Chapter Seventeen

 

The next morning I woke to stiff muscles and a body that ached from sleeping on the hard cement floor. Though I wasn’t as chilled as I might have been because during the night Ian and I had gravitated to each other. My head rested on his chest, and his arms encircled me protectively.

For one fleeting moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the feel of his warm hard body against mine. If I closed my eyes and just listened to his even breathing and the steady thump of his heart, I could almost convince myself that we were simply lovers and that everything was normal again.

The intimacy was ruined when Julian and Irene began whispering to each other. Words like “Sableth” and “The Vessel” stood out, making anxiety churn through me. I stirred, and Ian’s eyes popped open. He looked briefly disoriented, but then his expression turned grim.

“Morning,” I said, my voice thick with sleep.

“Good morning.” Ian sat up, running a hand over his messy blond hair. “How’s your knee?”

I rubbed my leg. “Sore. Stiff. The swelling has gone down though.”

“Good. I’ll take a look at it later.” He winced and pressed a hand to his spine. “My back hurts. I must be getting old.”

“Or maybe sleeping on a cement floor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?” I winced, glancing around the barren room. Julian and Irene stood near the door still whispering to each other.

“That might be it.” He gave a weak smile.

“Oh, good, you’re finally awake.” Julian’s voice was tense as he turned to address us. The bruising around his eyes and cheek seemed darker this morning, and he looked glum. Irene, however, seemed less morose. Her expression was almost cheerful as she stood leaning on her broadsword, watching Ian and me.

I slowly crawled to my feet, flinching. “I don’t suppose there’s a continental breakfast at this fine establishment?”

Irene laughed. “No, but we have some delicious bottled water for your enjoyment.”

“That will have to do.” I was thirsty, my throat and mouth bone dry, so I went over to the case of water and grabbed a couple of bottles for Ian and me. I returned to him, and he took the bottle with a grateful smile.

I drank half the bottle then asked, “How do we handle the bathroom situation? I need to pee.”

“There’s a porta-potty type of thing behind the warehouse. Be warned—it’s scary in there.” Julian shuddered. “Lots of spiders and disgusting smells.”

“Awesome.”

“Also, leave the stone here,” Julian said. “It can’t leave this room.”

“Oh, right.” I took the stone out of my pocket and offered it to Ian since he was closest.

He looked uneasy as he hesitantly took it. “Am I allowed to touch this?”

“Why wouldn’t you be?” I frowned.

“I don’t know. Maybe it will dislike me and burn me to death?” He laughed, but I suspected he was half-serious.

“It won’t hurt you.” Irene’s gaze was assessing as she studied Ian. “It won’t even notice you. All the stone cares about is its master. Once it chooses either The Vessel or Sableth, it will only protect its master.” She had a faraway look in her eyes as she murmured, “It would be cool, though, if it could also like other people. You know, like maybe if it respected them enough to want to work with them too?”

Julian wrinkled his brow. “That’s not how it works, Irene. You know that. The stone can’t just be wooed by anyone. It has to bond to its master.”

“I’m just saying it would be cool if it liked me. What’s wrong with that? Maybe then I wouldn’t end up like Gordon or Thomas.” She shivered and seemed to tighten her grip on her sword.

Julian rolled his eyes. “That’s a silly idea. The stone doesn’t care about anyone but the one person it serves.”

Irritation twitched across her face. “It’s not silly. Who wouldn’t want the stone to protect them?”

He exhaled impatiently. “You should focus on what’s real, not daydream about what isn’t.”

She gave him a dirty look but didn’t respond.

Ian watched their interaction with mild curiosity. He got to his feet. “You know what? I need to use the facilities too. Maybe one of you could hang on to the stone while we’re gone?”

“Absolutely.” Irene’s eyes lit with excitement. “I’m happy to do it.” She moved to Ian, taking the stone. She stared down at it, an expression of wonderment on her face, but then she frowned. “It was so pretty when Lorenzo held it, but now it’s so plain when I do.”

“Maybe it just needs to warm up to you,” Ian suggested.

Julian’s expression was grumpy. “Don’t encourage her. She shouldn’t fixate on the stone. It’s not healthy.”

Irene said under her breath, “Says the guy who’s fixated on Lorenzo.”

Julian’s cheeks tinted pink. “What?”

“Oh, nothing.” Irene batted her eyes innocently.

Ian cleared his throat. “Not to rush you or anything, Lorenzo, but I really need to go.”

“Right.” I nodded and followed him to the door.

Julian opened it for us and then stepped aside. “Ian, you should leave your phone here.”

Ian frowned. “I won’t use it.”

“It’s just safer if you leave it here.” Julian sounded firm.

Reaching into his back pocket, Ian grabbed his phone. He looked annoyed but just said, “I turned it off last night.”

“Great.” Julian tucked the phone away in his pocket. “Don’t take too long. We need to begin training right away, Lorenzo.”

