Then rid yourself of your barnacle, however you see fit.
She felt approval radiate from the dragon that she had not voiced an opinion, but rather acknowledged that a dragon would know the wisest course of action.
I will drop her after we pass through the icy dark.
Elizabeth didn’t know what that meant, so she held on for dear life, wrapping her arm more snuggly around the demon in front of her.
Dragon wing beats would have unseated a less skilled rider. Elizabeth gripped the dragon’s scaled hide with her inner thighs and leaned forward a fraction to balance her weight as they lurched forward into the skies. Her scales chafed her legs raw, but she had no choice but to grip them tightly to hold on.
As they soared, she gazed at the Underworld’s landscape, fascinated. They soared through jagged black mountain ranges, the dragon expertly riding the wind currents and soaring around peaks. The air grew even hotter as they ascended, flying through a bright red sky with billowing orange clouds. Below them, the ground was littered with small orange fires.
Ahead, the landscape changed dramatically. As if there were a barrier between worlds, the sky shifted abruptly from vibrant red to deep blue, with only a few inches of purple where the two connected. Under the blue realm, the gray cracked ground disappeared, swiftly replaced by inky black water.
They passed the invisible barrier, and the air turned cold as ice. The black water was dotted with small barren rocks and ice-covered mountains. The dragon flew lower, skimming a talon in the water.
Her nose numbed, and her fingers grew frigid. Below, strange shapes swam just below the water’s surface, creatures bigger than any fish she had ever seen.
This realm was dark and evil in a way that the fiery skies had not been. It was not burning rage and chaos; it was emptiness, solitude, and nothing but icy darkness. It felt bleak and hopeless in a way that she couldn’t explain.
They flew on, and the air grew, if possible, even colder. Snowy valleys and ice-covered mountains stretched endlessly. She shivered, teeth chattering uncontrollably. Her fingers grew numb where they gripped the dragon’s neck. But she knew that if she let go, they would all fall off the dragon and tumble into the sky.
The dragon snorted and turned her neck, blowing hot air towards her.
The sound of your chattering teeth irritates me. Mortals are not meant for such places.
“Th-thank you,” she managed.
The dragon rolled her eyes and blew hot air on her again. Elizabeth marvelled that the dragon could do such a thing while still flying.
It is the icy domain. Beware.
“Thanks!” she said brightly, as the dragon’s hot breath helped her to warm up a fraction. She wondered if she could make herself warmer using magic, but she didn’t know the words. She gritted her teeth and huddled against Caspian’s warm back, waiting for them to be out of the icy domain.
Up ahead, she saw the skies change again and hoped that the next circle they entered would be a little warmer.
The landscape morphed, the sky turning bright yellow. As they passed through the barrier, they were blasted with hot air. Elizabeth and Selena collectively sighed in relief.
This landscape looked more like the first realm she had seen, only with yellow skies and a heavier smell of sulfur in the air.
The dragon glided around short brown mountains and landed gently on top of a peak. Asmodeus hovered nearby, knees to his chest, looking curiously between them.
Selena climbed down the dragon’s hind leg, her shoulders slumping in relief as her feet touched the ground. She made a strange gesture on her chest and bowed deeply.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Selena?” Elizabeth called. “We are bound for Betsael’s castle, a demon prince. And then back to the mortal realm after. You would be safe there.”
The old woman shook her head fervently and spoke in a hoarse, raspy voice. “Thank you, but I have no wish to meet another demon prince for as long as I live.”
“Are you sure? It is not safe here.” Elizabeth worried over the woman.
I am not a packhorse,snapped the dragon.I have only agreed to ferry you and the demon prisoner.
Selena glanced at the dragon and smiled. “Fear not, dragon. Thank you for saving me. I can make my way from here.”
After conferring with Asmodeus, Elizabeth explained, “The portal to the mortal realms is hidden in the tallest mountain of the seventh circle, near the demon prince’s castle. We’re in the sixth circle now.”
“Thank you.” Selena bowed low once more and remained bent until the dragon picked up her wings and left in a flurry of dust.
Glancing back at the woman still bowed on the mountaintop, Elizabeth’s curiosity stirred.
