Under the stone arch, they were led to a small room. The orb's light beamed bright and made everything inside eerie, emphasising the history in the room. Opposite them sat a tall throne. It was hand-made. Jen gasped, her jaw-dropping as she took a step back. Rock hands made up the throne, the slender fingers and knuckles firm and rigid in place. A layer of dust lay thick on the seat, the palms all upward making a flat bottom.
Emma stepped forward; she couldn't believe her eyes. There must have been hundreds of hands, and she did not doubt in her mind that they were real. A deathly silence fell upon the room. The walls were jagged, stones sticking out to impale an unfortunate soul. Emma let her hand hover above the throne, she didn't want to touch it, feeling some force ripple off of it. She couldn't stop staring, however, feeling some kind of connection with the room.
It was like the scene in movies she used to watch as a child. The moment when everything made sense for the main character. The moment when the girl fell for the right guy or a child finds their destiny in who they're meant to be. The moment's that were never real only fabricated for young minds like Emma's.
But the feeling. What pulled her to the chair, there was no other way to explain it. Only, nothing made sense.
The room was small, fitting only maybe forty or fifty people. The stone ceiling hung fairly low, carved with writings that Blake recognised as enchantments. He didn't pay much attention; his eyes flitting from one thing to another.
Emma imagined the ruler. The crown upon their head as they made their way into the room. She could see the crowd bowing, respectful and loyal to their leader. The gown trailed behind, eager eyes begging to touch it. She could feel the power that one would have felt on the throne, the strength that they would have held. Suddenly, the person in her mind turned and sat, showing their face. Emma shook her head, clearing her mind of the thought. She felt disgusted and ashamed, willing her mind to think of anything else. But, it kept finding its way back to the face under the crown.
'Emma.' Her name was a pleasant sound, she spun and yanked her hand away. She didn't realise how close she was to touching a curled fist that made the arm of the throne. Jen and Blake stood with their backs to her, their heads raised as they studied the wall. 'Can you read this?' Blake asked as he scanned the jumbled words.
Emma marched over, the throne still making its presence known to her back. She stood beside them and looked up. As she read the first word, it happened again. The letters moved by themselves, picking up and heading to another place to form new words. They watched and waited with awe as letters rearranged themselves.
'For those who seek what must not be sought, give up your soul. For that is what it must take.' Blake read, his eyes going over the words numerous times to try and make sense of it. He shook his head. 'It doesn't say where it is.' He glared at the words as if they'd offended him. Jen stayed quiet, something about the room made her severely nervous. She twiddled her fingers, biting her lip softly as she studied the cave.
It was cold. The air held something else, like the presence of those that had died in it. It was obvious that death was no stranger to the room, the feeling lingered in every crevice making Jen feel as though she was in a graveyard.
'No, it doesn't.' Emma agreed, turning her back to the writing and looking for something to trigger her mind. The walls were covered in faded, peeling white paint. It didn't show anything, it was just a simple design of lines across the walls.
She closed her eyes, pushing all thoughts and worries out her mind. Her voice spoke the words inside her head, she had a feeling that it wouldn't work, that it was too easy, but it was worth a shot. 'Brackorous, Revellous, Comentus.' She felt the air in the room rush towards her.
Blake and Jen stood back, the breeze rushing between their legs. Emma's hair rose, strand by strand until she rose with it. Her feet left the ground, her hands by her sides twitching with power. And then, she did something that struck fear within Jen and even Blake.
Emma opened her eyes.
They were completely white. Bright as they stared into Jen and Blake, piercing their skin. Jen felt as though Emma could see her soul, hear her thoughts, find her lies and discover her deepest desires. She wanted to turn away, but the white eyes held her rooted in place.
There was a loud crack that rung in the room. A line appeared in the throne, a small, tiny crack. The sound didn't fit the action. Emma dropped in a second, blinking to regain her vision. She missed the horrified stares that were aimed her way, she was looking at the crack in the throne.
She narrowed her eyes, hesitation curling within her. She didn't trust it, something felt off. She crept towards it, forgetting that she wasn't alone. The sound of their feet shuffling frightened her, but she hid it and continued.
