Page 107 of Ashes of Aether
Next Eliya tries emptying the entire contents of her purse: countless coppers, several silvers, and a few gold coins. Though her offering would be enough to send the streets of the Lower City into a frenzy, the door is far less impressed. It doesn’t budge.
Cursing again, Eliya scoops up all her coins and returns them to her purse.
I whirl back to the door. The aether across the riddle ripples, mocking us. “It isn’t money.”
“You don’t say,” Eliya grumbles, staring down at her coin purse. “Evanest.” At her command, it disperses into aether.
I glare at the riddle, but it reveals no clue. “Before you may enter,” I read out, wondering whether the puzzle will make more sense when spoken aloud, “look upon me with great care, on my words and nothing more. Only those with courage, dare to pay my price.” Several moments pass. Despite verbalizing the riddle, I still don’t know how to solve it. “What in the Abyss does it want from us?”
Eliya scrunches her face as she racks her mind. “What else would the price be? I suppose it’s something we’re supposed to place within the altar.”
“Something that has nothing to do with wealth.” I run my fingers through my hair as I think. The strands are a tangled, matted mess from the fight with Kaely. As my fingers reach the back of my head, they come across something sticky.
I pull my hand toward me, peering at the liquid on my fingers. It seems I must have hit my head hard enough to draw blood in the fight with Kaely. With the Elixir of Flurry pounding through my body, I hardly feel the pain.
The blood trickles down my finger. I stare at the crimson bead, my eyes widening. Realization slams into me.
“Blood!” I cry.
Eliya turns to me. Her expression becomes panicked as she notices the blood on my index finger. “Reyna, you’re bleeding!” She clutches my shoulders, examining me carefully. “Are you all right? I didn’t know you were this hurt!”
I hold the blood-coated finger up to Eliya, marveling at it. Maybe I should be concerned that I’m bleeding, but I’m far more focused on solving the riddle.
I return my gaze to the door, reading over the words once more. A grin stretches across my face, certain my guess is correct.
“Reyna?” Eliya says. “You’re scaring me. Did you really hit your head this hard?”
“Don’t you see?” I exclaim. “Look at the first letter of each line:Before, Look, On, Only, Dare.The answer is blood!”
Eliya’s mouth hangs agape as she stares at the door, seeing the answer for herself. While she’s busy examining the riddle, I murmurgelu’gladisand conjure a frozen blade. Clutching the icy hilt tightly in my hand, I stride over to the golden altar.
“What are you—”
Before she can finish, I slice the sharp edge of the frozen blade across my palm. Blood wells out from the cut. I squeeze my hand and place it over the altar, allowing several drops to splash into the golden dish.
The door rumbles, rolling upward and revealing our path.
I cast the icy blade aside, and it clatters onto the ground. I wipe my bloodied hand onto my singed cerulean robes and then grab Eliya’s wrist, pulling her forth.
We are through the door even before it has fully opened, sprinting down the winding tunnels. We turn right and left, and with every corner I pray it will be the last.
Darkness clouds my vision. Even the illumination orbs behind me cannot keep it at bay. Exhaustion weighs down my legs, and intense pain burns across the back of my head. It feels like a knife is burrowing into my skull.
The Elixir of Flurry is wearing off.
My pace falters. I lean against the nearest wall, using it to support me.
“Eliya,” I wheeze, “I don’t think I can...”
Eliya stops and whirls around. She hurries back to my side, clutching my shoulders and helping me to stay on my feet. “Reyna! You can’t faint. Not now.”
“I feel so tired,” I murmur, my eyes shutting.
She grabs either side of my face. My eyes remain closed. “Please,” she begs me. “You can’t give up now. We have to complete this trial.”
I don’t respond.
“Reyna!”