Ember Gods

Chapter 20

Jacob's hands, feet, and legs were aching, but he had to keep going. The sun went down—he wasn't sure when. The trees were brighter than it had been, anyway. He had the presence of mind to tell Hazel to deliver a message to his family who had gotten back from their trip that morning, letting them know he and Matt wouldn't be making it home for dinner. Then he spurred himself onward.

The roots and branches of the tree were bright enough that finding the bud wouldn't have been difficult, except for not knowing which offshoot it was on. The four trees' roots grew so far and long that Jacob wondered if they'd ever find the right one.

Sometime in the night, Akeno couldn't go any longer—his leg nearly gave out on him from all the crouching and getting up and down. He rested for a while, then took a walk to work out the kinks in his muscles. He left, returning nearly an hour later with food for the tired diggers from the Fat Lady's cabin.

Everyone took a break—Jacob almost collapsing from exhaustion. But thinking of Aloren gave him determination. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't. Not when she needed him so badly.

As soon as the Fat Lady gave the command, they returned to work.

Jacob longed for his phone—the battery had long died. For anything to break the silence. There wasn't a noise to interrupt them, and he was too exhausted to talk. He briefly considered the Lorkon. Would they show up while everyone was digging? Hopefully not.

The hours passed slowly and painfully—with no luck. The Fat Lady offered the occasional encouragement. According to her, it had never taken this long to find the bud before—every minute of digging brought them that much closer to it.

Hazel and Early flew back and forth between Jacob's house and the trees, delivering messages from his parents, who eventually went to bed, realizing they couldn't do anything to help.

He didn't even realize the sun was rising until Kenji pointed it out. How much longer? Surely they'd find the bud soon. How could four trees have so many roots?

The sun had fully risen when Ebony hoarsely yelled that she'd found it. Momentarily awakened by the excitement of seeing what they'd been searching for, Jacob stumbled to her side, looking down into the row she'd been digging.

The bud looked exactly like a rose bud—only bright blue, and larger than Jacob's fist. The seams where the petals met gleamed with a brilliant silver-blue light.

"Almost too late," the Fat Lady said when she shuffled over. "It's about to bloom on its own." She cut the bud from the root with a pair of scissors, then charged toward her house, the group straggling behind.

When they arrived at her cabin, she had already washed the bud and was putting it on the coffee table. Everyone gathered around, and Aldo jumped to his feet from where he'd been sleeping in the corner.

The Fat Lady leaned forward, biting her lips, and slowly, carefully, peeled the outer, dark petals off, placing them in a bowl. With each petal she plucked, the bud glowed brighter and brighter. Finally, only two outer peels remained, and she pulled them off simultaneously.

The bud burst open and everyone jumped back. The petals unfurled, and a pungent aroma filled the air—like apple juice and cedar wood. Light shot from the center of the rose in a huge beam, hitting the ceiling of the cabin, then swelling until it covered everything and everyone. The flower grew until it covered the entire table—the Fat Lady moving things out of its way.

The light faded, but the petals themselves began glowing so brightly, it was almost painful to watch. The petals were delicate and nearly translucent.

"That is so beautiful," Ebony said.

Everyone nodded in agreement. The blossom was the prettiest Jacob had ever seen, and definitely the bluest.

"It'll stay like this for a month at least," the Fat Lady said.

"How do they survive underground?" Jacob asked. "Those petals look really thin."

"Touch them—they're not as fragile as they appear."

Jacob did so, his eyebrows raising at what he felt. The petals were as solid and strong as steel. "Wow. That's amazing."

Everyone else stepped forward, wanting to touch it. The Fat Lady grinned at their reactions.

"It's pretty awesome, isn't it?" she asked. "And you'd never believe how much it weighs. Jacob, go ahead and pick it up."

Jacob reached forward, putting his hands on the underside. He braced himself, using his legs as anchors, but almost dropped it in surprise when he lifted it. It was as light as a regular-sized rose. "How . . .?"

"Don't know. Everyone else, take your turn, then get going. I need to work."

"Which part did you need?"

"The outer petals—they're the ones with the most magic in them. Once the bud blooms, they fall off and wither, becoming useless."

"If those petals are so strong, how did you pull them off?"

She grinned at Jacob, wagging her finger at him. "You actually think I'm going to tell? Everyone has their secrets."

"What are you going to do with the rest of the flower?" Matt asked.

"Save it for use in other potions. Now leave! All of you. I have to get started right away—the petals need to sit in an acid solution for a while, and the window of opportunity is short."

"How long do they have to soak in the acid?" Jacob asked.

"A couple of weeks—maybe three."

Jacob sighed in frustration, too tired to voice his annoyance, and took everyone home, including Gallus. Then he and Matt returned to their house. His mom sent them to bed, excusing them from school for the rest of the day.