“Not so fast…not so fast…” she hissed in the dark.
He slowed his tongue, inserting it as she went on tip toe, giving him more access. Clive felt the tips of her fingers flick his chin, rubbing her clit. “Don’t stop. Keep going. Just like that.”
Clive stretched his tongue inside her as far as it would go, and soon, Lauren swore, slapping her hand against the wall, cracking it as her groin twitched, going backwards and forwards over his face. Clive waited for a few seconds before standing and bringing her in for a hug. “Thanks for the best night of my life. Even if it is the last.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
The Time Has Come
Alex gasped for air as she got to her feet, still in the water. It wasn’t deep. She was only up to her knees but still enough to slow her movements somewhat. She had to dodge another rock from the ceiling, and the cave itself looked on the verge of collapse.
“What did I do wrong?” she asked, panic seeping in.
“Nothing. Few succeed at anything when they attempt it the first time.”
“Masonian, please, help me! I don’t know what I have to do!”
“Do what you’ve always done. What you did when the young girl was seconds away from death. What you did when your friend was in danger,” he replied softly, cupping her face. “Face your fears. Follow your heart, and fight.”
Alex felt a small impression of his lips on her forehead, a most tender gesture that moved her.
Masonian’s eyes glowed with energy, lightning sparks emanating from his irises, as he raised his staff to send a cracking whip of lightning directly towards the hole she had fallen through, blowing it open. She could now see straight up with ease. For the briefest of moments, it looked like a demonic face sneered down at her from above, challenging her. But then it was gone.
She had space for her wings, she just had to have courage.
Masonian backed away from her. Alex dropped to a knee and placed a hand under the water and on her helmet. She wouldn’t drop it a second time. She raised it and placed it over her head. Her vision became awash with gold as her eyes changed once more. Her vision enhanced. The darkness of the night sky was no hindrance as the helmet provided more clarity and brightness than any human eye could. She felt her wings stretch out and flare. A tension rose within her. No, not tension. Confidence and strength. The water around her bubbled and frothed, edging itself away from her body, forming a ring around her of completely dry river bed.
Alex looked to the ceiling of the cave, to the hole she had plummeted through and suddenly the cave disappeared, left behind as she shot up into the sky. The furious black cloud swirled and writhed but she paid no attention. She slowed her momentum and looked around. Nothing could be seen except the dense darkness everyone on street level could see. She looked left and something caught her eye, a twinkling of lights perhaps a few hundred kilometres away. She could never have seen such a thing without the help of her helmet.
Her vision magnified and she understood what she was seeing. It was a plane. The face of the cloud she was expecting hovered over the aircraft as tendrils of smoke gripped, walloped and bashed it. It was heading to the ground like a stone. Without thinking, Alex stretched her fists towards the lights and sped forward.
*
Nick shifted the wing flaps and pulled back the throttle, but it made little difference. The plane did not shift from its trajectory. The altitude meter spun continuously as the cabin was rocked again and again. The emergency lights came on as the autopilot warning beeped and beeped.
“Press that black switch!” Nick screamed to Nightingale, but Nightingale ignored him as he sat, eyes closed, arms wide, belting, “Shot dowwwwwwn in a BLAZE OF GLORY!”
The cabin bucked again and this time thunder drowned out Nick’s foul mouthed response.
*
Alex closed in on the plane, the distance melting away within seconds, as the black mist rushed past her. She saw the tendrils that had been wrapping around and pulling the plane had unravelled a touch. Some had headed for her. The face had seen her. Alex couldn’t worry about fighting them off. She tightened her core and streamlined her body as much as she could, gritting her teeth and tightening her fists. She was gaining on it, but the plane was almost vertical. “C’mon…c’mon!”
Alex streaked past the tail and under the plane, passing the wing before reaching the tip and spinning around, planting her hands on the freezing casing, pushing upwards.
*
There was nothing Nick could do. Even an experienced pilot couldn’t do anything about this. The warnings were right. He was stupid to have attempted it but he would’ve done it anyway. He just wanted so desperately to see her again. Now he’d never see her again; he’d never see or hold their baby. He wouldn’t see his mother or Alex. Alex. She’d been so kind. If only he could see them all one more time. At that thought, he snapped out of it. “I’m not going down like this! Fuck your singing!”
With two hands Nick wrenched back the throttle, but then suddenly he felt the cabin level out. He snapped his eyes downward and let go. Could the plane be righting itself against the foul weather? Had the autopilot started to work after all?
Nick ran his eyes from left to right, double checking the instruments. They all confirmed it. The plane was levelling out and rising.
Nightingale had stopped in his rejoicing at the thought of death. “Oi…”
“I’m not doing it!” Nick called.
“We better not be flyin’ again!?”
Nick
