“Welcome, travelers,” he said in a smooth, silky voice that belied his rough-hewn appearance. “We don’t see many humans here. I am Animidolpholous, but you can call me Dolph. Tell me, what brings you into the depths of this mountain? Never mind, you can tell me all about it after I’ve taken you to my abode. Follow me, please.”

  As she listened to Dolph speak, Leesa felt as if she were standing on the shore of the ocean listening to the waves rushing rhythmically up the beach. The sound was soothing, and totally relaxing. She felt as if she could listen to him for hours, and that she would gladly do anything he asked of her. A look at the faces of her comrades told her they all felt the same way. Like the sound of the sea, though, a hint of danger tugged at her from beneath the gnome’s velvet tones, a hint she was happy to ignore.

  Dolph never ceased his rhythmic patter as he led the company deeper into the bowels of the mountain. He constantly looked back at them as he talked.

  “Wait until you see what awaits you…we’ll share food and drink…and sing songs…and make merry all night long…” Eventually, the words were lost upon his listeners—it was the tone and the cadence that counted as they followed along behind him like a herd of docile sheep.

  How long they walked, none of them had any idea. They didn’t care—time had lost its meaning, as had the importance of their quest. They knew only that they wanted to follow this strange little man, to go wherever he was taking them, and to join willingly and eagerly in whatever he had in store for them. They just knew it had to be something good.

  The gnome led them into several branching tubes, passages they might not have chosen on their own, all the while repeating what great and wonderful things awaited them when they reached their destination.

  “We’re nearly there,” he said finally. “Soon you will learn what I have planned for you all.”

  Suddenly, a new voice sounded in Leesa’s head. It took her fogged brain a few seconds to recognize it. The voice was Ariandre’s, somehow reaching out to her from across the many miles.

  “Leesa, you must stop this now. To go any farther is to march to your doom.”

  Leesa tried to push the alarming new voice away. She found it quite annoying, actually. She much preferred the smooth, dulcet tones of the gnome. But Ariandre persisted.

  “The gnome has mesmerized you all, Leesa. You must fight it. Wrap one of your shields around him. Make it as thick as you can, so that you can no longer here the sound of his voice. It is your only chance.”

  Still, Leesa ignored Ariandre’s words. Why was this nettlesome voice bothering her and interrupting her blissful serenity? She wished she could shut it out. It was a nuisance.

  The centaur began to grow frantic. Time was running short. Desperately, she changed her tactics.

  “Leesa, Dolph is in grave danger. Only you can save him. Encase him in a protective shield. Hurry, before he is lost.”

  Leesa’s eyes widened. Dolph in danger? She couldn’t let anything happen to this sweet little man who had befriended them so gallantly. Losing him would be a tragedy of unbearable misery.

  She didn’t hesitate. She quickly wrapped an air shield around him. The barrier muted the sound of his voice—she could barely hear it now.

  She shook her head, trying to clear what felt like cobwebs in her brain.

  “Make your shield thick,” Ariandre commanded. “Thick enough so you can no longer hear him.”

  Aware now of the spell caused by Dolph’s voice, Leesa thickened the shield until the sound disappeared completely. The gnome apparently didn’t realize what was happening—his mouth still moved as he continued talking. It was only when the company halted behind him that he understood something was wrong.

  Only Rave kept following him, and Leesa realized his keen ears were still hearing the gnome’s words even through her shield. She immediately wrapped a second thick shield over the first, keeping a few inches of air between the two shields as an added buffer. Finally, Rave stopped, the sound effectively muffled even from his volkaane hearing.

  Curious about what was going on, Dolph took a step back toward the party. A second step sent him crashing into the invisible barrier surrounding him. The look on his face was one of complete surprise. As he reached out and felt the shield with his hand, his expression turned to one of anger. He grabbed the hammer from his belt and pounded it against the barrier. When the heavy head of the mallet struck her shield, Leesa sensed magic in the tool, but it didn’t matter. The hammer bent her shield slightly, but that was all. Her magic was stronger than the hammer’s.

