Farron was already awake when she opened her eyes again. The sun was still up but lower in the sky. How long had she been asleep? By the way she felt, not long enough. She stretched and looked over at the elf.

“It’s too hot to sleep.” He frowned, the dark circles under his eyes proof enough. “Let’s find this thing and get out of here as soon as we can.” He looked at her. “There’s a reason I have always avoided the desert.”

“I know how you feel.” She sat up. “I don’t know how anyone could live out here.”

“We’re near, yes?”

She could hear the impatience in his voice.

She closed her eyes and let the magical lure wash over her. “Yes.”

“Good,” he said, standing. He scanned the horizon quickly before turning to her. “Let's see what's in store for us, shall we?” He offered her a hand up.

Claire took it but wasn’t as thrilled as he seemed. Her anxiety had grown along with the pull of the magic.

They left the horses in the shade to get more rest as they ventured out. The place didn’t feel too far. The landscape gave way to more rocky outcroppings with some sparse plants here and there. It was eerie how still and calm everything seemed. The area felt so secluded from the rest of the world. An excellent place to hide something so important, she supposed.

Claire followed the magic for what seemed like an hour before she finally stopped in front of a small, unassuming cave in the largest outcropping in the center of them all.

“Here,” she said.

Farron stepped up to the mouth of it, examining every inch. “It’s strange, I still don’t feel anything at all. There must be some strong warding used.”

Claire took a deep breath and released it. She didn’t really want to go in there. It gave her an ominous feeling. But it would at least provide some relief from the heat.

She followed Farron into the dark depths, not pleased to be going underground once again. Nothing good ever seemed to come from it.

The cave was rough, lacking any sort of man-made structures, and seemed to lead down at a very slight decline. She wouldn’t have believed that they were in the right place if it hadn’t been for the intensifying feel of magic the deeper they went. The light faded and she was soon unable to see clearly. She reached out to Farron, grabbing ahold of his cloak so he could lead the way. A moment later he came to a stop in front of her. She was about to ask him why when he snapped his fingers and flames illuminated the area, hovering over his hand.

A door hewn from the rock stood before them, crudely carved, lacking the refinement of the doors in Uru Baya. Two lines of plain script decorated the stone.

“What does it say?” she asked Farron.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.”

Claire stepped up closer to the door and reached out to touch it.

“It must be in the old language.” He stepped closer as well, examining it. “Maybe it’s the warding that has kept the magic sealed away from the outside world, from us.” There was a wistful quality to his voice.

Her fingers brushed the dusty surface. Were they the first ones to come to this place since it had been made all those years ago? She swallowed hard. “Let’s hope this works.”

She closed her eyes and opened herself up to the magic of the place. Her own responded, a sudden intense flash inside of her, before being snuffed out by the bands. The door trembled, dust and pebbles falling around them, then calmed.

“It won’t work, not with these in place.” She held her right arm up. The silver glinted in the firelight.

Farron crossed his arms, his brow gathering in concentration. He was quiet for a moment as they both searched for an alternative.

“What if we cheat it?” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“It needs you, obviously, to open it, but what if we use my magic?” He looked at her, an eyebrow raised inquisitively.

Claire thought it over quickly. It was worth a try. “Might as well.” She laid her hand on the door again, closing her eyes, opening herself up again. Her magic flared and then died once more. Then she felt the slight sensation of his magic being pushed into the stone.

Everything was still for a moment. Then the rumbling started again, only this time it didn’t die down; it became more intense. The door shook and they both jumped back as it started to slide into the ground. Inch by inch the door disappeared, revealing the bowels of the cave beyond. Farron’s flame only illuminated far enough for her to see carved walls and a flat tiled floor, both the same ochre stone as the rest of the cave.

When the door was finally level with the ground, she looked at Farron. “I can’t believe that worked.”

He looked at her, letting out a breath.

They waited for a moment for something to happen. When it didn’t, they looked at each other again and he shrugged.

“Be careful,” he said, taking the first step.

She nodded, her nerves on edge. She followed after him, keeping close, examining the corridor. More utilitarian than anything, it seemed like it had been made in a hurry, but considering the circumstances, it probably had been. Had Rialla done all of this herself? Claire wished that she had had more time with the old elf in Uru Baya. There were so many questions still unanswered. And it was possible they always would be.

Farron’s pace slowed, drawing her attention back to the present. The corridor opened up several paces ahead into a massive space, dimly lit by streams of sunlight. He tilted his head, first looking to the side then up, and then finally down to his feet. Claire followed his gaze to what had piqued his interest. The same script from the door was scrawled in multiple places all over the walls, floor, and ceiling, in an eerie, haphazard way.

“Different words,” Farron said. “Another spell?”

“For what?” she asked. Was it another ward? Or something else? “There’s only one way to find out, I suppose.”

