Chapter 8
Lucia
Cars and buses filled the parking lot, and crowds of people strolled leisurely in a secured, blocked area, away from the volcano. White smoke puffed out of the volcano crater, spewing toxic gases in the air. On the ride to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Jack had explained that the tour might be closed when the volcano released a chemical called sulfur dioxide because it was harmful to the humans. There was no doubt it was open today.
We followed behind the line as a tour began and blended in with the tourists. When the tour guide started to spew details about something, I didn’t listen. My shoe scuffed against the hard surface of the paved path as I glanced around, taking in the beautiful scenery of the lush green plants, flowers, and trees. After we crossed a small bridge, we emerged in a tree fern forest, and then the trail ascended, leading us right to Thurston Lava Tube.
“This lava tube was discovered in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher,” the tour guide began, raising his hand to the ceiling.
It became darker and cooler as we made our way deeper into the pit crater. The lamps hung on the rocky surface threw garish artificial light on our path. When we entered, another tour group was taking their time, their steps slow. We crowded in, shoulder to shoulder.
“This is ridiculous,” Uncle Davin grumbled. “There’re too many people in here.” Another tour group settled behind us. We were trapped.
Jacked snorted, kicking a few pebbles from his stride. “There’s nothing you can do about that.”
“So not true, Jack.” Uncle Davin let out an agitated sigh and turned to Abel, who cautiously admired the wall with a slight touch of his finger. “Did your contact tell you exactly where the entrance is?”
Abel stopped observing and continued his pace with Uncle Davin. “Yes. It’s up ahead. He said to count six lights. The secret entrance is between the sixth and seventh.”
“How many have we passed?” Brody shifted uncomfortably, glancing over his shoulder to spot the lights and then to the “Proceed with caution” sign.
Zach patted Brody’s shoulder, sensing his fear. “We’ve only passed two.”
Milani closed her hands, and the fire orb within her fists burned out. “I can distract the people and make them flee for their lives?” she suggested.
“No magic,” Uncle Davin said, as we continued to stride in disorderly formation with the so-called line.
People filled up the space, admiring and taking pictures, mostly what Jack called selfies. Human hands grazed along the surface, mesmerized by what was once a hot liquid burning through Earth. A powerful source of Mother Nature, much to be feared, a past history in their grasp, and like God, one couldn’t really touch it in its true entity. My muscles tightened when we passed the fourth light. Two more to pass, two more closer to finding Eli.
“This 400-year-old lava tube is 600 feet long with ceilings between 10 and 30 feet,” the docent informed us, and then his words went through one ear and out the other when we passed the fifth light.
My mind began to race. Would we punch through the wall? Would the wall slide open like a secret passage? And when we passed, what would we find? Angels would be fine with the burning hot temperature, but how about my friends? Would they be able to endure the heat and possibly the toxic gas probably fuming through every inch below? I stiffened to see the sixth light. And what about the other humans?
“FBI!” Uncle Davin shouted, unbuttoning his short-sleeved shirt to reveal a T-shirt that had big letters: FBI.
My friends and I exchanged uncertain glances at each other, having the same thoughts. What the heck was Uncle Davin doing? Did he even know what FBI stood for? Perhaps he befriended some cops? Can a shirt written with FBI carry the same authority as having an FBI badge? My uncle was unpredictable at times, but that stunt beat all the rest.
“FBI!” My uncle barked again. “The volcano is about to erupt. Everyone walk in orderly fashion.”
Of course they didn’t hear the word “walk.” Everyone scurried away, scrambling, as mothers and fathers held their children’s hands. Feet slammed against the hard surface, and screams bounced off the walls, chaos defined at that moment, leaving one tour guide standing alone, darting his eyes at us. Oh crap!
“FBI?” the bald-headed, big-bellied tour guide repeated in fury. Shaking pamphlets in his hand, he came straight for us. “In all my twenty years, I’ve never had a volcano erupt on me and never had a reason for an FBI agent to show up with their unwanted presence. Who the fuck are you?” Glaring at my uncle like he was ready to punch him, a drop of sweat streamed down his tanned face.