I tried not to bristle at his lecturing tone, reminding myself he was just trying to help. “Okay.”

We left the small room and walked through the big building to the side door. Stepping out into the fresh air made me instantly happier. The sky was an unblemished blue canopy overhead, and the sun was warm on my face. I inhaled the chilly clean air greedily as I examined the area for the first time in the daylight.

Last night it had been too dark to really see anything, and I’d been so scared I wouldn’t have noticed anyway. Now I saw that there were oil barrels stacked along the perimeter of the rusty chain-link fence. There didn’t appear to be any other buildings in the vicinity, but thick groves of oak trees and evergreens surrounded the lot.

While the inside of the compound had been cleared of trees, big stumps along the perimeter of the fence remained. Beyond the fence tall evergreens towered. Their crisp, piney scent mingled with the damp, earthy aroma of the forest floor.

Ian groaned, stretching his arms. “God, I needed this. I was feeling claustrophobic in there.”

“Me too,” I murmured, staring up at the big building we’d just exited.

The structure looked even worse for wear in the daylight. The metal siding was covered in patches of rust and flaking paint. The plywood boards that covered the windows were warped and weathered. The air was tinged with a mix of earthy dust, decaying vegetation, and a hint of metallic tang from the rusty fence, building, and barrels.

The lot itself was uneven, with scattered patches of dry, cracked earth and encroaching weeds claiming space. Wild mustard and yarrow stubbornly thrived in thick clumps along the base of the building. A ground squirrel chirped the alarm somewhere in the trees, and a red-tailed hawk circled gracefully above, probably hoping to make that squirrel his next meal.

Julian wasn’t lying about the disgusting state of the porta-potty. Ian bravely went first, and he came out looking green around the gills. I tried not to touch anything or breathe too deeply as I gingerly used the facilities. We then used a bottle of water we’d brought to wash our hands as best we could.

“We should probably get back inside,” Ian said, looking forlornly at the blue sky and wispy white clouds that had appeared. “Don’t want to ruffle Julian’s feathers.”

“Let’s stay outside for a bit,” I suggested. “We need the sun for vitamin D, right?” Plus, I longed for some time alone with Ian while away from Julian’s glowering gaze.

“True. Vitamin D is very important.” He smiled and slipped his arm around my waist. “As a physician, it’s my sworn duty to keep my patients happy and healthy.”

I smirked. “Is that right?”

He gave the porta-potty a wary glance. “Let’s move location.”

“Okay.”

He tugged me toward the building. Once there, he pressed me up against the old structure and kissed me. His soft lips teased mine, and then he pushed his tongue into my mouth. I moaned because I’d been craving his taste and touch. It was disconcerting that I could be afraid for my life but still desire Ian’s touch. He roamed my body with his hands, caressing and gentle. He leaned more of his weight on me, and his kisses became more passionate. My dick warmed and hardened, and I wished we were somewhere way more private.

When the kiss ended, he whispered, “I wanted to do that all night.”

“Same.” I slipped my hand under his shirt, running my hands over his warm, smooth skin. “You think Irene and Julian would notice if we had sex up against the building?”

“I think the building might fall down if we lean on it too much.” He grimaced. “Plus, Julian would probably slit my throat with Irene’s sword.”

“What? Why?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Come on, Lorenzo. Surely you know the reason Julian dislikes me is because he likes you.”

I hesitated but there was really no reason to lie. I’d always known Julian had a little crush on me. “Well, I don’t care because I don’t like him like that.”

His lips twitched. “No? Who do you like?”

“Take a guess.”

“Irene?”

I laughed. “Wrong. I mean, she seems nice and all . . .”

His smile faded. “Well, I like you, Lorenzo. A lot.”

My pulse fluttered at how serious he looked. “Usually, if a guy said that to me, I’d want to run.”

“Yeah? You don’t feel like running?”

“Well, commitment doesn’t seem as scary as usual, seeing as we’ll probably be dead in a few days.”

He frowned. “That’s very grim.”

Guilt nudged me at his unsettled expression, but I simply said, “The situation is grim.”

“True.” He sighed and touched my cheek gently, his eyes warm. “Julian may not believe me, but I’ll do what I can to protect you, Lorenzo. I hope you know that.”

“I believe you. I trust you.”

He lifted his brows. “Does that mean you might actually be willing to date me?”

“Well, first I have to save the world, apparently.” I glanced up at the swaying treetops, trying to ignore the insecurities clawing at me.

He winced and said gruffly, “Timing really is everything.”

“It is.” I put my arms around his neck, pressing closer. “But this is nice. Just being out here with you, without Julian hovering.”

“I agree.” His arms tightened around my waist. “Julian takes his role as Guardian very seriously.”

“Yes. He’s very young to be under this sort of stress. I’m sure the professor’s death has put even more pressure on him.”

“I’m sure it has.” His expression was thoughtful. “Do you think Julian would let us see the books where the professor discovered the prophesy?”

