“You aren’t going to die, Emma,” Ethan said, but I didn’t pay attention to him. He didn’t know.
In the time we’d been listening to Milonna, Odette had woven a flower crown. She put it on Theo’s head, over his horn and around his ears, and said, “Welp, we’d better get a move on! Time’s a wastin!”
She fluttered her wings and did a pirouette. She seemed the only one not dampered by the burden Milonna had placed on us all.
The entire fae world would end if we didn’t find these stones. Malovia would cease to exist, and so would the fae, if we didn’t get the portal to Edinmyre open in time. The responsibility of all faekind weighed me down, dragging my feet like they were trapped in iron. I was being poisoned by all of it, choking on the fear I wouldn’t find the stones in time and doom the Arcanea forever.
Every other champion of Milonna’s had failed to unite the crystals. How could I possibly believe I’d be successful?
I knew I couldn’t give in. My race was depending on me, and I had my friends to help me. Our society would become extinct if we didn’t reunite those stones, changed to literal dust.
And we had to start with the dragon stone, because we had no other choice. Finding that crystal was our only way home.
Chapter Nineteen
Ethan
We traveled through the woods with absolutely no idea where we were going. Milonna said the dragon stone would be somewhere nearby, but as to where, none of us had a clue.
That I had witnessed a goddess in true form had me in complete awe. We were in Edinmyre, the land of our fae ancestors, and we had received a mission from one of the Seven Gods. I’d never considered such a thing would happen to me. But as I was learning, if you were close to Emma, unusual situations happened every day.
“You know, you could lighten up,” Emma offered from upon my back. “We’re in a magical world. At least enjoy it a little before we have to go home.”
Her voice relaxed me. Okay, Emma’s wolf ears and tail were adorably cute. And kind of sexy. My skin itched to change, so we could run off and fool around somewhere, though I remained in my wolven form despite the urge.
I bared my teeth. “We are on a mission. We must find this stone.”
“No one said it had to be an unbearable situation,” Stefan commented.
“We don’t even know where it is,” I complained.
“I bet it’s inthatcreepy forest!” Odette said, and we all turned. Her finger was pointed in the direction of a twisting, winding road that ran alongside a section of dead trees. No grass grew there, and only dust remained. It was a stark contrast to the colorful forest around us. The road wound ahead into a dark tunnel of trees that was definitely foreboding.
Yeah. Bet anything the dragon stone was in there. We all knew this quest wasn’t going to be easy.
Theo licked his lips nervously. He was still wearing the flower crown. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“The dragon stone is for bravery, right? Stop being a chicken shit.” Delmare urged Stefan ahead. They led the way through the tunnel, while Emma and I brought up the rear.
The sunlight faded as clouds overcast the sky. The dead trees with spindly branches created shadows upon our faces as we walked, and the farther we ventured into the dark woods, the eerier it became. I heard no birds chirping, nor the sound of other animals. I could only smell dust.
“Are you sure this is the right way?” Theo asked, snorting a few times.
“Of course it is. Look, the trees break up ahead,” Delmare said.
The trees did indeed break, but the sight before us was anything but pleasant. The woods expanded into a meadow, filled with dry yellow grass that was darkened by the gray clouds up above.
There were deer in the meadow, but they were made of nothing but bone. They raised their heads to look at us, skeleton bodies clicking. I feared they’d attack, but they simply ran off, jumping into the sanctuary of the hollowed trees.
“Look up there. Ruins,” Emma said. A short distance away were a collection of large black stones. Looked like a castle had been here at one point and it’d deteriorated over time.
We approached the ruins on high alert. I heard the sound of stamping feet, and gave a growl to let the other Companions know to be cautious. The girls dismounted, and we crept around the corner, keeping low to see what was hiding within the middle of the ruins.
An owl-like creature at least thirty feet long was skulking around the room. The creature had the body and face of an owl, with bat-like wings that ended in claws, and the back legs of a bird with vicious talons to match. The monster walked on all fours, and had deer antlers that twisted out of its head. It had a long, plumed tail, with feathers that would cut skin if one got too close. It was guarding a small silver box, placed on a stone tablet on the other side of the room. I bet anything the dragon stone was inside.
“What is that thing?” Kiara asked in fear, and Alexei shivered beside her.
“It’s anawlya,” I said. “A type of forest demon.”