“I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this place.”

“You and me both.” Claire stepped up next to him, looking at the carved letters in the stone, wishing that she knew what they said. She took a breath and held it, then stepped over the script. When nothing happened, she released it and looked back at Farron. They remained still for a few moments, listening, waiting for something, anything, to happen. “I guess it doesn’t—”

But as soon as Farron stepped over the spell, the script burst to life, emitting a bright white light. A low rumbling started deep in the earth and spread rapidly to the surface, engulfing the whole cavern in tremors. Dust fell from the ceiling, the rock groaning and crackling.

“Go!” Farron shouted, pushing her further into the cave to the opening.

Flames erupted in sconces lining the walls, following in their tracks. They reached the immense open area and skidded to a stop. Farron grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward him, away from the ledge. The floor ended in a platform high above a vast darkness. Her shoulders heaving from their sprint, Claire’s eyes adjusted to the room. Massive almost seemed like an understatement. A rocky ceiling formed a dome over the space, so vast that she could barely see the other side in the dim light. The torches lit all around the room in sequence, but their meager light did nothing to illuminate the darkness. The rumbling eased a bit and a large bowl blazed to life in the center of the room atop a circular pillar. But the most horrifying part was the narrow bridge that led out to it, no more than a foot wide.

She was so lost in the enormity of it all that she nearly missed what Farron said.

“Look.”

She followed the finger he pointed out to the platform. A thin pedestal stood in front of the flames, and on top of that a square fragment of stone. She could feel the pull of it, strong and steady.

Claire gulped and looked up at Farron. “I don’t know if I can cross that.” She nodded to the bridge.

“Well, I can try,” Farron said, his tone doubtful. “But if there’s any more of those spells, you’ll have to be the one to get it, unfortunately. Who knows what I just triggered?”

He looked up at the room around them. It seemed to be holding so far.

Farron inched up to the bridge and peered down into the darkness.

“Do you see anything?” Claire asked, hanging back. Her pulse remained a little too fast.

“Just… sand.”

The rumbling and shaking stopped then, plunging the room into a sudden silence. Claire froze for a second, waiting for the next thing to happen. Farron did as well and then stepped out onto the bridge, testing it before he put his full weight onto it.

“Be careful!” Claire called after him, her words echoing strangely.

One foot after another, Farron eased his way across the too narrow bridge, causing a nervous sweat to break out across her skin just watching him.

When he was halfway across, a deafening, birdlike shriek pierced the air.

Claire’s blood ran cold. Farron stopped and crouched down low, steadying himself into a ready stance. It couldn’t be, could it?

The room seemed to shudder and then the noise of shifting sand followed. The second shrill cry all but solidified her fear. They had just awakened a Beast of Old.

Nothing good ever happened underground.

Claire watched in horror as a massive shadow emerged from the sand below, slow and lethargic, just like the Maelin she and Lianna had faced in the tiny mountain town, like the feline-like beast she had fought at Lord Byron’s estate. Her worst fear had come true. Of course, if it were any other Star Child, they could simply defeat the creature. It was another safeguard in place to protect the stone. Clever of Rialla, but bad for Claire and Farron. She wondered for a split second just how the woman had trapped a Beast of Old in the first place.

Like a wet dog, the creature shook its body to free itself of the sand. It was far enough away that she didn’t think it had noticed that they were there. Yet. She and the elf remained frozen in place, afraid to make a move and catch its attention. They watched in silence as the beast ambled awkwardly across the sand toward the far side of the room.

Farron took the opportunity to carefully take another step. Claire held her breath, afraid even that would give them away. He took another step, but as he was putting his foot down on the bridge, a loose piece cracked and fell off into the abyss down below. Farron stilled and Claire’s heart leaped up into her throat.

Then the beast’s cry filled the cavernous room, echoing, deafening, terrifying. Farron stood, keeping his knees bent and ready, and drew one of his daggers. The air seemed to quiver when the creature flapped its wings. It took a few tries for it to become airborne.

“Farron!” Claire cried out. He wasn’t planning on fighting that thing, was he?

He gave her a sharp look. One that told her that that was exactly what he meant to do.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

And that meant if he was going after the creature, then she was going to have to cross the bridge. Suddenly she didn’t know who had the easier job. The avian beast circled high above them, crying out once more. Farron turned on the bridge to follow its movements. Claire was amazed at how sure-footed he was.

“Don’t you dare die on me!” she shouted. “You hear me?”

He glanced at her, a grin forming on his face.

Claire sighed. He had a foolish lust for excitement just like Lianna. No wonder they had once been drawn to each other.

The beast was coming around again, its path descending, closing in for the attack. Farron crouched lower and drew his hand along the back of his dagger. Lightning-like sparks engulfed his blade, crackling. The creature swooped down and grabbed the elf with its talons, and flew up in the air once more, hauling him into the darkness.