Some hands were curled and distorted, their features broken or damaged or perhaps they were always like that. Emma took a breath, peering into the crack to see nothing but darkness. There was no way they could break it themselves and her magic hadn't worked. Emma was stumped. She pulled herself back, standing between them.
'Is there anything else you can try?' Jen asked, doing her best to lace her voice with hope. False hope. She could feel the discouragement in the air, the frustration seeping into the room. Emma shook her head, her hand rubbing her tense jaw as she thought.
'You really think it's under there?' Blake asked with uncertainty, tilting his head as he studied the throne. 'They wrote that they burnt it.' Emma's head swung, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.
'What?' She growled, her chest rumbling as she did. Jen was looking to the ceiling, terrified that it would fall and crush them all. A hand still held her heart in a vice-like grip, her body jumping at every sound and every touch of air.
Blake's eyes expanded as he took in her furious expression. Her hand was squeezed into a tight fist, lowering from her face to her side. 'They-they burned it?' He asked, stuttering his words as he remembered the vacant white eyes that were also her dark blue ones.
She inhaled. Her frown turning into a tight grin, the corners of her lips pulling up and her eyes sparkling in the blue light. 'No,' She whispered in disagreement, 'they didn't burn it. They said to burn.' A light flashed in her mind, she stared at the throne as if it was a puzzle that she could finally see clear as day. 'Which means that it hasn't burned...yet.' She ran her finger across her lip, narrowing her eyes onto the hundreds of hands reaching out for help.
'What do you mean?' Blake asked hesitantly, stepping closer to see what she could see. She spun on her heel, grinning up at him with her teeth showing.
'Do you have your lighter?' Her eyes beamed up at him with frantic energy. Blake patted down his pockets, reaching into the back one to pull out the transparent green lighter. She snatched it from his loose grip before he could blink and crouched, flicking the flint a few times and grinning psychotically at the flame that danced in front of her nose.
Blake gripped Jen's shoulder, tugging her back a few steps. She gasped, stumbling before she managed to follow, keeping a few steps behind him so that she could hide behind if something happened.
One hand stood out on the other side of the throne's base. Just above the ground, a hand that was outstretched flat, all fingers missing except one. The only major point on the throne. Emma smiled and shuffled to the other side and with a breath, she lowered the flame until it met the finger. It burned the rock, the flame bouncing around it as she pressed it closer. She exhaled, her breath rushing out her mouth. Much like gasoline, her breath caught the fire, picking it up and throwing it across the throne.
Emma squealed, throwing herself back and landing on her bum a metre away. Hands reached under her arms and hauled her up. The red and orange glow blazed, flames quivering and licking the air. The throne was completely covered by flames. Their devilish glare changing the room, throwing it into what Emma thought was Hell. They took a few more steps back, the heat reaching their faces.
'What the...?' Jen's voice was hidden by the cracking and popping as the orange light pulsated. They stood with their mouths open, shocked by the strength of the inferno glowing before them. All of a sudden, the fire went out leaving no smell or smoke. It was like it had never been there.
The throne sat unchanged, no damage at all. The stone hands still curled and broken, their colour the same. The only differences were the finger that Emma had lit was nothing but a puddle of what looked like wax sat on the ground. And the other was the crown. It was sat upon the throne, its golden frame looked brand new as it shone brighter than the fire.
They stared, mixed emotions swirling within them. Jen felt sick. Blake stood in shock. Emma felt something different, she felt the power that diffused into the air. They breathed, still stuck in surprise from the fire. The crown had thrown them completely.
Emma took a breath, opening her mouth to speak but the words didn't exist. The golden metal was brilliant, not a stain or a fault upon it. It looked like a normal crown, the circular frame along with sharp points rising from it. The only thing haunting about it was the base. It didn't sit flat on its circular frame, it sat on the sharp spikes that stuck out the rim. They weren't golden and bold; they were dark brown.
Jen gasped, her face twisting as sickness rose within her, she could taste it in her mouth. The spikes were discoloured because they'd been in someone's skull. The fact clicked in Blake and Emma's head fairly quickly and their looks of wonder were quickly replaced with disgust.