I gasped at his foul language. That word I had been forbidden to use, a rule my uncle enforced. No cussing, he had stated before we started high school.
Uncle Davin pointed at each letter from his shirt as he spoke, “FBI. From Big Island.”
What? The tour guide’s eyes rounded in confusion as he stared without a word. Then, a burst of loud laughter exploded from his mouth.
“You’re from Big Island?” His tone suddenly evened, sounding amused, as if it were some kind of secret code. One I definitely could not comprehend. “I’m from the Big Island too. Hey, what’s up? I’m Bob.” He shook my uncle’s hand. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought they were long lost friends.
Uncle Davin pushed his shoulders back, almost in a challenging stance, stepped closer to Bob, and started to speak in an unfamiliar foreign tongue. Polynesian?
The man nodded with a smile, but not a full friendly smile, like it hurt to lift his lips, and spoke back in the same language. At first the conversation sounded jovial, friendly, civil…maybe awkward, though. Then, it went south…way south.
“Let this be a warning,” the tour guide said, switching back to English. “If you leave now, we’ll let you live. If not?” He shrugged. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Uncle Davin’s chest rose, and his body shuddered in anger. “You, a puny, low-life, can’t even be a full demon, are giving me a warning?” He took a step forward, meeting this low-life demon in the chest. “Me, the almighty Davin, who has killed thousands and thousands of you with a blink of an eye. I considered letting you live since you didn’t seem dangerous, but you just pissed me off.” He willed his sword.
I sucked in air when the demon’s human body shook like it was having an epileptic seizure and dropped down. Black mist ejected out of his human body, reminding me of Eli, and as fast as lightning, Uncle Davin swung his sword and sliced through the mist. The mist screeched in pain and faded. Uncle Davin willed his sword to disappear. That was when I noticed Jack’s sword glowed, like the way my bow and sword do when evil beings are near. Then it faded when the demon had been killed.
Jack’s eyes rounded, and his mouth fell open. “Whoa. I didn’t know it could do that. That’s so cool.”
“Mortem knows we’re coming,” Uncle Davin said gravely, ignoring Jack, and examining the wall between the sixth and seventh light. “What do we do now, Abel?”
Abel raked his hair back and took a deep breath. He wasn’t the only one on edge with fear. After glancing at his cell to look at pictures his friend sent, he gazed back at the wall, and then again to his cell, as if to confirm something. Then, he cautiously placed out his hand, took several paces to the wall, and rested his hand on a long, faint line that could easily be seen as a crack. The wall pushed through, sliding open.
“Hurry.” Abel rushed in first, and we followed suit.
The wall behind us closed fast as if it had never opened, and the ground beneath me steamed to life. The wall outside looked identical to the wall inside, but the ground was rocky and uneven, and off to the far end, red lava spewed from some pockets, creating a thin stream snaking around and around. I didn’t know what Hell looked like, but I was sure it resembled where I stood and what I saw.
Uncle Davin placed out his hand. “Stay here. I’ll be right back. Zach, come with me.”
“It’s not so
dark as I thought it would be,” I muttered, watching Zach whip out his wings and carefully follow Uncle Davin.
“It’s freakin’ hot in here,” Brody said, fanning his hand close to his face as he surveyed the premises.
“Well duh, Brody,” Milani murmured. “We’re in the pit of Hell.”
When Jack covered his hand over his nose and mouth, I worried for him.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be in here, Jack. I don’t want you to get sick.”
“I’m okay.” His words were lost into his hands. “I wanted to come, remember?”
I did remember. I’d argued with him inside the car, asking him to stay behind, but he insisted, too stubborn to back down.
Milani stood in front of Jack and placed her hands on his shoulders. “I can put a protection spell on you. Only supernaturals can handle this kind of heat.” She closed her eyes and mumbled a few words. “Done.”
“Thank you.”
“No sweat.” She snorted. “But you will. I have no protection spell for that.”
“I don’t sense anyone in here.” Zach came back from adventuring away as we waited for him and Uncle Davin to return.
