, standing eight feet tall on its hind legs. Its wings stretch the entire distance across the cave’s opening.
I guess I found the nest.
