The Middling cheered and gathered around Henry, each one introducing themselves.
At first, Henry stood stiff, looking completely awkward as they hugged him. But after a few minutes, his shoulders relaxed, and a smile grew on his face.
For the first time ever, Will watched his friend speak highly of his dad. He shared a bit about his life growing up outside of Misteria, and about his mom and how she’d left them. Then he told them how he’d arrived back in the land of mist.
The Middling were excited, hanging onto every word he spoke. Will and Anna glanced at each other and smiled, happy Henry had finally found his place.
Oriana pulled Will to the side. “Is Rhyder here?” she asked softly.
“He is. He said he was going up top to take care of some business.”
“Thank you,” she sighed with a furrowed brow. “There is one more day before the alignment.”
“Is there any way to shut the portal?” Will asked.
Her eyes saddened. “I’m afraid not.”
“It doesn’t look like anyone here is ready to fight.” Will looked around at all the faces of survivors sitting around a fire. “They’re exhausted and scared.”
“They appear that way now, but when faced with death, the citizens of Misteria will rise up and fight. Misterians have an unyielding will, and sometimes, with the right leadership, that’s all you need.”
“I don’t think having a strong will could defeat the Hellhounds and the Howlers,” Will remarked.
“You never know.” Oriana winked. “I’ll be back. I need to find Rhyder.”
Will gave her a nod. “We’ll be right here.”
A sharp scream stirred Will from his slumber. It was early the next morning, and when he finally got his bearings, he looked to the sky to find dozens of stone demons soaring high above them.
“Gargoyles,” the watchtower guard hollered, his finger aiming upward.
Everyone watched as they swooped down, bashing against the ruins protective barrier. A few of them hit so hard, they shattered into dust. Others lost wings, heads, and some bounced right off and kept flying.
“Are they able to break through?” Anna asked, gripping Tobin’s arm tightly.
“No,” Tobin answered. “Da barrier is much too strong for dem.”
Will made his way over to Rhyder and Oriana, who were sitting with the Middling having breakfast. Anna shuffled slowly behind. They looked relaxed, not worrying about the threats in the sky.
“Good to see you, William,” Oriana said. “How was your sleep?”
“Fine, until the screaming Gargoyles woke me.”
Rhyder patted him on the shoulder. “They can’t breach the barrier. They are more of a nuisance than anything. You and your sister should get something to eat. We have a long day of training ahead of us.”
“What kind of training?” Anna asked.
Rhyder extended his hand to her. “You must be Anna. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rhyder.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Anna said, gawking at him. “Good things, of course.”
“I’m glad.” He smiled kindly at her.
Will glanced at his sister with a sinister grin. “You’ll have to awaken your power today before we begin training.”
Anna narrowed her eyes. “Did you awaken yours?”
He held out his hand out, instantly calling a sapphire flame. It hovered just above his palm.
Anna’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. “Does it burn?”
“No.”
Anna reached out to touch it, but Will pulled his hand away. “Don’t. I’m still learning how to control it. Right now, it only seems to blow things up.” He made a fist, and the flame extinguished. The last thing he wanted to do was injure her before a long day of training.
“That’s quite impressive,” Thaddeus said, slapping Will on the shoulder.
Will turned to the Satyr. “Where have you been?”
“With friends and a few of my kin who made it here.”
“That’s great.”
“Yes. Some were injured, so they’ve needed tending too. I was just on my way back.”
“I hope they’ll be all right,” Will said. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
“You will.” Thaddeus smiled, then headed off to where the other Satyrs gathered. Will noticed that everyone around them had stopped and was staring.
“Come. Eat.” Pog waved for them to sit down.
A spread of fruit, bread, some meat, and cheese was laid out on a long wooden table.
Anna spotted Zohar and smiled. One of the Middling women had just offered him a fresh basket of apples.
“How are you?” she asked.
“As well as everyone else,” Zohar answered, lifting his head.
“Who are you talking to?” Will questioned Anna, his head whipping around.
“To Zohar.” She pointed. “The Unicorn.”
Will pivoted, and the Unicorn nodded his head.
“Hello, William. It’s nice to meet you.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I’ve been in the company of your sister for the past few days. She’s a friend of mine.”
Will grinned at Anna. “You’ve found your favorite fairytale creature.”
“I have,” she answered with a broad smile. “And so did you.” Her eyes moved to Rhyder.
“You should have seen him shift into a Dragon. It was . . . seriously, words can’t even describe it.”
Anna giggled. “That awesome, huh?”
“You have no idea,” he exhaled, shaking his head.
After they finished breakfast, Rhyder led Will and Anna to the center of the ruins, which had a large open area—possibly a grand courtyard in its day. Because it was the most exciting thing happening, nearly everyone gathered around the perimeter to watch.
Rhyder stood a foot away from Anna. “This will be your practice arena. I can feel your gift trying to awaken. It’s time.”
“You can?” she asked, her brow furrowed. “How do I awaken it? What is it?”
Will chuckled quietly, wanting to see how his sister would react to her inner blast. “I suggest you sit down.”
