Free The Void of Mist and Thunder (The 13th Reality #4) by James Dashner

he’d seen written on the ice. But he was having a hard time concentrating. The words floated in the darkness of his thoughts, visible in his mind’s eye as white letters on a black background. He ran through the lines, letting the skills he’d developed for this sort of thing take their natural course as his brain digested and regurgitated the riddle again and again:
The smallest thing begins to grow
     
It needs no light, it needs no glow
     
This thing, it fears the weakest breath
     
And yet it cannot embrace death
     
The greatest man or bull or steed
     
Or queen or doe or stinging bee
     
Eats it, smells it, drinks it some
     
And one day it they will become
     
    Tick sat in the wind and the cold and relaxed, doing what he did best.
    Thinking.

    Lisa and her mom followed Mordell down a long, cold passage under the hard stone of the castle, walking along the dark waters of the stream that rushed by. Lisa knew this was the place Tick and his Realitant friends had barely escaped from during their first harrowing trip to the Thirteenth Reality. Imagining them at that time—Tick and the others desperately waiting for the Barrier Wand to kick in and wink them out, while hordes of bloodthirsty fangen beat down the walls and came after them—sent chills across her skin. It made her feel incredibly sorry for her lost brother, and made her love him more than ever before. Tears welled up in her eyes.
    She knew what had happened next. The Barrier Wand didn’t even have a Chi’karda Drive inside its golden case at the time—Mistress Jane had secretly removed it—but Tick had displayed his unbelievable power over Chi’karda, using his powers to wink everyone to safety on his own. There had been signs and hints his whole life that there was something special about him, but after that day, the Realitants knew it for sure.
    Tick was a wizard. A silly word, but that’s how Lisa saw him. Sure, Master George claimed Tick’s power could be scientifically explained—or someday would be—but Lisa didn’t care about the specifics, the nitty-gritty details. Her brother was magic, he was special, and they needed to find him so he could do great things for the world. For all the worlds.
    The passageway led through an arch to the right and into a small chamber carved out of black rock. Mordell silently led them through the opening and into the room that had absolutely no decoration or furniture of any kind. The only light came from a single torch that burned and hissed in a sconce on the wall. About twenty other women sat upon the hard ground in a circle. One break in the ring was vacant, and it was just big enough for the three newcomers to sit down.
    “Even though its size is humble,” Mordell said in a solemn voice, “we call this the Great Hall because its purpose is grand. This hallowed place is where the Ladies of Blood and Sorrow come to show our respect and devotion to Chi’karda and to renew our commitment to seek a Utopia for all mankind.” She looked at Lisa and her mom. “Your presence here is allowed by my invitation only. Please, sit.”
    She motioned toward the empty spot in the circle. Lisa and her mom, holding hands, went over and sat down on the smooth surface of the black rock floor. Her mom cradled the Barrier Wand in her lap, and Lisa noticed that her finger hovered over the trigger button at the top.
    Lisa took a moment to study the circle of women, all of whom were dressed in the same off-white, coarse robes that Mordell wore. The Ladies each had a meditative, almost blank look on their hooded faces. It was creepy in the scant light.
    Mordell sat down next to Lisa. “We all know of the nature of this room in which we have gathered,” she began. “The Great Hall, birthed by the will of our master, Mistress Jane herself. For reasons we may never learn, the Thirteenth Reality is more focused with Chi’karda’s might, more concentrated, more plentiful in its power than any other world. And this hallowed