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“Much like The Eye, we can’t shadow walk closer than this. We need to hike or fly,” Amon informed me.
At first, I thought it was snowing. Thick, fluffy, flakes tumbled around us. It took me a moment to realize that it was ash. The black rock around us was coated with it.
I glanced back at the team and gave them a rueful smile.
“I can’t wait. I need to fly. Wish me luck.” I said, and they bade me farewell. Amon took my hand and nodded.
“Let’s go,” he said, and we took off together, to the top of the volcano.
I had to gradually increase my control over the environment as we approached the top. The air became so thick with ash and smoke, I needed to focus on ensuring that the space around me was clear. The heat slowly intensified, and I was greeted with the sound of crashing waves. These waves, however, were not made of water, but liquid rock.
“It sounds like the ocean,” I marveled out loud, and Amon nodded.
Finally, we approached the lip, overlooking the vast, gaping hole at the top of the volcano. Violent orange molten rock sprayed out from the mouth, and we needed to use our power to shield ourselves from it, to keep from getting hit.
Even as I focused on keeping my temperature habitable, I could tell how extreme the heat was. It was directly correlated with how much effort I needed to put into maintaining a reasonable environment.
Our feet touched the ground, and I turned to face Amon just as a particularly vicious eruption of lava exploded behind him. The fire reflected back at me through his green eyes. His mouth was set in a firm line, and a muscle in his jaw pulsed. I tried to smile at him reassuringly, but it was hard, surrounded by the erupting liquid fire.
“I’m going to be fine,” I told him. He swallowed and nodded before reaching forward to place his hand on the side of my face.
“I know you will be,” he said, his voice gruff. I could tell he was stressed.
“Ok, here goes nothing,” I said, turning to face the cavernous hole before me. My aura was prowling in my chest, urging me forward. I had to go.
“Raven…”
I was about to step forward when suddenly, Amon grabbed my arm and spun me back around. He placed both hands on each side of my face and pulled me into him.
His mouth closed over mine. Immediately, his tongue traced over my lips, begging for access. I didn’t need to think. I opened for him, and he explored my mouth hungrily, pulling me closer. Moaning, I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.
He ran his hand up the side of my face and allowed his fingers to tangle in my hair before breaking away. Both of us were breathless from the intensity of the kiss. He looked into my eyes, his nose rubbing against the tip of mine.
“Don’t die,” he whispered, his eyes swimming with emotion. I nodded minutely.
“I’ll do my best,” I replied, my voice equally soft. He let me go, and I backed away from him toward the mouth of the volcano.
“Hey,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Check this out.” My voice broke as I gave him one last look before turning around and diving into the pit.
I didn’t allow myself to look back.
54
If it had been hot on top, it was nothing to what I experienced as I plummeted down into the main artery of the volcano, deep into the earth.
There was an ocean of lava bubbling at the bottom of the pit, and I slowed myself, to hover above it. I entered the meditative state of Eriene and allowed myself to bob and flow above the ever-changing surface of the molten rock.
I looked around, wondering what I should do next. How was I supposed to summon the Titan? Would Frira just know that I was here? I waited to feel nervous, or to feel my heart rate increase, but I didn’t, I just felt ready.
Surprisingly, it became increasingly easier and more comfortable to exist in this inhospitable environment the more time I spent here. It was almost as if the heat fused my magick and aura together.
My whole life, I had always felt like I had been battling some sort of internal war. Two wolves fought within me, one who wanted peace and the other that wanted vengeance. As I floated and swayed with the ebb and flow of the blood of the Dominion, these two internal forces finally seemed to come together, to move as one.
I wasn’t sure if this strange feeling within me was a result of me coming into my power, or some sort of magick that existed in the heart of the volcano. Something inside me was changing, maturing, and settling.
I felt increasingly connected to everything and became aware that I was in control. The very fabric of reality I existed in bowed down to me. Like my shadows, the universe suddenly seemed eager and willing to do as I commanded.
It felt as if the universe had missed me. As if I had been away for a very long time and now, suddenly, everything was right again. Surrounded by stark midnight and bright crimson, I reached out a hand, palm down, and marveled at how the sea of magma beneath me shivered, beckoning to my call.
