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Yeah, I definitely have to get her to teach me that.
“They’re good, but we should at least get out of the way.” I glance around us, looking for where the demon might be heading with nothing else in sight.
“It could be on patrol. Let’s head towards the bridge. That should be far enough out of the way,” Octavia says, her shadows blinking out of existence as she strides forward.
We both look around, staying vigilant as the thunderous footsteps get closer.
“It looks like he’s staying near the edge of the canyon,” she says, motioning for us to keep going.
The heat is nearly stifling. A gust of hot air washes over my skin, sending a shiver of discomfort up my spine, but I keep pushing forward.
“Wait,” Octavia says, her hand flashing out to stop me in my tracks. I nearly stumble in my haste to stop but right myself at the last moment. There’s no way I want to face plant here. My throat is dry enough, I don’t need the earth choking me any more.
I turn slowly to face back the way we came, my eyes widening as I take in just how much distance we were able to put between us and the demon trudging his way along the edge of the cliff. He looks like he was made from the ground below us, his massive boulder-like arms and legs stomping along the dirt and nearly blending in with it. On the plus side, if he isn’t falling through, I guess that’s a good sign for me.
Dirt puffs up like smoke with each step he takes. My heart pounds as he pauses by the edge, his gaze scanning the distance. His glowing red eyes cast an assessing look our way, and my blood freezes, almost sure he’s seen us, but his gaze just passes over us. I nearly sigh a breath of relief until something glitters from around his throat, catching my attention.
“Was that an emerald?” I whisper as the demon stomps along his path again.
“It looked like,” Octavia agrees, her eyes narrowing as we watch the boulder demon walk further and further away.
“Is it like a demon fashion statement?” I ask, my brows furrowing.
“I’ve never seen it before. Jewelry, yes, but just a stone below their necks while they aren’t wearing anything else? Never.” Octavia purses her lips, but she shakes the confusion away. “We should keep going.”
Nodding in agreement, I turn and follow her, saving that piece of information for later.
“Definitely not water,” I groan as I look down past the old decaying boards and into the lava flowing like a river below it. It’s at least two car lengths long and maybe ten feet from the lava, but that does nothing to ease the queasy sensation bubbling in my stomach.
“We can try to dissipate, but magic is finicky in the infernal realm.” Octavia grimaces. “I’m afraid that we might not make it all the way to the other side, even with the map.”
“Yeah, probably not the best idea to dissipate straight into the lava,” I say, rolling my shoulders back. “I’ll go first.”
“No, I’ll go first,” Octavia says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t want to risk it if there is a loose board.”
“But—”
“I can handle it,” she says, giving me a reassuring smile.
She takes a cautious step forward and grips the rope railings, the wood creaking beneath her foot as the entire thing sways.
“Maybe we should see if there’s—” My protest is cut off as Octavia’s shadows sweep in, helping to support the board. “Or we can do that.”
Octavia takes her next step, but the wood groans under her weight, snapping beneath her just before her shadows can support her.
My power snaps from me in an instant, the only thought on my mind is my mother as the energy bursts from me. I expect an invisible shield to wrap around her, but instead, shadows shoot from me, wrapping around Octavia’s waist and hauling her back up onto the boards.
It takes me a moment to fully comprehend what just happened. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought Octavia did that herself ... Did she?
I let the shadows roll from me to cover the length of the bridge as though it’s forming a second layer over the wood that is firm enough to walk on.
“Thank you,” Octavia breathes, her eyes lighting up as she looks from me to the bridge. “That was quick thinking.”
“It just happened,” I explain. “We should probably get across this thing before it stops.”
We don’t waste another moment, each of us making our way across the sturdy shadow bridge. As an added bonus, the black smoke cuts off my view from the bubbling heat of the lava below, leaving me blissfully unaware of just how close it is to my feet.
“The shadows must be reacting to your level of control already,” Octavia says once we make it to the other side. I watch as they disappear, vanishing into thin air. “When we get back, I’ll teach you how to call on them willingly.”