“I don’t know. Do you want to see them?”

“I kind of do. We’re just taking everything Julian says as the truth.” The light breeze fluttered Ian’s blond hair, and his gaze was very serious.

“You don’t trust him?” I frowned, unsettled by the idea Ian thought Julian might be lying to us.

“I’m not saying that exactly. Irene obviously trusts him. I get the feeling she follows him blindly.”

“You think that’s a mistake?”

He grimaced, looking slightly sheepish. “I’m not sure. I guess I’d feel more comfortable if I saw the lore with my own eyes. Julian seems obsessed with you. He’s very possessive. Maybe his feelings are clouding his decisions. He might not be telling us everything.”

“What would he be leaving out?”

“I don’t know.” He bit his bottom lip. “But unless he’s hiding something, he shouldn’t be opposed to letting us see the lore, right?”

Ian was making sense, but still I hesitated. “I wouldn’t know how to bring it up. He might get offended.” Things were insane enough. The last thing I needed was to piss off Julian. He was the one person who seemed to have some of the answers I needed.

“But, what’s wrong with wanting to see the lore for yourself? If you’re The Vessel, it concerns you most of all.”

“True,” I murmured.

He studied me. “It was just a thought. I guess I’m used to being in charge. It’s hard to trust Julian with my life when I can feel he resents me.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“I hope not.”

I studied him, considering what he’d said. I could understand his hesitation at putting his faith in Julian, considering how Julian was treating him. I wasn’t opposed to seeing the lore for myself. In fact, I liked the idea. I simply wasn’t sure how to ask Julian without putting his back up. But our lives were at stake, so perhaps I needed to risk upsetting Julian even if it might be incredibly awkward.

“You look worried now.” He sighed, guilt rippling through his gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stress you out. I’m sure Julian is absolutely trustworthy.”

“I understand why you’re concerned.” I leaned into him, tightening my arms around him. I wanted Ian to feel he wasn’t alone. That he could trust me to take his concerns seriously. “The books may not be anywhere we can get to them though. They might have been at the cabin, and we can’t go back there.”

“True.”

“But I agree if we can see the books, we should,” I said firmly. “I’ll ask Julian later.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure. Like you said, I’m The Vessel.” I shrugged. “If I’m supposed to save the damn world, I have every right to see that stuff.”

“Exactly.” He smiled, appearing relieved. “Now, where were we?” He lowered his head and kissed me.

I opened to his seeking tongue, lust nipping at me. The warm breeze carried the scent of sage, and I gave myself to the moment. With the situation we were in, life seemed more precious than ever. The taste of Ian and the feel of his hands sliding down my body made me feel rejuvenated. Hopeful.

When the door squeaked open, Ian and I broke the kiss. However, we still held each other as Julian popped his head out of the door.

When he saw us, his expression hardened. “You’ve been out here a long time. It might not be safe.” He sniffed. “Plus, we need to get started on your training, Lorenzo, ASAP.”

Ian looked annoyed as we exchanged a glance.

“We’ll be right in, Julian,” I said tersely. “Don’t worry. I’m going to train as hard as possible. I just needed a moment to center myself.”

“Well, hurry up.” Julian banged the door closed.

Ian scowled. “See, he’s jealous. It’s so obvious. He can’t even hide it anymore.”

“Yeah.” Julian’s possessiveness was a complication I didn’t need.

“Well, it was fun while it lasted.” Ian let go of me. “We’d better get you back inside before the warden puts me in a timeout.”

Once Ian and I returned to the room inside the building, Julian stood in the center of the room, hunched over, watching me under his lashes. Irene sat perched a few feet away on an upside-down wooden box, polishing her broadsword with a scrap of cloth she kept in her pocket. Ian gravitated to a spot near the door to the room, his gaze pinned on me.

“How do we begin? What should I learn first?” I asked, joining Julian where he stood.

Julian cleared his throat. “With the Mossfire Stone, you can perform illusion manipulations.”

“Okay.” My voice wobbled, and my stomach churned as I stared at the cool, dark stone in my hand.

“Unfortunately, they won’t work on Sableth.” Julian winced as he added that little tidbit.

“The illusions won’t work on Sableth?” I did my best not to sound as panicked as that information made me feel.

“No.” Julian quickly added, “But they will work on his followers.”

Ian grunted disapprovingly from his position near the door. His expression was deadly serious as he asked, “The stone only works on his followers? Then what good is the stone to Lorenzo? Isn’t Sableth the real problem here?”

Julian appeared confused by the question. “The stone is how Lorenzo will destroy Sableth.”

Impatience sparked in Ian’s green eyes. “How does that work if the stone has no power over Sableth?”

Julian gave Ian an equally irritable glance. “It does have power over Sableth. That’s why Lorenzo will need to master the illusion manipulation technique so that he can destroy Sableth.”

I stared at the stone in my hand. “But how? I don’t understand. If the illusions don’t work on Sableth? How do I destroy him?”

