Tellus by Tyffany Hackett

Author:Tyffany Hackett [Hackett, Tyffany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732030718
Publisher: Archangel Publishing
Published: 2019-10-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

We were inside less than a minute before the door slammed shut behind us, plunging us into pitch black. A loud stream of profanities slipped from Jyn’s lips before Meryn summoned a ball of flame on her palm. Our eyes needed a few moments to adjust to the dim light, but when they did, my jaw fell slack.

Life grew uninterrupted inside the hollowed-out trunk, even in the darkness. Meryn doused her flame. Before we could protest, light began to spread up the walls and bright yellow stars glittered all around us. I could only see a foot or two in front of me. But a smoothed stone path lay at my feet, disappearing into the plant life that covered the ground. Big, vibrant-colored flowers burst into bloom in the soft patches of light, peeking out from the grass that rose to my waist.

Meryn dropped beside the path, tugging her boots off and draining them into the strangely dry soil. Water sloshed in the heels of my own, so I followed suit, still weighed down by my sopping breeches but grateful for the slight relief. I reluctantly laced them back on and climbed to my feet, following the others to the end of the path. The stones fell off at the base of a set of stairs—one that climbed up before veering to the side, winding farther upward along the side of the trunk, and vanishing into the darker regions above. I shivered at the thought.

“Here, let me.” Camion broke my thoughts, before the fear could get a grip. He gestured to my arm, to the cut feeding a trail of blood to my elbow. I stood unmoving as he cleaned the mess and bandaged it with a strip of cloth.

“Thank you,” I said softly. He brushed a thumb across my cheek with a small half smile.

“They’re mushrooms.” Meryn’s voice drew my eye. She had moved closer to the wall, her face lit with wonder and joy. “Tiny, glowing mushrooms. I’ve never seen anything like them.” Her fingers hovered inches above one, eyes wide, but she hesitated. I raised an eyebrow.

“I assume you’re going to collect a few?” Andimir teased, reading my mind.

“No.” Meryn frowned reluctantly. “I don’t dare risk compromising the Scepter.”

“One small mushroom could compromise the Scepter?”

“You’d be surprised,” I grumbled. Thoughts of rope bridges, a trick floor like quicksand, and the tiny silver key at Meryn’s throat all flickered through my mind. “One misstep and—” I snapped my fingers.

Andimir considered my words, then nodded. “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Probably best,” Jyn said, fidgeting with the hilt of the sword at his waist. “You never know.” He tugged the blade free, poking tentatively at a flower nearby. When Meryn cleared her throat, he shrugged. “Just checking.”

“You know I’d warn you if the plants were going to eat you, right?” Meryn scoffed.

“Yes, and I’m sure I could save myself by shouting my name at them, right?” The corner of his lips twitched.

Meryn poked her nose in the air. “We came out of that fight alive.

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