by Blair Drake
"Keep going."
Pressure. Pushing at his mind, his body, the diamond. His heart started beating raggedly. It was too much. It was not enough.
"There you are," said Dameron's voice, sounding utterly delighted.
The diamond fractured in their hands, and Elijah was thrown backward as an enormous force punched into him.
Chapter 20
"Elijah?" Zoe called. "Elijah?"
Something slapped his cheek.
"Is he breathing?" A male voice, rough with the Thanasi accent. "Maybe I should breathe into his mouth?"
Yeorfac. Elijah scrambled upright, hands raking the air. "God.... no."
He winced. It wasn't Zoe.
Zora looked down at him in concern, as she helped prop him into a sitting position. Elijah's head ached, and his hand hurt. He needed a moment.
"That did it," Zandui said, with a smile.
They were all there. Malalie and Rutrik stared at him over Zandui's shoulder, and Yeorfac looked like he was packing his pipe in sheer disbelief that they'd all survived. Elijah slumped as memory rushed back in. "The Yarlstone.... Did we destroy it?"
Zora bit her lip, and handed him what appeared to be a third of the Yarlstone. "It broke," she said. "You and Ezra got your hands on it at exactly the same time. The Grand Master doesn't know who won, and the Pasternakians are in an uproar because the Yarlstone's ruined, and the other teams are claiming sabotage."
Elijah finally caught sight of the world around him. The courtyard lay in ruins, with crumpled heaps of stone everywhere. A bull's head stared at him, from where it lay separated from its body, and one of the corner towers was on fire. An enormous wall looked like it had been smashed outward, and the palace—
The palace's main dome was gone. Simply gone.
"Did you do all of that?" he asked in wonder. Then paused. "Did I do all that?"
"No. There was this huge explosion of force when the diamond broke apart, and it knocked half the palace down." Zora looked around, soot staining her cheek. A faint smile curled over her mouth. "The dome seemed to belong to the Pasternakian Mage Academy. A true shame."
"Where's Ezra?"
Zandui looked across the yard, to the small group encircling the Grand Master. "I was hoping he'd die, but they seem to have gotten him breathing again. He took the brunt of it."
"That's because he was shielding me," Elijah muttered.
"What?" Three voices echoed at once.
"Long story," he said grumpily, waving a hand. "My hand's hurting. And my head. Help me up."
Zandui hauled him to his feet. "I suggest you abbreviate your story," he said tensely. "We need to know the truth if we're to push Thanasi's claim for the rights of the Ascension."
"The second we grabbed the diamond we both woke up in some sort of mental palace Asphodel trapped Dameron within, inside the Yarlstone. Dameron's the reason any mage who touched the stone went mad. He's been leeching their power to gain his strength, and as soon as he was strong enough he started sucking Current through the Yarlstone." Elijah took a deep breath to continue. "Homeboy and I swiftly worked out it was either join forces or become snack time for Dameron."
"In Orythinican, thanks," Zora muttered.
"Ezra's not the enemy. He and I worked together to break the Yarlstone and destroy Dameron. For good this time."
"But you're the Catalyst," Zora protested. "You're the one who was supposed to break it and bring peace to the lands."
Elijah gave a rough laugh. "I finally figured out what the Keeper meant when he said something I would learn at the Black Keep would be important. I was never meant to do this alone. Fire and ice. I always needed Ezra if I was going to win."
Ezra sat on a piece of Minotaur, his head in his hands. He looked up when Elijah and the others approached, and suddenly drew himself up straighter.
"You've seen better days," Elijah said, and then gestured to his eye. "Nice shiner. Want some ice?"
"I think I've had my share of it." Ezra scowled, and managed to unfold himself to his full height. "And I could say the same for you. Half your hair is burned away."
Elijah jerked a hand to his head. Not the curls. His fingers met roughened frizz on the left side. "Damn it."
The Grand Master turned upon him sharply, and it looked like he'd spent half the night at a KISS concert. His guyliner was leaking down his face like it wanted to escape. "And you!" he said, stabbing a finger in the air toward Elijah.
He'd had more than his fair share of teacher's using that tone.
"Helped save the Nine Lands, destroyed Dameron, kicked some evil undead mageborn ass, and...." He waggled his eyebrows up and down. "Did it in style."
The GM looked like his head was about to explode.
"Let us talk," Zandui said hurriedly, "about what happened here. This Ascension has not been like all the others, and Thanasi would like to stake its claim."
"We lost the Ascension and saved the world." Elijah kicked his feet against the stone walls of the palace as he and Zora stared out at the city of Yasmene. "I don't know about you, but I'm just happy to be alive."
The city was kind of gorgeous, now he'd survived. Even Zora had grudgingly admitted Yasmene had its good points, though the 'cheating, mageborn scum' soured its appeal.
Zandui and the Grand Master were probably still arguing about the Ascension, and Zandui had threatened to challenge the powdered, pampered Grand Master to a duel. Zandui had snapped. Too much meditation and Zen or something, clearly wasn't good for a guy. Yeorfac was trying to keep him from spilling Pasternakian blood on the marble floors, which was possibly the weirdest thing to come out of this entire journey.
