FORTY
Everyone at the party opted to join the hunt for the hum, and Drexel brought along a few dozen Crusaders. They found the nearest flying zone and soared most of the way, but when the horizon came into view, Layla descended, unable to hear anything over the rushing wind.
Everyone followed her to the ground, and once the cloaks stopped fluttering, she strained her ears, quickly noticing the elusive hum. “I hear it. Anyone else?”
They shook their heads no, so Layla reinforced the protection spells on her feet and began trekking through the jungle. “Let’s see if it gets louder.”
She’d underestimated the distance as well as the density of the undergrowth, so the group’s journey was slow, but she was certain the hum steadily grew louder. She refrained from repeatedly asking the others if they could hear it, unwilling to alter their perception, and just as she seriously entertained the idea that it was all in her head, Quin squeezed her hand and looked up.
“I hear it.”
Her eyes widened as her pulse quickened. “Yeah?”
He took a few more steps then confidently nodded. “Yeah.”
“Finally! I knew I wasn’t crazy.”
The rest of their companions caught up, and Tristan and Emrys turned their attention to the treetops.
“Do you hear it?” Layla asked.
They both confirmed they did, so Layla looked to Aradia. “How about you?”
Aradia nodded while gazing around. “Yes.”
“Bonded children,” Layla pointed out. “The bonded children can hear it.”
Drexel called for one of the soldiers in the back, another bonded child, to move forward and listen. She obeyed, but she had to walk several yards past Layla before the hum found her.
“How close are we to the dome?” Layla asked.
“About halfway from where we started,” Quin answered.
Layla pulled him with her as she continued through the trees. “Let’s keep going.”
The others followed, and the intensity of the noise increased at a quicker pace than before, swiftly reaching everyone’s ears. At first, the discovery was welcomed with enthusiastic smiles and excited auras, as if they’d been digging for buried treasure and finally hit the lid of the chest with their shovels, but as the sound grew louder and louder with no signs of stopping, intrigue warped into worry. Not for Layla. She could barely refrain from running, drawn to the singing energy by something deep inside.
The jungle thinned then ceased altogether, no longer free to grow high in the sky and thrive in the harvested sunlight, so a field of wildflowers was the only thing that stood between Layla and the magical dome holding back a flood of salty seawater. The outside was much darker than the inside, and the light didn’t seem to seep through, but as Layla approached, the barrier emitted a bright glow.
Gasps rang out behind her, but she barely noticed, already reaching for the vibrant magic. Its shine overtook her hand, caressing it with warmth before cooling it down. Then a tingling shock slipped through her fingers and shot to the rest of her body, intensifying the further it spread. Her hair follicles stood on end, spreading goose bumps from head to toe, and as the phenomenal power of the dome coursed through her blood, the heavenly hum peaked, capturing land, sea and sky.
Quin stood wide-eyed and breathless, watching the glow of the barrier extend to Layla’s vibrating body, its haunting song permeating every pore, overwhelming every nerve ending while silencing every thought, as if the sky had burst open and the deities called through the tear, demanding the world’s attention.
The light shifted, stealing Quin’s focus while breaking the trance, and he slid his gaze up the wall of the dome, finding the glow shrinking toward Layla’s hand. She was absorbing its power!
He panicked and lunged forward, and Weylin was right behind him, grasping Layla’s left arm as Quin went for the one stretching toward the shield. Shocking heat seized their muscles when they touched her, but their momentum and weight yanked her away from the barrier.
The force of the magic threw them off her, and Quin regained muscle control as sparks skittered over his hands and up his arms, darting like spiders while shooting jolting venom into his veins. It was too much. The power was too intense for him to withstand its bite.
He scrambled to shed the energy, sweeping it away as if it were the spiders it resembled, and when he noticed his efforts were pushing the sparks toward his hands, he threw out his palms and shot them at the ground, scorching everything in their path.
Weylin wasn’t as quick to react, his body ill-equipped for the touch of an angel, and Quin spun around right as the ancient energy hit his friend’s heart. Weylin clutched his chest and stiffened. Then his massive body toppled like an uprooted tree. The destructive power scattered as his back hit the ground, and several people lurched toward him, unconcerned about their own safety as they grabbed his rigid hand and called for a response.
“Move!” Skyla shouted, clearing a path. Then she dropped to her knees beside him and ripped open his shirt. A spider web of singed skin stretched across his chest, but she paid it no attention as she laid her ear on his heart and began pumping with magic.
Every second felt endless, every compression fraught with regret and fear, and the world was deathly silent. No heavenly hum or chirping birds. Just Skyla’s desperate whispers as she counted in time with her contracting fingers.
Quin blinked, his head finally clearing of fog, but his lungs refused to work as he looked at Layla. She stood as still as a statue, her arms bent at the elbows, palms up, and sparks continued to crawl across her flesh and flip from her fingers. They didn’t seem to hurt her, not even a twitch of skin, but tears skated down her cheeks as she stared at Weylin’s weakening aura.
Skyla kept counting as she scooted up his body. Then she tilted back his head and gave him two big breaths. As his chest rose with the second, his fingers curled. Then he choked and rolled onto his side, gasping and clawing at his chest.
