Inon looked at Draven and smiled.
“You are quite brave to think you could survive such a trip. We are made of lava. It will not burn us. But it will kill you for sure,” he replied.
“I’m well aware of that. I’m also aware of the fact that one of the swamp witches’ books is with the Dearghs,” Draven said, prompting Hansa to stare at him in genuine shock. “The witches were well known for their protective spells against fire. I’m sure there’s one in there that we can use.”
Silence lingered between them.
“You know about the books?” Hansa asked Draven.
“Of course I do. I have the Oracles, remember?” he replied, then smirked. “I also know you have one too, but we’ll talk about that later.”
Hansa’s skin glowed subtly, reminding me of what she’d told us about the succubi blushing. She’d probably realized that Draven might also have learned about her relationship with his father.
“What will it be, Inon? Will you give us the book?” Draven pressed.
“How did you know we have it?” Inon replied.
“I’ve done my homework on you, Dearghs. Klibi would have needed some very powerful protection to keep the book hidden and safe from anyone,” Draven said. “Mount Inon is the only volcano that creates black diamonds, and there is nothing more powerful, more impervious than that. I had to make a wild guess on this one but given that you’ve just confirmed it, I’m glad to see I was right.”
The Druid wore a smile that spoke of sheer satisfaction. I figured he had his intellectual pride to keep him warm at night, since he’d been so dismissive of me.
Jerk.
“You’ve assumed well. I’m impressed. Only one who is brave, strong, and patient enough may gain access to the book,” Inon explained. “It has been bound by ancient Deargh craft, Druid. Not anyone can get to it, only the worthy, and the black diamond decides who is worthy.”
“That’s fine. I’ve been preparing for this battle my entire life. I’m the one to earn it,” Draven replied.
I snorted, amused by his sudden bravery. He stilled and looked over his shoulder, his gray eyes finding mine. Soon enough, all eyes were on me, including the Dearghs’. I sighed, obviously required to explain my reaction in order to not come across as a lunatic.
“Draven will let a gloomy vision of a possible future keep him away from what he wants. I figured that’s called being a coward, not someone who is brave, strong, and patient.”
The look on Draven’s face was priceless. I had really pissed him off, and he couldn’t do anything about it. Bijarki smiled mostly to himself, while Hansa pulled herself closer to me, visibly impressed. Any time a woman held her own with a man, even if just with words, she seemed delighted.
“You can try, then,” Inon said to me with a half-smile.
I froze. I really didn’t think Draven would pull it off. He was scared to get close to me and scared of losing the battle against Azazel. He had said so himself. It was the very opposite of what the Deargh had described as prerequisites to get the book, and we couldn’t afford any kind of failure at this point.
“That’s not going to happen,” Draven interjected before I could open my mouth. “She’s in no way qualified to do this.”
And that was enough to make me snap and think with my pride, rather than my brain. I stepped forward, bumping into his shoulder as I stopped in front of Inon. My newfound courage, fueled by childish pride, was enough to make me take the lead.
“My friends, my family, my whole world depends on me right now. I’ll do it,” I said.
“Serena, this is dangerous. Don’t be foolish,” Draven replied.
“Oh, please. Between the two of us, I’m the one with the spine,” I shot back with a sideways glance.
“Serena, maybe you shouldn’t,” Hansa interjected.
“I have to! I have everything to lose in this war unless I get that book! We need all the help we can get!”
She sighed, and the shadow of a smile passed over her face. She understood what was at stake. With each second that passed, the more convinced I was that I had to do this. Not just to prove to Draven that I had more courage than he did, but to prove to my friends and my brother that they could rely on me in the darkest of times.
“So it shall be, then,” Inon proclaimed.
He guided us through a tunnel that took us deeper into the mountain. It ended in a massive black marble wall. I was first in line behind him when he placed his hand on the wall and muttered something under his breath. The wall trembled and slid to the right, granting us access to a small chamber.
Inon walked inside, clearing the path for me to see inside. The walls were smooth and black, reflecting everything inside. Thin cracks scattered across the floor, allowing the lava beneath to shine its amber light into the chamber.
In the middle, resting on a black marble cube, was a black diamond box, its edges polished to perfection. Inon stood next to it.
“The box will ask you questions. If you answer truthfully, it will give you the book. If you lie or give half-truths, it will seal you in this chamber until you die without food or water,” he said solemnly.
I needed a minute to fully process the terms of this trial. Was I really ready to risk my life like that?
Draven came up behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Serena, please don’t do this,” he told me.
I could sense the urgency in his voice, the trembling pitch. His fear for my safety only fueled my determination. I pushed him away. I stepped forward and entered the room. Inon left and stood beyond the entrance with Draven next to him.
I looked over my shoulder and saw the Druid’s face mortified by despair. He shook his head. “Serena, please.”
“Somebody needs to teach you how to stand up for those you love, so it might as well be me, Druid.”
I was shocked by my own brazenness toward him. Where did all that come from?
