Page 19 of Within the Flames
Illustration: Lampad
Five
She stared at the other side for another moment, but saw and heard nothing.
"Guess I really am doing this alone," she muttered.
As much as she didn't like it, she also knew Luc was right. She had to do this bit alone. She'd known from the beginning that the lampads weren't going to give her anything if she didn't do this alone. Though she had hoped that she'd be able to have her men with her up until the last moment.
Trusting herself, she turned her back on the cliff her men still stood on and made her way down the path. The salt smell of the sea disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving a pang of longing in its place. She missed having water around her, but that was nothing new. She was glad her men had a house with a swimming pool she could use, otherwise leaving the water for them would be torture, no matter how much she loved them.
A chill stole over her and sent shivers down her spine. That wasn't right. She didn't feel the cold, it was part of her kelpie nature. Which could only mean one thing. It wasn't natural. But it also didn't make sense, the lampads were fire creatures, they shouldn't be making her feel so cold. It just made no sense.
She turned a corner, the small, tight path not getting any wider. Shadows flickered against the walls, though Macey wasn't sure what caused them. While she could see, she couldn't work out where the light was coming from. Considering she was magical herself, she was really starting to dislike everything else to do with it.
Another corner came, but around this one, she found the first evidence of flames, though these ones were eerie blue and filled the hall with creepy light. Macey found she preferred the mystery from before.
"Hello?" she called out.
All she got was crackles in return. She scowled. That wasn't what she'd had in mind.
"My name is Macey," she shouted. "I'm the Water Warden. I've come seeking your assistance in a matter of great importance," she added, hoping it would spur the lampads on to appear rather than just doing their vague fire thing. It just wasn't a good sign.
She stepped forward again, the path finally opening up into a wider room. The whole place was carved into stone, but there was nothing natural about it. This was a place made by man or magic. Macey would put her money on the latter of the two. The fires still crackled, echoing around the room as they increased in their ferocity.
"Please, I've come here for your help, to submit to whatever test you wish to give me." And she was really fed up with all the cryptic magical nonsense.
A fire spurted up from the ground, causing Macey to jump backwards to avoid being burned. The brightness ebbed away, leaving a writhing woman in the flames. No. Not in the flames. The woman was made of them. Her whole body a crackling swirling mass of sparks. If Macey hadn't been able to see it with her own eyes, then she'd never have believed it to be possible.
Which was a little idiotic given she'd seen people made of clouds before.
"Hello?" she asked again, nerves cracking her voice and revealing her apprehension.
"Hello, Macey. Warden of Water." The voice didn't sound like one person, but like a chorus of voices all singing in unison.
"I'm here seeking an audience with the lampads."
"Then you've come to the right place," the woman answered.
"Are you one?"
"No, I am but an apparition. I am the gatekeeper to the lampads."
"May I see them?" she asked, confused but determined.
"Not yet. You must pass a test first."
"I thought I didn't have to pass any tests until they knew what I wanted?" She cocked her head to the side and tried to discern the fire woman's expression.
"That is true. But you may not see them without passing a test first."
"I've had enough of bloody tests," Macey muttered to herself. "Tell me what I must do," she directed at the fire-woman.
"In order to reach the lampads, you must pass through the tunnel of fire."
"Okay." Macey nodded, not wanting to admit how terrifying that sounded. She might be a being of water, but she imagined that magical fire could still burn her. And if it did...well, it wouldn't be as easy to heal her as it was to heal Jared.
"The entrance is to your left, Water Warden. You may not use magic. You must not stop. You must not answer any of the calls."
