Chapter 24: The Music Climbs
Moss cushioned my first step into the stream at the Shrine of Truth. The water was cool, and it felt nice to watch it wash away the sands of the Land of Night.
I gazed at Rowan, who stood on the stone bridge before its forever fresh bowl of stream water.
“You need to go deeper,” he said, sounding like his poised and refined self, jaw anxiously tight but emotions controlled otherwise. “I have a change of clothes for you on the bus.
I stepped deeper, footing easy to find through the clear water. There wasn’t sand or mud on the bottom, but sheets of smooth slate and easy-to-grip granite. The gentle current pulled my dress forward, the material now heavy in the water.
Fully submersed, I ducked beneath the surface to wet my hair, then leaned backward against the stream.
Rowan nodded once, satisfied. “It will feel intense,” he warned. “It isn’t too late to step out.”
“I won’t.”
“Good. You should notice some changes in a few minutes, and then we’ll begin.”