The Amulet - Book 1 of The Immortals Trilogy

Chapter 4 - Within The Shield

Jareth, Theron, and Gwyn stood around the edge of the clearing and struggled to keep the magical dome covering them intact. Each time a person stumbled across the threshold of the dome, they lost their connection with each other and needed to reweave the magic together again. It took a lot of concentration and team work to maintain this type of spell, and they were starting to tire.

Flames engulfed the dome from all sides and the temperature increased within the shield.

Jareth's mother turned her sweat-soaked face to him, and her shoulders curled over.

'We can't hold this much longer,' she whimpered. Her dishevelled, dark brown hair fell into her large green eyes. Her fawn and white wings hung limply behind her as if they'd become too heavy a burden to carry. 'You take care of the fire, while Theron and I will keep the shield intact.'

Jareth nodded. He stepped back and slowly brought his hands together to connect Gwyn and Theron's magic. He waited until they took control of the shield before disconnecting himself from it. Taking a few more paces back, he came level with Oriana.

'Jareth.' Her voice shook and she looked at him in disbelief. He was a Faylian, and all this time she'd known him, she never once suspected.

'Move back with the others,' he said. He reached out to touch her arm, and she jerked away from him. His hand dropped limply to his side, as Oriana moved to where Darian stood.

'I told you there was somethin' wrong 'bout 'im, didn't I,' Darian remarked with an air of superiority, like he had known all along. With his chest puffed out, he stepped in front of her.

Jareth's stomach tightened at the horror on her face. Pulling himself together he turned back to the fire.

He held his hands out, palms facing each other, elbows bent, and said, 'exstinguo.' He thrust his hands forward releasing the spell. His body tensed and shook with the effort it took to keep the magic under control as it surged forth.

He saw nothing as the spell passed the dome's boundary and into the fire, extinguishing it as it rolled out into the forest and over the bodies of people the fire killed. Men, women, and children, it spared no-one. An aura of agony and terror surrounded them, and it flowed back into him through the magic, and their screams filled his head. For what seemed an eternity, the depths of their despair gripped him until he thought he would be sick.

Strong fingers wrapped around his wrist, and Jareth opened his eyes and focused on Theron.

'The fire's out,' Theron said.

Jareth's mind took a moment to register the danger was over. When it did, he drew his magic back within himself and held it there with every ounce of strength he could muster.

'Who has the Amulet?' Jareth demanded.

'How did you know about the Amulet?' Gwyn stared at him in astonishment. 'We haven't had time to tell you.'

'That doesn't matter how.' Jareth ran a hand through his hair as the Amulet connected with his consciousness and whispered to him, ecstatic to have found him once again. 'Who has the Amulet?' he asked, again.

'Rybone,' Theron spat. The hardness of his voice matched his accusing look.

'You need to destroy the Amulet,' Theron urged for what seemed like the hundredth time.

'I can't,' Jareth said.

'It needs to be destroyed, so this doesn't happen again,' Theron insisted. His anger and frustration grew with every passing second. 'The Amulet is too dangerous to keep.'