“Holy shit,” he exclaimed. “That was wild.”
A collective sigh swept through the crowd, and Quin’s lungs kicked in, drawing a ragged breath. He took a step toward Layla, but she swiftly stepped back, her gaze still on Weylin, who was well enough to grin at Skyla’s up-close face.
“Hey, blue eyes.”
She rolled said eyes and rubbed her head. “You almost died, Wey.”
“Maybe I did and this is heaven.”
She smirked while sliding a finger across her lips. “Do you ever stop flirting?”
“Now that will be the day that I die. Someone help me up.”
“You need more healing,” Skyla insisted. “You have burns that need treated.”
“I can tell, but I’d rather heal in a bed than on the ground.”
Kegan held out a hand. Then he and Skyla helped Weylin to his feet.
Once upright, he searched out Quin while sloppily mending his torn shirt. “I guess you didn’t end up on the ground.”
Quin shook his head. “I was able to shed it before it got to my chest.”
They both looked at Layla, who continued to hold out her hands, as if she expected someone to chop them off.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed.
Someone whistled, and the atmosphere shifted as the Crusaders whirled around. Quin followed their gazes to the sky, spotting a line of city guards flying in, and they were accompanied by a few council members.
The Crusaders fanned out, forming a protective arch around Layla, who tried not to panic, but she had nowhere to send the power she’d absorbed. It continued skipping from pore to pore and occasionally fell to her feet, harmful to everything but her. Even her romper had burn holes, some of them still smoldering around the edges, but her skin remained unmarred.
She faced Quin, but stayed a safe distance away. “What do I do?”
“It’s okay,” he softly assured, aching to pull her into his arms. “Can you dry your face?”
She lifted a finger to her cheek, and the sparkling energy brightened, conducted by her tears, but she was able to wipe them away without injury.
Quin sighed and moved a little closer, trying not to cringe as she leaned away. “If this goes bad,” he whispered, “cast that away and take my hand. I don’t care where you send it, just do it. Okay?”
She swallowed and nodded. Then they both faced the incoming magicians.
Around thirty guards landed on the other side of the Crusaders, and just as many moved to examine other parts of the dome. Quin watched as several of them touched the barrier without any repercussions. Then he traded a glance with Layla before turning his attention on Setoras.
The captain ominously scanned the dome while thumbing one of the awards decorating his uniform. “What have you done, Drexel?”
“Nothing illegal,” the commander countered. “We were out for a walk and decided to check out the dome.”
Setoras moved to the left and observed the current zipping along Layla’s flesh. “What did you do to it?”
No one told Layla to lie, so she went with the truth. “I touched it. This is what it did to me.”
He narrowed his eyes then flipped them toward Drexel, who shrugged, as baffled as anyone. “I take it you heard that hum?”
“Yes,” Setoras answered. “The entire city heard it. They’re terrified the ocean is about to crash in on them.”
“Assure them it won’t. The hum is no longer audible.”
“It’s still there,” Layla corrected, “but it’s much quieter.”
Kyanna, the council’s spokeswoman, moved to the captain’s side. “Would you have us believe a mere touch made the barrier glow?”
“No,” Layla countered. “It started glowing before I touched it.”
Kyanna held out a hand while speaking to Setoras. “I would challenge her story, but I’m sure her companions are eager to corroborate it.”
He tilted his head and looked over. “Are we not allies with the Crusaders?”
She scowled and motioned toward the sky. “Did Willa not kiss Dreagan’s cheek and call him friend? Allies can become enemies in the blink of an eye.”
“I can show you proof,” Layla interjected.
She stepped toward the shield, and Quin’s heart jumped into his throat, but he refrained from grabbing her and possibly going into cardiac arrest as a result. Everyone held their breaths as she reached out, eliciting the mysterious hum, but it wasn’t nearly as loud, and the glow wasn’t as bright. Nevertheless, it reacted to her touch, and it contracted much faster, rapidly shrinking as it pumped its power into her hand. She pulled away as soon as she’d gotten her point across. Then she showed her sizzling arm to her audience.
“It’s been singing to me since I got here,” she revealed. “I could hear it every time I drew close to the edge of the city. And it’s interesting that you’d mention Willa. It was her kids who raised this dome, correct?”
“Yes,” Setoras confirmed.
Layla casually drifted her fingertips across the barrier, collecting more sparks. Then she flipped a few of them at the ground in front of her, scorching the vegetation. “Do you think it’s a coincidence that it calls to me? That I alone can harness its power? Or is this enough evidence for the council to reconsider the Crusaders’ claims? As much as I’d love to play your games and run the gauntlet, I have more important things to do.”
Kyanna’s nostrils flared over pursed lips. “Our deal stands, and you’ve had ample time to prepare.” She summoned a ledger, drifting a forefinger down the page before tapping. “Saturday the twelfth. You’ll face the gauntlet in nine days.”
Quin’s vitals faltered as he stepped toward the line of Crusaders. “The deal was she could train as long as necessary.”