“Why? What’s going to happen?” Worry glinted in her eyes. “Is it going to hurt?”
“It’s nothing you can’t handle, dear one,” Rhyder replied. “Just sit down, relax, and close your eyes.”
Anna sat in the middle of the arena, crisscrossing her legs and shutting her eyes. Will tried to keep himself calm, knowing how powerful the gift was. He wanted to see how Anna would react to it, but also hoped it wouldn’t hurt her.
Rhyder paced around her, giving instructions. “Now concentrate, Anna. Call upon your power and ask it to reveal itself to you.”
Anna slowly sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, calling to her power. With eyes closed, she witnessed a bright emerald ball of light manifest, making its way toward her. The closer it got, the larger it became.
In her mind, Anna reached out to it. As soon as she made contact, the light was sucked into her, sending an electrical current surging through her entire body. She gasped and opened her eyes.
Everyone around her was wide-eyed and speechless.
“Was that it?” she asked.
“You were levitating,” Will replied, a stunned look on his face. “You were at least six feet off the ground.”
Anna’s brow furrowed. “No, I wasn’t.” But as she looked around, everyone’s mouths were hanging open, nodding in agreement.
A smile grew on Rhyder’s lips. “You seemed to have managed your power a little better than your brother.” His eyes shifted to Will.
“Show off.” Her brother snickered.
“What are you talking about?”
“When my power woke up, it exploded and slammed me into a tree.”
Anna laughed and turned to Rhyder. “So, is my power awake?”
He nodded. “Yes, but now you and Will have to learn to control it.??
?
Anna stood and dusted herself off, ready to begin. “All right, what do we need to do?”
“First, I sense your power is nearly identical to your brothers. I’d like you to hold the palm of your hand upward and call the power into it.”
Will quickly demonstrated, calling a sapphire flame to his palm and extinguishing it.
“Show off,” Anna exhaled. She held out her palm and summoned her power. For a moment, nothing happened, but she could feel the power writhing under her skin.
Will started to laugh, so Anna demanded the power appear in her palm. In seconds, an emerald flame hovered above it. She gasped, immediately curling her fingers into a fist and extinguishing it.
“It won’t burn you,” Will said. “It’s part of you.”
“William, I’d like you to go and stand by your sister,” Rhyder instructed. “I want to see what happens when you both call your power at the same time.”
Will obeyed, and when he was standing next to Anna, he called his power, deep sapphire flame burned brightly in the palm of his hand.
It took a moment for Anna to call her gift, but in no time, an emerald flame appeared above her palm.
Ryder began to circle them. “Now, I want you to bring your flames together.”
“Wait. Is that safe?” Anna asked.
Rhyder ran his fingers down his long, white beard. “I’m not sure.”
“Not sure?” Anna questioned. “I can’t afford to lose a limb, or my life.”
“Worst case scenario . . . we blow up,” Will stated, making Anna gasp. “Hopefully it’ll be quick.”
“You won’t blow up,” Rhyder said. “However, this will be the first time I’ve witnessed two power-flames come together, and I can assure you, I will stop it if I sense any harm.”
“Oh, that makes me feel loads better,” Anna exhaled sarcastically.
“Hey, if he says it’s safe, then we should at least try. He’s one of the Sorcerers, you know,” Will stated. “Hundreds of years old. Been here since the beginning.”
“And that makes me feel better,” Rhyder sighed.
“I’m sorry,” Will apologized. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“You just need to trust me. Just slowly bring your flames together.”
Will agreed while Anna nodded. Because for her mother . . . she would try. She trusted Rhyder, but she was afraid of this new and raw power, especially now that it had been awakened. To see this power manifest, even if it appeared only as a ball of emerald flame, she could feel the power writhing within, begging to be set free and finally prove its strength.
Anna held her hand out steadily as Will brought his flame toward hers. As they drew closer, they began to bend toward each other.
“Steady,” Rhyder said, his eyes wide with anticipation.
As the tips of their flames made contact, the color changed from emerald and sapphire to a deep red.
Anna felt a pricking in her fingers and pulled her hand away, quenching her flame.
“Why’d you stop?” Will snapped, turning toward her, his flame still intact.
“Because it was scary. I felt something when our flames touched. Didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” he admitted, “A tingling, but nothing scary.”
“Interesting,” Rhyder murmured, mostly to himself, stroking his long white beard. “It seems as if your power wants to connect. As if they are feeding off of each other. This time, I want you to allow your powers to completely connect.”
“What?” Anna shook her head. She wasn’t so sure it was a good idea anymore. This power was something completely new to both of them, something they’d never experienced before. “What if—”
Rhyder circled them again, his gaze narrowed. “As long as you don’t toss your power at anyone, I assure you it will be safe. I’ll be right here. Try again.” This time he didn’t ask. He told, with an urgency. Time was ticking and too soon, the wicked Sorcerer would be back in Misteria.
Anna was still a bit apprehensive, but both she and her brother did as he said and called their flames.
“Don’t be afraid,” Will spoke.
