The Nexus Ring Read Online Free Page B
it would dissolve in a minute. She led us up the mountainside, over fallen giant cedars, past ferns as tall as Maddy. We stopped at the base of a waterfall plunging down in a deafening roar.
“If I’m to have human guests, I’ll need a firestone,” said Aleena as she stepped into the pool below the falls. She crouched down and ran her hands over the rocks lining the pool. Her eyes almost closed as she focused all her attention on her hands. Then, with a grin, she rose, her left hand closed. She opened her fingers and showed us a smooth stone, shining black with glints of gold.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Firestone. I’ll show you later,” she said, smiling. She slipped it into her cloak pocket. Then, as she stepped out of the creek, her smile vanished and the colour drained from her face.
Maddy and I turned to see what she was staring at. It was the troll, climbing up the mountainside, slipping through the shadows, fuming. My heart hammered as I turned back to Aleena.
“Gronvald! I thought I’d trapped him in the human world,” she said. “He must have slipped through the doorway before it shut.” She glanced around frantically. The troll had spotted us and was struggling up the slope. “Can you swim?”
“Yes,” I said.
“A little,” said Maddy.
“Just a little?” asked Aleena. “Okay, then not the creek.” She hurried away, studying the forest floor. Maddy and I followed, while we watched the troll closing in, panting from the climb.
Aleena stopped by a puddle of murky water surrounded by moss. As the troll charged towards us, Aleena grabbed our hands and yanked us into the puddle. I stumbled, and as I fell, the moss became a forest and suddenly all of me was wet in the puddle that was becoming a lake. The water felt cool and trickly on my skin. We moved through it into darkness, flowing deep into the mountains. Blackness suddenly shifted to blinding light, even through my closed eyelids, and then, with a splash, we stopped.
Chapter Four
Aleena, Water Spirit
I opened my eyes to brilliant sunshine. Wiping water off my face, I looked up to a clear blue sky ringed by mountains. Dark trees lined the slopes of a valley surrounding a pale blue lake, where Maddy, Aleena and I stood in knee-deep water.
Where were we? There were no people, no cars, no boardwalk, and no towering cedars. I gazed around, awed. The trees radiated vibrant green, the water was a soft gleaming blue, and when I looked up at the mountains, the air shimmered.
I glanced at my watch, wondering if the hands were still spinning. They all pointed straight up – 12:00. That wasn’t the time here; the sun was too low in the sky. I doubted we were anything close to five hours from home, either.
I thought magic was just pretend, but this wasn’t Mom’s crazy game. This was real. I swallowed, my throat dry in spite of the water all around me.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Aleena pointed to the nearest shore. “You’ll be safe on that island. The troll hates water, and there are no caves or tunnels he can travel to.”
“Couldn’t he use a boat?” Maddy asked, nervous.
“I cast a water spell over the lake so he can’t cross. A troll repellent for a repellent troll!” Aleena laughed, and her eyes laughed too. They were the deep blue of still water in sunshine. They would have looked peaceful, except for the flecks of dark grey.
We waded to the island, squelching through mud to the shore. Aleena led us through a small forest to a meadow filled with sunshine. The view was breathtaking; everything seemed to glow with energy.
Maddy looked like an otter, hair dark from the water, pigtails dripping onto her shoulders. I helped her peel off her clinging fleece, then tugged off my soaked hoodie and wrung it out.
Aleena slipped off her cloak. Her black pants and shirt were as tight as skin. She pulled her hair out of its bun, moving as if she had fewer bones in her body than humans do,
“If I’m to have human guests, I’ll need a firestone,” said Aleena as she stepped into the pool below the falls. She crouched down and ran her hands over the rocks lining the pool. Her eyes almost closed as she focused all her attention on her hands. Then, with a grin, she rose, her left hand closed. She opened her fingers and showed us a smooth stone, shining black with glints of gold.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Firestone. I’ll show you later,” she said, smiling. She slipped it into her cloak pocket. Then, as she stepped out of the creek, her smile vanished and the colour drained from her face.
Maddy and I turned to see what she was staring at. It was the troll, climbing up the mountainside, slipping through the shadows, fuming. My heart hammered as I turned back to Aleena.
“Gronvald! I thought I’d trapped him in the human world,” she said. “He must have slipped through the doorway before it shut.” She glanced around frantically. The troll had spotted us and was struggling up the slope. “Can you swim?”
“Yes,” I said.
“A little,” said Maddy.
“Just a little?” asked Aleena. “Okay, then not the creek.” She hurried away, studying the forest floor. Maddy and I followed, while we watched the troll closing in, panting from the climb.
Aleena stopped by a puddle of murky water surrounded by moss. As the troll charged towards us, Aleena grabbed our hands and yanked us into the puddle. I stumbled, and as I fell, the moss became a forest and suddenly all of me was wet in the puddle that was becoming a lake. The water felt cool and trickly on my skin. We moved through it into darkness, flowing deep into the mountains. Blackness suddenly shifted to blinding light, even through my closed eyelids, and then, with a splash, we stopped.
Chapter Four
Aleena, Water Spirit
I opened my eyes to brilliant sunshine. Wiping water off my face, I looked up to a clear blue sky ringed by mountains. Dark trees lined the slopes of a valley surrounding a pale blue lake, where Maddy, Aleena and I stood in knee-deep water.
Where were we? There were no people, no cars, no boardwalk, and no towering cedars. I gazed around, awed. The trees radiated vibrant green, the water was a soft gleaming blue, and when I looked up at the mountains, the air shimmered.
I glanced at my watch, wondering if the hands were still spinning. They all pointed straight up – 12:00. That wasn’t the time here; the sun was too low in the sky. I doubted we were anything close to five hours from home, either.
I thought magic was just pretend, but this wasn’t Mom’s crazy game. This was real. I swallowed, my throat dry in spite of the water all around me.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Aleena pointed to the nearest shore. “You’ll be safe on that island. The troll hates water, and there are no caves or tunnels he can travel to.”
“Couldn’t he use a boat?” Maddy asked, nervous.
“I cast a water spell over the lake so he can’t cross. A troll repellent for a repellent troll!” Aleena laughed, and her eyes laughed too. They were the deep blue of still water in sunshine. They would have looked peaceful, except for the flecks of dark grey.
We waded to the island, squelching through mud to the shore. Aleena led us through a small forest to a meadow filled with sunshine. The view was breathtaking; everything seemed to glow with energy.
Maddy looked like an otter, hair dark from the water, pigtails dripping onto her shoulders. I helped her peel off her clinging fleece, then tugged off my soaked hoodie and wrung it out.
Aleena slipped off her cloak. Her black pants and shirt were as tight as skin. She pulled her hair out of its bun, moving as if she had fewer bones in her body than humans do,
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