by L. Penelope
The ceiling rose high above them, nearly as tall as Night Snow’s entire city. Here, the Mother’s ragged walls were not smooth like they were in so much else of the territory. This stone was unblemished by the spells which embedded memories or protections in the walls. It was just raw mountain, and on the far wall, an enormous waterfall fed a lake below. Rocks jutted up from the surface of the water, forming a rough path leading to the waterfall. The unexpectedness and majesty of the sight took Mooriah’s breath away.
“Do you want to get closer?” he asked.
Her head tilted up, staring at the grand falls, she nodded mutely. With sure steps from years of practice, he showed her how to leap from rock to rock, crossing the lake in no time.
They stood on a ledge a dozen paces from the water’s thunderous fall. The spray misted them as they drew closer.
“How did I not know this was here?” she said, voice raised to compete with the falling water.
“It was once a retreat for the elite who lived on the upper levels. Now no one really comes here anymore.”
“You do.”
He grinned as they approached the falls and stuck his hand in the spray.
“It’s warm?” She laughed, splashing a little.
“There’s a hot spring in a hidden mountain oasis up there somewhere. At least that’s what they think. No one has ever been there, it’s too high.” He craned his neck to try to see the origination of the water but could not. He didn’t even catch a glimpse of daylight up above. Firerocks were the only thing illuminating this cavern.
“How could there be a hot spring on the top of a mountain?”
He shrugged. “One of the many mysteries of the Mother. My own mother brought me here when I was young. It was her favorite place. I’m almost glad I don’t have to share it with others anymore.” He flushed and turned toward her. “I mean, I’m happy to share it with you.”
She grinned, still enthralled with the feeling of the water streaming through her fingers. Her whole face was transformed with joy as she laughed, waving her arms. She accidentally splashed him, then laughed at his reaction of mock affront.
He splashed her back, and soon they were in an all-out water fight. Her solemnity of before was forgotten, and Ember was overjoyed to have put a smile on her face.
When they finally left, they were both soaked through. The fabric of Mooriah’s chestcloth clung to her breasts, and her waistcloth made the curve of her wide hips impossible to ignore. Ember struggled not to stare. She didn’t seem to notice though, still riding high—this place had that effect on people. In the days after his mother’s death, it had been a great comfort. He didn’t want to do anything to diminish her shine, and so with great force of will, he endeavored to look only at her face.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, still smiling as they entered the tunnel which was the only exit. At the other end she stopped, half hidden in darkness. “You truly don’t care about my Song?”
“I don’t.”
Her gaze lowered to his chest, and he found himself holding his breath as she looked her fill. The only light was from the chamber they were about to enter. The air became charged between them, almost sizzling with a heat he was sure would dry them off in no time. When her gaze finished roaming and met his again, her eyes were heavy lidded.
She reached up to cup his cheeks and draw him down closer to her height. “I have something to tell you,” she whispered.
He bent lower and lower, not resisting her pull. “What?” He wasn’t certain when he’d last taken a breath, his attention was on her skin touching his, the intensity in her eyes.
“I’ve always wanted to do this.”
This time neither of them backed away. They erased the space between them and met in the middle, pressing their lips together. The contact was like a spark on dry kindling. Ember ignited, the kiss moving from innocent and chaste to blazing in the fraction of an eye-blink.
His hands encircled her waist, and he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him, pressing the heat of her core against his abdomen. He shuddered and broke the kiss, spinning her and bringing her back against the wall. Her arms came around his neck, and he pressed against her, causing her to gasp.
He sought her lips again, the kiss a fiery inferno of need pent up between the two of them. Her admission had surprised him. How long had she felt the pull toward him? As long as he’d felt it for her?
Their tongues danced together as she pressed tighter against him. If he could open himself up and bring her inside, he would. He settled for tumbling into the kiss, becoming consumed by it. He hitched her higher and enjoyed the feeling of her body clinging to his. The score of her nails against his back and neck. Her heat singed his stomach; he slid a hand up her thigh to explore and possibly get burned, when footsteps sounded.
Their mouths tore apart; Mooriah was wild-eyed, breathing heavily. They were at the edge of a hub where a half-dozen hallways converged. This place was obviously not as abandoned as it looked.
Ember set her down, and they swiftly straightened their drenched clothing before turning to face the person exiting a tunnel across from them. When Glister appeared, Mooriah stiffened and moved further into the darkness behind them.
“There you are,” Glister said with a smile before she took note of Mooriah. Her welcoming expression turned harsh. “What are you doing here?”
Ember wrangled his expression, hoping he didn’t look guilty or flushed or aroused or any of the other myriad things he was feeling.
Mooriah stepped to his side, though quite a distance away. “I’ve been looking for a new source of rubia honey. I had reason to believe a hive of cave bees was near here.”
Glister frowned then turned back to Ember. “Your father is looking for you.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Why didn’t you just summon him?” Mooriah asked, eyes narrowed.
