Far beneath the solid, sturdy presence of the mountain, beneath the layers and layers of dirt, rock, and water, she found what she was looking for. Blistering heat turned a layer of rock into molten lava which flowed slowly through the deepest core of Ravenspire.
She gathered her magic and said, “Kaz`zhech. Open a channel to the fire below and let it consume the compound.”
The mountain made a horrible grinding noise, like two enormous slabs of rock scraping against each other. A low rumbling shook the hillside, growing louder by the second. The trees trembling, branches clattering together. Leaves, pinecones, small stones, and dirt shook loose from the mountain and slid down its side.
Safe? Safe! Sasha demanded as she streaked across the sky toward Lorelai, leaving the compound behind.
I’m safe.
Kol snarled, and Lorelai whipped her head around to scan the trees, but the snarl had been in his thoughts, and she could find no trace of him.
The rumbling became a roar, and the scorching heat of the lava tangled with the threads of Lorelai’s magic as it surged upward through the mountain’s core. The compound shook violently, and large chunks of stone tumbled down the mountainside.
The ground beneath her hands heaved, and Gabril grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling as long cracks split the mountain’s skin and exposed the fiery veins of lava that flowed beneath.
“We need to get out of here,” Gabril said.
“One more minute.” Lorelai looked up at the compound and sent her will into the mountain.
The stream of molten rock that was rising within the mountain exploded into the compound and flooded the bunker. Steam hissed, stone cracked and crumbled, and the mountain trembled. And then the lava spewed out of the bunker and covered the courtyard, sending the remaining remnants of the wall sliding down the mountainside. The mountain shuddered once more, a violent rippled that tore through the land above the compound and sent it plummeting onto the courtyard below.
Lorelai whispered her thanks and lifted her hands from the ground. The roar of the lava became a distant rumble and then faded completely. She climbed to her feet and stared at the place where the outpost used to exist.
It was gone. Destroyed down to the last piece of stone. The bunker was sealed off, and every bit of weaponry had been consumed by the molten stone.
Lorelai’s legs shook, and her fingertips were icy as she struggled to pull on her gloves, but she could stand on her own. Walk on her own. She’d done the biggest spell of her life and because the mountain had agreed to be allied with her purposes, the cost to her body was small. She hoped that also meant the cost to the mountain’s heart was small as well.
Must . . . hunt. Kol’s words seared themselves in her mind along with an image of him digging his hands into a tree trunk, trying desperately to keep himself from chasing her.
Killing her.
“Let’s go,” she said as she looked over her shoulder for the huntsman who was losing his battle to spare her life. “It will take us at least three days to walk to the Silber River, and we need to get to that bridge before the soldiers find their bearings and become a cohesive unit again.”
Gabril nodded and turned south. “And the boy?”
“He’ll be hunting me soon. Let’s put as much distance between us as we can while I come up with a plan to deal with him.”
Gabril gave her a look that promised he had a plan of his own if hers failed. They started walking south while Sasha circled above them and somewhere behind them, Kol fought to resist Irina’s magic.
TWENTY-THREE
THE SUN TRACED the stone balcony with thin, golden fingers that did little to dispel the shadows spreading from the gathering twilight. Irina gripped the twisted metal balustrade with both hands and stared at the city—her city—spread out below her like a feast of plump cottages, pretty gabled inns, cobblestoned streets, and cathedral spires that pierced the sky like needles.
The soft glow of lanterns lit to welcome friends and family home dotted the cityscape like tiny golden stars. A gust of wind chased a thread of ice down Irina’s spine, but she refused to shiver.
The sun’s dying glow slid away from the balcony, plunging Irina into shadows. Her gaze followed the remaining light as it sank toward the ground, and her lips pressed together in a thin line when the light lingered in the castle’s garden, sparkling against the white stone monolith that rose from a cluster of starpetals like a sentinel standing guard.
Her heart lurched, tapping against her breastbone like an impatient fist. She pressed one pale fist against her chest in a futile effort to stop the painful pounding and tore her gaze away from the monolith.