The black marble wall slid back into place, sealing me away from the rest of the world. I would have enough time to answer that question later. I took a deep breath and looked at the black diamond box.
“Okay then, let’s do this,” I said, mostly to myself, wondering if the box would respond.
Aida
I spent most of my time in the attic, constantly working through snippets of visions. Most of them were useless, as I was unable to hold on for long enough to see more.
I delved deep into a state of relaxation, sitting in a meditation pose and carefully measuring my breaths. Another vision began to unfurl before my eyes. Inside Azazel’s dungeons, Marchosi stumbled along a black stone hallway lit by green fires overhead. He had trouble standing up, constantly shifting from Druid to serpent form, unable to keep himself steady.
Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He scratched his neck where dark green scales spread out like a rash. He cursed and punched at the walls until he reached a wide chamber swarming with Destroyers. They all looked at him and hissed, grinning from ear to ear.
“You’re having trouble staying in Druid form, huh?” one of them asked, his voice oozing contempt.
“That’s what you get when you stand too close to Azazel,” another one cackled.
“He corrupts, he soils, he breaks our very nature until we turn into this,” a third one added, gesturing at his own body, the lower half a full serpent tail, thick and scaly.
Marchosi heaved as he stood up, leaning against the wall, fury marring his once handsome features. He pulled a piece of parchment from his belt and threw it on the floor. It unraveled, revealing a map with a specific area circled in blood.
“Lead a purge on that location,” he barked at them. “Azazel wants whatever is in it dead.”
I stepped toward the map, but before I could see it in full detail, the vision dissolved, and I woke up lying on the floor, breathing heavily. A tortuous sigh left my chest. I rolled over to the side, where a sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal waited. I made a few notes of th
e runes fluttering across my arms before they faded away.
They were never a pretty sight, but I’d gotten relatively used to them, enough to no longer break into a sweat when I saw them.
I sat up and nearly jumped out of my skin at the sight of Field sitting on a crate, a few feet away from me, watching. He’d been so quiet. Concern drew a frown on his face.
“How long have you been sitting there?” I asked.
“I should ask you the same question. You look so pale.”
“I’m okay, Field. Just a little annoyed because I can’t hold on to these visions for as long as I’d like,” I replied.
A moment passed. His gaze didn’t leave my face. His expression was firm and unreadable.
“You need some fresh air,” he said.
I nodded my agreement. It was getting pretty stuffy in there, despite the open windows. Just having him close to me was sending my body heat soaring again.
“I definitely do,” I mumbled mostly to myself.
He stood up and reached me in a few wide steps. Before I could say or do anything, Field picked me up in his arms and carried me out to the ledge of the roof through the middle window. I held on for dear life, my arms coiled around his neck, and my body soft against his.
I yelped when I looked down and saw the garden beneath. If we fell…
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He gave me one of his signature smirks and jumped. I gasped and tightened my grip, hiding my face in his chest as I heard his wings fan out and flap a couple of times. I opened my eyes as the air brushed against my face.
We flew high above the jungle surrounding the mansion, beneath a gorgeous pink and orange sunset. We circled the area for a while before Field gently placed me on top of a purple tree. I straddled the thick branch with my legs and took a deep breath, enjoying the view and the humming in the lower half of my body. He had that effect on me.
He settled in front of me, placing the weight of his torso onto his arms.
“Thank you,” I said. “Didn’t know I needed that.”
His lips stretched into a satisfied grin, his eyes flickering with something akin to fire. His black hair fell in lazy strands, framing his beautiful face and contrasting with his sharp cheekbones.
“What have you been seeing?” he asked, watching me carefully.
I told him about my most recent vision of Marchosi, and he looked out to the west. The setting sun reflected its amber glow in his irises.
“Who knows where the Destroyers are going? With how hell-bent Azazel is on conquering this entire world, I’m pretty sure anyone is fair game,” Field said, his voice low.
He then turned his attention back on me. “Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”
I blanked completely. My eyes went wide, and my mouth dropped open. I didn’t see that question coming, and I had no idea how to respond. Did he know? How did he know? Did someone tell him? The girls, maybe?
A million thoughts ran through my head.
He tilted his head and looked at me with an expression that made every thought in my brain scatter.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about. What…what do you mean? I don’t—I don’t feel anything…I…uh…”
I was stunned by his proximity and the two pools of blue-green splendor that seemed to see right into my soul. He drew his face closer to mine, a smile slowly revealing his perfect teeth.
I was unable to think anymore as his lips almost touched mine.
My whole body shook with emotion. My breath stuck in my throat, and my heart exploded in my chest. I was so nervous and out of control that I shifted my weight a little, hopefully enough to make myself look less rattled.
But I jerked my hip a little too much. I lost my balance and fell off the branch.
I shrieked.
Field caught me before I hit the branches beneath and held me tight as he flew us back to the mansion.