Irene glanced up from polishing her sword. “The key is getting close to Sableth.”

Julian pointed at her. “Yes. What she said.”

“But, if I’m supposed to get close to him, why do we always run?” I turned the stone over in my palm, observing its flat, lifeless color. There were times when the stone glowed so bright it hurt my eyes, and other times when it was the dullest rock I’d ever seen.

“Ahhh.” Julian nodded as if finally understanding my point. “We ran because you aren’t bonded to the stone yet. If you’re not bonded, Sableth can kill you.”

“Oh.” I shuddered. “Great.”

“That’s why Sableth is trying so hard to find you and the stone,” Irene said. “He really, really wants you dead before you connect to the stone. He knows you’re the only one who can stop him. So long as the stone accepts you.”

“And if the stone rejects me?”

Irene and Julian exchanged an uneasy glance.

“Let’s think positive.” Julian’s smile was strained.

I frowned, uneasy at his evasive answer. “But it can refuse me, right?”

“Yeah.” Irene’s tone was offhand. “It definitely can.”

Julian grunted, shooting Irene a chiding glance. “That’s not going to happen. According to the lore, the stone wants to accept Lorenzo.”

“Sure.” Irene shrugged, focusing on polishing the green stone in the hilt of her sword. “But it has to feel Lorenzo is worthy.”

“What makes me worthy?” Irene wasn’t the most reassuring person, and her nonchalant attitude was beginning to bug me.

“You have to have the strength to take Sableth on.” Irene sounded as if the idea of that was as simple as placing an order on Doordash. “You must be brave. The stone hates weakness.”

“What if I’m not strong enough? I’m not exactly a he-man.”

Julian grimaced. “You’ll never be physically strong enough to defeat Sableth. It’s not that kind of battle. Your mind is your greatest weapon against Sableth. So long as you have the stone.”

Irene glanced up, squinting. “The illusions are for the humans that do Sableth’s bidding.”

“I see. So then, I’m practicing illusions so that I can get past the humans and close to Sableth?” I hesitated. “But I can’t do any of this if the stone rejects me.”

“Exactly.” Julian appeared relieved that I was finally catching on.

“Sure. Piece of cake understanding all of this, Julian,” mumbled Ian, raking a hand through his blond hair.

“Am I guaranteed victory if I have the stone on my side?” My stomach churned waiting for Julian’s answer.

He avoided my gaze. “No.”

“No?” My voice was sharp.

Ian rasped, “For God’s sake. None of this is fair to ask of Lorenzo.”

Julian ignored Ian and met my gaze, looking resigned. “The stone gives you an edge, but ultimately, you have to be psychically strong enough to enter Sableth’s spirit with the stone in your possession, and explode him into oblivion.”

An awkward silence followed his statement.

I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry, what? You expect me to …enter his spirit and do what now?”

“This is insanity,” muttered Ian. “Absolute lunacy.”

Julian gave him an impatient glance. “It’s a battle, Ian. There are no guarantees in battle.”

“Yeah,” snapped Ian. “A battle you want Lorenzo to fight alone.”

“Alone?” Julian bugged his eyes. “I’m standing right here, aren’t I?”

“Sure, but when the time comes, where will you be?” Ian grated out angrily.

I appreciated Ian defending me. Julian and Irene seemed only too happy to let me go into battle with nothing but a rock in my hand. “So, I’m supposed to trust that the stone has my back, and even then I might fail because I’m not psychically strong enough to defeat Sableth?” I gave a humorless laugh. “Why in the hell would I do any of that?”

“Exactly,” Ian said forcefully.

“Because if you don’t we’ll all die anyway,” snapped Julian. “It’s true there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed, but if you don’t even try, it’s guaranteed the world as you know it will end.”

Sweat broke out on my upper lip. “Why the hell would all of this be on me? What lunatic thought that was a good idea?” I raked a shaky hand through my hair, and I began pacing back and forth. “This makes no sense. I’m nobody.”

“You’re so much stronger than you realize, Lorenzo.” Julian’s voice was plaintive. “If you can get the Mossfire Stone to bond with you, I truly believe in my heart you’ll be successful.”

“And if you’re wrong, he’ll die.” Ian’s voice was harsh and his eyes glittered with anger.

Julian snapped, “As I said, we’ll all die regardless if he doesn’t try.”

Irene shrugged. “Julian is saying you have nothing to lose, Lorenzo, because it might already be lost.”

“I know you don’t want to believe this is real,” Julian shook his head. “But this has been building your entire life. This is your destiny. The Guardians have always known this day would come, and the dark side has too.”

“The dark side,” I mumbled mockingly. “How do I know you’re not the dark side?”

Julian winced. “I’m here to protect you.”

“Right.” I shook my head, feeling panicked. I met Ian’s serious gaze and I turned to Julian and blurted, “I want to see the books.”

