We stared at each other, and maybe there would have been more said. But that chance would never come.

Footsteps pounded toward us, a staccato that didn’t sound good. An Ender, young and new to the title by the looks of the acne on his face, stuck his head in the door. His words were gasped, out of breath as he was.

“The lava is flowing.”

Brand snorted. “It always is.”

The young Ender shook his head. “No, it’s out of control.”

Brand stood and strode toward him. “Fiametta will deal with—”

The kid shook his head again, harder and it was then I saw the fear stamped on his face. “No, that’s just it. The lava is wild, and even the queen can’t stop it.”

A collective breath was drawn in and held within the room. I may not have been a Salamander, but even I knew news couldn’t get much worse.

The funny thing about assumptions is when you are proven wrong, it’s amazing just how very wrong you can be.

CHAPTER 21

Brand led the way, running out of the house, his hands going to his weapons. “All of you stay inside!”

I leapt after him ignoring the fact I was wearing nothing more than a silk sheet; there was no way I was going to sit inside and wait for a river of lava to roll over me. Outside their home, the steady growing noise I’d been hearing became clear. The lava flowed over the banks of the river, rushing with a speed that seemed to pick up even as I stared at it.

“Pigeon balls,” I whispered to myself. The heat had at least tripled just in stepping outside of the walls. All my thoughts of staying and helping, of bringing Fiametta to justice for the deaths of the firewyrms was swept away with the reality of our situation. “We have to get out of here.”

Ash put a hand on me. “We have to get to the Traveling room. That’s our only way out.”

I nodded and Peta butted her head against my leg. “Lark, look at the lava.”

I did as she asked as an Ender stepped toward the flowing red death, letting it wrap around his legs as if it were water.

Except that it wasn’t water; not even for him. He screamed as the lower half of his body sunk, dissolving as we watched. Someone gasped, it might have been Smoke, but it might have been me too. The Ender writhed and struggled as he slowly died, his upper body twitching as the lava slipped up over his waist, his head dropping so his chin rested on his chest and then his whole body lit on fire.

On fire.

His element no longer protecting him.

What in the mother goddess’s name was going on?

You can save them all, Larkspur, if you are brave enough. Her voice whispered to me. I wanted to shake my head but a small part of me wanted to believe her.

I grabbed Brand by the arm. “We have to assume that could happen to any of you. We need to get to Fiametta.”

The younger Ender, Jack by his hasty introduction, nodded. “That’s the plan. The queen is going to deal with this but she wants all her people with her.”

Brand herded his family after Jack. “Go with him. I want to see how deep this goes.”

Smoke’s eyes glistened. “Be careful, my love, I can’t lose you, too.”

He reached for her and they kissed, a mere brush of lip against lip and yet there was emotion enough that once more I felt I was witnessing something special, and intimate. I glanced away.

Ash touched my arm. “You need to get dressed.”

Without a word, I strode toward the house and tried not to think about the way the Ender had fallen to the lava. As if he were nothing--as frail and mortal as any human. How could that be? Our elements didn’t just leave us, they didn’t stop working for no reason.

I had my pants on and was tightening the straps on my vest as the thoughts racing through my head slowed, and with them my hands.

Peta leapt on the bed and put her paws on my chest. “I sense it in you. What have you thought of?”

I stared at the wall as my mind settled on the realization like a bird landing softly on the spindly branch of a too small tree. The weight of it slid over my shoulders. “Someone is blocking their ability. Just like my ability was blocked by Cassava when I was young,” I whispered the words. “It has to be the cloaked one. Blackbird.”

“That’s impossible,” Peta said. “You saw it yourself. He is an Undine who also carries Spirit and he also can reach the earth. And he is carrying a ring tied to fire. That would mean . . . three elements isn’t possible.” Yet her voice wavered at the end.

Ash stuck his head in, breaking up our conversation. “We have to move if we’re going to get to the Traveling room.”

Following Ash, who in turn followed Brand, we made our way to the far side of the living quarters to a ladder cut into the mountain. Brand gestured. “You three get up there. Peta, you can lead them to the Traveling room from there.”

She nodded, and leapt up several rungs to hang for a moment as she answered. “Hurry.”

Ash held his hand out to Brand and the fire elemental slowly took it. “The lava is rising fast, and the Traveling room lies below it.”

“Understood,” Ash said, letting go. “Be safe my friend.”

Brand turned away and I knew if he went, we wouldn’t see him again. Smoke would lose yet another piece of her heart.

I called after him. “Brand.”

He didn’t stop.

“Brand, you will break her if you do this. She deserves better.”

His whole body stiffened. The air in the cavern thickened with black smoke and I thought he wouldn’t turn.