Our group covertly landed on the steaming rocky terrain and wearily watch the fire demons engage in their skirmish. We take cover behind several huge rock outcroppings some distance from the blackened lava shores. Poppy’s wings are fluttering in agitation, “What now?” She demands. “We can’t just fly above them, they’re launching lava balls at each other as if they’re playing volleyball or some equally annoying game. How the hell are we going to get by them without attracting attention now?”
“We need a distraction. Something that will give us time to slip by them unnoticed. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to split up.” Daxell is quick to supply, the look on his face is fierce in his determination.
“There has to be another way, Dax.” I’m quick to protest. I can’t believe that we’ve come all this way to have to split up now.
“Daxell’s right, Lillie, we gotta split up. This is where we’ll part ways … for a time.” Pipperton pulls me into a brotherly hug. “Gods, I’ve missed you Lillie, and it’s been great catchin’ up, but it’s time that we go our separate ways … for now. I’ll make it back to The Otherworld as soon as I can. Us imps, well, we’re pretty darn indestructible, so once the fire demons are distracted by us, go. Go quickly. I don’t know how long we can keep’ em occupied.”
“But …”
“No buts, Lillie. Ya gotta do this. Ya gotta stop Nyx and we’ll do what we can to help you in your task. If we think we can follow you without the fire demons on our tail then we will, if not, then, hopefully, I’ll see ya back in Faerie.” He grins down at me, his crystalline blue eyes twinkling, his whitish blonde mohawk flopping haphazardly over his forehead reminding me of the teenager that I met so long ago.
Pulling him close and hugging him tightly, I whisper hoarsely, “No theatrics, Pipperton. You hear me? I mean it. You stay safe. Paynga will never forgive me if you go off and do something stupidly brave.”
Chuckling, he pulls back, placing his right fisted hand over his bare chest and raises his left, “I solemnly swear not to do nothing remotely theatrical or stupidly brave.” Then he winks at me, smirking the whole time.
Punching him in the chest, I mutter, “Always the comedian.” Then turning to his uncle and Fynwrick, I say, “Please, all of you be careful. If these demons are not easily distracted, then we will find another way. All right?”
“We’ve got this. You just go find that whip and get it back to Luc. We’ll see you soon.” The two turn back toward the fire demons that stand at least eight feet tall in the molten rock fields that have become their battleground.
I see that Pip and Poppy are saying their goodbyes. She flutters up to his cheek and sweetly lands a kiss there, and I could swear that Pipperton blushes under his ruddy complexion. He nods with a gentle smile, so unlike him, and then he too, turns to head out toward the fire demons, leaping into the air. Whatever has them riled up, has the lot of them still going at it. I distinctly remember Daxell’s fathers saying that we needed to steer clear of this area and these demons.
Ironic.
Don’t you think?
And here we are.
The demons stand unaffected by the scorching hot lava, their bodies are defined by the silhouette of their charred forms that are licked by multi-colored flames. There are areas of their shape that looks like charcoal, their figures scorched and black, their skin, if you could call it that, cracked allowing the fire from within to glow and spark flames that flare to life around them. Flames ignite and flicker around them as if they are the very essence of the fire, by their very nature. Their battle continues to ramp up. The males and females alike unable to find common ground.
Flashes of images threaten to bring me to my knees.
Civil unrest amongst even those that are born of the same cast.
If this is happening in The Underworld, then what is happening in the other realms?
By the gods. Whatever has awakened, this is just the beginning. Jillisandra’s prophecy comes back to me, “The daughter will seek the mother, but the mother must not be raised, lest chaos be unleashed upon all the realms.” I had no idea that Morríganna was such a force to be reckoned with.
Daxell is by my side, “Once they make their move, we need to move and quickly.”
“I know. I don’t like this, Daxell. I don’t think we should split up.”
“I don’t like it either. I’ll try to slip into the shadows but there aren’t really any here for me to catch hold of.”
Poppy is in front of us in an instant, “Don’t forget me. I can’t follow you into the shadows.” Her delicate face is pinched in concern.
“Poppy, I want you next to me. Hang on. I have no idea what will happen next.”
No sooner than the words are out of my mouth, and Poppy lands on my shoulder taking refuge in the crook of my neck, then Daxell wraps his arms around me and simultaneously shifts to his demon form. In a matter of seconds, we are launched high into the air. His beautiful dark feathered wings carrying us high above the fire demons below. I stifle my
