I caught a glimpse of Candice, chewing her nails back at the start line. Her vivid purple eyes were shining with unshed tears.
Goddamnit, I was already exhausted. But I had to keep going.
Chest aching and legs burning, I looked at the giant log in front of me. There was no way I was going to be able to lift that. And there was no way to trick my way through it. I couldn't roll it; I had to carry this damned object to the finish line. It was impossible. There was no way.
But then again, there was no way that I should have been able to destroy my house when I’d caught Vincent in bed with Seraphina. There was no way I could ask the stones to change their structure, hardening themselves to close.
It’s called magic, Susan.
Todd was coming up on me fast, pushing his sled down the track as if it were weightless.
Yes. That was it. I needed to get this log to become weightless in the same way that I asked the stones to harden themselves.
I could do this. I bent down, put my fingers on the log, and focused.
The log came alive underneath my hands. It was the same as anything in the world, the same as anything in any world. A collection of atoms, vibrating together in a unique resonance. I reached deep inside myself and spoke to it. Become weightless, I begged. Please. Light as a feather, stiff as a board.
Footsteps thundered behind me; Todd was almost here.
The log trembled beneath my fingers. I felt its structure change—before, it was solid, but now, it was something else, something lighter. I gripped the edges of the metal handles and tugged it upwards.
It lifted into the air as if it were made of cotton candy, practically weightless.
Yes.
Just in time, too. Todd was only seconds behind me, snorting like the Minotaur. He deadlifted his own log onto his shoulder with insanely strong, practiced movements, bending at the knees to take the weight. I put my head down and sprinted, pushing the log in front of me like a balloon, feeling my energy fade with every footstep. Todd thundered along beside me, his feet pounding on the mat.
“Go!” Candice screamed. “Run, Susan!”
With one final, furious push, I stepped over the finish line a fraction of a second before the furious berserker beside me.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed. My exhaustion was overwhelming, and blackness and silence claimed me for a long, blissful moment.
Chapter
Seventeen
Alight shone in my eyes. It was bright, too bright, ultraviolet, intense, and almost violently strong. I tried to squeeze my eyes shut, but they were already closed.
“Gah.” I put my hands out, trying to block the intensity, but my fingers hit something right in front of my face.
“Chosen.” Cecil’s voice sounded awed.
“Cecil? What’s… what’s going on?” I took a deep breath, confused. The light was still blinding me. “How long have I been out for?”
“Less than ten seconds. Stop waving your arms around. You look like a dick.”
“Too bright,” I moaned. “What the hell is that?”
“It’s the spark stone. It’s right in front of our face.”
Candice’s voice shook with emotion. “You did it, Susan. You won the challenge. The protective wards have opened for you. The stone is right there in front of you.”
I patted the air in front of me, and my hands closed around a hard object about the size of an apple. It vibrated at my touch, a recognition as well as a welcome. Some of the light dimmed, so I cracked my eyes open and held it at arm’s length so I could look at it.
Oh, it was gorgeous. A long oval shape, brilliant bright purple facets gleaming, throwing a million shades of lilac and lavender and violet. It preened beneath my fingers, showing off. Look what you did, it said. You stepped up to the challenge, and you won.
“Uh, I don’t suppose you could hurry this up, Susan?” Candice poked me with her toe. “The games start in eight minutes.”
“No pressure or anything,” I muttered. God, I was exhausted. The stone appreciated it, though, I could feel it. I’d given everything I had to win it, every last ounce of energy, and it loved me for it.
I held the stone carefully and silently spoke to it. I get it. You’re not just strength, you’re not just power. You’re the journey to those things. You’re the challenge itself—the path between emotion and action. The time has come for you to protect yourself, to keep the challenge for your people alive.
A pulse of magic pounded through my fingertips like a victory punch in the air. This time, I knew what it was. The stone had gifted me some of its magic.
A thank you wouldn’t do. I held the stone above my head, then put the stone to my lips and kissed it as if it were a trophy. It buzzed happily in my fingers.
It’s your turn, I told the stone. Time to face your challenge. Sleep and rise again to triumph when the time is right.
The berserker stone responded immediately. The violet light grew brighter, then deeper and deeper, as the magic retreated to a tiny space in the center of the stone. The outside condensed, growing harder, then harder still, until it was unmoving and impenetrable.
I glanced up. The berserkers all surrounded me, swelled with emotion to such ridiculous proportions that all of them looked like misshapen purple balls. With a little difficulty, I picked out Candice. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“It’s done,” I said, handing it to her. “It’s closed. Take it home.”
Chapter
Eighteen
