Page 35 of Shrine of Fire

Hella Mora recoiled. “Stay out of this, phoenix. How dare you lecture us on death when you know nothing of it yourself?”

Kalahar appeared, the mists burning away as he approached. His hair was down, long red tresses streaming to his waist. He looked at her with such scorn that some of the coldness burned off me. “I have died a thousand times over. I know more of death than you’ll ever know of life.”

Hella Mora drew herself up, making the shadows grow darker around me. Any warmth coming from Kalahar leached away in the face of such bitter cold.

“Nova. Your fire burns brighter than any anguish this shade can heap upon you.” Kalahar reached out for my hand.

I glanced from Hella Mora to Kalahar and back again.

Grief ate a hole in my heart, but underneath that was the burning desire to live. At least so that the memory of my pack would remain alive, through me.

I stood up, knees shaking. And reached for Kalahar’s hand.

It was as though it was a million miles away from me. So close, yet the last bit of distance made it an impossible bridge to cross.

The shadows bled into me, and the cold rose to drown me. My heart felt like nothing more than a cold lump in my chest.

I stretched out my hand, the small spark of hope deep within me refusing to die.

My fingertips brushed his.

Hella Mora wailed. Sound blasted through me.

Kalahar yanked me close. “Run.”

We took off through the woods. The shriek changed in tone from disabling misery to vengeful anger and rattled the branches around us, so that they scraped at our skin. I ran behind the phoenix, his hair streaming behind him like fire.

I ran until my lungs seized. Kalahar’s hand gripped mine, burning hot in the icy cold of the forest. My feet pounded on the path through the woods, small stones cutting my tender skin.

Behind us, the wails of the dead dogged our steps. I kept running, focusing on following the light of the spirit in front of me.

When Kalahar whipped to the left, and down a long path, I followed on instinct, before I could even register that we were changing direction. He slowed down to a stop, pulling me behind a large black tree.

I panted, the sound the loudest thing in the world, so loud I couldn’t tell if the spirit was still wailing behind us.

Kalahar crouched, looking over my shoulder.

“Is she there?” I panted. I wanted to ask so many questions, but that was the most important.

“She is somewhere.” He studied the black woods closely.

I knelt behind the tree, gasping for breath until I felt like my lungs would surely collapse.

We were still surrounded by the dark forest, but here the trees were not as dense, their branches more delicate.

“Am I dreaming?” I whispered.

“No. Hella Mora has pulled you into the spirit world.” Kalahar scanned the tree line with a frown.

I swallowed hard. “We’re in the spirit world?”

“In her domain, yes…” Kalahar frowned. “Although something has shifted. We may be near the edge.”

The phoenix stood up and offered me his hand again. This time nothing stopped me from taking it. He helped me up, and I stumbled. He closed his arms around me, and for a moment I felt a bright peace.

“We cannot linger.” He stepped away and led me back to the path. “She will hunt you through her entire prison.”

It began to snow, a soft gentle hush falling over the landscape.

---