“There’s another path. Everyone come. Stay close to me.” Uncle Davin led us down an unsteady path filled with small pebbles, dirt, and rocks.
Nothing but the same vista of hot lava lay before us.
“He’s here somewhere. I feel him.” Milani’s eyes darted as we sped down the curve of the uneven path.
Milani’s words made me reach deeper into my senses, mostly from jealousy. She felt Eli due to her magic, but I sensed him through the familiar earthly, sweet coconut scent of Eli’s hands on my body, lips on my lips, and simply by thoughts of him … thoughts I shouldn’t have.
Sometimes we jumped down, and though I had no idea where we were going, I trusted Uncle Davin to lead the way. The lower we climbed, the heavier and thicker the air became, and from Jack’s sweat on his forehead, I concluded it got hotter. I kept my eyes on Jack just in case he appeared faintish, but he seemed to keep up with our pace.
“Stop.” Uncle Davin halted.
“Wow,” Brody drawled, his eyes widening. “Incredible.”
We entered a cavern to an enormous crater filled with red liquid popping like corn kernels in the microwave oven.
“We have to cross that?” Jack whimpered. I felt his fear through his tone.
Uncle Davin gazed the full length of the cave, surveying. I assumed he was calculating the odds of us crossing safely on the ledge of the cave.
“Nothing to it,” Abel rolled back his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
“Easy for you to say,” Jack grumbled.
Chapter 9
Lucia
“Well, what are we waiting for? We don’t have all day.” Uncle Davin headed forward.
We fell into line, taking baby steps up the dangerous spiral path, just wide enough to set our feet.
“If you’re afraid of heights, don’t look down.” Uncle Davin’s words sounded muffled in the giant space. With our backs against the wall and hands curved on the rocky wall, we moved ahead, one step at a time.
“Don’t look down. Don’t look down,” Jack repeated. “Oh, God, I looked down. Why does it have to be so high? Why does it have to be inside a volcano?”
“Don’t worry, Jack.” I gave him a faint smile to reassure him that everything would be fine. “I’m right behind you, and Zach’s in front of you. One of us will catch you if you fall.”
“Okay,” he croaked, sounding way too nervous. I didn’t blame him. Even I had moments of uneasiness, and I had my own set of wings.
“What’s that noise?” Brody asked, wiping sweat off his temple with the back of his hand, keeping pace behind me.
“What noise?” Milani said. “I don’t hear anything. Just our heavy breathing. It’s too freakin’ hot in here.”
“How’s Eli doing?” Abel asked, keeping his eyes leveled. “Have you connected with him since the last time?”
“Brody told me to stop, so I stopped. He’s right. I can’t concentrate on helping him if I’m troubled by what he’s going through.”
“Be quiet. Did you hear that?” Panic rose in Brody’s voice. “I’m serious. Something’s making a slurping or bubbling sound.”
“We’re inside a volcano, Brody,” Milani stated the obvious. “It’s supposed to—” Her words got cut off when something popped out from the boiling liquid.
“Holy Jesus. What’s that?” Abel hollered.
We had no choice but to stop, hoping the ball of fire would stop and not grow any bigger.
“Oh crap, oh crap,” Jack muttered.
“They know we’re here. Don’t breathe,” Uncle Davin instructed. “Don’t make a sound.”
The ball of flame rose higher and higher, almost to our level, rotating and spinning, moving from one area to the next as if it had eyes and was searching for any movement. Then another one rose out of the lava, then another, and they kept coming. Oh double crap!
Jack shifted, stepping closer to me. Pebbles dropped from the ledge where we stood, betraying our whereabouts. “Sorry,” he whimpered. “My bad.”
“Jack, stop moving,” I scolded in a low whisper.
“Uncle Davin, what do we do?” Zach asked, panic in his expression.
“Hey kids,” Uncle Davin said nervously. “You know how to play dodgeball, right? You’ve played it during P.E.”
Before I could ask what a dodge ball was, I found out. The flaming sphere came straight for us. We moved in our supernatural speed. I grabbed a fistful of Jack’s shirt and moved him along with me.
“Dodgeball doesn’t consist of fire,” Jack wailed.
