Page 121 of Beneath the Flames
At first, nothing happened.
The mountain continued to quake, Rhydian’s body disappearing beneath the fiery abyss, his clothes catching fire instantaneously until he was entirely engulfed beneath the flames.There was no way anyone could survive a swim in the lava, even if he was Fae.
My lungs squeezed painfully as I held my breath waiting for something, anything, to happen.Seconds passed, then minutes.
Still, he didn’t emerge.Still, the earth shaking continued.
What was taking so long?
“What’s happening?”I shouted at Nico, fighting to be heard over the roaring wind.He didn’t answer, gaze transfixed on the lava.My heart felt like it was being stabbed and ripped from my chest.
Needing to move, I stalked up and down the edge of thelake, silently begging Rhydian to come out.I could barely feel my legs, could hardly move from the exhaustion pummeling my body, but I forced myself forward.If I didn’t move, I was going to drive myself insane.
Why wasn’t Rhydian coming out of the lake?
Had I killed him after all?
The world buckled around me, knocking me off my feet.
A deafening explosion filled the night sky, an enormous plume of fire erupting from the lake, reaching toward the heavens.The force of it was so intense that I was flung backward, crashing into the ground several feet away.Unbearable heat swept the air from my lungs.
I faintly heard Nico cry, “Maren!”as he arrived at my side and started tugging me away, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the sight in front of me.
When the lava finally returned to the ground, filling the lake once more, I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe what I was seeing.
A massive dragon-like beast, easily the size of the mountain, was standing amidst the lava, its lower half still beneath the surface.It had a long snout with wickedly sharp teeth, horns that stretched up toward the two moons, and claws for hands that could probably disembowel me with the lightest of swipes.
As I stared, giant semi-transparent wings spread from the monster’s back, blocking out the light from the moons.The beast let out an ear-shattering roar, and I screamed, covering my ears.Lava dripped from its maw.
I didn’t know what to say.Didn’t know what to think.
I couldn’t tear my eyes from the beast.
The Beast.
Carrow had been right.Breaking the curse had released it.A sinking dread filled me to the brim, and all I could do wasstare.What was I supposed to do now?Carrow had said the beast would destroy everything.All of Avalea.
But where was Rhydian?
I scanned the surface of the lava, searching for him.The beast was freed, but what about Rhydian?Why wasn’t he emerging from the flames?
Had the beast killed him?
My heart shredded a little bit more at the thought.
I looked over at Nico, who now stood next to me, his arm outstretched as he held a shield of golden light around us, protecting us from the beast’s rage.The amulet around his neck glowed too, enhancing the strength of his magic.Lava rained down in little droplets around us, catching everything on fire.
“Where’s Rhydian, Nico?”I was terrified of him telling me that Rhydian was dead.I didn’t think I could bear it.Had the beast devoured him?How could he have survivedthat?
For a moment, Nico didn’t respond, just watching the beast rampage above us.Unfathomable sadness filled his eyes when Nico looked at me.He shook his head, his lips pressed together like he couldn’t bear to say the words.
But after a moment, his arm slowly raised…
Until he pointed.
My chest seized up.My heart entirely stopped for a beat.Two.
No.It couldn’t be.