Julian blinked at me, appearing confused. “What books?”

“The lore,” Ian interjected. “Is there some reason you can’t show Lorenzo the books? He’s supposed to just blindly believe what you’re saying is true?”

Julian said angrily, “Are you calling me a liar?”

I held his gaze, stomach clenched with stress. “I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to see in writing the things you’re telling me are true.”

“Exactly.” Ian nodded, giving me an encouraging look. “Lorenzo has every right to see the actual books. You’re asking a lot of him to blindly believe you. Don’t you think?”

Irene met Julian’s frazzled gaze. “We can’t show you the books,” she mumbled.

“Why not?” I demanded. “If I’m The Vessel, why can’t I see the lore?”

“Because we don’t have the books,” Julian said harshly, his cheeks flushed pink. “The professor hid them for safe keeping, but we don’t know where he put them.”

Ian gave a dismissive huff. “Seriously? We’re supposed to believe that?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “That’s awfully convenient.”

“Actually,” snapped Julian, “It’s extremely inconvenient.”

Irene nodded, looking frustrated. “You think we wouldn’t love to have those books with us right now? Maybe they could make all of this less confusing for all of us.”

“If you can’t produce the books, I’m not sure I can just blindly go along with all of this.” The idea that even if the Mossfire Stone accepted me I could still fail had me hyperventilating.

“So if we can’t produce the books, you’re just going to bail on us?” Julian sounded frustrated. Hurt.

“You’re asking me to risk my life, Julian. Without any proof you just want me to accept I’m The Vessel and that all this craziness is true.”

Julian watched me for a moment, then said softly, “Lorenzo, do you remember the old woman?”

Shock rolled through me at his question. “What?”

“Do you remember the old woman who took you and your brother, Nico?” Julian’s eyes glittered. “The woman who held you captive and tortured you.”

“How could you possibly know about that?” I whispered.

“Because all of what I’m telling you is true. We know everything about you,” Julian said.

“How?” I demanded.

A muscle worked in Julian’s cheek. “The story of your kidnapping in the newspaper all those years ago is what alerted Professor Buckler to your existence. You’d have only been seven at the time you were kidnapped. But you remember, don’t you?”

My heart raced as I held his gaze. “So what if I do?”

Julian said, “It was no fluke that you were the one that woman kidnapped. That old woman poisoned you hoping if you died Sableth wouldn’t come. She failed, thankfully, but even all the way back when you were a child, there were those who knew what was coming.”

“Did that really happen, Lorenzo?” Ian sounded startled.

I felt sick as I held Julian’s knowing gaze. “Yes,” I grated. “Some crazy woman kidnapped me and my brother when we were kids. That doesn’t prove any of this is true. Like Julian said, the story was published in the paper. Anyone who read it could have come up with this story.”

“But you know in your gut what I’m saying is true. I know you do.” Julian’s voice was urgent and he leaned toward me. “You know that Sableth is real. You’ve seen him with your own eyes.”

“I’m not saying I don’t believe that Sableth is real. I’m simply saying I can’t be the one to stop him. I’m not The Vessel. I can’t be.”

“Why? Because you’re scared?” Julian asked. “No one blames you for being scared. Buy you shouldn’t lie to yourself because you’re scared.”

Sighing, Irene said, “Who could blame you for being terrified?”

I held Julian’s unrelenting stare, gut churning. I didn’t feel ready to fight anyone, let alone a malevolent evil entity. But the truth of Julian’s words sank into me like bitter poison. His words woke something up inside of me that I’d tried my whole life to ignore. “I don’t want this,” I mumbled.

“I know.” Julian nodded. “But it’s happening all the same.”

“You shouldn’t put your faith in me,” I said breathlessly. “I’m going to fail.”

“No.” Julian scowled. “You’re going to train and then you’re going to destroy Sableth. Have a little faith in yourself, Lorenzo.”

“You expect me to destroy Sableth? Seriously?” I shook my head. “He’s so strong. I’m nothing compared to him.”

“You’re everything.” Julian moved closer. “Do you think I’d have put my faith in you if I didn’t believe that with every part of my being? Do you think Thomas, Gordon, and Professor Buckler gave their lives because they didn’t believe in you?”

Guilt washed over me. “I’m sorry they died, but there’s no reason for more people to die.”

“It’s going to happen whether you fight or not.” Irene sounded frustrated. “But there’s no hope at all if you won’t even try.”

Clenching my jaw, I stood with my head down. I lifted the stone, almost glaring at it. It lit an almost florescent green as it vibrated against my palm. A flush of heat swept through my body, startling me with the intensity of it. Along with the buzzing sensation came a certainty that I had to fight Sableth. It was a terrifying inescapable truth that permeated my body and soul.

“Please, Lorenzo, you have to try.” Julian’s voice was hushed.

“No, he doesn’t have to do anything unless he wants to.” Ian’s eyes glittered with anger.

