Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms 3)

It was a sphere of obsidian the size of a small plum, and so smooth and polished that it reflected the image of the three of them staring down at it.

Hearing new voices close by, Jonas grew tense. He grabbed the black orb and shoved it into his pocket.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said. “Now.”

“No time,” Lysandra whispered harshly. “We need to hide.”

The three rebels ducked behind a pillar and peered out to see four people enter.

It was none other than Princess Cleo, Princess Lucia, Prince Magnus, and another boy Jonas didn’t recognize—tall and lean, with golden-tan skin and coppery-brown hair.

Jonas and his companions held a collective breath from their hiding spot as the four made their way deeper into the temple.

“What’s the ritual?” Magnus said.

The other boy pulled out a dagger. “It’s a blood ritual.”

“Isn’t it always.”

As the boy prepared to cut his hand, Jonas indicated to Lysandra and Felix to slip out of the temple while the others were distracted. Following Jonas’s lead, they raced down the broken stairs and kept running until they were shielded by the nearby forest.

“Keep going,” Jonas said. “We need to put all the distance we can between us.”

He only wished he could have seen the look on Magnus’s face when he realized the crystal was gone.

“I assume they were not friends of yours,” Felix said.

Jonas nearly laughed. “Didn’t you recognize his highness, Prince Magnus? And his sister, Princess Lucia?”

“And don’t forget Princess Cleo,” Lysandra added. “Jonas’s beloved.”

Felix hacked at the thick foliage with his blade as he led the way. “Every bit as beautiful as I’ve heard.”

Lysandra grunted. “I guess, if you like that type.”

“Rich, privileged, and gorgeous? I certainly do like that type.”

They stopped to rest in a clearing, which was quiet save for a chorus of chirping birds and buzzing insects. Lysandra took a seat on a fallen tree trunk.

“It just appeared. Like magic,” Felix said, shaking his head and grinning. “Which, I suppose, isn’t that strange considering it is magic. Let’s see it.”

The crystal was heavy in Jonas’s pocket. He ran his hand over its cool, smooth surface before drawing it out. The obsidian orb glittered under the light shining through the thick canopy of trees.

Jonas shook his head, amazed. “I’ve stolen a lot in my life, but this is the first magic rock I’ve ever had my hands on.”

Lysandra drew closer. “It’s beautiful.”

“What is that?” Felix said, leaning in. “There’s something moving inside.”

Inside the orb was an even deeper darkness, a wisp of ebony smoke swirling around in an endless loop.

A shiver shot up Jonas’s spine. “Just a guess, but . . . perhaps that’s the magic?”

“What does it do?” Lysandra asked.

“No damn idea.”

“Can I see it?” Felix asked.