Page 200 of Crimson Promises
"We'll need to distribute our weight," I concluded, a plan formulating in my mind.
Without hesitation, I reached into the pack and pulled out my cloak. Spreading it out on the ground, I created a makeshift bridge over the icy expanse. The fabric provided a buffer, a barrier against the cold cruelty beneath. Following suit, Aurora grabbed her cloak and extended our pathway. Then we began crawling.
Each shift caused the ice to groan in protest, echoing the weight of our shared anxiety. Every inch forward felt like a mile, but the flower loomed closer and closer, urging us to reach our goal.
Suddenly, a sharp crack, like the shattering of a heart, pierced the silence. Underneath Aurora, the ice splintered, fracturing like a spider's web
Reacting purely on instinct, I lunged forward, my fingers outstretched, driven by a desperate urgency to close the widening gap between us. Our hands connected in a desperate clasp, fingers interlocking. Just as they entwined, the treacherous ice beneath Aurora splintered with a haunting crack, sending her tumbling into the frigid, dark waters below.
For a heartbeat, time seemed to freeze, the world holding its breath. The feeling of Aurora's fingers slipping from my grasp sent a wave of panic crashing through me, icy and suffocating. Driven by a primal fear, I plunged my arm into the icy depths, groping blindly. My fingers, numb from the cold, finally found her wrist, and I clamped down with all the strength I could muster.
Drawing upon a deep, hidden reservoir of power, I summoned a surge of strength I had never known before. My muscles screamed in protest, but the thought of losing Aurora propelled me forward. With a herculean effort, I dragged her out of the water's icy grip, pulling her back onto the rapidly disintegrating ice.
She emerged, gasping and shivering, her body colliding with mine in a wet, cold embrace. For a few precious seconds, we clung to each other, our breaths mingling in white puffs in the freezing air. The icy ordeal left adrenaline coursing through my veins, making every sensation more profound, every emotion heightened. With both cloacks I bundled her up until her body could restore itself to its natural temperature.
As I pulled Aurora closer, I felt the rapid thud of her heart through her leathers, its rhythm matching mine. Her eyes, wide and shimmering with unshed tears, held mine captive.
My hand instinctively rose to cradle her cheek, my thumb grazing her soft skin. The warmth of her face contrasted sharply with the cold surrounding us. And without thought, compelled by a force stronger than reason, I leaned in, but at the last moment, Aurora turned her head to the side.
Her eyes clouded with a mixture of desire and hurt. The memory of my deception, the lies that had forged the chasm between us, was a ghost that still haunted our every interaction.
“If this ever happens again. I need to know it’s real. No more secrets or lies—I have to be able to trust you,” Aurora whispered, her voice trembling.
Guilt and regret tightened my chest. No matter how genuine my feelings were, the weight of my past actions threatened to overshadow them. "Aurora," I began, voice hoarse, searching for the right words to bridge the distance. “Of course. Once we leave here, you can ask me whatever you want. I'll share anything.”
She shook her head, eyes glistening. “Let’s finish this.”
We closed the distance to the flower together.
With a nod of agreement, we simultaneously reached for the luminescent bloom, its petals cool and soft beneath our touch. But the moment our fingers made contact, the world around us fragmented.
I braced myself, expecting the cold, dark opulence of Lucifer's throne room to greet us. But when the maelstrom subsided, and I opened my eyes, the sight that met my gaze was entirely unexpected. Instead of his signature gaudy taste, we stood on a landscape blanketed with lilac-hued sand, fine and silken underfoot. Above, the sky was painted in warm, fiery shades.
Confusion settled in as I tried to make sense of our surroundings. This wasn’t Lucifer’s domain; this was an entirely different realm. The atmosphere was thick with the gentle warmth of a summer's evening.
The previously empty wells of my magic were completely restored.
Looking equally disoriented, Aurora said, "This isn't where we are supposed to be, Ben."
"I know," I murmured, my gaze wandering the horizon, searching for any sign of familiarity.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Aurora
"Ben, do you see this?" I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath of wonder. This alternate universe was unlike anything I had ever imagined.
Ben's eyes met mine, his expression mirroring my astonishment. "Yeah, I see it. It's... incredible."
The colors danced around us as we walked. Lilac sand shifted beneath our feet, its color nearly identical to that of Ben’s blood.
Ben squeezed my shoulder, an attempt at reassurance. But my heart was guarded with both fists, refusing to let anyone in or out. The only person I could trust was myself.
I clenched my jaw. All I needed to do was get through these tasks with him and return to my life in Arch Cape. I was done withallof it. The universe could take these powers.
My magic curdled inside me at the thought.
The library, Dad, Jean, an everyday life is all I ever wanted. Kidnappings, prophecies, and wars? Thanks, but no thanks.
