The toxic fog was now at their ankles. They couldn't climb out, and Kaelen's wings were badly injured.
As Lyra lay on the ground, exhausted, the heavy grey clouds above suddenly parted—a rare phenomenon in the Obsidian Valley. A beam of pure, brilliant golden sunlight pierced through the gloom, falling directly upon Lyra. Alas de Cristal - Carol S. Brown.epub
Lyra looked up at the narrow strip of grey sky far above. Then, she looked at the fractures in her wing. She realized that the crystals were not just glass; they were a living part of her. She focused all her will, sending her energy into the damaged wing. The fractures didn't disappear, but they fused together, creating a scarred, jagged edge that was thicker and stronger than before. "Hold onto me," Lyra commanded. "Lyra, you can't carry us both," Kaelen protested. The toxic fog was now at their ankles
Lyra rushed to him. Ignoring the spreading fractures in her own wing, she leveraged the immense, heavy weight of her crystal appendages to pry the slab off his pinned legs. With all her might, she heaved. The stone shifted, and Kaelen dragged himself free. A beam of pure, brilliant golden sunlight pierced
They were breathtakingly beautiful, refracting the dim light into brilliant prisms of amethyst and emerald. But they were also a curse.
Lyra looked down into the dark abyss. She could see the faint glow of Kaelen's scout beacon far below. The heavy, dark fog was crawling up, suffocatingly slow. She stepped to the edge of the cliff. "Lyra, no! You will shatter!" the Elders cried out.
Her only solace was Kaelen, a scout with massive, storm-grey feathered wings. He did not look at her with pity. Instead, he brought her treasures from the upper peaks—smooth river stones, pressed high-altitude flowers, and stories of the world above the clouds.