How do you find the base of the trunk of the tree of life? If you’re sinking a city, burying it beneath earth and stone, how deep do you go? That is the question. We stare at the tree for a very long time, trying to figure out exactly how we should proceed. First we try magic and nothing happens. This land has been woven with the wards and spells, one on top of the other by beings way more powerful than us. Nestor had even gone and returned with Mimi, and she could do nothing. Currently, we are once again staring at the tree. Cora is reaching her breaking point, pacing around and around the tree. She has noticed, and so has everyone else, that Loki is no longer resting peacefully.

“Either it is calling to him or it frightens whatever is in him.” I watch him closely as I say the words. Rapid eye movement, muscle twitches, and his breathing is faster. They could be explained by either scenario.

“Let’s fucking hope it fucking terrifies it.” Sean grumbles. “Won’t do us any good unless we can get to it.” Cora stops pacing. She walks right up to the tree, barely taller than her, and places her hands on some of the leaves. Her lids slowly lower. Silence.

She opens her eyes, still focusing on the tree. “She told Aislin. She could’ve told Loki or you, Morrigan. She could’ve told any of the people from your plan but she didn’t. She told one of us. Gaia helped one of us. What if it’s not about magic? What if that’s the whole point? They wouldn’t want magic to reach it. Who has the most magic here right now?” We all turn and look at Loki. “Exactly. That beast would only think to use his power.” She smiles at me before turning to Sean.

“Why ye grinning at me like that, lass?” I think I know why.

“Because Fido, I need you to dig.” He feigns outrage for a moment. And I look around at the others. Sean isn’t the only one who could dig. They all nod and shift into their animals. Two dragons, a hellhound, and one massive Celtic wolf began tearing at the ground. Dirt flies in every direction.

Night has come and gone, and still they dig. They’ve only taken breaks to share their power with Nestor and for water. I fear we will never find the bottom. Cora sits on the edge of the huge crater, staring down as they work. I watch her from the other side and just when I’m about to give up, I hear claw scrape over stone. The sound echoes through the morning air. Everyone leaps to their feet and looks over the edge. Those at the bottom are digging at a frenzied pace now, clearing as much as they can.

“Use your wings,” Raven yells down, “you know, to blow it out of the way.” Sean hunkers flat along with Jason as the dragons pump their massive wings, dirt flying out of the hole. I yell as I see Cora begin to slide down the dirt wall. Crazy fool, it’s hundreds of feet down. The others hear me and turned looking up. Just as she bounces away and starts freefalling, Kai lifts into the air. He climbs quickly and catches her before she can hit the bottom. I released the breath that I’m holding. I will kill her myself if she ever does anything like that again. I’m not the only one thinking that, as I hear at least two more people yelling at her.

She ignores them as she runs her hands over the base of the tree. “Now what?” Emma yells down.

“Ye said no magic. Ye dinnae say no fire,” I quip. They all look at me. “It shouldn’t hurt the magical stone.” The bigger dragon nods, a growl rumbling up his throat. Sean and Jason shift, forcing Cora onto Kai’s back. They are in the air in seconds, his wings flapping, carrying them back up to us. As soon as they are safely on the ground, he shifts. The three men lay back on the grass, exhausted. We are all suddenly blasted with a heat that feels as if it’s blistering skin. I stumble back as the women help get their men a safe distance away. Sean frowns at me when I start to help them, and I hold my palms up, letting him do it himself.

We watch and wonder as flames lick up the tree until they reach the top, burning away the leaves and olives. In minutes, nothing is left but charcoal, a three hundred foot blackened stick. Then with the tap of her finger, Cora renders it to ash. I shake my head as I watch her stick her finger tip in her mouth sucking at the burn.

“Ye could’ve waited for a minute. Let it cool a second. Stubborn…” I let my words trail off.

“I love you, too.” She smiles at me, and I shake my head. Brat. I’m still looking at her when ash and dirt begins to swirl around us. The wind is blowing our hair, and the debris blinding us. I hold my hand up, trying to keep my eyes clear, and I can see she has her shirt collar over her mouth and nose, and her eyes are squeezed shut. It stops as suddenly as it started. Asger sits on the rim of the hole. An emerald tablet is in his clawed hand. He holds it down as she races around the edge to him. Stopping, she reaches for it slowly, and I can tell she’s terrified. Not of what it might do but of what it might not.