Leah Carter’s Point of View
The mountain exploded, stone, flame, and shadow tore through the air. The force flung me backward into the dark of the cave, crashing me against the cold wall. Dust filled my lungs, choking me, and the sound, gods, the sound, it was like the entire realm was breaking in two.
“Emma!” I shouted, coughing through the smoke. “Emma!”
A faint cry answered me, I crawled through the dust, my palms scraping against sharp rock, until I found her. She was curled near the altar, trembling, her small hands glowing faintly gold.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered, pulling her close. She clung to me, shaking.
Then came the voice, low, ancient, thick with power. It rumbled through the cave like thunder rolling through bone.
“Leah Carter…”
The sound made my skin crawl, the shado
