a chisel. “You’ll have to let me know if trying to break the stone holding him is hurting him too badly.”
Essie nodded and rested her hand on Farrendel’s shoulder. She reached through the heart bond, trying to reach for him, his magic, something to draw him back to her. But he didn’t stir, the heart bond itself feeling cold.
Scuffling came from outside. Melantha’s voice. “Please. I can help him.”
Two of the elves appeared, holding Melantha upright between them. She stood, but she kept shifting, as if her feet pained her. Her gaze focused on Essie. “Please, let me help. I can give him strength with my magic. He might be able to break the stone himself. He did it before. Please.”
The last thing Essie wanted to do was let Melantha anywhere near Farrendel. But Farrendel had been convinced Melantha was helping him, and she had been fighting the trolls in the passageway.
Julien gripped the hammer and chisel as if they were weapons, his body tense. Edmund crouched, hand on his knife.
Essie held out a staying hand to them. Farrendel needed all the help he could get right now, even if that help came from Melantha. “Let her heal him.”
The elves released Melantha, and she stumbled forward, falling to her knees next to Essie.
Essie shifted so that she sat closer to Farrendel’s head, resting her hand on his forehead.
Melantha pressed both hands to Farrendel’s chest. A green light flared around her fingers as she poured her magic into him. “Come on, Farrendel. Remember the plan. We are leaving here together, remember. Please, little brother.”
Farrendel stirred, his head shifting beneath Essie’s hand. His eyelids fluttered, giving a brief glimpse of his silver-blue eyes. “Essie?”
“I’m here, Farrendel. I’m here.”
He let out a shuddering breath. “Do not leave.”
“I won’t.” She rested her other hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
He was still so listless, just lying there. Essie had expected something more. More determination. More of the warrior she knew was in him.
Melantha growled. Her hands flared with an even brighter green, enough that the hair on Essie’s arms prickled, before the magic spread into Farrendel.
Melantha slumped. One of the elves caught her before she fell to the ground.
Farrendel’s eyes snapped open. His gaze darted first to Melantha, unconscious or nearly so in the elf scout’s grip, to Julien, still gripping the chisel and hammer, before finally swinging up to focus on Essie. Farrendel’s eyebrows knotted. “Are you really here?” His voice was a rasping whisper.
“Yes.” Essie dug out her canteen, uncapped it, and held it to Farrendel’s mouth. She carefully tilted the canteen, only dribbling in a little bit of water at a time.
Farrendel managed a few swallows before coughing and grimacing. He squeezed his eyes shut, drawing in a few deep breaths.
“Is that better?” Essie stroked the hair from his face again. “Now lie still. Julien is going to break the stone holding you down.”
Farrendel’s eyes flew open again. “You should not be here.” He struggled against the stone holding him down. Fresh blood dribbled from his wrists and his shoulders.
Was that stone...impaling him? Essie’s stomach heaved, but she forced herself to smile and press on Farrendel’s shoulder to keep him still. “Shh. It’s all right. Lie still.”
“No, you need to get out of here. I cannot let them hurt you. If they find you here...” Farrendel’s fists clenched. “This cannot end like last time.”
“I know, I know. Calm down.” Essie met Julien’s gaze. He shrugged, as if he wasn’t sure what to do either.
Edmund gestured toward Melantha. “Your sister said something about a plan?”
Farrendel stilled and glanced toward Melantha. Something in his gaze sharpened, alert and focused. “Yes. The plan. Stand back. All of you.”
The elf picked up Melantha, slung her over a shoulder, and retreated to the wall. Julien and Edmund rose to their feet, eyeing Farrendel.
Essie hesitated. Now that she had found him, she wasn’t ready to step away, even a few feet.
“Go.” Farrendel’s jaw set.
She needed to trust him. Essie clambered to her feet and pressed her back to the stone wall. Julien and Edmund closed in on either side of her.
Blue lightning-bolt magic flared around Farrendel’s hands. The crackle in the heart bond built, then was yanked from the heart bond. All of it at once.
Essie gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “I think we might want to close our eyes.”
The blue lightning bolts built around Farrendel until it was hard to breathe from all the magic.
Essie squeezed her eyes shut,