Claire remained in place as she stared after him, hoping he knew what he was doing, that he would be all right. It was all she could do now. No—she had to go get the stone, or else all this would have been for naught.

It took her a few tries to get her body to move toward the bridge. When she neared the edge of the platform she looked down into the void. It was too far down. Way too far down for her comfort. If she fell…

But she couldn’t think of that now. She had a job to do. Sweat already drenched her, her pulse hammering in her chest. She eased a foot out onto the narrow path. It had held for the elf, so she assumed it was safe in that regard. But even after all of her training, she was never, and never would be as sure-footed as the elf. After taking a deep breath, Claire swung her other foot out and in front of the other. She held her arms out to help steady herself. Just one foot after another, she kept repeating in her head.

She let her mind get absorbed in the task, shutting out the surrounding world, trying her best to ignore the ground too far down below. But an ear-piercing cry shattered her concentration. Her head snapped up toward the beast. It tumbled through the air, free falling for a few moments before righting itself once again. Claire swayed slightly and snapped her attention back to the bridge.

Hours seemed to pass by the time the platform came into view. She was almost there. The creature still circled around the room, occasionally tumbling and dipping under the bridge before flying up high again. Claire didn’t dare stare for too long. She couldn’t risk it. Just two more steps.

On the last step, she lurched forward onto the platform. She took a long shuddering breath, her body shaking. But she was only halfway done. There was no time to relax now. She rushed up to the pedestal. The piece of stone just sat on top of it, a layer of dust obscuring the script carved into it. But there was no mistaking that it was a part of the same piece that her stone had come from. Claire examined the pedestal, looking for any more of the strange letters, for another ward or spell that would be triggered. Not finding any, she touched the fragment, her magic reacting to it. The silver bands grew uncomfortably hot on her arm.

Another cry of the beast spurred her on. She grasped the stone and carefully lifted it, pausing only for a moment to see if anything else would happen. When it didn’t, she turned to begin the long journey back over the bridge. She held the fragment tightly under one arm, close to her body, and stepped onto the thin path once again. One foot after another, she repeated again, over and over.

When she was a little more than halfway across the bridge, the beast let out a more guttural cry. Claire turned her head to look up. The creature jerked back and forth, dropping before catching itself a few times. She saw that Farron had somehow gotten onto its back. He drew back an arm, the sparking dagger in hand, and plunged it into the beast’s back. It let out a miserable cry as it spiraled into a free fall.

“Farron!” Claire shouted.

He jumped as the creature passed over the platform ahead of her, rolling as he landed. The beast circled the room once more, its path dropping lower and lower, coming right for a collision course with the bridge she still stood on.

“Fare!” she yelped.

He got to his feet and rushed to the edge of the platform, his hand outstretched.

“Come on!”

She was too far to make that jump. Her feet moved faster than she thought possible, her balance faltering as her body swayed from side to side. Panic took over, making her knees weak, her stomach drop to the floor. She was still several steps away from the platform when the beast collided with the bridge. The rock underneath her feet shook, throwing her balance off. She stumbled and only managed to push off in the direction of Farron’s outstretched hand before falling out into the abyss. A scream tore out of her throat. She reached out to him, but he seemed too far to grab her. Butterflies filled her insides as she fell, weightless, and she thought all was lost, but then Farron’s strong grip encircled her wrist, jerking her to a stop. Her breath came in small, short gasps as she waited for her mind to catch up to the present.

“I’ve got you, Claire.” His voice sounded strained but sure.

Relief washed through her even as her feet dangled helplessly in the air.

A muffled thud shook the room as the creature finally crashed into the sand below. And then all was quiet and still once again. The only things she could hear was her own heart beating inside of her, her ragged breaths, and the cracking of the bridge as pieces fell off of it.

Farron grunted as he slowly started pulling her up and onto safe ground. Claire collapsed on the solid foundation below her. Farron did the same next to her. They both stared up at the ceiling while they caught their breath.

“That was not fun,” she said, still shaking.

“Oh, I don’t know, I found it rather thrilling.” She could hear the grin in his voice. He raised onto his elbow and looked down at her, said grin in place. “I told you I owed you a Beast of Old, didn’t I?”

A short laugh escaped her. She had never thought he would actually do it. It took her a few more moments to be able to move again. She sat up and held the stone piece out to look at it.

“Is that it?” Farron looked at it, unimpressed.

“All that trouble for this.” She blew the dust off the script. The letters matched the markings on the piece she had and the ones used in the wards and spells throughout the cavern. Other than that, it was fairly unremarkable. Could this thing really be the key to restoring magic? Whatever her doubts, it was her only hope.

“Let’s get out of here, shall we?” He rose to his feet and pulled her up along with him.

She swayed a little, her knees still weak. She couldn’t wait.