The Agama Stone seemed to sing within Opal’s heart, and it was singing victory! They had done it! Fallmoon Gap was free and the Crystal Tree was saved.
“Yield, witch!” commanded Opal. “We’ve finally got you!”
Amina looked away with a grimace of defeat. Opal surveyed her allies with a big smile.
Everything seemed settled. Luka walked up to Opal. She felt a wave of love pass between them. She waited for his embrace. Then Luka grabbed the silver chain holding the Agama Stone, and cut it free with a slash of his dagger.
“Luka, no!” screamed Opal. She lunged for the necklace as he resheathed his dagger.
Luka raised his rifle at Opal’s head. She stopped in her tracks.
“Opal, you were never going to defeat her—there is too much at stake. Back up against the tree or I’ll shoot you down.”
Silverback roared and lunged at Luka.
Before the wereboar reached him, Amina apported from the withering vines, rematerialized right beside Opal, and hit Silverback with a devastating blast of magic.
The strike seemed deadly. Silverback hit the ground hard and collapsed.
Opal screamed out as her father began to transform. He changed from Silverback to the Ranger, and a small knucklebone fell into the dirt where he had once been.
Amina sauntered over, picked up the knucklebone, placed it inside her cloak, and turned to Opal.
“He was no worthy husband to Sanura, and he failed you as a father. It’s better he’s gone,” she said in a tone that was almost motherly.
“Luka, why?” despaired Opal. “She’s our enemy!”
She looked into his eyes, but the handsome young man who she still, even in this moment, felt affection for, was a million miles gone.
“YOU’RE A TRAITOR!” bellowed Opal. “YOU’RE THE SPY!”
Luka was angry. “I told you! Power has to be used. You never understood that. But she does!” he screamed.
“You helped her attack Liberty Creek? All those good people dead!”
“Someone had to the clear the way for my takeover! I will lead our people to a new life. Liberty Creek will rise, stronger than it has ever been! We will fix the rifts and make it the best city in the whole of the Veil—more important and more powerful than even Fallmoon Gap!” he gloated. A devilish smile twisted across his handsome face.
“Tie her to the tree,” commanded Amina.
Luka spun his rifle and hit Opal with the butt of it. She stumbled backward into the base of the Crystal Tree. Amina conjured a rope. It materialized beside Luka. He reached around Opal and the tree and began wrapping the rope in layers, until she was held firmly in place.
Opal shook her eyes at him. When he leaned in closer, she whispered in his ear. “She’s going to kill you too. You know that right?”
He ignored her and continued tightening the ropes.
“She always kills the people I love.”
Luka quickly jerked away and stared at Opal. Opal tried to hold back her tears, but some slipped through and rolled down her cheeks. For the first time, he looked off guard. It seemed her confession had stirred something in him, but he handed Amina the necklace anyway.
The conjurer laughed at the two young people.
“Young love—pathetic! But how else to get close to you? You are filled with so much anger, girl! I would’ve never been able to take Agama. You’re just too powerful. But like all young women, you’re a fool for love—that was your weakness! This old powerstone just won’t work on those that you love.”
Before Opal could say another word. Amina lunged and stabbed her in the shoulder, pinning her to the tree with the starstone dagger. Opal screamed in pain. Amina ignored it, grabbed the handle, and twisted it deeper into Opal and the tree. The pain was overwhelming. Opal wanted to die, but rage churned through her like electricity.
“Go ahead, kill me, Amina. At least our battle will be over. But others will fight you. They will never let you destroy the Veil.”
“Destroy the Veil? I never wanted to destroy the Veil. Just consider me the new gardener. I’m pruning the magic from it. I’m going to store it up for the winter that is coming to this land. Store it up in myself!”
“You’re a liar! My mother knew it and I know it. You want revenge so bad you are willing to destroy the Crystal Tree!”
“Well now we see you’re just as stupid as your dead mother. I don’t want to destroy this lovely little tree. That would be foolish. Why that would destroy me. A true conjurer draws power from the energy of the living, not from the dead. I have no death wish! In fact, I’d prefer to live forever. And you, my dear, will help me do that.”