“But we’ll all die if he doesn’t even try,” wailed Irene.

“Yes,” Julian said in a dull voice. “All of us will die, Lorenzo. Everyone you care about will die. Claire will die. Ian will die. You’ll die.”

I lifted my gaze to his. “I’m telling you I really don’t fucking want this.”

“I know.” Julian’s eyes were pleading. “But you’re our only hope. It’s that simple.”

I held his gaze as frustration and fear roared through me. I was angry and hopeless. There was no way I could do the things he wanted me to do. But the terror and pleading in Julian and Irene’s eyes was too much to bear. With a groan, I relented. “Fine. I’ll try. But I can’t promise you anything. Not a damn thing.”

Julian slumped with relief. “Thank you, Lorenzo. It’ll be okay. You’ll see.”

“Yeah, right,” I muttered.

Ian’s expression was impossible to read. He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t say anything to discourage me either.

Julian blew out a shaky breath. “Right. We’ll start with practicing the illusions.”

I stared at him, trying to force myself to cooperate. Gritting my teeth, I rasped, “What do I do? If I just hold the stone, will it know what I want?”

Irene snorted a laugh but looked sheepish when Julian gave her a scolding glance.

“None of this is funny, Irene,” Julian growled.

“Sorry.” Irene looked cowed and she dropped her gaze.

I looked down at the stone again. “If it doesn’t know what I want, how do I control it?”

“You’ll have to connect psychically to the stone,” Julian said. “Then it will know what you need.”

“How?”

“It’s like when you do psychic readings for people. You know how sometimes holding an item from a deceased person can help you connect to the spiritual world? That’s basically what this is. You need to be in tune with the stone.”

“Okay.” I frowned.

“Hold the stone tight and concentrate on how it feels in your hand,” Julian said. “If it’s cold to the touch, it’s listening to you. If it’s tepid, it isn’t connected to you, and if it’s hot, it’s angry and useless. It won’t do anything you want if it’s angry.

“What makes the stone angry?” Ian asked.

Julian shot me a wary look. “If Lorenzo is afraid, it won’t like it. Or if he takes too long to master a technique, it might get annoyed.”

“Unbelievable,” I muttered. “Why would the stone judge me? I have no idea what I’m doing. It will take as long as it takes to master things.”

Irene gritted her teeth. “You’ll need to be more cooperative, Lorenzo. You can’t fight the stone. You have to bend to it.”

Julian grimaced. “No. It’s more that they have to bend to each other. Think of your connection with the Mossfire Stone as a partnership.”

I fingered the stone and mumbled, “A partnership where my partner is a prima donna.”

Ian gave a gruff laugh.

Julian tensed his body. “Okay, try to make me see something, Lorenzo.”

“How?” I frowned, nervous to even begin to try connecting to the stone.

“Rub the stone and picture something,” Julian urged.

“Like what?”

Julian glanced up looking exasperated. “Anything you think might distract me. I won’t be able to instruct you every moment when you’re up against Sableth. You’ll have to think for yourself.”

“Julian,” I groused, “It’s the first time I’ve ever tried using the stone.”

“True.” He sighed, fiddling with his lip piercing. “Okay, just pretend I’m coming to attack you. What could you dream up that would make me stop advancing?”

“I have no idea.”

“Let your imagination run wild, Lorenzo.” Julian’s voice was coaxing. “What sort of thing would make me stop in my tracks?”

I rubbed my thumb over the stone and focused on Julian. I tried to visualize something that might stop him, but struggled with what it could be. What would make him stop moving toward me if he were determined to kill me? I had no idea what sort of things Julian feared. Perhaps the vision didn’t need to be personal or specific to Julian. It just needed to be something that would give anyone pause. Something scary.

Sweat broke out on my forehead as I pinpointed my energy at Julian. I tried to probe his mind and climb inside his thoughts. It was the opposite of what I usually did. I typically received information. This was the first time I’d ever attempted to put information inside another person’s brain. It didn’t come naturally to me. I felt guilty and sordid even trying to imprint thoughts onto his mind.

Gritting my teeth, I visualized the ground opening up in front of him, creating a wide, seemingly bottomless gorge. The stone chilled and throbbed in my palm, and I felt a bit lightheaded as I focused on the vision. Julian had taken a few steps toward me, but he suddenly stopped as the ground seemed to rumble and shake.

Narrowing my eyes, I said softly under my breath, “You can’t begin to see the bottom. You’ll be swallowed whole by waves of bottomless black water.”

Julian widened his eyes. “Something is happening.” He stumbled backward.

“Is it working?” Irene asked, perking up.

I continued to visualize broken ground and jagged deadly cliffs. The more I focused, the greater the details became. I could feel a chill and smelled rotting kelp wafting from the cavernous hole. Even though I knew I was the one who’d thought up the vision, my stomach swirled with uneasiness at how real it seemed. I could feel a frigid breeze sucking at me, pulling me toward the ravine.