“Run!” Uncle Davin sprinted along the ledge but halted when one fireball slammed right before him. Another one barely missed my head.
Milani stretched out her arms and mumbled words. “Fire to fire. Ashes to Ashes, you have met my power…” The rest of her words were lost to angry, bubbling roars rising from the lava.
Hot liquid lifted, that time by Milani’s doing. Her fireballs collided with the others that came for us. We thought the coast was clear when Milani put them out. We were wrong. More balls came out from the center, and this time formed together to make one massive one. It started spreading, changing, and then it took shape into a dragon. Beautiful and dangerous, it blew hot fire, and the tail sprung like a whip. Glowing like the sun, it came for us.
“Hold on, Jack.” I pulled him up and secured him tightly in my arms. With a flash of my wings, we were in the air.
Zach grabbed hold of Milani, while Brody and Abel crawled up the wall. When we reached the other side, the dragon blew out fire at us. Zach and I spread our wings to cover all of us, and Milani used the rocks and dirt on the ground to produce a barrier as well. For someone petite and whining, she sure had some cool powers.
“Go back to Hell.” Uncle Davin willed his sword in front of the dragon when the fire died. “Come on. Give me a good reason to kill you.”
The dragon opened its mouth and shot out flames. We ducked and headed for the shelter under an outcrop of rock, but the dragon melted it with its breath.
“Now what?” Brody asked.
“We have no choice but to kill it.” Uncle Davin readied himself. With sword in front, he waited for the dragon, who circled about.
Zach and I willed our bows and started to shoot, one after the other. The arrows flew right through it. We exchanged glances, wondering if there was something wrong with the bow. Then the dragon twitched and roared angrily. The bow had a delayed effect. It didn’t do much damage, but it was something.
“Jack!” I screamed.
Jack had collapsed on the ground. The hideous dragon not only had a long tail, but its tail had tentacles. The fiery tendrils came out suddenly, shocking us, giving us no time to prepare for the attack. One coiled around Jack’s ankle, then Brody’s, Abel’s, and Milani’s, dragging them to the edge.
“Cut them loose.” Uncle
Davin used his sword like an ax and sliced through, only nothing happened. He did it again and again as Zach and I did the same. Nothing happened, as if we were cutting through air.
Oh dear God. Please help us. My panic grew as my heart drummed with no mercy. This couldn’t be the death of them. I shouldn’t have let Jack come. And Brody, Abel, and Milani, they would die for nothing.
Long scratched trails marked the ground from their nails digging in to hold fast to whatever they could, but there was nothing to anchor them. Closer and closer they approached the edge as I forbade myself to give up, hacking at the glowing tentacles that held them bound.
“Uncle Davin, what do we do?” I hollered. “Milani, use your powers. Do something.”
“I can’t.” Milani’s body had been wrapped like a mummy, her arms tied down.
“I can’t believe I’m going to die.” Brody wiggled to get free, but to no avail.
“Use my sword,” Jack suggested.
Jack’s sword rested where he had dropped it. Why? It would be of no use. The Divine Elders did not bless his sword. Without a second thought, I picked it up and slashed the tentacles. I had nothing to lose. It worked. The fire around my friends dissolved to ash the instant the sword touched it. I ran to help the others and set them free. We celebrated with a smile for a second and gratitude beyond words for our safety, but I was perplexed by Jack’s sword. I would have to figure that out later. We had more pressing matters. The dragon had not been defeated.
“You’re the man,” Abel said to Jack as we stood behind Uncle Davin, who held Jack’s sword. Uncle Davin moved swiftly, slashing through the fire tentacles that came at us.
“Keep it occupied. I’m going for the head.” Uncle Davin soared like a slingshot and landed on the dragon’s neck.
The angry dragon jerked and thrashed from side to side to knock Uncle Davin off. Uncle Davin continued to stab Jack’s sword along the neck. It roared in pain and more fire escaped its mouth. Then the dragon slammed its body against the wall, causing a spider web of cracks. Uncle Davin collided against the wall, too. He skidded down and plopped on the ground. Then the dragon swallowed Jack’s sword.