“But I thought—”
“You thought what I wanted you to think! It was all laid out very long ago. I needed you right here, in this moment, pinned to this tree with this starstone dagger, to complete the harvesting spell.”
“YOU’RE A LIAR!”
“Oh, I know you think Jakob and the Council Prime and its little army have been protecting you, but that’s not true! Only through you, Stone Wielder, can this sorcery work. You are the magical channel. I was the one pushing you back here all along—it was always that way!”
Amina conjured a new spell and a magical doorway cracked open in front of the tree.
“Perhaps you remember your dear friends?”
In that instant, the trinity of hellish wraiths appeared. One floated forward and spun into the form of kindly housemother Kitfell.
“The perfect room for you, dear,” it intoned in a nightmarish duplication of Ms. Kitfell’s sweet voice. “With the best view of the tree in the whole cathedral!” It smiled, exposing a ghastly set of black fangs. Then it exploded into a tiny mushroom cloud of dark smoke.
The second wraith rolled forward, transforming into a perfect version of Erin Prismore. It held out a beautiful bouquet of dogwood blossoms and spoke to Opal. “The communion crystals are not for everyone,” it sneered. Especially your mother’s. That one has a secret purpose. The blooms turned black and crumbled into a clutch of rot. Erin melted away into a skeletal horror that disappeared in a twist of black smoke.
Opal was shocked that she had been so easily fooled by Amina’s illusions.
The third wraith appeared on the other side of Opal. It was the nasty nurse from the healing ward, and she was holding Eltheon.
Eltheon moaned. The plague of infection had now blackened every bit of exposed skin, and her eyes were red like those of a Feratu. The wraith dropped her at the base of the tree, just out Opal’s reach. She hit with a dull thud and screamed in pain.
Opal knew that this was not another illusion. That was her friend, and she was nearly dead. She pulled away from the tree. She didn’t care if the dagger ripped through her shoulder. In spite of her fury, she couldn’t break free.
The wraith spun toward Opal and mocked her.
“Yes, I will watch her, just as you demand! I know exactly how to help. Two drops of Feratu venom each hour, on the hour. Doesn’t it work nicely? See what she has become!”
The wraith cackled hellishly, spun away, and exploded. Black ash rained down on Eltheon, who remained at the base of the tree rolling back and forth, moaning in agony.
“YOU ARE A MONSTER!” Opal screamed at Amina.
Amina just smiled. She took the Agama Stone and held it with great care before Opal. She began to chant the spell. Then she did what no one would have ever expected: she hung the Agama Stone back on Opal’s neck and gripped the handle of the dagger with all her strength.
“Here, my dear. Would a monster return your precious necklace?” she asked calmly.
Opal had no idea why Amina had given her the powerstone, but she didn’t care. It was the only thing that would end this madness.
“Now do what you do so well. Do what your pathetic mother would not. FIGHT!” said Amina. “Fight me! Kill me! Attack! Or you will never save your friend!”
“Do it, Opal!” yelled Luka. “For once, think about someone besides your
self! Fight Amina! Save Eltheon!”
Opal did just that. She focused on the Agama Stone and its magic power began to surge through her furiously.
Amina leaned into Opal, gripping the starstone dagger ever tighter. From the handle, the magic began to pour into the conjurer. She seemed to be in a state of intense pleasure, sucking all of it into her body. She repeated her chant. There was a radiant flare and the magic moved faster. The limbs of the quartz tree began to quake and crack. The quartz blooms exploded all over the tree.
Amina was changing color, from the purple of amethyst, to indigo, to sapphire, to emerald. She radiated like a rainbow, turning every color that the Agama Stone manifested.
Opal could feel the power passing from the tree, through her body, through the starstone, and out into Amina. With each second, it seemed to move faster into the witch’s body. And it didn’t let up. It rushed like the mighty White River after winter had thawed. It plunged deep into the black heart of the witch, turning her body into a battery, storing every drop of magic the tree could offer.