And there'd been a lot of weird.
The best was yet to come.
Boot heels echoed ominously.
Elijah looked up as Ezra stalked along the walls of the palace toward the pair of them, his black cloak flaring out around him mysteriously. He'd somehow managed to freshen up, and his dark hair hung rakishly across his brow like he'd ducked away for a moment to style it.
Elijah made a mental note to ask Zoe to create an all-black costume for him. He didn't think he could nail Ezra's strut, but black looked good on them.
Zora sucked in a sharp breath beside him, as if she agreed.
"Come to cheat us out of our share of the reward?" Elijah called.
Ezra's gaze flattened. "I tried to mention your valor."
It had clearly felt like having a tooth pulled.
"Valor?" Zora climbed to her feet, one hand on her sword hilt. "You speak of valor?"
Elijah sprang up, grabbing hold of her arm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Princess Z. Back it down."
"Princess Z?" Ezra said, looking her up and down. "Doesn't look like a princess to me."
"Why you.... Pasternakian mageborn scum," Zora growled.
"Thanasian savage," Ezra replied coldly.
"Mincing, perfumed popinjay."
Ezra straightened, his eyes alighting with heat. "Backwater brat."
Zora drew an inch of steel, stepping right into Ezra's face, until they were probably breathing the same air. "Any time, mage boy," she said, in the softest, deadliest tone Elijah had ever heard from her. "I will take you any time you're ready."
Elijah's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, man, I'm sensing vibes here."
"Vibes?" they both demanded.
He held his hands up. "Don't shoot the messenger. I think you'd look good together."
Zora looked like she wanted to push him—or Ezra, she didn't seem too fussy—off the wall.
Ezra's eyes narrowed, but the look he shot Zora... turned considering.
Good luck, Evil Elijah. You are going to need it.
"My uncle has conceded," Ezra said. "He's granted the Ascension was a draw."
"Did you have anything to do with that?"
Ezra's lips thinned. "I spoke before the court. He will not be pleased with me, but it wasn't.... I couldn't claim all the accolades. It would be cheating."
Elijah bumped hi
s knuckles against Ezra's startled hand. "Nature versus nurture. I knew you had it in you."
"That makes one of us," Zora muttered.
Ezra examined her once again, and when he smiled it looked utterly evil. "You should be thanking me. If I hadn't spoken up, you wouldn't be returning to Thanasi with the reward money or any accolades. If you wish to kiss the tip of my boot—"
"Dude. Quit while you're ahead," Elijah stage whispered, making a throat-slashing gesture.
"I'll thank you," Zora said sweetly, "the second you're out of my sight. For good."
If anything, Ezra's smile grew wider. "What a shame.... Princess Z, was it? It appears I'm going to be the new ambassador to Thanasi. My uncle thinks it a punishment, but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy flaunting myself in your city."
Definitely vibes.
"Nice work, Zandui," Elijah said, as they all stared at the well that would take them back to Thanasi. Dark clouds hovered over the walled garden where the well lay. "I hear the GM wants you out of his city as soon as possible, no matter how many concessions he has to make to Thanasi."
Yeorfac grinned. "All these times you tell me to master myself, and maintain my calm...."
"That's enough," Zandui growled.
"It was epic," Elijah said. "The stuff legends are made of. The servants are already whispering about how you threatened to rip the GM's tongue out of his mouth and wrap it around his throat."
"Oh, I like the story about how you threatened to nail his feet to the floor," Zora added.
"I swear you all make my head ache." Zandui scowled. "I'm returning to the monastery after this and locking myself away with my scrolls and my books until the Nine Lands have forgotten this entire, cursed Ascension."
Elijah grinned and cuffed him on the shoulder. "We love you, Z."
"You just wish me to activate the well."
"Well, there's that too."
Lightning cracked in the sky as Zandui knelt at the edge of the well, and started powering the glyphs.
"Strange weather," Rutrik said. The brother and sister had thrown off their Havistockian ties and had taken up Zora's offer of a home in Thanasi.
A tingle of anticipation ran down Elijah's spine. He took two steps, his hair whipping around his face as he stared up at the clouds. It looked like something was swirling up there.
Was it...?
No. He didn't dare hope. He'd been focusing on the aftermath of the Ascension, and trying to recover from Dameron's magical assault. But the Keeper had said there wouldn't be able to be another portal until Dameron was overthrown and the balance of the Current restored.
Well, he'd done that.
"What is it?" Zora asked, stepping up to his side.
An enormous wind funnel swept down out of the sky.
His amulet began to glow.
Elijah looked up.
"Elijah?" Zora said.
A portal. A portal home. Wind picked at his clothes and Elijah's heart lifted. It was happening. He was finally going home. Then he looked around.
"Go," Zora said softly, her eyes gleaming with tears. Happy tears. For him.
He grabbed her into a hug, and then dragged Yeorfac in too. Zandui was next, and even Malalie and Rutrik.
His eyes were burning when he stepped back. "I'll never forget you guys." A little piece of him wanted to stay.
