Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [21]
Before it sounded again, she’d closed the book in her hand. As the cover dropped down on the thick pages, a letter fell out. She’d caught it in her fingers, holding it tight as she’d turned it over. The envelope was the colour of cornsilk with a blood-red seal on one side and dark blue writing on the other—a flowery script spelling out the name Nellion Paree in flamboyant loops and jags. She had dropped it into her bag while backing down the ladder, no time to give it more thought. They’d been called to another world, loud and clear, and the need was urgent.
After packing some basic supplies and sending a quick message to Kreshkali, they’d sailed south to the Gulf of Tasisia. Even though the distance to the mainland was shorter to the north, a current ripped through the strait, making it impossible to cross. The only way to and from the Isle of Lemur was the Port of Tuscaro at the south end of the Gulf. It took a little coaxing to get Drayco back on board, but the Azul Sea was smooth and calm, the breeze filling the sails. The next morning they’d made their way to Flureon by coach—two days’ travel with a good team.
‘This is another reason why we need those maps,’ Jarrod had said. ‘There would be a portal on Lemur, surely.’
‘If there is, it’s hiding,’ Rosette had said.
They’d slipped into the portal above Bastis Point, trusting the Entity to take them where they were needed. Now Gaela was far behind, and what lay ahead, Rosette had no idea. Jarrod had been right in front of her. It didn’t make sense that he wasn’t there now.
She kept one hand on the rock wall, the other on her sword hilt, and squinted into the distance. ‘Is that the light up ahead that you’re talking about, Dray?’
You can see it?
‘I can. It must be the way out.’
I certainly hope so, Maudi.
A pinprick of light showed in the distance. The ground rumbled beneath her and she tripped over the uneven rocks. Drayco waited for her to scramble up again before breaking into a jog.
‘Jarrod must be waiting for us at the entrance.’
If he is, he’s not answering me.
The mouth of the cave widened as they approached.
Something’s not right, Maudi.
She slowed, dropping her hand from the wall and drawing her sword. It sang as it cut through the air, glinting in the increasing light. Holding it in a guard position, she rested her other hand on Drayco, feeling the tension in his neck.
I don’t think the sword’s going to be of much use, though.
‘Why not?’
You can’t fight a mountain with it, and right now, the mountain is the problem.
A tremor shook, the ground rolling like a wave.
‘What was that?’ she whispered, gripping the hilt with both hands.
Feels like an earthquake to me. A big one.
Rocks tumbled around them.
‘Run!’ she screamed.
The ground churned as she bolted towards the opening. Pebbles and dirt rushed down the walls, turning into torrents that piled in mounds of debris. Dust billowed and she choked, the taste of chalk in her mouth. The ground opened up behind them, and they raced to stay ahead of the rifts. The acrid smell of sulphur filled the air.
The entrance was only a breath away. It framed a landscape of twisted trees and swamp. Tangles of branches were draped with sea-green moss, hanging like tattered kelp at low tide. A murder of crows took flight from bare limbs as they approached, their squawks and caws drowning out all but the tearing ground.
‘Keep going!’ Rosette yelled as the roar of the cracking mountain hammered her ears.
They burst through the entrance onto a narrow track and skirted the cliff face. There was no sign of Jarrod, and no time to investigate.