Mom sniffed, so I held on. “We love you beyond words, Roderick. Find. A way. There is so much joy you and Cinaed have to share with each other and the world.”
When I stepped back, the rest of our families had joined us. Cinaed and I had survived for all these years with their support. This was a reminder they weren’t ready to let us go.
Elspeth wrapped her brother tightly in her arms. Her father joined them and Cinaed’s emotions surged. They shared the same bond as the Hollens.
When Cinaed and his family separated, Elspeth surprised me with a hug as strong as steel coils. “Bring him home,” she whispered. “Whatever it takes.”
Chapter Sixteen
Cinaed:
The wind across the prairie carried the usual scents of the open plains, except something made my phoenix instincts recoil. I shifted my weight against the rough ground, trying to find a position that didn’t make my leg cramp. We crouched behind a cluster of stones, waiting for the other team to begin their attack. Bart had hidden us, but I didn’t want to test his magic by moving more than necessary.
Rod’s thumb traced gentle circles over my knuckles. The simple touch anchored me, but it couldn’t block the sickening pulse emanating from the medicine wheel. Dark energy had poisoned what had once been a sacred site. My earth sense urged me to flee from the corruption.
“Are you OK?”Rod asked.“I feel it too, but you and Cael seem especially affected.”
After the caves in Transylvania, I thought I understood what Blackstone was capable of, but the depravity of this place…“I’ll be fine,”I said, trying to convince myself it was true.“This was more than I expected.”
“It’s hard to square this version of Blackstone with the man who led Utrecht for all those years,”Rod said.“We thought his standoffish nature was arrogance. Now we know it was to avoid anyone getting too close. I mean, he was still an arrogant asshole, but that only told part of the story.”
Father appeared beside us, his aura dulled by the evil in front of us.“How did he hide something this large?”
“The wheel sat here for a century,”Rod said.“Blackstone corrupted it after he abducted King Ailpein. We were too occupied to notice the gradual creep of darkness over the sacred site. He accelerated his plans after the fight in Transylvania.”
“Hopefully that haste led to mistakes,”Father said.
I didn’t share his optimism. If anything, Blackstone was always steps ahead of us. A terrible thought crept into my mind. Were we doing exactly what he wanted? Other than Bart surprising him in the caves, we never outplayed Blackstone. Before I could voice my concerns, Avie’s presence appeared in my mind.
“Get ready. We’re about to start the attack.”
I pushed past the revulsion coming from below to watch. Magic concealed both sides, but Avie said they’d been able to find Blackstone’s mages. She also said Blackstone most likely wanted us to find them. Inside the circle, glyphs covered the ground.
“How long have they been there?”I asked.
“Hard to say,”Rod answered, knowing exactly what I meant.“All I can say is they’re not new.”
I didn’t respond and let the silence linger between us. During the drive to this remote corner of Nebraska, I’d tried to prepare myself for what we’d find. Blackstone had held Grandfather for days. Even he had limits when confronted with demonic energy.
The anger and resentment I’d felt for decades gnawed at me. It hadn’t been my grandfather, it had been Blackstone’s influence. I wanted a chance to return to what we’d had before things changed.
“Stop chastising yourself,”Rod’s voice whispered in my head.“We’ll free him.”
His certainty pushed back some of my fear, but not all. Before I could respond, my perception changed. Clean earth magic, ancient and powerful, rose from beneath Blackstone’s poisonous influence. This was a new sensation. The planet reached for me, offering its strength. A network of energy that ran beneath the corrupted wheel in places Blackstone’s magic couldn’t reach. There was a deep, steady pulse of life that refused to be silenced.
“Cinaed?”Father’s voice cut through my wonder.“What’s happening?”
I stared blankly at him. How could I explain what I didn’t understand?
“I feel it too,”Cael said.“The Earth understands what’s about to happen and is giving us its strength.”
“After all the Earth has done to protect itself and all life, why are you surprised?”Eldwin asked.“This was never one being’s fight.”
Pressing my palm flat against the stone, I allowed my consciousness to follow the threads of energy downward. The corruption’s reach was superficial, like an oil slick on the surface of a deep, clear pool. Underneath the darkness, I sensed places where the Earth’s natural magic flowed. Sometimes it was strong and clean, other times it fought to reach the surface. One of the struggling offshoots had a familiar feel.
“I found Grandfather. He’s alive.”
“Where?”Father asked.
