Page 44 of Beyond the Treaty
Azrael swayed slightly, but Darius and I steadied him, our eyes scanning the surroundings for any immediate threats.
“I’ve got you, Azrael,” I say, holding him up with all my strength.God, this man really does make my heart skip a beat.
“Thank you, Elara,” he whispers, voice low and tired.
“We’ve made it,” I whispered, my voice trembling with a blend of relief and apprehension. “Now we merely need to locate that nexus.”
Azrael nodded, his resolve unshaken despite his evident fatigue. “Let’s move swiftly. The Council won’t be far behind if they discover the nexus in Lunairis.”
We walk for what feels like miles, searching for rune-carved stones. Once we find them, the nexus is close.
Azrael looks exhausted, he’s been my rock through all of this. I can’t thank him enough.
Obsidia had a curious blend of creatures drawn to Azrael’s power and the intensity of the realm. There were fiery imps, their skin shimmering with embers, who served as his messengers and spies. Fierce, blood-driven flesh hounds, their bodies carved from the very rock of the volcano, patrolled the land,their piercing eyes vigilant against any intrusion. And there were the demon warriors, their bodies infused with the fiery essence of their prince, wielding weapons of obsidian and molten metal. They resembled the enforcers back in Lunairis, but more fierce.
Azrael’s presence appeared to attract the enforcers to us like moths to a flame. However, there was something amiss about them, they weren’t merely here to patrol; their eyes, glowing a menacing red, were fixed on Azrael with a disquieting intensity. One of the demon warriors steps forward, his molten weapon raised, and the others followed suit, closing in on us.
“Azrael!” I shouted, but he was already moving, albeit sluggishly, his fatigue evident in his every step.
The demon warrior lunges, and Azrael barely parries the blow. The enforcers pressed their advantage, forcing him back. I couldn’t stand by any longer. There was something new inside me, a power I had yet to fully understand, but now was the time to unleash it.
Channelling all my will, gathering all my strength, I thrust my hands forward. A shock wave of energy erupted from my palms, sending the enforcers flying back. They crumbled to the ground, momentarily stunned. Azrael looked at me, a mix of surprise and gratitude in his eyes.
“Let’s go!” I urged, grabbing his hand and pulling him
forward. Darius flanked us, his dagger at the ready. We pushed on, the air growing thicker with the scent of sulphur and smoke.
Finally, we reached what seemed to be a cave, its entrance adorned with glowing, red runes. “There!” I pointed, my voice strained but hopeful.
We hurried towards the entrance, hope rising within me. Our plan was set in motion; this was it.
We came to an abrupt stop, just a baby step away from entering the cave, when a voice resonated through the air.
“You must each answer a simple question. If you are telling the truth, you may enter...”
Azrael and I exchange glances.
“I shall go first,” Azrael proposes.
He gazes into the cave’s mouth, awaiting the strange voice
to echo once more.
“Whom do you desire the most?”
Azrael pauses, shifting a stone beneath his boot before glancing back at the endless abyss of the cave.
“Queen Elara of Lunairis,” he breathes, effortlessly, as if it had been on the tip of his tongue all along.
My heart skips a beat. Does he desire me? Does that mean he loves me? This whole time.
He waits for a moment and then raises his foot to step forward. Gradually, he manages to pass the test and gains access to the cave.
I smile at him; I know there is something breathtaking about the kiss we shared in his keep.
Darius then steps forward. “I suppose it’s my turn...” He exhales, appearing nervous.
“What do you seek the most?”
