Crushed velvet brushed against my mind as Raf said,“Instead of thinking about magic, think about the element. What does fire mean to you, beyond my brother? Nights where it kept you warm, kept your loneliness company, illuminated the pages of a dirty book…”
I choked back a laugh, shaking my head.“I can’t. He’s ruined fire for me.”
“No. He’s already taken enough from you. You and the flame that lives inside of you are one in the same—both bringers of light. Darkness cannot contain you or claim you—just like he couldn’t. Take back your light. Burn it down, Goldie. You can do this.”
I wanted to reject his words, but instead I exhaled and let them sink in. Rafael was right. Galen hadn’t wanted a partner, he’d wanted a fix. No amount of love, no amount of magic, would ever be enough. I couldn’t save him; he had to save himself.
He’d done his best to snuff out my flame, but I could still feel it burning, deep inside my chest. I let that small ember grow until it consumed me… until I remembered my greater purpose,beyondGalen. I had people to save and a witch to kill. I had a home to return to.
It was me or her—and I would not cower.Ever again. Maybe once I’d been easy prey, but not anymore. I turned around and walked away from the entrance. Once I was far enough back, I sprinted forward, screaming at my magic to blaze.
Flame shot from my horn in shades of indigo and white. It streamed out in a monstrous wave aimed right at the mouth of the cave. I knew it was burning hotter than any natural fire, by the color alone. The skull seemed to shrink from the flames as I burned through its belly. I came to a sliding stop at the entrance and sent wind after the fire, pushing it farther and farther down the cave.
First I heard screaming. The shrieking rang in my ears, making me grit my teeth as I held the flame as long as I could. Then I felt movement. Pebbles on the ground began to vibrate. A herd ofsomethingwas racing towards me.
I broke off the flame and raced back towards Raf—towards a thin line of pine trees that seemed to reach for me with outstretched arms. The screaming got louder, and then too many spiders to count were crawling out of the cavern’s many orifices.
They completely covered the rock with their scuttling legs. Each one was the size of a large dog with shiny, sharp fangs bared, ready to give their life for their master. Some were on fire, but still running at full speed. There must’ve beenhundredsof them.
“Flame, now!”Rafael shouted.
I panicked and created an icy wind instead. Some froze solid and bounced back, while others continued towards us, unscathed. Rafael shifted into his Fae form and ran to my side, sending a tornado of shadow at them. Where darkness touched, they disintegrated into nothing.
They were close enough that I could see them in detail now. Some were black with shiny round abdomens and long, stilt-like legs. Others were burnt orange and brown, covered in fine hair, creeping low to the ground.
As they approached, they reared up on their back legs, fangs glistening. We threw up our shields simultaneously. Two spheres of ice andshadow encompassed us, while a living carpet of arachnids swarmed us. Tapping their legs on our shields, they searched for any weak points.
Spider silk clung to branches as they dangled from the trees, finding new angles to terrorize us. Rafael’s shadows weren’t eliminating them fast enough.
“Close your eyes,”I shouted through our mental bond. Starlight erupted from my horn, cracking like lightning and illuminating the top of the mountain in a brilliant glow. It radiated out in waves of pure energy, before a new round of screaming began.
A chorus of shrieking spiders formed a haunting melody as they began to roll over onto their backs, curling in on themselves. One by one, they turned to piles of sand. If starlight broke curses and spells, then the entire herd of spiders must’ve been created by the Oracle’s dark magic. Andholy gods,my magic. I could feel it in my chest, my veins… pumping through my heart. I felt electrified—invincible.
Raf and I exchanged a look of disbelief. “I know you don’t want to be a savior, but you aren’t helping your case with magic like that,” he said, panting.
The witch’s voice called out from the caves.“A powerful form, indeed. You may have destroyed my children, but once your horn is mine, I’ll make an entire army. I look forward to tasting that magic of yours. It’s been a long while since I’ve tasted sunshine. You’re not worthy of the power you wield, human filth.”
Rafael placed a hand on my cheek. “She’s lashing out because she’s nervous. I won’t leave your side.”
A shadow dragonwasa convenient bodyguard. Our best chance of survival relied heavily on him killing her as fast as possible. What business did I have even showing up to this fight—besides the fact that I had to.I was not a fighter, but I would become one if that’s what the world needed from me. And this horndidgive me a boost of confidence. I might not know how to wield a sword, but my magic… it was unstoppable. And Galen had known it. The thought made me stumble over my feet as we made our way into the cave.
“Watch yourself, Princess,” Raf murmured, keeping ahand on my back.
Most of the debris we’d passed in the cave during our first visit was now blackened or nothing but ash. Some items were still on fire. I spotted a small toy unicorn burning and used my ice to douse it.
“Superstitious?” Raf asked, picking it up and putting it in his pocket. I snorted in response.
“Personally, I’ll take luck wherever I can find it,” he said with a dimpled grin.
We moved carefully as we made our way deeper into the cave, leaving a trail of ice and vines along the walls. All I had to do was see her in my unicorn form and the cost would be fulfilled. I wasn’t above running if it meant staying alive.
I started to breathe in short, shallow gasps as claustrophobia set in. Raf kept a steady hand on my back in an attempt to comfort me. Once it was too dark to see in front of us, I emitted a soft light from my horn and the purple walls of the cave lit up. We were surrounded by glittering, crystal-like rock that twinkled in shades of lavender and violet as the light refracted through it. It would’ve been beautiful, had I not been so petrified.
When we began running into thick webbing, I knew we were close. It stuck to my face, my horn, and legs, causing me to trip over my feet. Raf made us stop several times while he methodically removed the silk that clung to me.
It was so dark that we couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of us and I was afraid to shine my light any brighter and draw attention. He sent his shadows into crevices and corners, making sure we couldn’t be ambushed. Panic squeezed at my ribs, making me light-headed. I was too large to maneuver quickly through the narrow walkways that we now stood in. I could barely turn around. This was suicide. We needed to move,now.
I sprinted forward in a frantic instinct for survival as Rafael raced after me. I began to slide on loose rock and screamed, surprised to hear the whinny that erupted from me instead. Unable to find a foothold, I continued to careen down the steep path. This was a trap.We were going to die.I somersaulted forward, preparing to topple off a sheer cliff and into the dark abyss below.
