She peeked through her lashes to see his eyes closed. “Yes, I see it.”
“Good. Keep that in your mind. Think of the water. The waves. The wind. The surf breaking on the rocks.”
She released his hand and dropped to her knees, placing her palms flat on the ground. The earth was cool and sandy beneath her fingers. Once again, she closed her eyes, connecting with the nature around her, around them, and thinking of the rocks on the shoreline. The ground rumbled and came to life.
Help us!
The panicked voices of the creatures from the forest flickered through her mind. Was she too late? Was the village destroyed? The forest? Leaving one hand flat on the ground, she reached up for Roderick. It was risky, but she had to do it and she prayed the elves were out of the burning village. She thought of Elator and Yirrie and even the Elders, willing them to be safe.
“Take my hand.”
He did, his fingers lacing with hers.
“Where the rhythm of the tide softly beats, draw the water from the depths of the Mara Sea.” She paused, her eyes opening as she looked up at him. “Send the sea to the village, Roderick.”
He sucked in a breath through his nose, his hand tightening on hers. A droplet of sweat slipped down one side of his face. Still connected to the ground, she heard the crash of the tidal wave as it swelled and then flooded through the edge of the forest. Deep in her mind, she heard the sizzle as the fire snuffed out and the waters receded.
“You did it,” she whispered.
Still clutching her hand, he opened his eyes and met her gaze. “Wedid it.”
As she looked at him, she realized that while they were each powerful in their own right, together, they were formidable.
“What just happened?” someone asked. “The ground shook and then—”
“Shh! Listen!” someone interrupted.
Snow heard it then. The distant sound of water cascading over land. Her heart jammed into her throat as she realized their combined power managed to send a tidal wave all along the coastline, not just to the edge of the Wyldwood.
“Roderick!”
“I don’t know how to stop it.”
She released his hand and placed both on the ground, then bent forward. Her forehead touched the ground.
“Water’s wild and torrents flow. By these words I command, recede, retreat, reclaim the land.”
The villagers chattered around her, but she heard none of that as she focused on the sounds of the water flowing over the land. In her mind, she pushed the water back. It was as though the land inhaled a deep breath as it sucked the tide away. She didn’t know how long she crouched there, but her back ached. Sweat trickled down the sides of her face. Her heart continued to palpitate a wild beat.
She reached out her senses looking for Faradill or Annilen or any of the forest creatures. Even though she was far away from the fire, she still smelled the acrid tang of smoke.
You saved us, but we are damaged.It was a collective voice deep in her mind. The voice of the forest. Hot tears pricked the back of her eyelids.
Roderick placed a hand on her shoulder. “Snow?”
Stiffly, she lifted her head. Every muscle and joint inside her ached. A breath shuddered out of her. She focused on her surroundings and saw the villagers returned to the tavern or their homes or shops. Only Roderick remained standing by her side, his hand on her shoulder.
“Where did everyone go?” She blinked away the tears and looked up at him.
“You spooked them a bit, I think,” he said. “When the ground cracked and rumbled, they ran.”
There were tiny fissures snaking along the ground around her, as though she was the epicenter. There was no more smoke in the distance. What did her nature magic look like to the villagers?
“But you didn’t.”
“I didn’t,” he agreed.
“It was the only way to stop the tsunami,” she said.
