the mantle, up into Danu, out into the Danutians, and then back the way it came, reviving all during its journey. Once it's back in the heart, the magic uses the energy received from the Danutians to refresh itself like oxygen filling blood and then start the cycle once more. Something damaged the Earth magic—I don't know how—but if the mantle shows signs of sickness it means that the wound went deep enough to touch the mantle and then that injury flowed back to the Heart of Earth. You must find the heart and heal it, small goddess.”
“Heal it how?”
“How do you heal a person?” Sairana countered.
“It depends on what ails them.”
“Then diagnose the heart as you would a person. Use your magic and that of your fused lovers. Together, you have the power to do miraculous things.”
“Where do I find the Heart of Earth?”
Sairana lowered her head and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she opened them and said, “It lies in Raeventar. Go there when you leave me. Return to the place where you met the Bargest. He will be waiting to guide you.”
“Are you speaking with Kolltean?” I asked eagerly.
“Yes.”
“Does he know what's wrong with the Heart of Earth?”
“He only knows that it's hurt.” Sairana shook her massive head. “It is up to you to find that injury. But first, as I said, you must fortify Fire's heart. Take the path to the heart and cast my ember into it.”
“The Ember?” My hand went to my throat.
“I know I gave it to you, but Danu needs it now, small goddess. It could mean the difference between destruction and survival.”
“I wasn't protesting,” I assured her. “Just surprised that tossing it into a heart could have an effect.”
“The Ember is condensed fire magic—my magic,” Sairana explained. “It is kin to the elemental magic here but not of it. Throwing it into the heart will release goddess magic and shield the heart from damage as it shields you from damage. It will be a temporary solution but I believe it's necessary.”
Sairana turned her head toward the tunnel and blew a stream of fire down it. A golden glow remained even after her fire died out—more torches, I assumed.
“Very well.” I started for the tunnel.
Everan caught my hand. “You realize that I caught only half of that conversation?”
“I'll explain it as we go.” I started to pull him along with me.
The knights made as if to follow us, but Sairana slid into their path and faced them down.
“Only the Fire Royals,” she hissed.
“That much I understood,” Everan said before I could translate. He called around the mammoth scaled body to his knights, “Stay here. We'll be back shortly.”
The tunnel to the Heart of Fire was much the same as the one that led us to Sairana—smooth and devoid of all but the torches Sairana had lit for us. The one difference was the decline, which was steady, though not steep. It angled into a spiral and took us down and down and down until it finally leveled out and ended in a miniature version of the cavern above. Here, there was no dragon and no dais, only the Heart of Fire.
“Huh,” I said as I let Everan's hand go. “That's not what I was expecting. It's not even hot in here.”
“It's not fire, Shalani,” Everan said in a soft, reverent tone as he stared at the heart. “It's the Heart of Fire—the magic within the flame.”
Before us, hovering in midair, was an orb of light. It glowed fiery red while orange streamers swirled within the confines of the sphere. Power radiated from it, shivering across my skin but, as I'd mentioned, there was no heat to it. It was pure energy. And that energy flowed away from the orb and into the earth in a slender column, then returned to the orb, coming up from the ground in an identical shaft. It looked like a ball with legs. A glowing, magical ball, but a ball nonetheless. Not all that impressive, considering. Especially after I'd seen the mantle.
“I understand,” I said. “I guess I was just expecting something more... magical.”
“It's a glowing ball of pure elemental power,” Everan said in an offended tone. “How much more magical could it get? Did you expect it to sit on the back of a unicorn?”
“Very funny.” I grimaced at him. “I guess, I kind of expected it to be fire. Maybe hovering like that but in the form of flames.”
“Uh...”
“I know that sounds stupid.”