There were four dark spaces across the crown, all different shapes and sizes. A stream of light slide across the disturbing black jewel that was sat firmly in the centre of the crown. The Avarious jewel. A breath of air blew from Emma's mouth. She couldn't believe it. After years of looking, there it was. The final jewel.
Blake was the first one to step forward, his feet hovering above the ground as nerves fought within him. He clenched his jaw. His eyes locked upon the golden beam that blazed off the crown. He sensed Emma moving behind him and that's when it hit. His stomach curled upon itself, his heart pumped so hard he felt like it might explode. It was the end. In minutes, hours even, it would all be over, and he'd live on in the In-Between.
His pace slowed as his mind raced, Emma slipping past him. She felt like she was the one, the one that had to touch it. She was unaware of what he rendered him immobile.
He wanted to shout at her, yank her tiny body back and beg her not too. He wanted to find a loophole, an escape where they could go on travelling the world and pretend that nothing else exists. But either way, his destiny would steal him.
The power drew her in, her hands tingling as they reached out and floated above the tips of the ground. She heard Blake draw in a harsh breath, she could feel Jen chewing her lip until it was close to tearing off.
A surge coursed through her. The blood in her veins thickened as it moved through her body at an insane speed. She gasped, her eyes widening as her body flooded with energy and dominance. She picked the crown up with both hands, feeling as though she was glowing. Her body felt at peace, her thoughts and worries dissipated into nothing.
Blake tugged the bag off, his eyes still rooted on the crown in Emma's hands as she spun around. He shoved his hand in, rifling for the medicine box which held the jewels. He patted around the cardboard, dragging it up and out the bag. Jen was staring into Emma's dilated pupils that took all the emerald green out of her eyes. Her fiery hair matched the bold crown, the stray locks falling past her chest and curling over the sharp golden points.
'Here,' Blake managed to whisper out, holding the box towards Emma. She blinked, her pupils shrinking as emerald green was allowed back in. She stared up at Blake, amazement and fear in her eyes, his much the same.
He opened up the box, the cardboard scraping as he did so. Jen stared with curiosity, the label puzzling her. To her, Blake pulled out a yellow pill. She squinted her brow, staring at what she didn't properly see.
'Why...?' She whispered, edging closer to them. The crown scared her. She didn't know what it was capable of. She was human, for all she knew it could kill her with one touch. Emma and Blake raised their heads, taking a moment to realise that she couldn't see what they'd hidden. Emma placed her hand on the box, closing her eyes and releasing a breath.
When she removed her hand, the pill in Blake's palm had transformed into a small, circular jewel that shimmered a lively yellow. Jen's brows furrowed as she heard clinking in the box as Blake turned his body towards the crown.
Without his help, the jewel flew from his hand and attached itself to the crown. It chinked against the metal as it slotted itself in one of the gaps. Emma raised her head, her and Blake smiling up at each other. The box shook in Blake's hand, and one by one, the jewels soared out and found their place in the crown. Emma stepped back, holding the crown out from her body as they zoomed through the air around her slamming into the metal and finding their rightful place.
One jewel was left in the box, shaking in Blake's hand as it tried to break free. Emma nodded to herself, reaching and pulling out the pendant that once hung around her neck. The case glowed bright green light between the cracks and with her finger, she flicked the latch. The triangular gem sat there, unmoving.
Emma felt her brow raise as she waited. She lifted her head, intending to meet Blake's eyes. But he was gone.
Within the blink of an eye, the crown clattered to the ground, bouncing as it crashed against the rocky floor. The pendant dropped, only then did the jewel fly free and attached itself to the crown.
Emma was gone. She'd disappeared leaving a small cloud of dust behind. Blake and Jen jumped back in fright. The sound rung in the room as they stared with horror at where Emma had once been.
Their worry was short-lived. The sound of rocks smashing to the ground and the echo of voices interrupted them. They met each other's eyes an array of emotions fighting to the surface of their minimised pupils. Emma was gone, and they weren't alone.
A/N
Hope you enjoyed, the book is close to an end!