“You did it,” Julian said hoarsely. “I can’t believe how real it seems.”

Irene stood, eyes bugged. “Holy cow.”

“Stay back,” Julian said quickly, holding out a warning hand. “I don’t know if it can actually hurt us or not.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “It feels so real.”

The strain of focusing so intently was too much. I let out a harsh breath, and my concentration broke. The gorge immediately disappeared, and I slumped to my knees, breathing hard. Perspiration now covered my entire face, and I felt queasy.

Julian appeared awestruck. “That . . . that was really good, Lorenzo. Especially for your first try.”

“Was it?” I gave a weary smile.

“Definitely,” Ian blinked at me. “I’ve only heard about the technique. Seeing in in person . . . wow.”

Ian moved to me and he rubbed my back. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I blew out a shaky breath. “That was exhausting, but I’m fine.” I forced myself to stand. My legs were wobbly, and my injured knee throbbed, but my strength was seeping back.

“It’s worrisome that it took so much out of you,” Ian murmured. “How would you use that on more than one person?”

Julian wrinkled his brow. “According to the lore, the stone will feed more energy to the user as it begins to trust. Right now, I suspect the stone is doing the bare minimum, which is why Lorenzo is so tired.”

I stared down at the stone. It had gone dark, and it now felt lukewarm against my skin. “What if we don’t have time for the stone to learn to trust me? I can’t fight a group of people like this. I couldn’t hold the illusion for very long, and even that drained me.”

Julian said brusquely, “I think that will change with time. But even if you couldn’t keep the illusion going for long, that gorge stopped me, and it would have halted anyone with me. If this had been a real situation, that illusion would have bought you time.”

“Okay.” I nodded, not completely sure I agreed.

“You should feel proud of yourself. The gorge was a smart choice, Lorenzo.” Julian smiled at me, looking tired but pleased. “You have good instincts.”

“Thank you. I . . . I think I could do even better if I knew what a certain person fears most. I had to just go for what would scare me.”

“That works. Some things are universally scary.” Ian gave me a reassuring smile.

“You should try again,” Irene said.

Julian agreed, “Yes. Do something different this time. The more variety you have, the better.”

I blew out a shaky breath. “Okay.”

Julian once more advanced on me, and I focused on visualizing a wall of fire. I concentrated on Julian again, and tried to send thoughts of flesh-searing flames to his mind. When nothing seemed to happen, I gritted my teeth and tried harder. “Come on, stone,” I whispered. “Help me.”

The stone remained tepid as Julian came closer. “It’s not working now,” I said.

“No?” Julian frowned.

I squeezed the stone. “Why won’t you work? I need more practice than that or you’re going to get me killed,” I muttered, rubbing the stone against the palm of my other hand. “Come on, rock, do something.”

The Mossfire Stone vibrated against my palm, but still remained tepid.

I smacked the stone lightly. “Wake up.” As the words had left my mouth the stone turned hot as fire, searing against my palm. “Ouch.” I shifted it to my other hand. “What are you doing? Why are you so hot?”

“Uh, oh. It must be mad,” Irene said.

“Mad? Why would it be mad?” I scowled.

Ian said softly, “Maybe try talking to it more gently, Lorenzo.”

I glanced up. “You want me to sweet talk a rock?”

“Ian’s right.” Julian tone was chiding. “You have to be less bossy toward the stone. It has to want to work with you. You can’t force it.”

I groaned. “I really have to talk to the stone? I feel so silly doing that.”

Julian said, “Like I mentioned, you’re partners. Tell it what you want to accomplish together.”

I let out a tired breath and caressed the smooth surface. All the different colors shimmering over the face of the rock really were beautiful. I tried to let go of my resentment. “Listen, stone, I…I want to work with you. If we’re going to defeat Sableth, we have to respect each other. Don’t fight me. Fight Sableth instead.”

The stone cooled slightly, giving me some hope.

“I’m sure you’d rather be on the side of good, right? Sableth would be a horrible partner. He’d probably make you do all kinds of things you don’t want to do. I suspect you’d rather do the right thing and make the world a beautiful place. Sableth wants to destroy everything. We can’t let that happen, can we?”

The stone quivered and chilled some more. Feeling more optimistic, I said, “Okay. Let’s try this. How about a wall of fire?” I concentrated on picturing red hot flames while stroking my thumb over the stone. It was difficult to focus so intently for an extended time, but I didn’t give up. I kept picturing the color of the flames and the heat they’d throw off. I was thrilled when a wall of fire sprang up out of nowhere. “Yes,” I said, feeling relieved. “Perfect.”

Julian grunted and winced, lifting a hand as if shielding himself. He pulled his mouth tight across his teeth, shuddering. He stumbled backward, raw pain in his eyes.

“It’s amazing,” Irene called out, eyes wide.

“The heat is so intense,” Julian hissed. “I feel like my skin is melting.”

