I clear my throat. “Yeah, yeah I’m good.” However, by the way her head tilts along with the corner of her lips, I know she fully intends on bringing this up again.
“What’s the plan now?” she asks.
I look around at the dead shrubs and fallen branches, and I take in the silence. “Now that we have the necklace, I think it’s better we leave sooner rather than later,” I state, dreading having to go back out there. But even that is a guessing game. None of us knows if we’ll be able to leave once we reach the barrier, but it was a necessary gamble.
The unknown is terrifying. For all we know, Callum and whoever else could be waiting outside the fog for us, not wanting to risk entering themselves. It’s not like I want to stay here, necessarily, buthereis relatively safe.
“And from there?”
“I don’t know, okay. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m flying by the seat of my pants,” I snap, my tone a bit more aggressive than I anticipated. Why can’t anyone see that there is literally no game plan going on up here? Not only do I not know what to do, or expect, but it seems like every decision that’s made is on my shoulders and turns into some sort of life-or-death situation.
Odeyssa is the fucking princess of Nefarium. Where’s her responsibility? Agitation settles deep in my bones as I climb onto Voraxis, and against my will, the resentment starts building. Odeyssa follows close behind, and I can feel the tension. It’s weighted like a string tied around both our middles, pulling taut with all the things left unsaid.
Voraxis pushes off the ground, launching us into the sky. The sound of his wings beating slows down my heart rate, and atsome point, it evens out, and they’re both thumping in tandem.
I’m grateful for the wind piercing my ears, the sting in my eyes, the safety and comfort I find up here. I sink into that, letting the world be still for a while. Because once we touch land, all the problems down there resume, and the blissful bubble up here will pop. The remnants will sprinkle over us and caress us with the small promise of finding it again.
Miraculously, Voraxis gets us back to roughly where we entered—I think. Who really knows? It all looks the same, but he mentioned the spot where we had the Demicrogen ambush and went from there.
The dense wall of fog remained the same in our absence. Not that I expected it to change—it’s been here for however many hundreds of years. But the thought crosses while I trynotto think about the events that followed last time I passed through. On the flight, I finally broke down and told Odeyssa about the dream. It was hard to relive it again. She wanted as many details as I could manage, and there were times I caught myself pausing, getting choked up from it all. Whether she was shocked or not, I couldn’t really tell, but there was a quiet shift within her that I wasn’t anticipating.
Mainly, I think she’s concerned that if it happened once, it could happen again. And there wasn’t anything I could do to reassure her that it wouldn’t. So we left it at that, leaving the rest of the flight silent.
“We could die,” Odeyssa ponders nervously.
“Won’t know unless we try,” I retort, attempting to keep my cool, but in reality, I’m stressing the fuck out. “Besides, what’s the alternative? Staying here? I’m sure your father wouldn’t be pleased if you never returned.”
“No doubt Aslan sent word of my appearance. But my fathertrusts her, and if she told him there was nothing to worry about, that would be it,” she explains. “But on the other hand, it might be better if I stay behind. You’ve never seen my father upset, and let me tell you, that is something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” My eyes shift to the side, watching Voraxis pace the wall’s edge.We could be walking into a trap.
There’s always that chance,he replies.
That’s not very reassuring,I huff.
Nobody will lay a finger on you, Firebird. Trust that.It’s so dumb. But the nickname he gave me resonates with something deep inside, making me catch the air in my throat each time.Don’t get sappy now.
I chuckle, shaking my head when I catch sight of Odeyssa staring at us on my other side. “Sometimes I really feel like a third wheel.” She must sense my uncertainty and holds her hand out to me. Hesitantly, I take it, and she squeezes my hand in reassurance.
We both take a deep breath, and I look over at Voraxis one last time then squeeze my eyes shut—for some reason it gives me a false sense of security, but I’ll take it where I can— before we all step through to the unknown.
It’s cold, the previous suffocating humidity nearly forgotten about. It’s refreshing the way it glides over my flesh, kissing me softly like it can’t decide whether to love me or destroy me.
I’m praying for the former.
My eyes remain shut, unwilling to open and be disappointed with what awaits them. Anxiety takes root, the dark pressure pushing in the longer I’m in here. I have to force it away, fighting against the gnawing intensity. My grip tightens around Odeyssa’s hand. “I can’t do this,” I admit.
“I’m right here.” But my next step is wobbly, and I feel the comfort of Voraxis’s scaly nose against my other side, keepingme upright. The pressure builds in my skull, pressing against all sides, and I can’t help the wail of pain that slips free.
We’re almost there.I can’t remember if it took this long before. It seemed so peaceful, nothing out of the ordinary, until I got through. What if that’s what happens? It waits, poisoning you until the false reassurance hits, and then it takes you out once you break the threshold?
My body slumps to the side Voraxis was just standing on, but only for a second before he’s behind me, pushing me up as fast as he can.
“Can’t. Do. This.” It comes out in pants as I try to catch my breath. But all I can imagine is the venom leaking into my veins.
Push through,Voraxis demands. But I can’t. The pressure is too much, and I’m certain, in a matter of seconds, my brain matter will disintegrate into the surrounding mist.
I know the moment we exit the fog. The intense pressure immediately lifts, and Odeyssa lets go of my hand. However, it does nothing to entice me to open my eyes. In fact, it does the exact opposite, unsure if this is the calm before the storm.