Glister tilted her head coquettishly. “I could have, but I wanted to find him for myself.” Ember’s face heated, much to his dismay. She must have used some sort of locating spell. If he could ward himself, he could prevent being found—all the more reason to train harder.
Shooting another look of disdain Mooriah’s way, Glister seemed to finally notice that both of them were wet. “What happened to you?”
“The ceiling of a tunnel back there caved in,” he said, quickly. “Water started pouring down. I’m going to have one of the maintainers see to it.” He cleared his throat. “Could be dangerous.”
Glister’s smile was brilliant. “And that’s why you’re going to make a great chieftain. Come along, we don’t want to keep Crimson waiting.” She held out a hand as though she wanted him to take it.
When he did not reach for her, she grabbed him. Unlike Mooriah’s, her palm felt clammy and sickeningly boneless. As Glister led him away, he looked over his shoulder back to where Mooriah stood with her arms crossed, watching them.
Her expression was shuttered, offering no clue to her feelings. Then she turned away.
This wasn’t how he wanted to walk away from her—in fact, he didn’t want to walk away from her. Not now or ever.
But he would go now to appease his father. He didn’t want anything to make Crimson disqualify him before the match with Rumble. After that though, all bets were off. Ember would win—somehow—and then the whole clan would know how he felt about Mooriah.
Chapter Ten
Inception of Illusion: To pass a memory on to another.
A liberal mixture of salt bronze, shadow nightshade, cinderberry, and ash of mercy may be optionally used to focus those new to working this spell. The true activator must be chosen by the mage and imbued with their intention. Light-headedness and fainting are common.
— WISDOM OF THE FOLK
* * *
Mooriah returned to the cornerstone the next day, confident she could complete her spell. Though after a fitful night tossing and turning in her bed—reliving the kiss with Ember, the way he’d felt press
ed against her, and her body’s reaction—she wasn’t as bright and chipper as she could be.
She desperately wanted to know what would have happened if Glister hadn’t interrupted them. His hand had been so close to where she longed for it to be. What would it have felt like if he’d reached his destination? Her face heated, along with other parts of her body.
She still couldn’t believe Ember had taken her to a place that held so much sentimental value to him. And she had loved it. Adored being there amidst the beauty and majesty of the largest waterfall she’d ever seen or conceived of. Its strangely warm water had been comforting, and even walking back to her quarters through the tunnels soaking wet had not been a hardship.
Around Ember she felt peaceful. He wasn’t judgmental. He’d never looked down on her for any reason. And though they had never been in each other’s orbits before, she’d witnessed his kindness, compassion, and strength for years.
Something inside her had cracked open when their lips touched. The force of the feelings rushing out shocked her. She was so used to hiding everything, keeping everything tucked away so it wouldn’t be cause for criticism, that now she felt raw and without protection. Her heart was at serious risk.
Finish, and then you can see him tonight, she told herself. Of course this day would last forever until she did.
“What has you smiling so mysteriously?” Fenix asked, cutting into her thoughts.
She startled, then with great effort, blanked her face. She’d forgotten he was there. “Nothing.”
“Ah, I was hoping you’d share what put such an expression on your face. Could it be because you’re here again with me?” He grinned, his lambent eyes seeking to hypnotize her. She blinked and shook her head.
“Not everything is about you, you know.”
He chuckled. “No? If you say so.”
She groaned at his arrogance and got back to work. Amazingly enough, Fenix did as well.
She was still feeling her way around the process of integrating Nethersong into her father’s spell using the complicated weaving technique he’d described to her. Speaking of Yllis, he was nowhere to be found this morning. She squashed the pang of disappointment until it was so tiny as to almost not exist.
Mooriah flowed back into a meditative state, directing death energy around Yllis’s existing spell. She could not affect the Earthsong, she could not even truly sense it, aside from a sort of emptiness where nothing else was. But that was the key to the technique, to braid a chain of energy that wrapped around what she could not see.
It was difficult but invigorating work. She was at it for half the day before falling back into her physical senses, excitement thrumming through her.
“I think I’ve done it!” She opened her eyes, surprised to find Fenix seated right next to her. She grinned at him. “I’ve finished and it’s… Oh it’s magnificent. I can’t believe such a thing is possible. It’s just—” His expression gave her pause. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
For the duration of their short acquaintance, he had generally been cheery and full of mirth. Not taking anything too seriously, except for the incident with the cougar. But now all traces of his signature smirk were missing. He reached up and touched her braided hair, freezing her in place. “It’s wonderful to see such joy is all. You’re so beautiful and even more so when you smile.”
She swallowed and backed out of his reach. Though his face was almost grave, his body began shining bright.
“You cannot really want to stay here,” he said. “Now you’ve completed your father’s task, why would you want to retreat back into the darkness?”
“It’s not all darkness. There’s beauty there too.” Like the waterfall and kissing Ember. Neither of which she’d share with him.
