Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
My chest constricted. He was talking about Maya. Reaching up, I placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good man. If she’d lived she would’ve come to see that.” At my words, a sheen of emotion entered his gaze.
“Thank you.”
A silence fell as I studied him. I barely knew Jalio but I sensed his strength. He’d suffered for a long time in the Blaze, just as Vas had. But he was connected to this city in a way Vas wasn’t. There was no other place for Jalio. This city was it for him. Vas, on the other hand, straddled two dimensions. One part of him was Oreylian, while the other part was entrenched in my world, first because of his father and now because of me. I knew that was the reason he wanted to come back and help me build a community in the forest. He wanted a life with me and it wasn’t the mark that glowed at the realisation.
It was my heart.
I searched Jalio’s gaze. “If we succeed today they’re going to need a new leader. You know that, right?”
His eyes flared at my statement. Then some kind of determination formed. “Yes, I know,” he breathed.
I gave his shoulder a firm squeeze then went to follow Vas and the others outside.
“After I cast the spell to turn the rivers gold, I’ll teleport each of you to the Blaze,” Vas said as we hurried down a side street. “It will be quickest that way.”
A few minutes later we arrived at a small docking area for the boats that transported people through the lava rivers. Vas motioned for us to hop onto one of the unmanned vessels before we were spotted by any demons.
We boarded and Vas found an area to the rear that would allow him to step down as close to the lava as possible. The rest of us quieted, watching intently as he began to cast his spell, his grand illusion. My heart was lodged firmly in my throat the entire time we waited, because this needed to work. If it didn’t, the entire plan was off.
Vas spoke in Oreylian, uttering his quiet but perfectly rehearsed incantation as he made hand motions around the lava that bubbled close to his feet. Soon, I started to see a sparkle of something. There was a sheen, a pretty swirl of glitter that began in one spot and slowly spread out. Vas’ illusion was working. I could scarcely believe it.
I blinked as the luminous orange lava transformed into a mirage of liquid gold. It was so entrancing, even to me, that I had to fight the urge to reach out and touch it. Nearby, someone shouted, then other voices joined the din, until what sounded like half the city were making noises of astonishment and glee.
“Come. I’ll take you first,” Vas said, appearing in front of me.
“I can’t believe that worked,” I breathed. “It’s incredible. You’re incredible.”
He smiled fondly at my compliment. “Why do you think demons hate us halflings so vehemently? They resent the magic some of us have. It scares them because they know they can never possess anything like it. Today they’re going to learn the true extent of what they fear.”
With that, he teleported me to the Blaze. I looked around, finding myself in the cave where we’d buried Maya. It seemed appropriate that we would start here, where poor Maya’s life ended so tragically. I didn’t just want the miners to be free. I wanted revenge on behalf of these people for all the suffering they endured. That revenge would come in the form of Red Armand’s death. It would come when Vas ended the life of the Dicteps.
Moments later Vas arrived with Ren before quickly disappearing and reappearing with Sven. We snuck out of the cave, keeping to the shadows. The clink, clink, clinking of hammers sounded with hundreds of miners working their shifts. The heat was oppressive, the sharp, tangy smell of reylite stinging my nose. Vas paused as he reached a corner. I sensed there was a demon on the other side of it. Stretching my neck, I peered around the corner and saw the back of Lorenzo’s head. He was standing guard. Footsteps sounded as someone else approached.
“Enzo!” the newcomer called. “Did you hear? A miracle has befallen us. The rivers are flowing with liquid gold. We’re all going to be rich. Come! Grab a bucket. We need to collect as much of it as we can.”
Without hesitation Lorenzo fled his post, greed trumping the duties of his job.
“Word has spread faster than I anticipated,” Vas whispered, pleased.
He wasn’t kidding. Before long, most of the demons who were supposed to be monitoring the miners fled their posts in pursuit of the flowing gold that didn’t exist.
We had to move quickly. The four of us went to the highest part of the mine. There was a giant gong that was sounded every time a shift ended or began. Vas grabbed the baton and brought it down on the gong. Noisy ringing crashed around the mine. The miners ceased their hammering, confused as to why the gong was being rung so early. They peered up at us and the overwhelming, stifling heat caused sweat to coat my forehead and trickle down my spine.