TWENTY-EIGHT
CAZ
Once again, I’m engulfed by water.
I break through the surface, gasping for breath as I check my surroundings. I spot my bag floating ahead just as Rowan resurfaces too.
Inferno Isle is right behind him. With only a few strokes, we could make it.
“Caspian, you must listen to me!” Korah’s voice splits the air. I peer over my shoulder to see her flying toward us in a blaze of light. “You are not ready for this!”
What is she talking about? Ready for what?
It’s a trick. Has to be.
“Swim to the island!” I yell at Rowan.
I collect the bag, and we lap our way toward the shore. The saltwater burns my eyes and throat, but I don’t care. I’m doing this for Willow. I have to save her.
I can’t let Korah catch me. If she does, I have no doubt she’ll teleport my ass back to Blackwater.
I don’t even realize it then, how I’m no longer surrounded by water. Beneath my feet is a haunting sight—the familiar one from my nightmares. Lava trickling between cracks on a black field, the fiery orange an ominous warning. My body, however, is dripping wet, and my bag clings to my back.
I’m on the island.
“How did we—did we just fucking teleport?” Rowan exclaims.
I whip my head left at Rowan who stands beside me, eyes wide with shock. “I think we did,” I say, panting.
“Did you do that?” he wheezes.
“Not sure. Possibly?”
I look for signs of Korah. I’m not sure where she is but I know she’ll find us. One touch from her and I’ll be off this island before I can even blink.
He takes in our surroundings, wiping water from his eyes. “Inferno Isle,” he breathes. “Fuck me.”
Something screeches in the distance, and I frown, removing my bag from my shoulder and digging into it. That sound is just like the one from my nightmares and is enough to send a shock down my spine.
I retrieve two handguns and offer one to Rowan.
“They’re loaded with Luxor ash bullets. Don’t know what we’re dealing with on this island, but these should stop whatever comes after us…or at least hold them off for a while.”
“You don’t think I came unprepared, do you?” Rowan lifts his wet shirt to reveal the TC-15 attached to a clip on his belt. “Brought Lucy with me. She’s my favorite.”
“I figured you would.” I cock my head. “Let’s go.”
I march with no idea where I’m going.
“You gonna explain how we went from water to land that fast?” Rowan asks. “We had at least six more strokes at best before even reaching the shore.”
I work to swallow as the heat from the lava seeps through my shoes. “I don’t know.”
I really don’t. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. They say I’m powerful, that I can move mountains and destroy anything in my wake, yet I don’t know how to control any of it. Well, only when I feel I’m in danger, apparently.
“I still don’t understand why you have to do this,” Rowan goes on. “Out of all the bloody people in Vakeeli, why you? Why us ?”
“I wish I knew, Row.”
I pause when I notice something to our right. “There.” I point with my gun.
“Love of Vakeeli,” Rowan breathes when I take off in a jog.
I don’t stop until I reach the location, but what I don’t expect is a crater in the ground so massive it could fit an entire village. At the bottom of the crater is a temple made of red clay with columns and a crumbling roof.
To my surprise, there are a set of stairs on either side of the crater, as if someone other than The Regals has visited this place before. Multiple times. That’s impossible though… right?
“Don’t tell me we’re going down there .” Rowan stands on his toes, peeking over the edge of the crater.
“We have to. For Willow and Killian.”
“Sure, I get that, but if there is an evil Regal down there like they say, what makes you think she won’t murder us as soon as she wakes up? I mean, how do we know she isn’t like Decius and won’t steal our damn souls to feed herself?”
“It’s a risk I have to take. You can stay up here if you want or go back to shore. I’ll meet you there.”
“Yeah right,” he mutters, following me down the stairs. “How the fuck are we even supposed to get back to Blackwater?”
That’s a good question. I’d hoped we could use the speedboat to get back to Boro’s ship, but Korah has blown it to bits. Perhaps the ship can be turned over again. The crew should still be close by. They’ll likely contact someone for help.
Or worst-case scenario, I summon the damn Council. I have my transmitter on me. Whether it works on this island of fire is questionable.
Once again, I feel that prickling in my mind, and I freeze as my eyes shift to the sky. “Korah’s coming.”
We hustle down the rest of the crumbling staircase and enter the temple, taking another set of stairs. Once we’re on even ground, I take note of the pitch-black tunnels running in every direction.
I swing left to hide in the closest one.
Rocks crumble above, landing on the ground, proving Korah has landed. I peek around the corner, watching as she enters the temple and scans the area with her hands lit in blazing lavender. The light leaks toward our tunnel, and I press my back as close to the wall as I can.
“Caspian, I know you want to save Willow, but this isn’t the way. You are not prepared for what comes next.” Korah’s voice echoes through the tomb. “The Council has your mate and they’ve tied your hands, I get that. I thought about going to Luxor to whisk her away just to prove to you that she’s safe, but they’ve bound her to the castle. Only one of them can lift the bond, and yes, I can force them to break it, but they’re not easy to work with. You know this. They know you’re here and they know you’ll stick to the plan without Willow in your sights. They’ll drag it out as long as they possibly can. All that would’ve wasted my time coming here to you.” She’s quiet, but the light is growing closer.
She knows where I am.
“I can hear your heart beating, Caspian,” she calls. “I can hear the doubts running through your mind. You know nothing good will come of this.”
I glance at Rowan who has his forearms to his chest and the barrel of his gun pointed up.
“You do this and you’ll be the reason for Vakeeli’s genocide. Do you want that?” she asks. “Do you want her to take everything you love away from you? I’m telling you. You are not ready for what comes with her awakening.”
She’s closer now. The light she carries is almost blinding.
But then there’s a deep gasp behind me.
“Oh, fuck!” Rowan hollers. His gun goes off, sparking the cave, and he’s snatched away, drifting farther down the tunnel.