The Heartstone Blade (The Dark Ability Book 2) by D.K. Holmberg Page A

been howling around them earlier in the morning, threatening to push him from the narrow slope they stood upon.
    Jessa scanned the rock, her face intent. She bit her lower lip as she did. “I still don’t see anything.”
    This was the third place they’d Slid to, and each time had been the same. Even now, Jessa couldn’t see anything but shear rock. They didn’t climb, just stood on a narrow rocky path that wound up the edge of the mountain. Finding the path had given Rsiran even more reason to believe they would find something.
    “Next stop,” he said. He looked ahead, searching for the next place along the path he could Slide them to. He would take them where he could see and no further. Otherwise, they risked emerging to tumble down the face of the mountain.
    “Rsiran—”
    “I’m not ready to return.”
    “How many more times can you Slide us safely?” She leaned toward the deep indigo flower tucked into the charm and inhaled. A slight smile spread on her face as she did.
    He felt the effects of the Sliding he’d done so far, but not nearly as he once would have. And with Jessa, at least he had the comfort of Sliding with someone. The years of isolation within his family had made the closeness he shared with his new friends all the more important. Especially with Jessa.
    But why did he feel so strongly about discovering another access to lorcith? Would he really risk entering the cave if they found one? And if they did, what did that mean for the supply of lorcith that Firell had?
    “I can return us to Elaeavn, if our safety is what you fear.”
    She turned away from scanning the mountain and studied his face. “That’s not what I fear. At least, not for me. But you have warned me what happens when you push yourself too hard. How you risk a Slide going astray. You told me how difficult it was Sliding us from the palace.”
    “I had an anchor. Just as I do now.”
    “You can feel your forgings in Elaeavn from here?”
    He nodded as he pulled the spyglass from his pocket and looked through it. Jessa laughed lightly, but he ignored her. Had he her Sight, he wouldn’t need the spyglass. There were many times he wished he had a different ability, but lately, he had been growing increasingly comfortable with what he could do.
    He scanned the face of the mountain as he’d done at each stop. Through the spyglass, the stones and rocky prominences high above him looked almost close enough to touch. And he could touch them, if he chose to Slide. Jessa may be able to see everything more clearly than he could, but he could actually go to what he saw through the spyglass.
    Scattered along the rock were a few stunted plants. Browned leaves drooped toward the rock. Some green moss smeared across other rocks, and after nearly slipping more than once, Rsiran had learned to be careful when stepping near it. An eagle soaring overhead made a shadow that fell across the rocks. Otherwise, nothing stood out.
    Rsiran stepped forward in a Slide, and they emerged farther up the narrow path, about midway up Ilphaesn, now positioned almost directly above the mining cavern. At this time of day, none of the Towners walked along the path leading down to the village. He made certain to Slide them behind a massive rock pile that concealed them from below. He didn’t want someone from the village seeing him wandering up the mountainside.
    Jessa looked up. She surveyed the upper slopes of the mountain for a long time before slowly shaking her head. “Nothing here, Rsiran.”
    He sighed. How much longer would he continue? As much as he wanted to believe there was another access into the Ilphaesn, another mine buried here, what if there wasn’t? Maybe the tapping he’d heard came from a part of the prison mines that he knew nothing about.
    Jessa squeezed his hand. “I’ll come back with you at night and explore again.”
    “I know you would. I just thought…” Staring overhead, he trailed off. Why would he have continued going up