Page 50 of Kiss of Embers

Two minutes later, Finn entered the temple. Two minutes after that, Galen of House Baudelaire disappeared between the giant stone doors. Then it was my turn.

My heart tried to beat from my chest as I approached the yawning stone doorway, which had to be at least fifty feet high. Intricate carvings decorated the doors, the symbols and artwork depicting strange animals and humanoid figures. An eerie greenglow spilled from the temple’s interior and lit up the doors, making the figures appear to move. The air between the doors rippled like the surface of a lake, iridescent colors writhing and shifting.

Bolveg greeted me on the threshold, his glasses reflecting the ominous light. “Thirty seconds.” He glanced behind me, then dropped his voice. “I recommend taking it at a run.”

I nodded, my gaze on the rippling space between the doors.Twenty seconds.My stomach tightened. Sweat trickled down my back.Ten.Blood pounded in my ears. Ahead of me, the rippling, iridescent air began to clear.

Five…four…three…two…

The curtain of air dropped, revealing a massive stone cavern supported by soaring carved columns.

One.

I sprinted forward. Instantly, the ground dropped from under me.

A scream ripped from my throat as I plummeted into darkness. Seconds later, my scream turned into a grunt as my feet landed in sand.

Thrown off balance by the impact, I pitched forward, falling to my hands and knees. Sand bunched around my fingers, bubbling up like it was pumped from a giant garden hose. And itglowed, its light illuminating everything around me.

It took me a moment to make sense of my surroundings. When I did, I couldn’t control my whimper. I perched atop a plume of sand just big enough to support my weight. The temple’s walls were hazy suggestions on either side of me, the ancient stone too far to reach. And in any case, reaching it was impossible—because the templehad no floor.

An inky, formless abyss stretched under me, ready to swallow me whole except for the plume of sand.

Earth.This was the earth portion of the challenge. Now, I just had to figure out how I was supposed to cross the void.

As if my thoughts had summoned an answer, another plume of glowing sand shot into the air in front of me. The soft sound of shifting sand echoed off the temple’s walls. I stared at the plume, my heart knocking against my ribs. Was I supposed to jump onto it?

The geyser beneath me rumbled—then started to sink. Panic surged, and I scrambled to my feet. My boots sank in the shifting, crumbling sand as I backed up as far as I dared. The plume ahead appeared to rise higher. But no,myplume was sinking faster. If I waited much longer, I’d never clear the distance.

Leaning forward slightly, I put on a burst of speed and leapt toward the newly formed geyser of glowing sand. Wind whistled in my ears, and I landed on the back edge of the plume. For a second, I windmilled my arms, fighting for balance. Then I caught it and sagged forward, my palms on my knees.

Ahead and slightly to the right, another sand plume shot into existence. The sand beneath me began to crumble. Gritting my teeth, I straightened, backed up, and jumped.

Landed.

Another plume.

And another.

I fell into a rhythm. Landing and jumping, landing and jumping. It became a race against time, each leap more difficult as fatigue set in and my muscles screamed with the effort of keeping my balance on the shifting sand. The geysers rose and fell rhythmically, carrying me across the abyss toward an unseen destination. I didn’t think about what lay at the bottom of the cavern. Just kept jumping and landing. Sand coated my skin, mixing with my sweat until my hands and arms glowed as brightly as the plumes.

My feet hit the center of a geyser. I paused as the plume ahead of me shot into the air. The sand’s heat permeated my boots and climbed up my legs. But it didn’t matter. I kept going.

Jump. Land.

Jump. Land.

Jump. Land.

My clothes stuck to my skin. Sweat stung my eyes. I swiped my forearm over my forehead and kept going.

Jump. Land.

The geyser ahead of me glowed. I backed up, bent my knees, and jumped. This time, I landed on stone. Solid ground stretched in every direction. The sand was gone. Ahead of me, fat, round columns marched in two seemingly endless rows. The temple’s ceiling was too distant to make out. Except for the columns, the cavern around me was empty. The eerie light persisted, painting the stone in green shadows.

I collapsed onto my hands and knees, my breath sawing in and out of my chest. Adrenaline pumped hard in my veins. Lifting my head, I looked over my shoulder. The abyss was gone, as if it had never been. I’d done it. I conquered the earth element.

A flash of light made me face forward again. My breath caught. Whereas before, the cavern had been nothing but stone carvings and thick columns, a vast jungle filled the space. Thick vines tangled around the columns. Brightly hued flowers adorned clumps of foliage. Trees towered toward the unseen ceiling, the branches festooned with broad, glossy leaves. A colorful parrot soared through the air and landed in a nearby branch. And somewhere ahead, water splashed.