She stood and turned her back to him, her feelings a jumble. There was something intoxicating about Fenix that made it hard to concentrate with all that brightness in her eyes. She didn’t want to be addled, she needed to think clearly. Which was also hard to do when he stared at her like she was some sort of jewel.
She felt him at her back and stiffened. “What do you want?”
“I want you to come with me. Leave the darkness and come out into the air and the sunshine. Explore this world and live under the blue skies every day. Maybe even…”
She looked to the side, sighting him in her periphery. “Maybe what?”
“Maybe I could even take you to my world.”
Shock stole her voice.
“I’m not sure if it’s possible—we’d have to find a way for you to survive the portals, but I’m willing to try.”
She spun around to face him, squaring her shoulders. “Why? Why do you want me to go so badly with you? You hardly know me at all.”
“Because you’re a diamond trapped in a bed of coal. You deserve to shine and let the world see your light. Don’t you know that you’re blinding?” He glowed even brighter as he said this, making her squint. One shining hand rose to stroke her cheek, and the touch was like sparks of energy on her skin.
He leaned in farther like he was going to kiss her, but she slid away from him.
He dimmed somewhat. “I’m not imagining that there is something between us. The way you look at me sometimes.”
Her stomach churned as if cave bees had taken residence within. “You are very interesting to look at.”
He leveled a gaze at her, and she shook her head. “I find you intriguing. You’re different to anyone I’ve ever known. But I don’t want what you want. I want—”
“A people who will only accept you once you reach a set of criteria? Who will never truly see you as one of them?”
“And you think out here would be different for me?” she said with a dry laugh.
“Out here is real; in there is not.”
Once again, his arrogance got her hackles up. “In there is just as real as anywhere else. It’s my home.”
But an ugly thought raised its head. Yesterday, Ember had walked away from her with hope in his eyes. But even if he became chieftain, wouldn’t a woman like Glister be better for him? Someone with a good family with resources and connections?
If Mooriah succeeded in becoming clan shaman, she would have respect and a place in Cavefolk society, but it was not the same as what Glister offered.
As if he saw the doubts in her mind, Fenix came closer. “I know you are thinking about it. I’m not giving up. I will be here, waiting. I know you will change your mind.”
Some of the smugness was back, but underneath she sensed real emotion. She wasn’t sure how much was bravado and how much was sincerity, but her heart hurt for him.
“I don’t want to hurt you Fenix. I will not be here.”
She spun around and headed back down the path that led her home. As her footsteps traipsed across the trail, a voice in her head wondered if she should accept his offer. But she shook it off.
Soon she was out of the cold and back inside the warmth of the Mother. Where she belonged.
Chapter Eleven
Barrier of Rivals: Forbidden, except by the elder shaman. Blocks the spells of others for short periods of time. Can cause temporary blindness or double vision. Punishment for unauthorized usage is banishment.
— WISDOM OF THE FOLK
* * *
Mooriah held her breath as Ember sliced into his palm. His whole body was rigid, muscles carved from stone, but he managed it. A tiny trickle of blood trailed the route of the thin blade. His eyes were pressed closed so he didn’t see it.
“Now the incantation,” she breathed, afraid too much sound would startle him.
He intoned the words of the first Fortitude Seal, the one to bind him against death by blade. His voice was strong, though it cracked a few times before picking up again. And then the deed was done.
He opened one eye and looked at her. She nodded encouragingly. She’d already closed his wound so by the time he opened his other eye there was no trace of blood left.
“I did it?�
�� His voice was hushed.
It was the weakest ward she’d ever seen, but the fact that he’d actually accomplished it made her heart burst. She grinned and leaned over to wrap her arms around him. “You did it!”
He hooted and tightened his embrace rocking her back and forth until they fell back on the seating mats, his deep laugh filling the space and warming her. He’d taken the brunt of the fall; she lay sprawled on top of him looking down into his pale eyes.
“I’m really warded?” he asked.
She grinned up at him. “Yes.” It wasn’t a lie; he was protected a little. But she didn’t want to dim his joy.
He rolled them over until he was on top and smiled the brightest smile she’d ever seen on him. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“You worked hard. I know it’s still really difficult, but you can build on this.”
He sobered somewhat. “Is it enough for today?”
“It will have to be.”
The match began in under an hour, so there was no time for more. The ward was weak, however, Mooriah would be in the audience watching him carefully. While he may not be protected from the worst Rumble had to give, she would make sure that whatever happened, he would survive. While Ember had spent the past few days practicing basic children’s spells, Mooriah had been studying the forbidden workings for mending flesh and bones. The ones that could restore him if his own wards did not protect him.
But she did not tell him. He would need confidence to face his brother, not doubts. “You have everything you need to defeat him. Never doubt that you will win and usher our clan into an era of lasting peace and unity.”
He blinked, visibly moved by her statement. “You truly believe that?”
“Of course.”
“You are amazing, Mooriah.”