Amina whispered into Opal’s ear. “Your mother was a coward! She left me by that river when I needed her the most, and she has left you here to die alone. But maybe you’re stronger than her? How brave are you, Ashiah? Can you kill me before I destroy everything you care about?”
Opal’s hate for Amina boiled over. Red like raging fire!! The battle erupted into a mystical tug-of-war. Opal pushed the fiery magic out to destroy the dagger and Amina, and just as she thought she was winning, Amina pushed back, absorbing the attack.
Amina stretched out a hand and flame-spiders exploded from her fingers, incinerating Foxkiller. The wereboar was gone in a cloud of fire and ash. Amina just laughed as the echoes of the screaming man reverberated through the tree.
On the other side, Eltheon was actually being healed. The magic from the Agama Stone burned away the infection. Eltheon was almost her full self again. She was moving around and beginning to open her eyes.
Amina watched Opal. Opal watched Eltheon and kept the magic flowing. Amina grinned like she was impressed with Opal’s resolve. She chanted the spell again.
“From the vengeful heart the lithomancer dies,” Amina whispered, “You know how to give it right back, don’t you!”
Opal heard those words and was hit with a sudden realization. She remembered that Hud had said the same thing. The words of his last lecture came back to her.
There is a time to fight, and there is a time to walk away. You don’t have to fight every battle, and you sure as heck don’t have to do it alone. That’s what family is for!
She had fought to prove herself all her life. She hated letting anything get the best of her, but this time she knew, without a doubt, she would never stop Amina this way. It was her desire for revenge that Amina was exploiting.
Opal willed the powerstone to shut down, and it did. The great magical battle for power suddenly stopped.
“What are you doing, Ashiah? Don’t just stand. FIGHT ME!” Amina slapped Opal viciously across the face.
“You’re going to let your friend die—HEAL HER!” Amina screamed.
“No more,” Opal said resolutely.
The Agama Stone had been protecting her from the pain of the dagger and much more. Now that the magic had stopped, a great wave of pain washed over her. It was excruciating.
The same thing happened to her friend. The amethyst energy faded like river fog being burned away by the sun. The Feratu venom crept back over Eltheon’s body, until it finally overwhelmed her. Something terrible began to happen. Eltheon arched her back and convulsed in pain. She screamed out. Was she finally dying?
It was horrible but Opal knew without a doubt she was making the right choice. This spell had to be broken for everyone’s sake, even though she and Eltheon were suffering.
Amina was in a panic and trying to draw more power from the tree. Opal noticed the color and magic that had been radiating from her was now dissipating. The Veil’s power was reversing course and draining Amina’s life force with it. Her cheeks caved in and the bones of her hands became more defined as her skin tightened around them. The witch withered the more Opal resisted her desire to fight back.
“From the vengeful heart the conjurer dies,” Opal said, parroting Amina’s spell in her familiar snarky tone.
Amina slapped Opal again. Opal took the blow and turned her head away from the witch. As she did, she saw the face of a true friend.
He was hiding in the corner. When their eyes connected, he smiled. He was carrying two of Zawnder’s best pistols, and he was ready.
“I guess it’s time for plan B,” Tirian yelled. “You can do it! Just like you practiced!” He jumped from his hiding place and ran toward Luka. He fired one pistol before Luka could react. The shot hit Luka’s rifle and it fell out of his hands.
“NOW, OPAL! NOW!” Tirian yelled.
Opal closed her eyes and grabbed part of the tree.
Black like the night, the Opal is the alchemist’s delight.
The Agama Stone lost all its color and its magic began to swirl like two black snakes swimming in ink. Amazingly, pure silver began to spread from Opal’s hand to the bark of the Crystal Tree.
The silver continued down over the roots and out to the limbs, then over the leaves. It didn’t stop there. It crawled up the starstone dagger and onto Amina’s hand. She screamed like she was being burned.
The silver was nullifying the spell. Opal prayed that what she was doing wouldn’t kill the tree, but she had to make sure Amina could never use this spell again.
Luka looked on in shock.