  Several more ineffective blows were all it took to convince Dolph that the effort was futile. The gnome shoved the hammer back under his belt and stared at Leesa with hatred in his eyes.

  “Well done, Leesa,” Ariandre said, the words now so clear that Leesa looked around, expecting to see the centaur standing in the tunnel with them.

  Leesa’s comrades gathered close to her, only now realizing that Dolph’s voice had cast a spell upon all of them.

  “How did you know what to do, Leesa?” Leah asked

  “And how did you resist the gnome’s voice to do it?” Kai added.

  “Ariandre told me,” Leesa replied.

  Everyone glanced around the lava tube with puzzled expressions on their faces, searching for the centaur.

  “She’s not here,” Leesa told them. She pointed to her head. “Her voice was in here. As to how she bypassed the spell, she didn’t, really. Instead, she tricked me.” She explained how Ariandre had told her that Dolph was in danger and that only by encasing him in a thick air shield could she could protect him. “She’s very clever.”

  “Why, thank you, Leesa,” Ariandre said.

  From the surprised looks that bloomed on her friends’ faces, she knew they all could hear the centaur’s voice now.

  “How did you know we were in trouble?” Lights asked.

  “And why did you speak only to Leesa until now?” Plush asked.

  “I told you I would be able to see through Fiona’s eyes,” Ariandre reminded them. “And that I would intervene if I was able to. The gnome’s spell was strong—in my weakened state, I needed to concentrate all my power just to get through to Leesa. She was the one I knew had the power to stop his voice. Now that his spell is broken, I’m able to speak to all of you, for a brief time, at least. Unfortunately, my power continues to fade.”

  “Is that why you waited so long to help?” Leesa asked. “Did you have to gather your power?”

  “That was part of it, yes, but not the main reason. The gnome was leading you where you needed to go, along passages you might not have taken otherwise.” As Ariandre continued to speak, her voice began to grow more and more faint. “You are getting close to where you need to be. I can sense the presence of my horn, near, rather than far. And I sense grave danger as well.” Her voice was little more than a whisper now. “Be very careful. You are on your own now—I do not think I will be able to aid you again, at least not until you acquire my horn.”

  With that final warning, the centaur’s presence faded away completely.

  CHAPTER 31

  “WELL, IT’S GOOD TO KNOW we’re getting close,” Rerun said after Ariandre’s voice disappeared.

  “I could have done without that ‘grave danger’ part, though,” Doc added.

  “What, did you think we were following this tunnel down to a picnic in a park?” Sneak teased lightheartedly.

  Doc shoved him playfully on the shoulder. “Shut up, you.”

  Leah felt buoyed by the cheerful spirits of her friends. She was glad they were all here with her, and were taking this so well. She lifted her chin toward Dolph.

  “What are we going to do with him?” she asked no one in particular.

  “I can maintain the shield for awhile if we leave him,” Leesa said, “but eventually distance will end the spell and he’ll be free.”

  The gnome watched them with interest, but just like they could no longer hear his spellbinding voice, he could not hear theirs. He could tell they were talking about him, though.

  “I don’t like the idea of having him loose somewhere behind us,” Kai said. “I think we should bring him along.”

  “I agree,” Colonel Gallway said. “I’d like to be able to keep an eye on him. Is everyone ready?”

  They all nodded.

  “Okay, then. Let’s go.” He waved at Dolph to begin walking, but the gnome just stood there with his arms folded across his chest and a stubborn look on his bearded face.

  “It doesn’t look like he’s in the mood to come with us,” Radar said.

  “We don’t need to give him a choice,” Leesa said. She turned to Plush. “You got this, Plush?”

  Plush smiled. “You bet.”

  She fastened her gaze upon Dolph. His eyes widened in surprise as she used her telekinesis to lift him a few inches off the ground. “He’ll go where I push him, whether he wants to or not.”