“She’s had well over a month, and we’re granting her another week. If she’s so confident in her power that she’d disrupt our dome, a barrier that protects thousands of lives, to prove herself, she should be confident enough to prove herself in the Arena.”
“Fine,” Layla agreed.
Quin whipped his gaze around, but she wasn’t looking his way. Her narrow eyes were fixed on the councilwoman pushing her deadly buttons.
“Nine days,” she repeated. “Then you’ll have no excuse for your opposition. I look forward to learning your secrets.”
The intense eye contact stretched on for a few seconds. Then Kyanna sneered, “So be it,” and walked away, taking her peers with her.
Setoras rounded up his guards and tasked most of them with calming the city’s inhabitants, and Skyla talked Weylin into heading back to the resort, along with Timber and the rest of Layla’s family, who were escorted by a small security detail. The remaining Crusaders stayed behind with Drexel, who’d planted himself between Setoras and Layla.
The captain of the guards waited for the sky to clear then quietly spoke. “You’re not making my job easy, Drexel. If bad things keep happening around your angel, I’ll have to banish her.”
“I see nothing bad here,” Drexel disagreed. “An ancient spell set by Willa’s children shared its power with Willa’s angel. That’s pretty damn amazing if you ask me.”
“For all we know, she weakened magic that has held for millennia.”
Layla held up a sparkling finger. “It’s regenerating its energy as we speak. I can hear it getting louder.”
Setoras sighed. “Either way, it terrifies my people.”
“I do regret that. I’m sorry. I won’t touch it again, but it will hum if I get near it. That’s out of my control.”
“Then perhaps it would be best if you don’t go near it.”
Her jaw flexed as she forced a smile and bowed her head. “I’ll keep my distance.”
“Thank you.” He returned his attention to Drexel. “We need to talk about one of your companions.” He withdrew a scroll from his cloak and unrolled a sketch of Timber. “He’s on our radar regarding the jewel heist. Witnesses put him on the scene at least three different times while the gems were on display.”
Layla took a few steps forward, still flicking fiery magic. “On the scene doing what?”
“Observing the stones,” Setoras answered, boldly holding his ground. “Was he there with you?”
“No.”
“Then you must have missed him, because multiple witnesses put him in the Bijou Market for around two hours, much of which he spent in line, waiting to get three different glimpses of the gems.”
“He didn’t steal those gems.”
“Do you have proof of his innocence?”
“No, but I would have recognized him.”
“You mean his eye. The rest of his face was covered.”
“It was, but I would know if the eye I saw belonged to Timber. It didn’t.”
“Well, as you so astutely pointed out during our first meeting, the thief was not working alone. Perhaps your friend was there to scout the scene for his accomplices.”
Quin and Layla glanced at each other. Neither of them had seen Timber the day of the theft, and they barely knew the guy, so they couldn’t honestly vouch for him.
“What do you expect me to do about it?” Drexel asked.
Setoras shifted his focus to the commander. “Question him.”
“No. He’s not one of my soldiers, nor is he a friend. If you want to interview him, go through the proper channels and do it yourself.”
Setoras frowned then raised an eyebrow. “Hmm… It sure is getting cold in this city.” He turned and strolled away, motioning for his guards to follow. “Perhaps it’s about time for me to retire.”
They soared away, and Drexel cursed while rubbing his face. Then he pointed at Quin. “This city needs men like Setoras to keep it clean. We’ll be sabotaging ourselves if we sabotage him. I want to know what Timber was up to at the Bijou Market, and since you’re the one who freed him, you’re going to figure it out.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Quin agreed. Then everyone jolted as Layla screamed and expelled the wave of sparks that had yet to find room within her delicate body.
The energy popped and sizzled as it tumbled across the meadow, carving a blackened path through the wildflowers, and as the last flash fizzled, Layla’s scream faded into sobs, her face hidden in perfectly normal palms.
Quin shook away his shock as he closed the distance between them. Then he disregarded the risk and gently took her shoulders, relieved to find soft sleeves and smooth skin.
She straightened and rushed to rub her face. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to be.”
“I’m fine,” she repeated. Then she knelt and grabbed a handful of burnt wildflowers, her aura swelling with sad colors as she threw the carnage back down. “Weylin almost died, but I’m fine.”
“Weylin will be okay.”
She nodded as she sat in the weeds and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, and Quin motioned for the Crusaders to give them some space before taking a seat beside her.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he compelled her to lean into him. “It was an accident, love.”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t change how dangerous I am.”
“You need that power to survive your circumstances, Layla. In just nine short days, you’re going to have to conquer the deadliest magical trial on earth, and I hope like hell we see exactly how dangerous you are.”
Fresh tears filled her eyes as they searched his. “That’s the day before your birthday.”
He chewed his cheek, resisting the urge to tell her he wouldn’t live to see his twenty-third birthday if she fell in the gauntlet. “Then you already know what to get me.”
She turned her face into his chest and dried her tears on his heart. Then she picked up another dead wildflower. “I need to fix this.”
He sharpened his concentration and reached for a section of the scorched earth, returning it to its former glory. “I’ll help.”