Desperate to leave, the same something that had called me there so many weeks ago held me in place.
There was so much turbulence flying through the magic in the cave. It felt a bit like I was in the middle of a stampede of spooked horses. It wreaked havoc on my nerves.
Pacing from wall to wall, all I wanted was to leave.
And find Elex. He was hurt, and I couldn’t bear that.
After pacing for nearly an hour I was exhausted, and I sat down against one of the walls.
The contact with the mountain was shocking. The magic was boiling inside the ground. Not actually hot boiling, but it rolled and bubbled as though it were.
I pulled myself away from the contact.
I didn’t like that feeling at all. It was unsettled.
Unsettled was more than I could handle at the moment.
“Kimber!”
I stood up and started running for the entrance to the cavern. I didn’t know who it was—
That thought pulled me up short.
No. I couldn’t blindly run to someone calling my name. Not anymore.
Stopping myself just out of view of the entrance, I pulled myself near the wall and listened.
“Kimber, oh gods and stars, please be okay. Kimber! Are you here?”
I suddenly recognized both the voice and the feel of the person out there.
Master Tymon.
I raced the rest of the way out and right into his arms, screaming his name.
“Oh, thank the Lost God,” he mumbled and gave me a near-crushing hug. “You listened.”
“I ran.” Nodding, I stepped back from him. “Everyone told me to.”
“And you managed to avoid all the foot soldiers who were looking for you. Well done, little one. Come on. Your horse is thirsty. So am I.”
Grabbing his arm, I pulled him to a halt. “What’s happened? What’s going on?”
A deep, tired sigh escaped him. “The residence is destroyed. We’ve lost a dozen dedicants, and…”
“Mistress Danai…”
His shaggy brown hair seemed to tremble in sadness and anger. “Yes. We’ve lost her.”
The urge to vomit welled up and choked me. I swallowed it back and tried not to cry. “Elex?”
“He’s hurt, but nothing our healers can’t handle. He’ll be as right as rain soon enough. Come on, Kimber. We need to get you back. There are people worried about you.”
I jerked awake with the rising of the sun. Today was the end of the mourning period.
Tonight, we would burn my friend.
* * *