  “Great,” Leesa said. “If you start to grow tired, let me know and I’ll take over for awhile.” She looked at Rave and Kai. “Well, what are you two waiting for? We’re good to go. Lead on.”

  Rave grinned. “Yes, ma’am. As you wish.”

  They headed off down the tunnel in single file, moving even more carefully and silently now that they knew danger was near.

  They hadn’t gone far when they saw a soft orange glow reflecting off the wall of the lava tube a short distance ahead of them, the first light of any kind other than their own they had seen since entering the tunnel. Rave signaled the company to a halt.

  “Let me go check it out,” he whispered.

  Leesa got ready to follow him, but he caught her eye and shook his head no.

  She sighed. He was right, of course. He could travel far more quietly than she could, and much faster too, if necessary.

  “Be careful,” she mouthed silently.

  Rave nodded, then headed soundlessly off down the tunnel, quickly disappearing around a bend in the passage. Leesa readied herself for action, just in case he came racing back with something dangerous on his heels.

  Rave was gone little more than a minute. When he returned, his pace was unhurried, so Leesa relaxed.

  “All clear,” he told the company. “Things are about to become much different, though.”

  He said no more, leaving Leesa and the rest to wonder what he meant. She supposed they would find out soon enough.

  Once again, the party moved off through the cave, all monotony gone now as they waited for the change Rave had promised. The tunnel grew steadily brighter as they drew nearer to the hidden source of orange light. The air began to grow warmer as well. Soon, the soft glow illuminated the passage enough to make any extra light unnecessary, so Leesa and Lights extinguished their magical orbs.

  The change Rave had promised was sudden and dramatic. They rounded a curve in the lava tube and the tunnel abruptly ended. Rave stopped them before anyone could step out of the tube. Hot air wafted against their faces as his comrades stared past him, trying to take in the enormous cavern that opened up in front of them. So accustomed had they grown to the close quarters of the tunnel that it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the size of the space.

  “My fire makes it impossible for me to judge how hot it might be out there,” Rave said. “We need to make sure it’s safe before any of you leave the tunnel. I’ll take Leesa out to check—she can resist some degree of heat and fire if necessary.”

  Kai edged everyone back a few steps. “Go ahead,” he said.

  Rave took Leesa’s hand as they stepped out of the lava tube onto a narrow ledge. A blast of hot air immediately washed against her skin. Reflexively, she began to cast the spell that would shield her from the heat, but she stopped herself. She needed to find out if the heat would be bearable for her companions.

  She stared upward, expecting maybe to see a piece of sky through the open crater of the volcano, but all she saw was a rock ceiling far above them. She guessed they must be in some kind of side chamber, not the main crater.

  Looking down, the source of the stifling heat was obvious. Several hundred feet below them, a huge pool of fiery lava pulsed and bubbled. Still, while the heat was definitely uncomfortable, she didn’t think it was dangerous.

  “You’re right,” she said to Rave. “It is pretty hot out here. But it’s really not much worse than a very hot summer day back home. I think we’ll be all right.” She began to turn away, but Rave held onto her hand and stopped her.

  “You haven’t seen the worst yet,” he said. He extended his arm and pointed off to the right.

  Leesa drew in a sharp breath when she saw what he meant. Fifty yards or so away the ledge ended. The only way forward would be to cross a narrow natural rock bridge that spanned the cavern.

  She smiled grimly. “That looks like it’s gonna be fun.” She studied the bridge more closely. “I can levitate to keep from falling, but the others are going to have to be awful careful. I don’t see that we have much choice, though. There’s no other way around.”

  “I can carry people across without fear of falling,” Rave replied. “I think that might be safest.”

  “I think you’re probably right. Let’s go tell everyone the good news, such as it is.”

  They turned back into the tunnel. Their companions were all waiting just a few steps inside, staring out into what little they could see of the huge chamber from back there.

  “It’s pretty hot out there,” Leesa told them, “but not unbearable. The bigger challenge is a natural bridge we’re going to have to cross. It’s pretty narrow. Rave and I think it’s best if he carries you across one at a time.”