“Oh yeah, since I’ve known about your deal with Amina for awhile, I thought we’d forget to tell you about this part of the plan. Traitor!” Tirian’s massive fist hit Luka in the face. Luka fell backward, unconscious.
With the other pistol, Tirian shot Sanura’s communion crystal and the disc shattered in an explosion of magic. All the creatures that had invaded the cathedral disappeared in a pop.
The secretly enchanted communion stone that had allowed Amina to penetrate Tirian’s protection fields was finally destroyed.
In the next instant, Opal grabbed Amina, and they both disappeared.
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A portal opened and Opal fell from mid-air onto one of the cave’s ledges. The temperature dropped instantly. The air was frigid and the rock ledge was slick. It was illuminated in an eerie glow by the Helixflow, which stood like a giant column next to the ledge.
A second later, Amina fell out of the portal and right on top of Opal. The starstone dagger clacked onto the rock ledge beside them. Amina straddled Opal. Her face was horribly changed. She looked like a living skeleton. With great effort, she illuminated the cave with one last burst of black magic.
Opal screamed at the witch, “NO! IT’S OVER, AMINA!”
Amina hit Opal in her wounded shoulder and Opal cried out. She felt herself unconsciously send power out from the stone in self-defense. Amina absorbed every bit of the magic, and she reached out for the starstone blade. It rose off the ground and flew into her hand.
“The spell is not complete!” she yelled.
Amina threatened to plunge the dagger into Opal’s chest.
“You’ve spoiled it, but I’ll complete it without you,” she said venomously. “First, you die!”
Before Amina could strike, a small Feratu appeared out of the dark. It launched itself into Amina. It dug its claws into her shoulders and sank its terrible, venom-laced fangs into her neck. The creature’s eyes looked over Amina’s shoulder at Opal. Opal yelled out in recognition.
“No, it can’t be!”
It was Eltheon.
Even in her monstrous form, her beauty remained. For a short moment, Opal heard Eltheon’s voice in her head.
It’s the only way.
Eltheon buried her fangs deeper and began to feed on Amina.
The conjurer was shocked by the attack, and even more shocked when she found she couldn’t te
ar Eltheon away. Blood and venom flew everywhere as the two grappled. No matter what Amina did, Eltheon’s fangs never left Amina’s neck.
Slowly, methodically, Eltheon drained the witch, and as she did, the remaining magical power went out of the conjurer and into Eltheon. She drank and drank, past her fill.
The witch’s body shrunk and shriveled like a brittle corn stalk burned and curled by the autumn heat.
When the witch was completely still, Eltheon stood up, more than satisfied. With one black-clawed hand, she threw Amina’s broken shell aside. It hit the wall of the cave and crumpled into a pile. All that was left was the torn eggplant cloak and a grotesque thin-skinned bag of bones.
The conjurer was no more.
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Eltheon, on the other hand, hovered near Opal behaving animalistic. She moved about the ledge muttering furiously in Feratu-speak. She was in pain and was confused. She doubled over, unable to contain the power that burning through her veins.
Opal stood up to help, but Eltheon snapped her jaws in protest. The two friends stopped and stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. Eltheon peered into Opal’s eyes like she was looking into the depths of the Blue Spring.
Her leathery new wings unfolded and spread out to their full expanse. She seemed to grow in power. Her toad-colored tongue flicked the air. She clicked out a short speech to other feratu that were buzzing through the dark sky of the cave. They responded by swirling toward her.
During all of this, Eltheon held Opal’s gaze, like she was holding onto the last thread of her humanity. Opal couldn’t help but cry, and through the wet of her eyes, she could see one lone tear form, drip, and roll down Eltheon’s cheek.
The second the tear fell, Eltheon swelled with mystical light. A rift in the Veil broke open behind her and she was sucked into a funnel cloud of magical energy. Opal watched as her friend was squeezed down and torn out beyond an infinite vanishing point. There was a pop of magic, the rift closed, and Eltheon was gone.
Opal Summerfield and The Battle of Fallmoon Gap Page 32
