Page 49 of Alpha Exile

Kieran murmurs, "I still don't understand what that is, or how you got it."

"Is it some kind of spell?" Bastian asks.

I quickly explain the fire flowers, how they came to be, and the connection I share with them. "They feed magic, and they're incredibly powerful. Even now they're drinking up the sun and turning it into an energy I can draw on from miles away. But I don't know how to turn that energy into... a bomb?"

"It would have to be concentrated," Lance says slowly, "denser than fire, and hotter as well. But there's a chance it could work. Especially with some kind of accelerant."

"Like gas? We don't have any of that."

Bastian snaps his fingers, looking eager. "Except we do! There's lighter fluid in the supplies."

I make a snap decision. "Go get it, and we'll try a controlled explosion."

He disappears for a few minutes and returns with a small bottle of lighter fluid meant for outdoor charcoal grilling. We all have a heated discussion about the amount we should start out with, and settle on beginning by creating a small explosion in the center of the cave-in, somewhere unlikely to bring the whole thing down. Lance insists that we all stand back while I throw the fireball at it, and Bastian pours the lighter fluid, letting a tiny bit of it drip down the wall of rocks before he steps quickly back.

"Ready?" I glance over my shoulder at the four men, who nod sharply. Smirking, I admit, "I think this is going to be very, very fun."

Then I let a huge amount of fire power flow into my palms, condense it down to a smoldering, tennis ball-sized amount of flames, and throw it directly at the lighter fluid.

There's an almost immediateboom,followed by a rush of heat and air directly towards us. My skin feels the heat, but it doesn't burn me, the fire sinking back beneath my skin as it races towards us. Flecks of dust and tiny rocks spurt out from the ensuing explosion, leaving a small hole in the wall.

A hole that I can build on, and make bigger.

Because on the other side is more of the tunnel. Striding close to my piece de resistance, I stare through the charred remains of rock and feel a smile spread across my face.

I can see the other side of the cave-in.

Turning towards my mates, I grin. Finn whoops exuberantly; Bastian clutches the lighter fluid with glee; Kieran rocks forward on his heels, whistling; and Lance smiles at me proudly, beaming with joy.

For the second round, we use enough lighter fluid to grill a whale.

Lance makes us step further back this time—"because I'm emotionally attached to my eyebrows, thanks"—so we all watch from near the entrance of the tunnel. I take a small step forward as I prepare my fireball, letting more energy pour into my palms this time. I press it together and build it up until the heat of the flames is enough to cast light in every direction and lick my skin.

In a soft voice, Kieran says, "It's a witchbomb."

"A witchbomb?" Finn murmurs.

"Yeah. A huge amount of energy, strong enough to melt glass and make the very earth tremble. I bet even without the lighter fluid, she'd be able to sheer through rock."

I can hear the reverence in his tone, and feel it through our bond. He's impressed—and a little intimidated. He should be, I realize as I draw my right foot back and settle into position to throw the fireball.

I'm powerful now. Strong enough that, if I really wanted to, I could make my own tunnel through these mountains.

No one will stand between me and my mates. Including, especially, Delphine. Whose eyebrows Iverymuch plan on burning off entirely.

"Step back," I warn my mates.

They do. I take a deep breath, transfer the fireball to my right palm, and throw it underhand as fast and hard as I dare.

It races across the dozens of feet between us and the cave-in, then licks across the lighter fluid and explodes.

The resulting force blinds me. I have to hold my hand up to block out the light, hissing as the ground beneath me trembles. There's aboomloud enough to make my ears ring, then a cascade of sand across my cheeks and forehead.

When the earth stops shaking and I open my eyes, there is no cave-in at all.

Just a long, smooth tunnel unfurling in front of us, and no sound except for my racing heart.

"Kieran." He steps forward next to me, blinking his eyes in wonder. "Look into the past, if you can, and try to find Roarke."

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