"Look for shards of glass," I instruct. "Maybe all we'll need is one small piece for the Dwarves to replicate it."
Without a word, Nyx and Kamari fan out to search the area. My mother offers me a weak smile before joining them. But when my eyes meet Thrane's, my heart lurches in my chest. Something about his face screams more of skepticism than I was expecting.
"You don't think we're going to find anything?" I rise as he approaches me.
"No."
"Then why come here at all if you – "
"For the exact same reason you came." He tilts his head to the side, watching the others search. "For Sylvane. She has held onto the hope that maybe there was a chance she and Enver could be reunited one day. I thought she'd abandoned the hope. But then you came back and now, it consumes her."
"Sounds like you're blaming me for her hope." I crinkle my nose and he flashes me an incredulous look.
"Aurelia, you should know better than that," he clicks his teeth. "I don't blame you for Sylvane daring to hope to be reunited with her husband. I just don't want to see her break if we don't find anything."
"Has she…" I blow into my hands to warm them. Even with gloves, my fingers are freezing. "Has she broken down about this before?"
"Oh yes." He nods. "There was a time I thought she would not recover. Losing you and Enver nearly destroyed her. I don't know many people who could withstand such loss and come out on the other side stronger." Thrane twists to face me and lowershis voice. "I desperately want there to be a way to bring Enver Sol back to our realm."
"But?"
"I cannot lose Sylvane again. Not when we need her now more than ever."
We stare across the expanse just in time to catch Nyx crawling on hands and knees brushing snow away from the stones.
Thrane's right. This might be a fool's errand, but if we can't find a way to release my father… I don't want to lose my mother.
"Come on," I elbow Thrane. "Help me look."
Whether he's reluctant to dig in the snow or not, Thrane follows me. Together, we sift through the rubble and after nearly an hour, we come up empty. Not one piece of glass anywhere.
I dare a glance at my mother and see the light fading from her eyes.
This can't be how this ends. I back away hoping some distance can give me a better perspective of the layout. My father smashed the portal from the other side, so if a piece of glass happened to come through, depending on the velocity, it's possible the piece isn't near the stones at all. Maybe it fell further.
With nothing to lose, I shift my attention from the rubble to the surrounding areas. I don't leave one small rock unturned.
"Aurelia," my mother calls out to me. "It's getting dark. We should turn in for the night."
"Go ahead and set up camp." I continue digging through the snow. "I want to check this area out."
"Aurelia – "
"I'll be there soon." I cut her off, knowing she wants me to abandon the search.
Thankfully, she doesn't argue. She and Kamari make their way to set up a campfire while Nyx settles beside me.
"Where do you want me to look?" He asks and his willingness to help warms my frozen heart.
I jut my chin to my left. "Over there."
Nyx nods and starts his search in a mound of snow.
We continue digging and shoveling and kicking sheets of snow and ice out of our path, clinging to the hope that we'll find something. Another hour passes and the sun is beginning to set. Soon, the sun will be hidden behind the mountains, and the temperature will drop even further. I know this is my last chance to discover a shard of portal glass because tomorrow morning, we are flying to Tronovia to join the others and meet with King Soren.
Through chattering teeth, frozen fingers, and aching bones, I press onward, a fresh determination fueling me. As I shove piles of snow out of my way, a small glint catches my gaze. I stop and stare. The setting sunlight illuminates a tiny piece of glass.
My heart lurches up to my throat.