  Fiona flitted over and twittered in Rave’s ear. Her red glow grew brighter as she did so.

  Rave laughed. “She wants to know if that includes her,” he explained to the others. “She said she’d love to hitch a ride with me.”

  His companions chuckled, including Leesa.

  “You and I can fly across on our own,” she said when she stopped laughing. “We don’t want to overwork the poor guy.”

  Fiona uttered the brisk chirp Leesa had come to think of as a faerie swear word. Her glow flashed brighter a few times, so Leesa knew Fiona was laughing.

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” Sneak grumbled. “It will be good to get out of this blasted tunnel.”

  “Be careful what you wish for, Sneak,” Leesa replied. “You haven’t seen what’s waiting for you out there.”

  When they exited the tunnel, most of the company looked down over the side of the ledge to view the bubbling lava far below. They didn’t look long, though. Not only was the heat greater without the ledge to shield their faces, but the molten lava was a reminder of the grisly fate that awaited them if something went wrong.

  They weren’t all that much happier when they turned their gazes to the nearly two hundred foot long bridge they needed to cross. More than four feet thick in most places, it appeared sturdy enough, but it seemed awfully narrow to provide a safe crossing. At the far end they spotted the dark entrances to three more lava tubes. How they would choose which one to follow they didn’t know—but before they decided that, they first had to get across to the other side.

  Their misgivings heightened as they drew nearer to the foot of the bridge. From here, they could see that the rock span was never more than twelve inches wide, and in some stretches it narrowed to less than six inches. Crossing those parts would be like walking on a balance beam—a balance beam suspended above a pool of boiling lava. One slip, one false step, would mean certain death. Even Leesa, who had seen Rave perform countless miraculous physical feats, felt a twinge of anxiety about his plan to carry their comrades across.

  “Are you sure you can do this, Rave?” Radar asked as she stared out across the perilous span. She linked her arm around Jordy’s. “I’m pretty light, but my boyfriend here is pretty darn heavy.”

  Rave grinned. “Not to me he isn’t. Trust me, it won’t be a problem.”

  “It looks safe enough,” Kai said. “Raj and I can cross this on our own. I’ll go first with Fiona…to make sure everything is okay over there, then Leesa can join us. Rave, bring Leah first. The rest of you can decide on whatever order you want.”

  “Okay,” Leesa agreed. “I’ll wait for your signal before I come across.”

  Kai turned and began trotting across the bridge, holding his bow at the ready with an arrow fitted to the string as he ran. Fiona flew beside him, keeping just behind his shoulder so she wouldn’t distract him. His bare feet gripped the stone easily, and he never slowed until he reached the far side. He disappeared into one of the tunnels for a few moments, checking to make sure there were no hidden dangers. Fiona vanished into a second tube, and then the two of them checked out the final passage together. When they emerged from the third cavern, Kai waved to Leesa to come join them.

  “Go ahead,” Rave said as he scooped Leah up into his arms. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

  Leesa felt a touch of jealously as Rave picked Leah up. Riding cradled in his arms was one of her favorite things—maybe she should have taken a ride herself instead of volunteering to use her magic to cross. She shoved the thought away. Rave had enough to do. Besides, she knew she could ask him for a ride any time and he would gladly oblige.

  She cast her levitation spell and then focused her telekinesis on the rock wall on the far side of the chamber. The wall wouldn’t move, of course, so her magic pulled her toward it instead.

  As soon as she cleared the edge of the ledge, she began to drift rapidly upward, like a balloon accidently released by a young child. She realized her mistake instantly—she had failed to account for the waves of hot air rising up from the boiling lava so far below. Without panicking, she quickly adjusted her levitation spell and the strength of her telekinesis to bring herself back to the level of the bridge. Rave was already three-quarters of the way across, running easily despite having Leah cradled in his arms. He was so focused on his footing that he didn’t notice Leesa’s brief predicament, for which she was grateful. The last thing she wanted to do was distract him in any way from his perilous task.