Obsidian Ridge - Jess Lebow [121]
She hadn't gotten more than two stones removed when a heavy thump and crack shot through the room. Mariko could feel the shockwave shake her body as the citadel tipped over again. The pile of broken stones shifted, and Mariko was forced to dodge between the pieces of obsidian and the huge ruby now falling toward her through the water.
They came slowly at first, but as the Obsidian Ridge shifted farther, they all came free, sliding down in a hail right for Mariko. She dodged as fast as she could, but the water made her movements sluggish, and she couldn't get out of the way. The stones swept her up in their massive wave, carrying her along until they settled on the other side of the chamber.
Debris covered Mariko entirely. The pile had simply turned over on itself as the empty volcano had settled to the bottom of Shalane Lake. Fortunately, the larger, heavier pieces of obsidian had simply slid along the wall. The smaller pieces that had washed over her had been cushioned by the water. The princess had been covered but not crushed by the slide.
Pushing her way out of the stones, her hand brushed against something soft. It was odd, out of place, and clearly not the jagged edge of another obsidian chip. Grabbing hold of it, she pulled it out of the pile.
A bright, white light hit her in the face, and her heart raced. What she'd touched was a hand-one with her personal rune inscribed in light right on its palm.
She'd found him.
His eyes were closed, and his mouth was open, but he didn't move. Digging as fast as she could, she uncovered Quinn's limp frame. As he came free, he flopped over into her arms.
Grabbing the back of his head, she pressed her lips to his, willing the magic of her spell into his body. Her kiss lasted a long time, and she held him tight to her chest, all the while hoping beyond hope that she had reached him in time, afraid that if she opened her eyes or let him go the magic would fail, and he would be lost forever.
But Quinn did not move. He did not spring to life and wrap her in a tight embrace. He lay still, limp and cold in her arms.
Finally, Mariko let him go, setting his head back on the ruined stone. She touched his cheek. They'd only spent a few stolen moments together, but he had gone to the edge of the world to save her. If she could, she would do the very same thing for him now.
+++++
Rising from the water, Princess Mariko pulled Quinn's lifeless body up onto the rocky shore and slumped down beside him. Laying back, she looked up at the blue sky, now devoid of the ominous black shadow from the Obsidian Ridge.
"I wish you could see it," she said, taking hold of his hand. "I don't think we ever saw the daylight together."
Mariko felt a heaviness settle over her. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she looked at his slumped, silent body. Despite her best efforts, he was gone. They never had a chance.
Suddenly, Quinn sat straight up, spitting out water and gasping for air.
"Quinn!" Mariko's heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
He rolled over onto his side, empting his lungs and stomach of liquid. "Yes, I heard you," he said between gagging fits. "It's quite lovely. The sky."
"You're alive!" shouted the princess.
After his heaving stopped, Quinn nodded. "Yes." Struggling to get to his feet, he gabbed Mariko by the shoulder for balance. "Let's go make sure everyone else is too."
Epilogue
Spring returned to Erlkazar.
Xeries's death had brought with it the end of his spell. The dried grasses and dead flowers awakened from their slumber. Within days of the Obsidian Ridge crashing from the sky, the Llorbauth valley was back in full bloom.
Quinn and Mariko stood in the middle of the easternmost courtyard, hand in hand, under a cherry blossom tree, finally able to give each other the public kiss they had been longing for. Captain Kaden and Evelyne looked on, and King Korox stood beside them, smiling. It had been the first time he had been happy in a long, long time.
More than five hundred people attended the wedding, and they applauded