She trusted him and brought her hand closer to his. As their flames touched, the color once again changed into a deep red. The color reminded Anna of the roses their mom grew in their garden. She immediately felt the power change, becoming stronger. It was strange, like a surge of electricity through her entire body.
“What do you feel?” Rhyder asked.
“It’s hard to explain, but it feels like my entire body is buzzing,” Anna exhaled.
“Yeah, mine too,” Will confirmed.
“Don’t pull away from each other.” Rhyder looked above them, his finger aiming toward the sky. “See that pair of Gargoyles hovering above the barrier?”
“Yes,” they answered simultaneously.
“I want you to direct your power at them . . . throw it together.”
Anna’s head tilted back, gazing upward. “Will it be able to pass through the barrier?”
“Yes,” Rhyder answered. “The barrier is there to keep evil out. It doesn’t hold anything in.”
Will watched another Gargoyle crash down against the protective shield, shattering into dust. “That’s at least a hundred yards up. We can’t throw that far,” he said.
“Don’t question me,” Rhyder rumbled, now standing a few yards in front of them. “Command your power to strike those Gargoyles and then set it free. Visualize it hitting them.”
Will fixed his gaze on his sister. “We can do this.”
Anna nodded. Blowing up Gargoyles—those terrifying stone demons—actually sounded like fun, especially knowing they were evil and sent to attack them.
Anna focused on the creatures above. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Do it. Now,” Rhyder ordered.
With one swift movement, both Will and Anna thrust their combined power upward.
The red flame rocketed toward the sky, growing larger and larger as it passed through the protective barrier. The power collided with the two Gargoyles, exploding, before sending a mild shockwave which rocked the entire ruins. Gasps and screams echoed in the area as people shielded their eyes from falling debris. There was nothing left of the two demons but black ash raining down from the sky.
The entire arena was filled with cheers, but they weren’t the only ones to witness that great power. Outside of the ruins, growls, and howls echoed all around them.
Anna glanced at her brother, his face mirroring hers—complete shock and awe. Never had she witnessed power like that. The light from the amulet in the forest was nothing compared to it. It was . . .
“That was freaking awesome,” Will puffed, opening and closing his hand.
Anna nodded, feeling the lasting effects of the power still buzzing under her skin … like prickles that came after a limb fell asleep.
“This is the first time I’ve witnessed anything like that,” Rhyder said, stepping toward them. “Even Malzador doesn’t wield a power like the one you two possess together, a power still so new.”
“They are the two of the prophecy,” someone shouted from the crowd.
“Yes! They’ve come to save us—to save Misteria,” bellowed another voice.
The crowd cheered again. Faces beamed and smiles broadened. Anna swore she felt a spark of hope ignite in that arena. A hope that was absent from the moment she stepped in the ruins.
Will nudged her with his elbow. “Look at their faces.”
Anna couldn’t help but smile. She and Will were responsible for the shift of emotion.
But Anna remained wary. They’d done one trick, and although it was an unbelievable one, it wasn’t enough to save the entire land of Misteria from falling prey to Malzador’s army. They blew up two Gargoyles. Meanwhile, gathering at the Crystal Castle were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dark and evil creatures—if the mole was to be believed.
Rhyder interrupted her thoughts by clearing his throat, his tall fram
e moving away from them. Using magic of his own, he created two oval boulders, the size of a Middling, about fifty yards away.
“Do we get to blow those up too?” Will said with too much enthusiasm.
Rhyder flashed him a smile. “No. I want you to practice putting protective shields around these.”
Without hesitation, Anna called her power. She was just about to throw her emerald flame at her stone when Will grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
“You can’t just throw it without thinking. It’s dangerous.”
“I know that,” Anna spoke, quenching the fire. The crowd stirred, and her face warmed with embarrassment. “I was doing what he told me to do, and I was thinking.”
“Sorry,” Will said, letting go.
Too much was dependent on them and their success, and right now, all eyes were waiting and watching with great expectation. Such a heavy burden on two young shoulders.
Rhyder came and stood in front of her. “Your power is still new, but I do feel that you’re a quick learner, like your mother.” Anna’s heart warmed. “All you need to do is focus. Your mind must be as strong as your power, and when honed, will be precise. Anytime you call your power, you must be in control at all times, telling your power to do exactly as you command.” His hand gestured to the rock. “Right now, you will command it to put a barrier of protection around your stone.”
Everyone around them remained quiet and still, waiting and watching.
“Ready?” Will asked, his sapphire flame already hovering above his open palm.
Anna sighed and gazed into the crowd, at the hundreds of eager and expectant faces. “Yeah, we have no pressure at all.”
“Just pretend we’re alone,” he whispered.
Anna blew out a long breath. “I’ll try.”
“We can do this.”
Anna called her flame, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She pulled her arm back and aimed for her target, her mind visualizing her power wrapping around the stone ahead of her. She watched Will set his sapphire flame free and then did the same.
As soon as Will’s flame reached the stone, it exploded. Shards of rubble shot everywhere, causing the surrounding crowd to scream and take cover. When Anna’s emerald flame connected with hers, it wrapped itself around the stone like a sheer covering.