The Burning Kingdoms by Sally Green

Author:Sally Green
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2020-08-24T16:00:00+00:00

I’ve no idea what that means, but I’m betting this tunnel leads wherever the demons are.

Tash headed along this larger tunnel, which corkscrewed downward as if it was drilling into the center of the earth. Tash had a bad feeling about it, but also a strange urge to go on, her feet carrying her down the slope faster and faster until she finally forced herself to stop. She closed her eyes and realized she knew what was ahead. It was the core of smoke. The wisp she had inside her knew it. It wanted to go there. It needed to go there.

Was that what the new sign meant? That this was the way to the core?

Tash, slowly and silently, moved down the tunnel until it straightened, and she could see far ahead.

Shits.

At the end of the tunnel was a wide chamber filled with lots of demons. They all stood together in a line, holding hands, with their backs to her. The room sloped away from her and, at the very front, Tash could see a bright purple light.

It was the core—the base of it, the source of the smoke.

As Tash watched, the demon at the furthest end of the group let go of his neighbors’ hands, leaped into the core, and instantly vanished.

They’re returning to the core. Returning to the smoke.

And Tash could feel inside herself an urge to follow them.

No. Do not do that. Turn round and get out.

And yet a part of her wanted to join the demons.

I’m not a demon. I’m human.

Tash put her hands on the stone walls and forced her body to turn. She ran back up to the terraces, only able to think clearly when she was away from the core.

What were the demons doing? It made no sense. They should be fighting the Brigantines, not giving up.

As she reached her tunnel entrance, she spotted a de-mon’s face peering over a ledge far above. Then she saw another. Then a third. She scanned for more but that was all—three.

So not all of them are going back into the core—at least not yet.

Had they spotted her? And if so, what would they do? Tash moved back out of sight, but as she did, another familiar figure came out of a tunnel far below.

Frost.

The girl who had been helping the Brigantines was with the same soldier Tash had seen her with the first time. They went to the central core and walked round it, the soldier touching Frost’s arm—communicating something. Then Frost pointed up, high above Tash. The soldier looked where she pointed and shook his head, then suddenly seized Frost and dragged her close to the edge, as if he was going to throw her into the core. She kicked and struggled, and the soldier laughed—a harsh, clanging sound—and threw her to the ground before walking away, back into the tunnel he’d come out of.

Frost sat on the ground and rubbed her face. Then she picked up a bottle and went to stand at the

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