Page 88 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

I’m never going to find that stone altar on my own. I don’t have the necessary skill set, knowledge, or magical ability for it. So who does?

My mind drifts back to that night during the commencement ball when I overheard a group of contestants gossip about Lavendera. One woman’s words echo in my mind.

I’ve heard that she actually lives out in the thorn forest.

Narrowing my eyes, I drum my fingers on the tree trunk while I consider that bit of gossip. If it’s true, then Lavendera will know these woods better than anyone. She also has tree magic. If anyone can find the stone altar with the rings, it’s her.

Hope surges through me.

Straightening, I whip my head from side to side, trying to catch sight of the brown-haired woman.

Only twisting trees stare back at me. Dark green vines and snaking branches filled with thorns curl around the trees and hang down from the boughs like vipers waiting to strike. And not a single contestant is in sight.

I blow out a sigh and then straighten my spine.

It’s fine. I can still figure this out.

Channeling my magic, I cast it out around me in all directions.

This is a trick that took me a lot of time to master. But it’s a very convenient use of my magic. By sending it flowing out around me like this, I can scan an area for people even though I can’t see them.

Well, technically, I can’t just scan for people since I can’t sense emotions as such. I can only manipulate them. So what I do is to push out with my magic with the intention of increasing or decreasing an emotion. And once my magic latches on to that spark of emotion inside someone’s chest, it creates a sort of tether which allows me to feel which direction they’re in. As long as I keep increasing or decreasing whatever emotion I latched on to, I will be able to feel where that person is at all times.

The only problem is of course that, if I can’t see them, I don’t knowwhoI’m latching on to.

Since I figured that worry should be a rather normal emotion right now, I aimed for that when I threw out my magic.

Several purple sparks of worry flare up as my magic hits them. I turn in a circle, gazing out at the trees in all the directions where I can feel those purple sparks. It’s impossible to tell exactly how far away they are. And more importantly, I have no idea if one of those worried sparks belongs to Lavendera.

Scrunching up my eyebrows, I release them and instead try another emotion.

Stress.

Seven sparks appear.

I blow out a sigh and cut off the flow of my magic again.

This won’t work. I need something more specific. Some kind of emotion that I know belongs to Lavendera.

Leaves rustle above my head as a strong wind sweeps through the forest. I stare at the mass of trees before me as a suddenly overwhelming sense of hopelessness washes over me.

Because I have no fucking clue what goes on inside Lavendera’s head.

Half of the time, she is just staring at spots in the distance with a vacant expression in her eyes. The other half, she says the strangest things.

I have no idea if she is feeling angry or sad or confused or excited or indifferent. Or if she simply feels nothing at all.

“Shit,” I curse under my breath.

Flexing my hand, I try to dispel the flash of worry and stress that pulses through me. After shaking out my hand, I roll my shoulders back and then give my body a good shake too.

“Alright, come on,” I tell myself. “You can figure this out.”

Who else has abilities that are suited for finding something in the woods and also has a very clear and distinct emotion that I know will belong to them?

The memory of Alistair’s shockingly strong rage drifts through my mind. If I scanned for anger, I would no doubt be able to find Alistair. But he has fire magic. His chances of locating the rings are about as bad as mine.

Realization strikes like a lightning bolt.

---