“Is it too hot?” Distracted by the idea I was hurting Julian, my concentration faltered. When that happened the flames instantly disappeared.

The stone that had been cool suddenly blazed hot against my hand. I yelped and dropped the stone, and it bounced across the floor, landing at Julian’s feet.

Julian glanced up, frowning. “Why did you stop?”

“I was afraid I was hurting you.” I studied the stone where it lay on the floor.

“It’s not real, Lorenzo.” Julian held out his arms. “See? Nothing is burned or singed.”

“It sure seemed real. I thought you were really being burned.”

Irene gave me a reproachful look. “You can’t let things distract you, Lorenzo. You can’t care that your opponent is injured. You want them injured so that they’re incapacitated.” She stood and pointed the sword straight ahead, then she lunged forward. “Then you go for the kill.” She grinned. “See? This is war. You can’t be afraid to hurt anyone you’re fighting. You must only think of yourself.”

“I know.” I gave a wan smile. “But Julian isn’t really my opponent.”

“He is right now.” Irene sat down again. “You gotta get your head in the game.”

“Don’t be discouraged, Lorenzo,” Julian said. “Pick up the stone and try again. And don’t let it bother you if I react.”

I bent down to retrieve the stone, but it burned my fingers. Swearing under my breath, I dropped it again. The face of the green stone swirled and seemed to glower at me. Stuffing down my pride, I said gruffly, “Look, I’m sorry. I’m not weak. I simply don’t like hurting people.”

The stone continued to whirl and vibrate with displeasure. Irritation rose in me, but I pushed it down. Whether I felt like a fool or not, talking to the stone had worked before. I just had to swallow my pride and do what needed doing. I had to get the stone’s sympathies.

I cleared my throat. “Be patient with me, okay? I’m not used to this sort of thing. I’m trying my best. I’m willing to fight Sableth. If I were a coward, I wouldn’t even want to train with you, right?”

The stone’s bright green color seemed to change into a softer, bluer green. The swirling calmed slightly, and the surface smoothed. I took a chance, reaching out to pick up the stone again. Thankfully, it felt cool, not hot. Relieved that it had listened to me, I stood and sought out Ian’s gaze. He gave me a small but encouraging smile, and I smiled back.

Julian shifted impatiently. “Are you going to create an illusion or not?”

Gritting my teeth at his peevish tone, I faced him. The stone heated against my hand, but it wasn’t painful. I focused my energy on Julian, not worrying about hurting him this time. I put all of my thoughts into what the flames should be like instead.

The stone buzzed in my palm and a pulse of energy seemed to move through my body. A wall of flames whooshed into being, and this time when the fire materialized, it seemed easier to keep it steady. I was pleased that I didn’t feel the strain as much this time. The first illusion had drained my energy swiftly, but this time holding the illusion in place felt less burdensome. It had to be because the stone was doing much of the work.

The flames leapt higher, and the heat increased. Sweat covered my face and body as I focused on Julian. The fire created a wind that ruffled Julian’s hair and reddened his cheeks. Little dust devils appeared on the edge of the flames, spinning and blazing around the main fire.

Julian winced and stepped backward, shielding his face with his arm. “Jesus,” he rasped. “It’s too hot.”

I didn’t relent this time though. I kept focused on the flames, enjoying the way they built and licked at the ceiling of the room. I could feel the power of the stone coursing through my body and mind, and it was exhilarating. The experience was completely different once the stone was working with me. I felt powerful. Invincible. The idea of facing Sableth didn’t feel nearly as terrifying as before. I knew that was because the stone was feeding me courage and energy.

“This is better,” I whispered. “This isn’t hard at all. I could keep this up for hours.”

Julian gasped and fell to his knees. “Okay, enough, Lorenzo.”

I felt a bit dazed as I watched him. Almost disconnected from his suffering. But I caught myself and purposely broke my concentration. The flames evaporated instantly, leaving a sooty scent in the room.

Irene ran to Julian. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, wiping at his flushed face. “That felt so real.” Irene helped him to his feet. “Maybe we should move on to something else.” He gave a wry smile. “I think you’re getting the hang of that, and I’m not sure how much more of a thrashing, imaginary or not, my body can take.”

Irene said, “You should have him try memory manipulation exercises, Julian. I’ll bet he can do that easily.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

Julian used the bottom of his shirt to wipe his sweaty face. “It’s where you alter the memories of another person. You can make them forget things like where they keep their weapons, or who they’re loyal to.”

“That sounds promising,” Ian said.

“It can be.” Julian went over and helped himself to a bottle of water from the case. “Going to battle for the cause is one thing, but when you suddenly can’t remember why you’re fighting, or who you’re fighting for? It definitely takes the wind out of your sails.”

Feeling more emboldened, I tightened my grip on the Mossfire Stone. I felt its energy coursing through my veins. We were bonding. I could truly feel it happening. The odds were probably still against us, but for the first time, I felt as if we had a ghost of a chance.