He sighed and sniffed an acceptance as he finally took my hand. I bit back a smile and steeled my arms to mask the heavy weight he leaned into me.
We slowly made our way to the top, the two of us shuffling silently until he stood under the Montios archway, marked with a snow-capped mountain carved into the glossy stone floor. I offered him a small smile before I let go and turned away.
“Good luck, Daughter of the Forgotten.”
It was barely more than a whisper. When I spun back to see the Montios King staring into the center of the Temple, my presence seemingly forgotten, I started to wonder if I’d imagined it.
“Why did you call me that?” I breathed. “Where did you hear—”
“Get back to your portal Lumnos, I don’t have all day,” the Fortos King sniped.
My eyes darted around to the other Crowns. They were barely paying attention, their expressions impatient and uninterested.
All except for the Queen of Umbros and her intense, knowing gaze.
“We’re all present Lumnos, we’re simply waiting on you,” the Sophos Crown added.
The Montios King shooed me off with a mute dismissal. Reluctantly, I returned to my archway.
The Kindred’s Temple served as a symbolic map of Emarion. Each of the nine arches pointed toward its respective realm. In addition to being etched on the godstone floor, the realm emblems were also carved deep into the tall obelisks, where they glowed as if lit from within.
In the center of the open-air rotunda, representing the island of Coeur?le, a low pedestal held a large, rough-hewn stone. It was glassy on its smoother faces, the smoky color so dark it appeared black, though a faint glow seemed to emanate from within.
Even from a distance, I felt the magic radiating from it. It reminded me of how I felt whenever Luther walked into a room, his immense power both calling others to its force while warning of its threat, pushing and pulling all at once. It had made him terrifying and irresistible, and as I gazed into the inky depths of this stone, I felt that same dangerous attraction.
The Sophos Crown began to speak.
“Millenia ago, when the Blessed Kindred arrived on this continent, they brought with them a piece of their home world we now call the heartstone. They shed their blood on this heartstone to Forge a mighty spell that created our nine realms.” They gestured to the central pedestal. “This is our most precious secret, the truth that each of us guards with our lives. For if the heartstone is destroyed, so too shall our realms crumble and fall.”
Eight gazes sharpened on me in challenge as the gravity of the words hit me. This was the secret to the downfall of the Descended and their reign. The flameroot may weaken, the godstone may kill, but only the heartstone could put an end to their rule forever.
I fought furiously to suppress my smirk. They should never have told me this.
“If it’s so important, shouldn’t it be more heavily guarded?” I asked lightly.
The Fortos King scowled. “It’s safe here. No one gets on or off this island without my knowledge.”
The Umbros Queen let out a soft chuckle.
“It’s not as fragile as it looks,” the Faunos Queen said. “It isn’t affected by weapons, hammers, magic, even gryvern fire. It can’t be lifted. Can’t even be touched, unless you want to lose a hand.”
I squinted my eyes curiously at the stone. “Why is it so important—what does it do?”
“The Kindred’s elemental magic is blood magic. Anyone who shares their blood inherits those abilities. But there’s also a second kind, a magic of life and death that flows through everything—the earth, the air, every plant and creature. The heartstone acts as a conduit between those two forces. It allowed the Kindred to weave their magic into this world and control how it can be used.”
“Why does the heartstone work here when our magic doesn’t?”
“Because that’s how the Kindred willed it,” the Fortos King snapped. “Now shut up so we can finish.”
“We can discuss it more after the ritual,” the Sophos Crown agreed, pulling their shoulders back as they resumed their script. “The Kindred bid us to renew their spell by shedding our blood into the heartstone on two occasions—once each year, on Forging Day, and once upon the coronation of each new Crown.” They swept out an arm. “May the loyal children of the sacred nine pass through these portals in peace. Let us begin.”
The Sophos Crown walked through their archway until they stood above the insignia of their realm, then gestured to their left for the Meros King to follow. One by one, each Crown repeated the movement.
When my turn came to step forward, I again felt their eyes fix on me. I held my breath and stepped into the inner sanctum.
Immediately, the powerful energy radiating from the heartstone seemed to lift its head and turn its gaze toward me. The magic in the air clung to my skin, at first merely brushing with curious interest—then, gradually, the sensation began to change.
Its light caress became stronger, fiercer, hotter. Invisible boiling-hot hands gripped at me and squeezed. I fought desperately to conceal my reaction with a false smile and a shrug, but in the midst of my panic, my eyes found the Umbros Queen’s, and I could tell from her grin she knew what I was hiding.
My hands fisted as I braced for her to expose me. I could fight my way out—the odds were grim, but I was likely the only one used to relying on physical combat. And I was fast—if I could get to Luther, we might stand a chance.
But as the Montios King hobbled forward and the Sophos Crown launched into another droning monologue, I realized the moment had passed. The magic was still making every breath and movement a painful battle, but I had escaped the Crowns’ scrutiny.
I dared another look at the Umbros Queen. She was still watching me with that infuriating smile, her eyes still gleaming with the silent taunt that she knew something I didn’t want her to know.
“…and as we welcome a new Crown of Lumnos, let the magic of the Forging be strengthened once more.”
The Sophos Crown strolled to the pedestal and pulled a short-bladed dagger from a sheath at their hip. The handle was set with a series of milky white gemstones. As they pulled the blade across their palm, the creamy stones turned a pale shade of rose matching the color of their eyes.
They held their hand out and squeezed it into a fist, allowing a crimson trickle to fall. The moment the blood hit the heartstone’s glassy surface, the obelisk above the Sophos portal glowed brighter, and the fire in its cauldron hissed, its pink-hued flames stretching higher into the sky.
The Sophos Crown pulled a handkerchief and wiped the blade clean, then turned to the King of Meros and beckoned him forward to repeat the process. This time, the dagger’s stones darkened to turquoise, and the glowing blue-green fire of the Meros portal roared with renewed vigor.
As the ritual continued around the circle, the excruciating assault from the heartstone’s angry aura did not relent, and my head pounded as it wore on my strength. My senses were screaming at me to leave the Temple and get as far from the heartstone as I could.
I gritted my teeth and held my ground. If the magic guarding the Temple had let me enter, then it must not be able to keep me away completely. I only needed to suffer long enough to complete the Rite of Coronation. The destruction of the heartstone, and the Descended monarchies along with it, could wait for another day.