I trembled in his arms, infuriated by my own knee-jerk reaction, convinced that I had ruined what could have been our first kiss. I cursed under my breath as Field landed us on the grass outside the plantation house.
I avoided looking at him out of pure embarrassment and moved to stand on my own. But my legs were jelly and undermined my dignity. I nearly fell again. Field wrapped me in an embrace, his firm grip holding me against his hard body.
My eyes met his, and I melted. A strange pressure built up in my throat.
His gaze softened, and the turquoise in his eyes turned a shade darker. The corner of his mouth turned upward.
“You know, you’re a funny, clumsy little thing,” he quipped, his voice low and raspy. “Here I am trying to kiss you, and you keep falling out of my reach.”
His words knocked the breath out of me more than my fall. I stilled, my lips parting slowly.
And then he bent down, and the next thing I knew he was kissing me. Time stopped. His mouth took over mine, demanding that I give him everything. His lips were soft and moist. His tongue found mine as he explored everything I had to give.
I moaned gently, and he tightened his grip, keeping me close enough to feel his heartbeat echoing into my chest. Heat spread through my body, and I gave in completely as he deepened the kiss.
I felt a tear leave my eye as I surrendered my senses to sheer bliss.
A darkness enveloped us as his wings stretched out and covered us, giving us privacy from the rest of the world. It was just me and him, lost in each other, our lips and our souls fusing.
I had waited a lifetime for this.
Phoenix
I woke up in the middle of the night from what felt like a horrible nightmare. My subconscious was signaling my underlying fear of losing the last Daughter of Eritopia. I had dreamed of her sisters coming to us, with their violet eyes and their golden masks, and taking her away. I couldn’t stand the idea. It felt as if a knife had been driven into my chest again. The pain was unbearable and seared through my consciousness.
I sat up, breathing heavily. I wiped the sweat off my face and looked around my room, which was covered in darkness except one corner by the window, where the pearly light of the moon shone down on an armchair where the Daughter had fallen asleep. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, keeping her knees close to her chest. A waterfall of reddish pink hair poured over her shoulders and back.
My chest burned at the sight of her.
I got up and scooped her into my arms, unwilling to let her sleep in that uncomfortable position. Clearly, she didn’t want to sleep in her own room.
I laid her on the bed and pulled the duvet over to keep her warm. I got in and settled on my side, my back to her. I quietly counted my breaths. With her body so close to mine, my senses were playing tricks on me. My heart thudded.
I heard her moan and shift behind me. Soon enough, I felt her breath on the back of my neck and a delicious heat spread through my limbs. I focused on my pulse, alarmed by how my blood raced through my veins.
I gave in and turned to face her. She slept so peacefully with her head resting on the pillow. I took the whole picture of the Daughter in, feature by feature—her beautiful face, her soft lips the color of red wine, her small nose and delicate eyebrows. They all spoke of perfection.
I longed to feel her lips on mine. What would she taste like?
Probably heaven.
I fell asleep watching her, asking myself how I’d gotten to this point, from messing around in Hawaii to having my lifeline so irrevocably tied to this one, extraordinary creature.
Serena
I had no measure of time inside that chamber. All around me was luscious black marble. Deep cracks in the floor revealed the burning hot lava below. The air was surprisingly cool, despite the heat seeping from beneath.
I walked around for a while, occasionally glancing at the box, wondering what I had to do to get it to open. Inon hadn’t been specific.
My mind constantly darted toward where Draven was probably standing on the other side of the wall, frustra
ted out of his mind. Despite the uncertainty of my own situation I felt an ounce of satisfaction at the thought of him thinking about me in my absence. It was selfish, but it soothed my bruised ego.
Soon enough, my patience wore thin.
“Hello?” I asked, hoping the black diamond box might answer. “I’m here for the book. Can I have it?”
Nothing.
“The fate of Eritopia hangs in the balance, and I can help, but I need the swamp witches’ book.”
Yet more silence ensued.
I frowned and approached the box. It sat on a black marble cube at eye level. I looked at it from various angles, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary or out of place.
I reached out and touched one side, its cold surface sending a shiver down my spine.
It clicked.
I jumped back and watched a map of bright orange lines crossing it like tiny rivers of lava flowing carelessly all over the smooth black diamond. Its facets lit up, revealing its content beneath layer upon layer of hard, crystallized carbon. There was a book inside, bound in leather.
The box was showing me what was inside, and I held my breath with excitement.
It seemed to respond to my touch, so I pressed my finger against one side again.
The little orange veins pulsated with light in response.
“Who are you?” A soft voice echoed in my head, resonating deep in my bones.
“I am Serena Hellswan,” I answered.
“What do you want?”
“I want the book.”
So far, the questions seemed basic. Perhaps I wouldn’t rot in here after all.
“Why do you want the book?”
“Because I need it to save Eritopia.”
“Why do you need to save Eritopia?”
“Because it’s in danger. You might not know it, but there’s a crazed Druid out there killing everyone in his path and burning everything down.”