Page 79 of Crossing Between
"What is this place?" I managed, unable to tear my eyes from the mesmerizing flame. "I know you said it's a sanctuary, but it has to be more than that."
"A nexus point," Quilith grinned at me, lookingproud. "A place where the boundaries between dimensions grow thin. Dragon magic and earth magic mingle here, creating something greater together than apart."
We walked forward, our footsteps echoing slightly despite the vastness of the space. As we approached the dais, I noticed intricate carvings around its base. Dragons in flight, dragons breathing fire, dragons transforming between human and beast forms.
"This is your heritage, Zoey," Quilith touched my shoulder. "Part of it, at least."
We stopped at the base of the dais. From here, I could feel heat from the soulfire, though not the scorching heat of normal flame. This was a warmth that seemed to penetrate beyond skin, reaching something deeper inside me.
"I cannot go further with you," Quilith apologized. "This is yours alone to face."
My mouth suddenly felt dry. "What exactly do I do?"
"Place your arm into the flame. If you are accepted, the soulfire will take you."
"Take me where?" My voice felt small.
"Into yourself," Quilith's answer was cryptic. "And beyond."
The flames danced, hypnotic and beautiful. I tried to swallow my fear.
"Will it hurt?"
"Not physically. But some pains go deeper than flesh." Quilith gave me a hug and stepped back.
I nodded, understanding. My deepest regrets. My worst memories. Not exactly a fun trip down memory lane.
"If I succeed, will I be able to save Ryan?"
Quilith's ancient eyes softened. "I can't promise that. But you will have a better chance than you do now."
That was enough for me. I squared my shoulders and looked up at the fire. "How will I getback?"
"If you succeed, the soulfire will return you here."
"And if I fail?"
Quilith didn't answer, which was answer enough.
I took a deep breath and climbed the few steps to the top of the dais. The soulfire danced before me, red, purple, and pink flames twining around each other in an eternal dance. Up close, I could see there was something inside the fire, a darkness at its core that wasn't the absence of light but something deeper, like looking into a void.
"Quilith," I didn't look back. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"You are stronger than you know, Zoey. Trust that strength."
Before I could reconsider, I extended my arm and plunged it into the soulfire.
The sensations hit me all at once. Warmth that quickly became heat that morphed and became something scorching inside of me. The flames didn't burn; instead, they seemed to flow into me, through me, becoming me. My vision filled with swirling colors, and I felt myself being pulled inward, a vertiginous sensation like falling into my own center.
My last conscious thought was wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake.
Then there was a flash of light so brilliant it consumed everything, and I disappeared from the cavern.
Chapter 44: Zoey
I was nowhere and everywhere.
The world had dissolved into endless gray, a featureless expanse that stretched in all directions without horizon or boundary. I couldn't feel my body. Was I standing? Floating? I had no sensation of up or down, no weight, no substance.
