Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)(55)

Jasminda shook her head in disbelief. “What were the Queen’s instructions? What did She say?”

“Her guidance has led us this far,” Gerda said. “Though it has taken twenty years to find a way to get the caldera safely into Elsira. We had to trust that once we made it here, a way would be shown.” She leaned forward, her intensity piercing. “You are that way.” She placed her hand on top of Jasminda’s closed fist and the caldera pulsed in response.

The importance of the trust these people were placing in her was not lost on her. “Who else knows about it?”

The elders shared a glance, looks of resignation appearing on their faces. Rozyl sighed. “The Cantor knows, which means the True Father knows—at least that the caldera exists—and he’s searching for it. All along we had planned to use decoys to sneak it out. Though not quite this many.” She waved her hand around, and Jasminda leaned forward.

“The refugees? They’re all just decoys?” Her heart drummed as if ready to beat out of her chest.

Rozyl nodded grimly. “They don’t know it. Only a handful outside this tent are Keepers, but word was spread of the cracks in the Mantle, and once our contacts did their jobs, the number of those packing up to escape Lagrimar grew and grew.”

She pinned Jasminda with her gaze. “That’s why it’s so important that we trust the right people. If it falls into his hands, there is no hope. If he breaks out of Lagrimar, not just Elsira will fall but other lands will follow. The world could be his to control. We’ve got to end this.”

For once, Jasminda agreed with Rozyl. “What do I do?” she said.

Uncertainty crossed more than one face. “Follow the visions,” Turwig said. “Learn what the caldera wants to show you. It must lead to a way to awaken Her.”

“And tell no one about it,” Rozyl said. “The Cantor is very powerful, and her spies are clever. She could even have Elsirans working with her. We cannot take any more chances.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“Not even that prince of yours.” She pinned Jasminda with a hard look.

Jasminda froze. “He would never—”

“Can you risk the future of two countries on it?" Rozyl leaned forward. "The rest of the world? Palaces have eyes and ears. You must give us your word.”

She knew without question she could trust Jack. But if what they said was true, there was nothing he could do to help anyway. The weight of the responsibility lay heavy on her shoulders. “I give you my word. I will tell no one and do all I can.”

Turwig nodded and smiled at her, but she did not miss the anxiety in his eyes. She was truly the last chance for these people. For Elsira, as well. Cold dread took her over. She inhaled deeply, unwrapped the caldera, and lowered her palm.




The fire crackles before us, and I lean back into the strong hold of Yllis’s arms around me. Eero sits just across from us, roasting tubers on a stick. His melancholy calls to me and I yearn to soothe it, but long ago he made me promise not to sing away his moods. I endeavor to respect his wishes, though it is difficult to see my twin so sad.

“What ails, Eero?” I say to him.

He continues to stare into the fire, his eyes faraway. I disengage from Yllis and move around to sit beside him. “We celebrate our birth today. Why are you downhearted?”

I nudge his shoulder, and his mouth quirks slightly in the beginnings of a smile.

“I do not aim to diminish any happiness of yours. I only wish . . .”

I remain patient as he forms his thoughts. Words are not always easy for him, but they eventually flow. I do not push.

“I wish I could sing, as you do. As Father did.”

I reach out to him, placing my hand on his. “And I wish I shared Mother’s talent at drawing the way you do. The pictures you create are unequaled. Everyone’s talents lie in different directions.”

“Yes, but to control the earth and the sky? It is magnificent.” Wonder fills his voice. I feel ashamed for taking for granted the Song that swells within me, the feeling of oneness that I have with the life and energy of the world.

“We are different,” I say. He looks pointedly at my hand, still on his arm, an example of the difference clearly displayed by the contrasting hues of our skin. Mine like our father and the other Songbearers with our dark hair and dark eyes, his the shade of Mother’s and the other Silents, with eyes of vivid golden copper. “The blue of the day’s sky and the black of the night’s are different, but one is not better than the other. We need both. If I could give you part of my Song, I would, so you could feel what it is like. And perhaps you could give me some of your talent so that I could paint the murals that bring such delight to all who see them, and it will equal out.”

He pulls away from my touch and stands, offering me his roasted tuber before turning to look at the water. “We will never be equals, Oola.” My name on his lips has never sounded so hopeless.

My twin walks toward the water, and I move back to Yllis’s arms.

“He offered for the daughter of the Head Cantor,” Yllis says as I watch Eero’s retreating form. “She turned him down for one of the Healers.” A fissure forms in my heart.

“I did not know. He tells me little of his love life. Once upon a time, we were close as heartbeats.” I shift to face Yllis. “Do you think there is a way?”