The formations around us are ancient and otherworldly. Stalactites hang from the ceiling like frozen waterfalls, and stalagmites rise from the floor like stone pillars. In places, the two have met, forming columns that stretch from floor to ceiling. The cave walls are black basalt, rippled with ancient lava flows,but time and water have added streaks of rust and burnt orange. In places, copper minerals have bled through the stone, leaving iridescent streaks of blue-green.
And then the tunnel opens into a view of an underground lake, and Cody goes still beside me.
The main cavern is vast, but not dark. Cracks and fissures in the ceiling let daylight spill through in pale golden shafts, illuminating the pools below like a scene from an ancient legend. Where the light touches the water, it glows a pale, milky blue that seems to shimmer from within.
Steam rises gently from the water's surface. The springs are naturally heated by geothermal activity. The air smells of earthy minerals and a green, herbal fragrance, the algae that thrives in these waters releasing its scent into the mist. It is said that breathing the air here has restorative properties.
"A'Vanti." Cody's voice is hushed, reverent. "This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen."
I smile at his wonder. "The colors come from the minerals and the algae. The combination of the hot water, the minerals, and the algae is what gives the springs their healing properties."
He crouches at the edge of the nearest pool and dips his fingers into the water. "It's warm. And tingly?"
"The minerals. Your skin will feel very supple afterward." I crouch beside him. "Some people say they feel rejuvenated for months after bathing here."
We are both silent for a moment, looking out at the glowing pools, listening to the gentle sound of water moving over stone.
"We should go swimming." Cody grins at me. "Right? That's the whole point."
The thought of slipping into those glowing, luminous waters with him makes my scales flush dark. "I would like that very much."
"But?"
I check my internal sense of time. "We have perhaps two hours before full dark. The walk back to the ship, the flight to the hangar… if we swim now, we may not make it back in time."
Cody's expression falls. "Right. I almost forgot D'Rett's orders."
"We could come back," I offer. "Another day, with more time."
"Promise?"
I take his hand in mine. "I promise."
He lifts my knuckles to his lips and presses a kiss to each one. "Then we come back. Soon."
"Soon."
We linger a moment longer, reluctant to leave this place of beauty and peace. Then, by unspoken agreement, we turn and begin the walk back toward the surface.
The climb up feels shorter than the descent, perhaps because I am already thinking about the return journey. Already planning what we might bring next time. I want to share this place with Cody properly. Want to watch his face as he floats in the glowing water, want to hear his laugh echo off the cavern walls, want to?—
We emerge from the cave into early evening light, and I stop.
The sky has changed.
What was clear and golden an hour ago is now hazy, the light taking on a dusty amber quality. The wind has picked up too, carrying with it a fine grit. And on the horizon, in the direction of Spire Mountain, I see it.
A wall of brown and orange, stretching from the ground to the heavens. Moving fast.
"Oh no," I gasp.
CHAPTER 11
A'Vanti
"A'Vanti, what's wrong?" Cody asks.
I start to raise my hand, pointing at the ominous weather, but Cody's comm crackles to life, interrupting me.
