Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,136

of other crystals within them.

This land was created by magic, not naturally formed. I could feel it pulsing, and the need to reach out and run my fingers over the magic within the air was becoming rampant. I balled my hands at my sides, fighting the urge as we climbed higher, and the air grew thinner.

The sound of rushing water exploded around us, and I paused, peering over the cliffside to where the water flowed beneath us. Hundreds of spouts poured water from the mountainside below us, cascading into one large whirlpool that rushed in a cyclone formation down into the earth below. On each spout sat a large, raw crystal rock formation, and the moment the sun touched it through the clouds above, thousands of rainbows glistened over the falling water.

I gasped, leaning over further, even though it caused me pain. Knox grabbed my arm, pulling me back as my footing slipped. He didn’t speak, didn’t even acknowledge that I’d almost fallen to my death as he shoved me away from the edge and took that side of the trail for himself.

My fingers touched the cliffside, and I smirked as it lit up, sending fluorescent light burning through the narrowed pathway with the single trace of my fingertips against the surface.

The further up the path we moved, the cleaner the air became. No sound followed us, nor filled the space of the trek up the mountain other than the water below. Even that sound diminished as we turned into a cave.

Knox slid his arm around my waist while his other grabbed my hand, touching it to the cave’s mouth. His eyes held mine, smirking at the way I shivered from his touch. The entire cave lit with violet hues, causing everything white or lighter within the cave to glow.

The power pulsing inside the cave was stifling, pressing against me as I walked inside, uncaring that my hair glowed brightly. Amethyst clusters covered the cave walls, and the ground under our feet was fire opal, creating an illuminating pathway through the mountain. I paused as it became too much, leaning over to close my eyes while my hands rested on my knees.

Exhaling slowly, I fought the magic that searched for a host. Someone had banked and stored an immense amount of raw magic within this cave.

No one spoke, as if they knew the issue, waiting to see if I had the power to take what this place offered. But I couldn’t. It wasn’t good magic. It was dark, oily, deadly magic that would usurp the user, turning them evil until the magic ruled the body and the soul, and the host withered and died.

Standing, I hurried forward through the cave only to emerge on the other side to a wooden, moss-covered bridge that precariously swung in the wind. I paused, narrowing my eyes on its rope sides, and then did the worst thing I could do. I peered down into the drop below it. Only you couldn’t see where the drop ended because clouds prevented you from finding the bottom.

My gaze slid to Knox, who smirked as he realized the problem. He moved ahead, waiting for me to join him.

“It only holds two people at a time,” he explained. “You can hold on to me. I won’t let you fall, Aria.”

“I’m good,” I snorted, watching him turn toward me, pausing as he took in the damage to my face before spinning back around and starting forward over the bridge.

I followed him in silence, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs. My hands slid through the moss, watching as it fell into the clouds below the bridge.

The wind picked up, and Knox slowed his progression, tilting his head like he was ready to turn around and retrieve me if it made the wrong sound. A gust of wind caused the bridge to whine loudly, and my breathing grew labored as panic rushed through me.

My hands tightened on the rope as a burst of wind sailed toward us, sending us rocking as we reached the middle of the long wooden bridge. Panic took control of my mind, and everything within me screamed to run from the bridge. Loud purring sounded when I moved back in the direction we’d come, calming me to an almost subdued state.

“Just breathe, Aria.”

“I am breathing,” I whispered, as his soothing purr calmed my panic and replaced it with a silent strength.

It took several more moments before we were finally off the bridge, and Knox pointed to a