She heard the drop striking rock as distinctly as a plucked harp string. Then another. As she watched, drops ran down, shimmering with light—water striking water, water striking rock—with quick and pretty notes.
A song.
Not possible, of course. The speed of the liquid, the light of it, the sound—that music rising above everything. She walked closer, still looking up, held out a hand.
A drop fell into her palm, warm, luminous—but not wet. It held in the cup of her hand, a perfect circle, clear as glass, with its song striking her heart.
Still holding the tiny globe, she knelt on the floor of the cave.
She heard someone say her name, shook her head. Not now, not now. Couldn’t they see she held love, trust, hope, right in the palm of her hand? So much of it, in a single drop, and for all the worlds.
She laid it, like an offering, on the small altar of stone.
It rose up from it, the flame and the fire. Brilliant and beautiful, red and pure as heart blood. Thousands by thousands of facets flashed with that fire, freed now from the stone, the fiercely shining star.
“The Fire Star, for the new queen. Here flames passion and the fire of truth.” She picked it up, held that wildly burning light in her cupped hands. “Here is power and strength and fiery justice to light the heavens of all the worlds in the name of Aegle, the radiant.”
She held it up and out, and the tears flooding her eyes were of pure joy.
“It is found. It is freed. And all we are must hold it safe until we return it with its sisters to Oileán na Gloine, so they will shine for all, forever, over all worlds.”
She looked down at the star, sighed. And when she looked up, her eyes were clear of visions. “I’m not dreaming.”
“No, fáidh.” Bran, who’d come to stand with her, laid his hands on her shoulders. “You found it.”
“It’s real. Take it. We need to protect it from her. She’ll come for it.”
“I don’t think she can come here.” Riley moved closer, touched her fingertips to the flame. “Not to this place. It’s all light and heat,” she noted. “There’s no solidity. But . . . I swear I can feel it hum. Does it have weight?”
“No, but I can feel it. I can’t explain. Here.”
Riley took it from Sasha’s hand. “Mass without weight,” she added. “Active flame that doesn’t burn. I can’t physically feel the shape of it, but I can sense it.”
“We can save the scientific analysis for later, Doc.” Doyle kept one eye on the pool, one hand on his diving knife. “If she comes at us here, we’ve got nothing but a couple of knives, magic bracelets, and whatever Bran can pull out of his hat. We not only need to get this to the surface, but stowed away where she can’t get at it.”
“And when we get it to the surface?” Sawyer gestured to Riley, took his turn holding the Fire Star. “What then? Do you see what kind of light it’s pumping out? People on the mainland are going to see it, so just how do we keep it on the down low?”
“I can shield it,” Bran said. “Hopefully. And Doyle’s right, we’re not well fortified here, if she can get through to us. We need to get the star back to the villa, as quickly as we can.”
“Then you’d better take it.” Sawyer offered it to Bran. “You’re the most fortified wherever we are. Sasha, you should stick with him. Use my tank to get back to the boat. I can make it that far—”
“No, I can’t take your oxygen.”
“I’ve got the compass if I need it, but I’m a strong swimmer.”
“I can get Sawyer back to the boat, very fast.”
“A mermaid ride? That’s e-ticket.” He grinned at Annika. “No way I’m turning that down.”
“That works best.” Bran cupped his free hand over the star. “To protect, to respect, to shield, to hold.” He circled his hand around the star, forming a globe. Inside, the star shimmered, but quietly now.
“Ni
ce,” Riley told him.
“I’m happy you think so. I’ve worked on that for quite some time. And since it’s the first I’ve used it on the actual star, I can’t say for certain how long it might hold. We should go.”
“Suit up.” Sawyer picked up his tanks. “Don’t give me that look,” he said to Sasha. “I’ve got transportation if I need it with Aqua Girl here. You and Bran get the star back to the boat. We’ve got your back.”