Everyone looks our way, and I fight the urge to sink into myself, to retreat. Instead, I stand my ground and pull the kerchief from my pocket, slowly unwrapping it to reveal the stone. “Your father gave this to me.”Our father. “And since then, I’ve had these dreams of a woman named Winnie. At first, I thought it was just my own subconscious, but she’s a real person. A Terraforger.”
I must speak loud enough, because it draws everyone’s attention.
“That’s … unlikely.” Ava says, crossing her arms. “There’s not been a documented Terraforger for gods know how long.”
“Not long ago, I thought all Mages were extinct.”
“This is different. Terraforgers were the main Mages wiped out in the original Purge. When the floor and shit starts moving indoors, people get suspicious quickly. It’s difficult for a Terraforger to conceal their powers without proper control.”
I let her words sink in for a moment. “Well … Given that she just set off an earthquake and nearly tore apart my entire dreamscape from the ground up, I’d say she’s a Terraforger. When I mentioned Siad Nahar to her, she panicked. I’m certain she knowssomething, and it terrifies her. And I’m certain that we’re right where it should be, but we can’t get in because these mountains are impenetrable. It explains so much. Why no one has heard about Terraforgers for years. Maybe they were the only ones who could get in.”
Ava taps her hand against her elbow with agitation, her arms crossed even tighter. She mutters what I’m sure is a series of swear words then heaves a sigh.
“What does this all mean?” Isobel asks.
“It means we’ve wasted time and resources,” Ava snaps.
Guilt heats my cheeks and neck. I resist the urge to retreat, but tears sting my eyes. It means that I’ve led everyone on a pointless mission.
“Perhaps we haven’t wasted anything,” says Sloan. Their calculating blue-grey eyes settle on me. “This was a quest for knowledge. We’ve not only learned a lot about the Purists and the state of things, but now we know more than we did before about Siad Nahar. If Durvla’s right about this, we also know there’s a living, breathing Terraforger in Mainland. And we know that the moonstone can work as a sort of … connection to her.”
Osheen says something, and when I look his way, he says, “Like the vanishing stones.”
All eyes snap to him.
“What areyoutalking about now?” Ava asks.
Osheen turns to Sloan and asks, “You took a couple of rings off the Purists back outside of Diadun, right? They’re vanishing stones.”
Sloan reaches into their pocket and pulls out two black onyx stones.
“It doesn’t have magical properties by itself, but apparently it takes imbuement very well. In this case, it amplifies powers. But not in the way you’d expect, I guess. Those who already have an affinity to mind magic use it as a way to pass messages through a mental network. I’m not sure how that works, but?—”
“Why is it called a vanishing stone?” Ava asks, too impatient to listen for much longer.
“So, Dispellers can transport themselves from one point to another, right? The same goes for the power of the vanishing ring. It’s how the Purists of higher station travel through Erleya—it’s like moving through shadows. But the rings have limits. They only last for as long as the magic imbued in them lasts. I’m not sure if that moonstone works the same way, but the connection seems similar. Except, instead of having any mind magic, it works for you because you have dream magic.”
Ava turns and stalks off with steps that appear thunderous, both hands atop her head. Chiyo glances toward her, then back to me and Tiernan.
“Do you know where this Terraforger is?” Chiyo asks.
I nod. “Barr na Cahar.” Everyone’s face drops. Even Ava stops marching off and spins to face me. She clenches her jaw so tightly that I’m almost certain it hurts.
“Grab the map,” she says to no one in particular.
A while later, we’re all crowded around the map atop a fallen tree trunk. We are in a series of mountain ranges toward the east.
“The closer we get to Mainland, the greater the chance of danger,” Sloan says.
Ava and Tiernan exchange a look—something I cannot quite decipher. Then Ava says, “We’ll do what we have to. You’re not afraid of danger, are you Sloan?” She pins an intense glower on the warrior.
“No, Warden.” Their single hand runs through scarlet hair, making it stick out awkwardly. “I would gladly run headfirst into danger if needed.”
Isobel lifts an eager hand. “I second that!”
Chiyo laughs. “We know you’re fearless, Isobel.”
The redhead beams, but Ava’s face only grows more sullen as she turns to me again. “Are you certain about all of this?” she signs. “That this is our ticket to Siad Nahar?”
