Fire Weaver (Fall of the Fey #1)

Chapter 10

Everyone was shifting nervously while they waited except for Carmel. She had seen it before. It was common for the Wardens to practice their powers throughout the Willow-wood. But just because she had seen an open portal before didn't mean she couldn't appreciate how beautiful it was.

'How long does it take?' Faux asked his voice slightly strained belying his relaxed posture where he leaned against the bar.

'As long as it has to.' Carmel said as she closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt her skin grow hot right before her natural appearance exploded out of her skin. The three humans shouted in alarm because to them a girl had just burst into flames. 'I'm okay, I just need to concentrate.' She told them. She opened her eyes to see the three of them gawking at her and she squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't be distracted by their staring.

'Holy shit!' She heard Faux's exclamation and knew that the portal was rippling chaotically as it stabilised; she could feel the power surge of the five Wardens latching on to her magic so that the portal would remain steady.

She heard the shuffling of feet as all the gathered creatures were led through. The ringing of metal on metal gave her a mental picture of the elves when they are in their armour and behind that was the bass stomping of the trolls that made the floor shiver and quake. The creaking rustling drew a picture of the tree imps in Carmel's mind.

Carmel felt the power of the Wardens waning and she knew it was time to let go of the portal. She felt the power snap away from her and the world tipped to the side, and she heard a dull thud followed by cries of alarm. She tried to move but she was too tired. She just wanted to sleep.

***

Tharoe stood with the Djinn, he had been told was Faux, and Lekinya outside the room Carmel stayed in while Zereth paced. Tharoe had been given control of his people and he had told them to rest up while they could and the owner of the place had offered his rooms. The same offer was given to the Draco and Fey people.

'Do you think she'll be okay?' Lekinya asked her white wings shifted anxiously.

Zereth stopped and turned to her, annoyed, 'of course she'll be okay.'

Faux leaned against the wall opposite to Carmel's door and fiddled with a straw he had taken from the bar. 'Quite a collection of beings we have here. Do you think it's overkill?'

'What do you mean?' Tharoe asked him. His lips pulled back slightly showing his teeth before his face settled back into its placid expression. Lekinya had noticed that Tharoe had been tense ever since they came through the portal.

Faux scratched his eyebrow with his thumb his eyes still on the straw he was playing with. 'Well, we are just doing recon, right? Seeing what the Necro wants and what he's up to.' He looked up then and raised his eyebrows to accentuate his question.

Tharoe rubbed his chin as he considered the question. 'Perhaps we could split the group in two. Have a small group go in first then a second larger group for backup.'

Zereth stopped his pacing again, his anger seething out of him, making everyone tense in anticipation of a fight. 'Does it even matter right now?'

Deadly stepped out into the hall from Carmel's room, he looked startled at the gathered group as though he hadn't expected there to be one. He sighed and explained that Carmel had helped with the portal and that she was just exhausted from the magic drain. He shrugged and said: 'it happens.'

'She'll be okay though?' Zereth asked his forehead crinkled with worry.

'She'll be right as rain and ready to march on the cliff tomorrow night,' Deadly told him.