The emeralds exploded.
It wasn't a small, pretty sparkle, it was an explosion that could make even a volcano blush. A blinding green flash consumed the entire room. The air shook. The floorboards cracked. Every sound came together in a thunderous roar that rattled teeth.
"Shield!" Alina shouted, her voice sharp. She slammed her palms together, and light burst outward, forming a glowing dome just in time. The emerald's energy smashed against it like a tidal wave of fire and glass.
Liliana moved before the light could reach Elrin. She grabbed the trembling woman by the wrist and yanked her back behind the barrier just as the emerald shards flew through the air like shrapnel. The crystals hit the golden barrier, hissing as if alive, before they dissolved into green mist.
The ground quaked.
From a distance,across the village,Aithur sat in a small tea room with a cup half-raised to his lips. The windows trembled violently, and a low rumble shook the floorboards beneath him.
