Page 81 of The Fifth Heir

It entered the stone.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then red light traveled from the center rune into Shadow.

Sebastian’s corridor appeared beneath Talia’s hand. A flame no larger than a candle burned beside his feet. It cast enough light to expose the remaining breaks in the floor.

Sebastian looked directly toward us.

“Torren?”

“He’s with me,” Talia said.

“Rafe has stopped two vanes. When the third stops, pull your Shadow back from the nearest lamps.”

“I’ll lose most of the corridor.”

“You’ll gain the bridge.”

He nodded.

Rafe reversed the third vane.

Sebastian withdrew his Shadow. Lamps ignited one after another, extending the stone beneath him.

“Now Leander,” Talia said.

She moved her hand to Frost.

I followed.

Leander stood waist-deep in water.

His ice shelf had broken apart while he supported my path. Frost covered his arms to the elbows, and a thick layer of white scales had appeared along the sides of his neck.

“You need to release the lower channel,” Talia told him.

“It floods the room.”

“Rafe is reversing the vanes. I can send the remaining wind through your upper vents and lower the water pressure.”

Rafe had not agreed to that.

Talia moved to Storm before I could point it out.

“Rafe, direct the final vane inward instead of reversing it.”

“Into what?”

“The central shaft.”

“That sends it toward Frost.”

“I know.”

“You’re welcome, Leander,” Rafe muttered.

The final vane turned.

Wind entered Leander’s chamber from above. Water flattened around him, then spiraled toward the lower channels.