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These weren t regular limestone stalactites. They were lavacicles. Ragged lava pillars rose from the floor like buttresses and disappeared into the
roof. A huge hole, probably a collapsed lava tube, took up a portion of the floor to our left. Beyond the hole, the cave curved and disappeared into
nothingness.
Valafar pointed at the curve.  That leads to the chamber where the dagger is hidden.
I nodded
 You must continue alone from here.
Suspicion coursed through me.  Why?
 None of our people has ever made it past the hole and come back.
I didn t like this new information one little bit.  Why not?
 The dagger won t let anyone get close. We ve lost countless people in an attempt to retrieve it. All they see is a bright light, then they re gone.
 What makes you think it won t hurt me?
He dismissed my question with a sharp wave of his hand.  You ask senseless questions, Lilith. As the wielder, the dagger will not harm you. It will
come to you and you will command it to do anything. Now go and get it.
Apprehension slithered up my spine, my heart starting to beat hard. The area past the hole was murky. I hesitated.
 Remember your grandfather, Valafar added in a hard voice.
Right, like I needed to be reminded Grampa and Bran were depending on me. I swallowed past the constriction in my throat. I shouldn t fear
darkness. I ve seen light come out of darkness. I took a deep breath, let the glow within me expand. I can do this. I must do this. I removed the fur
coat and pushed it in Valafar s hand. I removed my hunter coat, and let it fall to the ground, then I started toward the hole.
My heart drummed an uneven staccato, my breathing shallow. What lay beyond that corner was unknown, and I d never been more scared in my life,
but this was one time I couldn t afford to panic. Loose rocks and shadows made it next to impossible to tell what I was stepping on. I lost my footing
and grabbed a stalagmite to break my fall. I glanced back at Valafar.  You could at least give me the energy balls to light the way.
He shook his head.  They ll fizzle before they get to the hole.
Despite my dire situation, I smirked. That was one smart dagger. No wonder he wanted it. He might not have said so, but I knew he wanted the
dagger for himself. The smile died on my lips as I contemplated the missing floor before me. It was wide, and a thrumming sound emanated from it.
Fear clenched my gut.  What s down there? Cerberus?
Valafar glowered without answering, but he let the two energy balls follow me as far as they could go. I studied the area beyond the gaping floor.
The glow from the orbs only illuminated the pillars closest to the hole. Beyond them was nothing but gloom. No, that wasn t true. A bright light with a
green tinge seeped from the shadows, but only illuminated the top of the pillars, the ones at the farthest end of the cave. The area in between was
dark. My teleporting had better not fail me.
Aiming for one of the nearest pillar, I teleported and dug my fingers inside the crevice on the rough surface. Sharp edges dug into my palm and
skin. I ignored the pain and looked down. I couldn t see the bottom and didn t want to take a chance and plunge into nowhere. Think of it like rock
climbing, without the harness. You ve done it so many times with Grampa. I lowered my feet to the broad base, moved around until I could teleport
to the next pillar.
Heading toward the brilliant light, going on instinct, I moved from one pillar to another, my fingers, hands and arms smarting. Once, I almost lost my
balance. Pebbles rolled from under my feet, and took forever to reach the bottom. I swallowed hard, imagining other collapsed lava tubes below
me, waiting to swallow me up. I took extra care with each teleport, sweat dripping down my face, hands hurting from the bruises I was collecting
from the sharp, rocky surfaces. I wanted to curse Valafar for all my troubles but I kept seeing Grampa and Bran s faces. Unconscious. Helpless.
Depending on me.
I worked my way past the stalagmites and pillars, the dazzling glow ahead calling to me, memories of my loved ones pushing me on. The light grew
stronger and the thrumming louder. Or maybe it was just the blood rushing past my ears.
Once my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I realized the light shone from inside a chamber formed from a vertical lava tube. I could see the floor and
the ground supporting the pillar I was hanging on to for dear life. I stepped down, staggered inside the chamber and collapsed on the ground.
Breathing heavy, I looked at my hands and winced. They were bleeding, and my arms were raw. I couldn t take a moment to catch my breath. Bran
and Grampa s faces floated in my head. I needed to find the dagger and get out of there.
I shielded my eyes and tried to locate the source of the brilliant green light and the deafening sound. I squinted, looked up and I saw it, a bejeweled
dagger so dazzling I had to avert my eyes. The glow came from the blade, the noise from its rapid twirl. The dagger spun so fast it looked like a
disk.
Going on instinct, I raised my hand and pointed at it.  Stop. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]