Page 67 of On Burning Paths

Thorian guides us as he has throughout it all, his connection to the Obsidian Spire clear. We walk for only a few minutes, until we’re walking through a grove of vibrant citrus trees. It’s vibrant the way Fenric is when he’s excited. I pluck an orange from the branch and tell Fenric it reminds me of him, which makes him blush.

“Oh, stop flirting,” Talon mutters, though he smiles as he plucks the orange from my hand, before tossing it back.

“Now you’re the jealous one,” Fenric retorts, peeling the orange and popping one of the slices into his mouth.

“Always eating things without hesitation,” Thorian mutters, rolling his eyes. “It’s going to get you killed.”

“Just say you’d like her to compare you to a fruit,” Fenric jokes, dancing out of the way of Thorian’s playful punch.

I'm about to make a joke of my own, to imply that after last night I've learned Thorian is more like a certain vegetable, but before I can conjure the words, Fenric says, “You want to know what sucks?”

“What?” Talon says, humoring him.

“That none of us have powers. I’d love it if we could fight fire with fire against those assholes.”

I stiffen.

Thorian glances in my direction, brow raised.

“About that,” I say, trying to find the words.

Everyone looks toward me, and I start trying to find the words. They’d been honest with me in the cave. It was my turn, but I couldn’t figure out what to say. How to explain what I am.,o explain how dangerous knowing this information is.

Will they know immediately that no one should find out? Will they grasp that I don’t know what will happen if the gods find out? And even if all of that goes smoothly, how do I explain that I’m not actually that useful with my magic?

But when I open my mouth to tell them, the ground beneath Thorian gives a sickening groan. He lurches sideways as the earth shifts, and for one terrible suspended second I watch him start to go over the edge of a gap that wasn't there a moment ago, his arms out, his weight tipping wrong.

Talon moves before any of us can think. He throws himself forward, hitting the ground hard on his stomach, arm shooting out, and his hand catches Thorian's wrist at the last possible moment.

"I've got you," Talon grits out, "but I'm slipping⁠—"

Fenric drops down and grabs Talon's legs, digging in his heels as the hole continues to groan and widen around them, orange and lemon trees tumbling in on the far side, roots and all.

"No, no, no⁠—"

I drop down behind Fenric and wrap my arms around his torso, adding my weight to his, and we pull. It's graceless and desperate, all of us scrabbling backward inch by inch while the edge crumbles closer, until finally Thorian clears the lip and we all go tumbling back in a heap several yards from the edge, landing hard on solid ground.

For a moment nobody moves.

"Fucking fuck," Thorian says, and he pushes to his feet immediately, fury written across his face. He reaches down and pulls me up, while Fenric does the same for Talon. The berserker and the vampire both look at me, but my gaze is locked on the demi-god.

“What was that?” I ask.

“Terranis,” Thorian says, rotating his wrists. The trees around us sway in the wind, seeming to shake with anger. Is that from the god of the soil and forests?

“Terranis,” Talon deadpans, glancing at the hole. “What, he forgot how to make the ground function correctly?”

“No,” Thorian says, sighing and plunging his hands into his hair.

“He’s trying to sabotage us,” Fenric breathes, the words barely loud enough to hear. A moment passes, then Thorian nods, and my heart jumps into my throat.

“I thought the gods weren’t supposed to interfere?” I ask, hands shaking.

“Valtor’s already broken that rule,” Fenric points out.

I think, though I don’t voice it, that was more about Valtor against his son. It wasn’t okay, obviously, but felt logical because of their relationship. The storm before was also anger over me freeing the souls.

But this, a completely unrelated god using his powers to try and kill the strongest member of our team? That’s not right. That’s not playing fair at all.