Trial of Fire

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Authors: Kate Jacoby
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will it last?
    Perhaps a few days? After that—
    We’ll worry about that later. What do I do?
    There was a long pause, then finally he spoke again, and the tone in his silent voice was full of regret.
This is going … to hurt.
    *
    Finnlay knew he needed to get moving, to help Fiona and the girls, to start packing up all the books and papers he’d been working on over the last … by the gods, how long had he been living here? Sixteen years? A lifetime! He’d been married, had three daughters, lost many friends, fought in a war and known the depths of despair and heights of happiness in that time. And now he was packing up his life here and leaving. He’d always wanted to leave the confines of the Enclave, but he’d had in mind to take his children and his wife back home to Dunlorn, where they could enjoy the comforts and privileges of the noble House to which they belonged. He’d planned to take them on a scenic tour of his beautiful Lusara and show them all the places he’d loved as a boy. Instead, they were running from an evil he had seen with his own eyes, an evil which had nearly destroyed him. There would be no triumphant return to Dunlorn, no life spent in freedom. If they made it to Bleakstone alive, they would be very lucky indeed.
    He got to his feet, stretching out cramped muscles. Now the initial shockhad worn off a little, he could begin to think, remember what he’d noted down, what steps he needed to take in the event they needed to evacuate. Family first, then library, school and …
    Jenn moved. She was kneeling beside Robert, holding his hand, her other hand on the Key. She began to sway, her face pale, a line of sweat on her forehead. Robert looked like a ghost. His strong face was white, his skin as translucent as the wings of a moth. His dark hair clung to the sweat on his forehead. The rest of him, so powerful, so commanding, lay prone and unmoving; struck down by a power they’d all feared for a long time. He lay on the stone platform beside Jenn, barely breathing, the Key/Calyx clasped to his chest as though it would become part of him.
    Suddenly, Robert hissed and Jenn frowned. Jenn let out a moan, in pain. Finnlay sank to his knees once more, but before he could say anything, the air around them began to shimmer, trembling like new leaves on a windy day, glittered with silver and frost. The shimmering spread out directly from the Key, in a spherical shape, moving faster and faster, further and further until, with an audible snap, it vanished.
    ‘By the gods!’ Jenn breathed, opening her eyes. Instantly, she moved down to Robert, but he was looking up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly, breathing harshly.
    ‘Help me.’
    The words were barely out of his mouth before Finnlay was there, Andrew and Margaret with him. While Robert clutched the Key/Calyx to his chest, they helped him to his feet. He swayed, closing his eyes, breathing hard through his nose, as though he was about to be sick.
    Jenn stood before him, her fingers lightly on his arm, her gaze fixed on his face, but it was to Andrew she spoke. ‘Go fetch a chair, or a small table or something. And a cushion or blanket. Something soft.’
    Andrew turned and ran into the Council Chamber, returning moments later with a wooden chair and a cushion. He placed the chair down before Robert, the cushion on the seat. Then Robert, as though he could see through his closed eyes, turned slowly, bent and laid the Key/Calyx on the cushion. He stood over it, maintaining his touch, then he let it go; instantly, his knees buckled, but Finnlay caught him and eased him into another chair. A cup of wine was pressed into Robert’s hand and he took two long swallows before looking up and studying each of them. He frowned, and glanced around the cavern, noticing the increased noise echoing through the Enclave. For a while his eyes were barely focusing before moving on again; a few more deep breaths and they began to steady.
    ‘They’re getting ready

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