But we made it eventually, at last climbing our way back through the rubble of the pavilion.

“Does anybody know how to get to the tower?” I said, scaling a huge boulder and jumping down on the other side.

Eli blasted a massive chunk of rock away from the nearest door. “There’s a main staircase. That’s our best bet as long as we can get through.”

“We’ll manage,” Selene said as she squeezed through the door.

I followed after her with Eli coming behind me. Then he led the way to the staircase off to the left of the main doors into the meeting hall. A pile of debris obscured the entrance. I raised my hand, ready to blast it, but Eli stopped me.

“We can’t do that in here. You might bring the whole place down.”

“Then how do we get past?”

He pointed the talking stick, which already I was beginning to think of as his wand and he as a master magician. “Ana-acro.” The top layer of debris rose into the air and then out of the entrance at Eli’s command. In seconds, he’d cleared enough for us to crawl through.

“I’ve got to admit,” Selene said as she watched Eli slide through the rubble and mount the stairs. “I’m impressed.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been practicing a long time.”

Despite all the destruction around us, I could sense Eli’s underlying happiness at finally coming into his power. I just hoped we lived long enough for him to enjoy it.

The journey up the stairs became something close to mountain climbing. We used the hoist spell to clear a path where there was room, but too often we had to claw and scrape and shimmy our way through the wreckage.

By the time we reached the top, my knuckles were bleeding from dozens of nicks, and a thick layer of dust was plastered to every inch of me, outside and in, it seemed. I couldn’t draw a full breath without coughing.

The door leading onto the lower roof of the hall wouldn’t budge when we pushed against it, forcing us to blast it open with magic. A frightening rumble rose up the stairwell when we did, and we dashed out onto the roof. Right away, I slid to a stop before I tumbled through a hole.

“Everybody walk really easy up here,” Eli said.

“No kidding.” Selene brushed hair out of her face. It wasn’t black anymore but gray with dust.

I bit my lip, my gaze fixed on the watchtower standing more than fifty feet away. An open staircase wrapped around the edge of it, but it looked intact. If I could just reach it.

I glanced at Selene and Eli. “You two stay here. There’s no reason for all of us to risk walking over this floor.”

Eli shook his head. “No way.”

“Yeah, I’m with him.” Selene pointed a thumb at Eli.

“But Lady Elaine said only I could use the sword. So I don’t need you up there.”

Eli scoffed. “You don’t know that, Dusty. You have no idea what you might find. We’re staying with you and that’s final. Now stop wasting time.”

He turned and started forward, leaving me no choice. We made it a few steps, but then a part of the roof dropped out right in between Eli and me. He jumped forward while I clambered back, both of us just barely avoiding a fall.

Selene grabbed my arm to steady me. “We need to spread out as much as we can to lighten the strain.”

“Good idea,” Eli said, and he moved off to the right. I stayed in the middle while Selene went left.

Crossing the floor soon became like a trip through the Gauntlet in gym class.

The next hole that opened up in front of me appeared faster than the first, but it was small enough so I jumped over it. Two steps later another hole appeared, this one four times the size of the last. I jumped it anyway, and halfway through the arc, I cast the gliding spell. Magic slid beneath my heels like ice, propelling me forward.

As I landed, a tremor went through the entire island itself, turning the tower into a giant funhouse floor. I staggered forward, fighting to stay upright.

To my left Selene cried out as her entire leg fell through a hole. Eli turned, pointed his wand, and shouted, “Ana-acro.”

“Don’t!” I screamed, but it was too late.

The spell reached Selene and hoisted her into the air, but only for a second before breaking. It didn’t work properly on living flesh.

Selene tumbled, landing hard. I held back a scream as the roof beneath her began to collapse. I reached out with my mind-magic to hold the surface together long enough for her to roll forward, out of danger.

“I’m sorry, Selene,” Eli shouted. “Are you okay?”

She made an indistinguishable noise that might’ve been relief or pain. But then she got to her feet. “I’m okay. Just … just don’t do that again.”

“Right. Never again.” Eli wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his shirtsleeve.

We moved on, finally reaching the foot of the steps a short while later. This time I led. All three of us understood that was the way it should be. As I climbed the first step, my heart thudded against my chest, not quickening, just beating harder as if to steady me for what lay ahead.

The going was easier than it had been on the roof, but far scarier. Every time the ground shook, I had to stop walking and press my back against the side of the tower, praying I didn’t tumble over the edge or that the stairs didn’t crumble away. It seemed we’d been at this for hours, but I knew it had only been minutes. We were high enough that I could see the entire inner island. Most of the bridges had been destroyed, and the fissures marked the island like giant pockmarks in the earth, still spewing forth rock and fire and water.