He did and she began massaging his temples. Whatever she’d sprinkled on the fire smelled sweet and a little cloying. He was going to fall asleep at this rate. Her fingers gently kneading his head was more delightful than he could have imagined. He focused on that sensation until everything else dropped away.
Ember’s eyes opened and he was standing, not in his old nanny’s dwelling, but in a dark place. Apprehension sparked, but then Mooriah flickered in place next to him.
“We are in the heart of the Mother,” she said in a calming tone. “This is where I go to practice with my power. Your form here is not real, or I should say it exists only in your mind. Your body is still in front of the fire.”
She held out the tiny bone shard. “Try again.”
He swallowed and took it, surprised at how substantial she looked and felt when their fingers brushed again. He placed the pin against his palm again.
This time when his mind told his body to pierce his skin, it did so. A single drop of red welled against his skin.
His gaze shot to her, wide-eyed. Her smile broadened, illuminating the dark, ethereal cave in which they stood.
“That’s the first step. You can get over this, Ember. I know you can.”
He nodded slowly, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He stared at the dot of red on his palm and wanted to cry with joy.
~ 8 ~
Effusion of Hardiness: Reinforces sturdy good health and robustness of body.
Two parts wolf fungus, one part jade bite, and three drams of salamander ink. Excessive yawning and a loss of taste may occur in some cases. The recipient should avoid ingesting fish or sea fowl for at least three moons.
—WISDOM OF THE FOLK
Mooriah stood with her hands pressed against the red surface of the cornerstone caldera, searching for something—anything—within.
“What are you hoping to find?”
She startled at Fenix’s voice behind her and spun around. “I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “It’s foolish.”
He tilted his head, those eyes peering deep inside her. “I doubt that.”
“Both of my parents were powerful Earthsingers—but my Song calls to death instead. Shouldn’t there be something of them inside of me?”
He frowned then looked up at the obelisk’s great height. “Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Would you rather be an Earthsinger?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes. It would be easier for Father. I wouldn’t have been sent away.” The pain of the admission settled across her fiercely. She knew that Yllis had done it to save her life, but still…
“Do you enjoy living inside those dreary caverns?”
“They’re not dreary,” she protested. “They’re beautiful. I wish you could see them as I do. Each wall is embedded with generations of history going back to the very beginning of the mountain. You can walk for days and learn the tales of people who lived long before you. And the firerocks illuminate the patterns hidden in the stone, they tell their own story in images—you just have to know what you’re looking for. The Mother is truly wondrous.”
She smiled, thinking of her home. “There are gardens with plants that only bloom under the firerocks, with flowers more colorful and impressive than anything above ground, I’m sure of it. And the lakes—all around the city there are lakes, places where you can go and meditate and be at peace.”
“And swim?” His brows were raised, and his mouth quirked in a smile. That was what he had focused on?
“Well, yes, you can swim.” She frowned.
“That, at least, sounds like fun.” A grin ate up his face, and she sighed.
Fenix seemed good natured, but he also lacked the ability to take anything seriously. His constant smirk was beginning to grate her nerves. “We had better get back to work. I’d like to finish today, if possible.”
He sucked in a deep breath of frigid air. “Helping your father is a great deal easier than what I was sent here to do. Observe the people, make reports, take a census. Boring.” He rolled his eyes.
She stiffened. “But that’s the assignment you signed up for, isn’t it? Don’t your people need the reports?”
He shrugged. “Need is a strong word. They desire them, but they’ll just send someone else along if I don’t complete the job. I only took this on because I wanted to travel. And I had old debts to repay. But what they don’t know won’t hurt them. I’d much rather be