Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“That is why we are performing the ritual,” Helly said gently. “We should begin our descent. We shouldn’t waste the night.”
Kerrigan patted Tieran’s side. “I will see you when I’m through.”
Tieran shall go with me, Tavry said. Your bond will anchor you in the waters below.
They exchanged a panicked look. They had a crux bond but not a permanent bond. Would this be another test of that?
It’ll be fine, Tieran said, nudging her. I’ll see you below.
She nodded and then sidled up to Kivrin. “Why must everything be a secret with you?”
“I wish that I could have told you about this, but it’s forbidden, except for when the next heir has agreed to the terms of succession.”
“Lovely. Can you tell me what will happen?”
He smiled. “Just believe in yourself, Kerrigan. I already do.”
That hardly helped. She took one look down into the darkened caves and gulped. She was terrified of what lay below. The faerie tale that the child had drowned had always scared her when she was young. She didn’t want to drown to gain healing abilities. She didn’t want to drown at all.
Still, they stepped up to the cave entrance, lighting fires to guide their way through the pitch-black, and began to descend deep into the tunnel. Water grew louder off to the right as they followed the noise deeper into the network of caves. She could hardly see more than a foot in front of her when the noise suddenly grew twice as loud.
Helly held a light up, and Kerrigan looked over a sharp cliff face. The water abruptly came to a stop before cascading into a powerful waterfall hundreds of feet below.
“Gods,” she breathed.
No wonder her people believed that Draíocht was a holy land. She could feel her magic stirring and the rush of the waters—her weakest element—rising to the occasion.
A set of stairs had been painstakingly carved into the side of the rock wall. They were steep and tall and wet, making it more of a hike than a walk, and a precarious one at that in her impractical shoes. Already, her silks were speckled with water from the waterfall. Parris was going to be furious that she had ruined another dress.
Panting and legs burning, they reached the bottom of the stairs. She was upset with all of her training. They had done stairs, but nothing had truly prepared her for that many stairs, and it had been down. What would it be like climbing back up?
Helly threw her light up to the top of the cave, and it illuminated the entire vast underground pool. It was just as she had imagined in the stories. The black rock that made up the cave system was the bottom of the pond, and the water was churning against the far wall by the waterfall. The crystal-clear water was a turquoise blue that expanded out into the darkness.
“It’s incredible,” she confessed.
“Our most holy land,” Helly agreed reverently. “I’ve done healings within the waters for our most injured. I was present for my brother’s transfer to head of household. That is how I was already aware of what was to come. I am glad to be here for yours as well, Kerrigan.”
“Thank you,” she said, stumbling over the words. She looked to her father. “Are you ready for this?”
He took her hand and squeezed. “My daughter, you are going to be magnificent.”
She smiled. “I’m ready.”
Helly directed them into the water until they were roughly waist high. Kerrigan’s dress was never going to survive this, but there was no turning back now.
“We will tip you back in the waters, and I want you to reach for your dragon bond,” Kivrin instructed. “Tieran will help hold you. For those of us who had no bond, it was much more difficult.”
Helly looked sympathetically. “My brother, too, has no bond. I can understand the difficulty for you.”
Kerrigan glanced between them uncertainly. What was about to happen exactly?
“Whatever you do, reach for Tieran,” Helly advised.
“And trust us,” Kivrin said. “We love you.”
Kerrigan bit her lip and then nodded. “All right. I trust you.”
She let them draw her into the water until she was floating on her back. Her red hair drifted out around her head like a crown. She closed her eyes, reaching for the crux bond with Tieran. It wasn’t a real bond. So, she needed to steel herself for what was to come. And … for Helly and Kivrin to likely discover the lie.
I am with you, Tieran told her confidently.
She relaxed further at his voice.
A knife slice cut deep into both arms. She gasped in shock as a rush of blood and pain followed. Then, without warning, Helly and Kivrin held her under the water. She kicked and tried to escape. To breathe. To do anything but be held under the water.