“Their life magic,” Róisín clarified. “The wards won’t stop until the body is depleted.”
Saoirse took a large step back. Talon continued to inspect the symbols. “And how are we certain they won’t do the same to Arianna or Rion?”
Róisín patted the dust from her clothes. “It’s written that they won’t.”
“And we’re just supposed to trust some old spell?”
The woman sighed, tracing the runes with her eyes. “The alternative is to do nothing and go back. There’s no other way in.”
“You’ve tried?” Raevina asked, her eyes still locked on the female.
“We’ve tried everything that doesn’t risk our own lives, yes.”
Talon glanced back to look at Arianna, then Rion. Arianna had already anticipated having to work with him. She just wished they would’ve had the time to speak first. Or maybe that might have made things more awkward than they already were.
Rion stepped forward, examining the wall. His gaze dropped to the pair of circular spaces on either side of the frame. “What exactly are we supposed to do?”
Róisín gestured to the circular spaces. “Our queen will stand on the right side while you stand on the left. Both of you will place your palms within those circles, then channel your magic into the lock.” She looked up, rereading the symbols again. “According to this, your magic will combine and the inner lock will open.”
“How long will it take?” Rion asked.
“Shouldn’t be longer than a minute or two, but I’ll warn you, it might not be the most pleasant of experiences.”
“Why?” Did Arianna imagine the growl in Rion’s tone?
“The entire structure is designed to feed on magic, whether to unlock the door or prevent unwelcome parties from entering. It’s not normally enjoyable either way.”
“I don’t like this,” Talon said.
“Neither do I,” Raevina agreed. It might have been the first time Arianna had ever heard them agree on anything.
“It’ll be fine,” Arianna assured, stepping toward the right side of the arch. The humming of magic pulsed stronger. “Eimear guided us here. I don’t think her visions would have done that if a door was going to kill us.” Arianna lifted her right palm.
“You have to do it at the same time.”
Arianna glanced over at Rion. His jaw worked, but he stepped closer to the left side. “On your lead,” Rion said flatly, clearly unhappy with putting her in any sort of danger.
Arianna took a breath. Mate. This male who cared about her safety and had already proven he’d fight for her. He had protected not only her, but her friends and family as well. Something in his expression shifted under her scrutiny. Could he feel her emotions down their bond? Despite Sive’s reassurances, she still hadn’t dared to reach for it.
Arianna turned back to face the wall. “On three,” she said. Her hand shook as she raised it, hovering right over the empty space that was shaped exactly large enough to accompany a palm with splayed fingers.
She starkly recalled those who’d been trapped beneath Ruadhán, their magic siphoned continuously for years. Arianna prayed those who had tried to break into this place hadn’t suffered the same fate, no matter how sinister their motivations might have been.
“Remember,” Róisín said, “you’ll feel the runes at work. Don’t fight them. They need your magic to open the lock.”
Arianna nodded. “One.” Her hand flexed. “Two.” She stepped closer and planted her feet. “Three.” Arianna and Rion both pressed their palms to the cold stone. The runes surrounding their hands sprang to life, pulsing with a soft bluish glow. Then that glow raced upward, spreading to the next runes then the next until the entire arch glowed with that faint ethereal light.
Arianna marveled at it, then the light branched out from the arch, spilling over into the golden vines etched into the stone. She followed it with her eyes, craning her neck back until that light exploded from the stone in tendrils that wrapped around her arm. She tried to step back, but found her palmrooted in place. Those same tendrils had wrapped around Rion’s arm, too.
Arianna’s heart raced, but the tendrils were warm and welcoming. She tried to force her body to relax, remembering the woman’s words.
The entire cavern crawled to life. Arianna could feel the doorway feeding on her magic, but it was gentle, almost coaxing. The leaves and vines above almost seemed to come alive, bathing everyone in a gentle glow that felt so otherworldly.
Then the runes surrounding her palm began to move. She watched them wiggle from the stone, then creep toward her splayed palm. Arianna gasped when they crawled over her hand. The runes were slightly too hot, causing her skin to tingle and itch, but she kept still, letting them work.
“Are you all right?” Talon asked, watching with one hand atop his weapon. Arianna wasn’t sure steel would be of any help. She prayed Talon wasn’t plotting to hack off her arm.
Arianna nodded, reluctant to speak lest the sound interrupt the spell at work. The runes crawled halfway up her forearm before pausing. She winced when they sank into her flesh, burning like fire. Arianna tried to pull her arm away, but it was useless. She might as well have become one with the wall.
