Edge of Pathos (Book 4 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 24

By the time Valerie and Cyrus made it to the glade a few miles outside of Silva, Steven and Willa had already set up the dynamite and were ready to blow a hole into Plymouth.

"Ready?" Valerie asked Steven. Steven nodded. "Then light the fuse."

Steven snapped his fingers and a flame appeared. But before she could ponder exactly what Steven's power was, the little flame raced along the cable to the dynamite, which exploded and sent a mist of dirt and rocks everywhere.

Willa jogged over to the hole in the ground.

"It's here, right where the map said!" she exclaimed, tugging at a rusty wheel on the outside of an ancient door beneath the ground.

"It must have been buried when the residents of Plymouth, the Groundlings, decided to cut off ties with the world above. Reminds me a little of Messina," Steven said. "We tried to cut off contact by being on an island."

"Do the Groundlings refuse to use magic, as well?" Cyrus asked.

"The opposite," Willa said. "They are a people who revere magic as a religion."

"Then hopefully, they won't want it to be polluted by the Fractus," Valerie said.

She used her strength to twist the wheel, and the door creaked open. She pulled it wide enough that she and Cyrus could fit through.

"Let's go," she said, and she and Cyrus stepped into the darkness.

"We'll make sure no one follows you in," Willa's voice floated behind them.

Inside, it was completely dark until Valerie felt magic hum from Cyrus. Light spilled from his hands, illuminating a cavern that was studded with gemstones of many different colors.

"Beautiful," Valerie whispered.

Cyrus touched a red gem, and the light from his hands made it glow. Then the light spread, jumping from stone to stone. Now the cavern was filled with multi-colored lights of blue, green, red, and purple. The muted light reminded Valerie of sunlight pouring through stained glass.

"Not a bad trick," Cyrus said with his old, cocky grin. "Not one that every lightweaver would be able to manage, I might add."

"No one but you would dream up such a unique use of your power, even if they could manage the magic," Valerie said, and Cyrus's grin widened. "Now let's get moving before your head grows too big to fit inside here."

Cyrus gave her a playful shove, and Valerie flashed him a surprised smile. It was like old times, until Cyrus's grin vanished.

"It can never be like it was," he said, as if he could read her mind, and then he began jogging down the hall.

For a long time, they walked, not speaking, and Valerie began to worry that they'd taken a wrong turn, or that the maps that Willa had given them were outdated.

But finally, they heard the distant murmur of voices, echoes of people talking or shouting.

"Over here," Cyrus said, waving her over.

Valerie went to his side and saw that he'd found an opening in the wall the size of a window. She peeked through it and saw a city spread below them. There were homes carved out of the bedrock, magnificent stone structures that were elaborately detailed with columns, pillars, winding staircases, and soaring arches.

Despite being underground, the city wasn't dark. Orbs of light were suspended throughout the city in nooks and crannies. They hummed with power, and Valerie suspected they were powered by magic. Blankets of green moss gave the impression of well-trimmed lawns, and instead of real flowers, elaborate blooms cut from gemstones decorated windowsills and gave life to the little parks that dotted the city.