“Do you think they mean anything?”
“I’m sure they do, but I wouldn’t know how to read them.”
“They are pictures. Look, this is a tree and that is a fire.”
“Perhaps it tells a story.” I leaned in for a closer look. “Maybe it will tell us what the king is doing. Maybe the adda’s power is etched in the walls, Gaea. Stay here and see if you can make anything of it while I go below.” I pointed to the door on the floor.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll be fine.” I pulled out my sword. “I’ll try to hurry.”
I edged down the stone steps leading into the expanse below the shoddy building, knowing I needed to hurry before the entire thing collapsed on top of me. The ground was made of compacted dirt and smelled of rot. A glow illuminated everything in the ramshackle building with no obvious source.
I followed the narrow walkway until I entered a small room with similar etchings on the damp wall. The intricate marks were worn farther down than the ones Gaea had found above. Barely legible. But the ground was again covered like a mossy garden, and I had to kneel to sift through the aromatic plants. I worked my way through the room until I got to the corner at the far back wall and pushed aside a thorny bush of sapphire lilies. There, below the long blades of grass that had grown with no sunlight, was the loveliest flower I had ever seen. I reached my hand forward to touch the delicate petals, but a masculine voice stopped me.
“You may have it,” a deep voice said from behind me.
I nearly hit the ceiling in surprise as I whipped around to see an ethereal being standing in the doorway, glowing with the soft light from the rest of the room. His haggard face held centuries of treasured wisdom, and though his colorless eyes were kind, they were also stern.
I sucked in a breath. “Who are you?”
“I am the keeper.” He swept a translucent hand around the room. “This is my garden. You’ve taken such care not to trample, I thank you. The last soul who dared enter was not so fortunate.”
“The northern king has asked for me to deliver this to him. What say you to that?”
“I would ask you not to.” He drifted forward. “That flower has powerful, powerful magic. I have raised it, and now you must protect it, as I cannot.”
“What kind of power?” Standing, I moved away from him.
“It is a piece of a puzzle. A formula. Once the puzzle is complete, even the world cannot save you. You must guard it.”
“I will do my best.” I put the sword in my hand away.
“You must do better than that,” he answered before vanishing.
I reached down, and as my fingers connected with the glass-like leaves, I felt a surge of ancient magic course through me. I had not slept well enough to regenerate all of my power, but as soon as I pulled my hand away, I was full of healing magic and my heart raced. I pulled the sturdy flower from its roots and felt a dip in the vibration of magic and pushed a bit of healing into the stems to try to keep them strong.
“Run, Temir,” I heard the voice of the ghost echo in my mind as the unsteady ground shook.
I bolted down the hallway, and the stones crumbled as Gaea screamed. I took the stairs two at a time and frantically searched the room above. The walls were caving in. She was pinned below half of the collapsed ceiling. I put the flower in my bag and ran to her, pushing and pulling the stone until it gave way enough for her to slide herself out.
I threw her over my shoulder and ran for the exit as the rest of the building caved in.
“Keep going,” she screamed.
I ran until we were outside of the eerie magical ruins, which were now being sucked into the ground. The building was demolished, and even the flowers, vibrant and thriving moments ago, began to wilt as the cold air sucked the life from them. Whatever magic that kept the place protected was gone. I sat Gaea down as carefully as I could and immediately called my magic forward as I placed my hand on her forehead and forced her to sleep, knowing this was going to hurt like hell. She had several broken bones, had sliced into an artery, and from what I could see there was also extensive nerve damage.
I closed my eyes and worked as fast as I could, guiding my magic through her body. The old female may have said she belonged to another, but she would always also be mine. Maybe not in the way we had both hoped, but my devotion to her would never falter.
Once I was done, I sat, knees to my chest, waiting for her to wake. I didn’t risk bringing the treasured flower out of my pack, so instead, I opened it to look inside. It was exactly as I had heard it would be. Like fire coated in ice. But there was no coolness or heat when I touched it—only that commanding vibration of power that once again replenished what I had used to heal Gaea. With this, I could heal the world and never deplete my stores. The king couldn’t pay me enough to hand this over. I could only imagine what he would do with such a thing. And it wouldn’t be good.
“Did you find it?” Gaea asked, sitting up. Her tattered clothing was soaked in her own blood. The color had returned to her cheeks though.
“I did. Are you okay?” I moved to help her stand.
“I’m much better now. Thank you, Tem.” She wiped her hands on her torn shirt.
“Did you decipher anything from the hieroglyphics?”
