Clasping the crystal, I dive deep into my magic, praying something comes forward, even with the drugs still in my system. I close my eyes, relaxing my entire body, trying to replenish whatever I can from my overpowering exhaustion. To my surprise, the crystal begins to glow. I silently pray to Raddnoke for the strength to save Rohhit’s life. Magic bubbles within me as the glowing crystal casts shadows across the stone wall, illuminating the cave's mouth. My hair moves as if there’s wind, though there’s none.
“Briar, are you sure about this?” Oak whispers, but I ignore him and continue praying to the Dark God.
The pain intensifies, coursing through my body, and sends shockwaves to my nervous system. My body urges me to stop, but my internal darkness cries out for me to continue as the crystal starts to mold to my hand. Just a few more seconds.
Once the crystal is fully illuminated, I can place it on his leg and let the magic flow inside.
The black glow continues to build, and the pain becomes unbearable. I grit my teeth, pushing forward, praying.
Oak’s voice reaches my ear. “You need to stop. This doesn’t feel right.”
It’s almost complete, just a few more seconds. A drawn-out groan leaves my mouth. I can’t do this any longer. It hurts. It’s burning me. I place the stone against Rohhit’s ankle, and it glows in the darkness.
Even as the pain intensifies, I hold on.
I can do this. I can help him.
My arms go numb, and my vision blurs as my head snaps back, nearly touching my shoulder blades. A silent scream erupts from my mouth, and my world turns black.
Chapter 25
I’m no longer kneeling in the mouth of the mountain. I realize that I’m standing in someone’s house in the heart of Daramveer. A crowd of people stands before me, their backs turned in my direction. The dim living space has been cleared of furniture to make room for a healing ritual. I blink through the haze and find my mother sitting before an elderly man on the brink of death. A sob leaves my throat at the sight of her, alive and inches from me. Expecting the people to turn, they remain focused, and I remain invisible.
My mother leans closer to a loved one, hovering over, watching the ritual be performed. I can’t make out their exchange, but my mother’s eyes show nothing but love. Her hands gracefully move over the elderly man’s torso as she assesses the internal damage that likely occurred from an infection. House calls like this weren’t uncommon for the healers who worked at the House of Hedro. Those too sick to travel were never ignored. Skilled healers would travel all hours of the night if necessary.
The ritual necessities around the patient and my mother seem similar to how I left the cave moments ago. My mother holds a crystal, saying silent prayers to Raddnoke to help herheal this man. Her hair swells like a strong breeze traveling through the still room.
The black crystal begins to illuminate, not with a white light but a black glow, the opposite of light—the kind of darkness that promises to devour any soul. Markings begin forming on the crystal when I realize I’ve seen those Rigils. She continues to chant and whispers into the stone, not noticing the ancient texts glowing. The breeze pauses, and the room goes silent, waiting. The hair on my neck stands, and my breath hits my chest.
“Mom, let go of the crystal,” I say, but no one hears.
My mind goes back to the forest. I felt darkness leaking from the stone, and the electricity traveling through me was anything but pure.
“Mom! Gods, let go!” I scream again.
My mother’s head snaps back, and the onlookers jolt, many gasping at the sight. A scream leaves my mother’s mouth as the black light from the crystal moves from her hands into her body. Soon, the shadows are engulfed, and my mother can no longer be seen through the shadows moving around her small body.
Tears stream down my eyes as I realize I’m watching the moment my mother died. The night my internal light went out. The family members watch in shock at the terror unfolding before them.
Rose bounds from the kitchen, throwing extra supplies into the air, a failed attempt to get there faster. She crashes to her knees, a blast of light leaving her palms toward my mother. A small opening forms in the shadows as Rose grabs my mother through the crack. Her lifeless body is snatched from the darkness and lands in Rose’s lap, a pained sob leaving her throat. I try to stand but can’t move.
Drifting further away, I stretch my arms out, begging to stay, to help.
“No!” I sob as my body turns to mist. The figures fade into the distance, and I’m ripped from the vision, leaving my mother’s lifeless body behind.
I wake to find myself on the cave floor, still clutching the crystal tight as blood trickles down my arms. I hear my name being called.
“Briar, don’t do this to me. Open your eyes.”
With a renewed focus, I spring up, but dizziness sends me crashing back down. The darkness envelops me once again.
Seconds, minutes, hours—I'm not sure how long it's been when I finally wake up on the cave floor, still battling through the third trial. I slowly sit up, a headache and brain fog almost blinding me.
Rose.
Why was Rose there when my mother died?
I scan the cave, expecting to find Rohhit dead. He sleeps soundly in a different position than when I fainted. Blood is no longer leaking from his leg, and I notice his chest rising and falling in a perfect rhythm.