"And we will never forget you," Zandui said.
"Maybe." Yeorfac gave a shrug, then grinned, as if to show he was being sarcastic.
Elijah felt like his entire world had changed in a matter of days.
Finals. The baby. His Dad. It would all work out in the end, and he knew he could handle what lay in his future.
Zoe.
The vision from the Well of Hope filled him. He was going to choose to believe it would come true. But he'd miss these guys.
"Think of us," Zora said, "when you play your LARP with your Zoe. Now go! Before the portal closes."
He suddenly understood why the guy in charge of Legends of Orynthica had continued trying to write the story of Orynthica. Maybe it was a way to pretend he was back in this world with the friends he'd made when he'd been here.
Elijah turned and dashed toward the wind funnel. It swept toward him, stirring the leaves and sending petals flying through the air. Throwing his arms over his head, he threw himself into the funnel.
The wind plucked him off the ground, sweeping him up. He felt like he was parachuting backwards, his hair fluttering down over his face. Elijah grabbed the amulet, trying to think of Zoe.
"I'm coming home, babe."
"Elijah?"
Then he was spinning out of control, his stomach somersaulting, and a strange buzzing filling his ears. Blackness swept over him, making his stomach drop.
He was going home.
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The Finding Magic Series
Melissa's Quest: http://littl.ink/+YBlO
Reese's Quest: http://littl.ink/+A3Mr
Jaspers's Quest: http://littl.ink/+oBl7
Elijah's Quest: http://littl.ink/+n7Ee
Dylan's Quest: http://littl.ink/+DxN6
Natasha's Quest: http://littl.ink/+vxo0
Piper's Quest: http://littl.ink/+9KM8
Rebecca’s Quest: http://littl.ink/+5AMR
Alex's Quest: http://littl.ink/+eK9l
Annalise's Quest: http://littl.ink/+PzvB
Sneak Peek at Dylan’s Quest…
The morning hadn’t gone as Dylan planned, in any way. It all started when he tried to hear what the other students were whispering about.
Dylan put the back of the chair up against the door in case his roommate came back. Every once in a while, he looked back to make sure it was still in place. Like the chair was going to move of its own volition. It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong, but it was his secret. He discovered it a few months ago. He’d attended the school for years, and yet he only recently realized many things, this being one of them.
So much secrecy the last month or so, and he could hear the whispering. Then there were the looks and sudden silence. Something was going on, and he started listening without being seen. He looked outside at the black night. He hadn’t seen the stars, moon, or even the sun for almost as long as he could hear the whispering in the walls. He was sure he wasn’t supposed to hear them, and he knew they weren’t ghosts. He recognized a few of the boys’ voices.
They talked about darkness and evil, and how they hadn’t seen anything like it before. They wondered what they did wrong. Several of them talked about Hettie (they never called her Hettie in front of Headmaster Auster) not giving them straight answers. They were going to find the answers themselves. This made Dylan wonder what they’d have to do to find those answers. Could he help?
There was talk of passing some test, and they should be allowed to know more. What challenge, Dylan thought. He loved a good challenge. His grades showed as much. He had the highest grade in his quantum physics class for
his paper on the likelihood of parallel universes. Headmaster Auster called him into his office to discuss his reasoning, and where he came up with it.
He felt like he was in a parallel universe since he was forced to leave his home and come to Gray Cliffs. He’d been there since seventh grade, and now he was a senior.
He begged his parents not to make him go to boarding school. He promised to be good. Even though they assured him it wasn’t his uncontrolled temper and lashing out making them decide on Gray Cliffs, he knew different. His dad was sent to GCA when he was twelve. He was a handful, too. The school changed him, and so they sent him away for the same reason, he knew it.
Then again, his mom was the perfect child, at least according to her, and she was sent to GCA, too. It was where his parents met.
Dylan’s dad said he hated it at first, but it grew on him, and by the time he graduated, he wanted to stay forever. Dylan highly doubted that would happen to him. The place was weird and creepy, and yet he had to admit, intriguing. He liked wandering the halls in the early mornings and watching the sun come up from one of the closed wings in the uber-mansion. He wasn’t supposed to be in that part of the school, but somehow, he found himself there in the middle of the night. Sleepwalking? He had no idea. But he loved the solitude.
At a school as big as Gray Cliffs, there was never any real solitude. Case in point: he pressed the chair up against the door of his dorm room so his roommate wouldn’t walk in on him. Not that it mattered because he didn’t have to explain what was going on.
Once, about two weeks ago, he called his dad to ask why the weather turned so cold and menacing, almost evil. His dad laughed and said, “Evil is a strange choice of words, son. What makes you say that?” Dylan changed the subject because something in his dad’s voice scared him.
An hour later, his mom called to make sure he was okay. He said he wanted to come home, just for a visit. Take a few days away from school. His grades were good, and he could easily catch up. She made some lame excuse, saying they had something going on, but maybe next month would be better. Sometimes, he wondered if they were ever going to let him come home for good. As it was, he’d only been home three or four times a year since he was shipped to this godforsaken island.
