“A brief inspection affirmed that it was no ordinary shell. It possessed a heart foreign to its sediment, yet I could not extract it. The shell needed coaxing in order to birth the Firepearl within.”
“That’s mental . . . you are mental,” Finn shouted.
Moira snapped her fingers. The singe cord grew from a warm blaze to ferocious flames. “Hardly,” Moira said, the hush of danger in her voice. “It’s actually miraculous.” Her eyes locked with Monte’s. “You, Master Monte, were my accomplice in freeing the Firepearl, and you didn’t even see it,” she crowed. “You showed up here, on Ben Nevis, completely oblivious and practically on my doorstep. Cameron deserves a special thanks for leading you here.”
“That wasn’t my plan,” Cameron cried.
“Settle down, lass. It is no secret that you Influencers
