Page 23 of Within the Flames
"It's simple. You will need to carry our flame to him."
That sounded too easy. She could just take a torch, light it with their flame, then take the Staran to get back to Malan's house. No, that was far too easy for these strange beings who had already tortured her just so she could get an audience.
"What's the catch?" she asked and the voice laughed.
"You will have to carry it in your hands."
Suddenly, the blisters on her skin felt as if they were exploding, agony flooding not just through her hands, but through her entire body. She looked down and saw flames circling her fingers, burning into her flesh. Were they going to burn until there was nothing left of her hands?
"Run, child," the voice called to her. "Run and bring him the flame. There's an entrance to the Staran at the end of this cave. Run and get there before the flame has nothing left to feed from."
Macey wanted to cry, to cower on the ground and somehow extinguish the flames that were hurting her, but Flint's face was burning in her mind, encouraging her, showing her why she was doing this. She had to help him. He was worth it. The pain wouldn't matter once she'd given the lampad's fire to him.
She ran, more stumbling than actually running, towards the other side of the cave. A simple door was cut into the stone. She hesitated for a moment, then pressed her burning hands against it. She screamed as the pain became worse than ever, but the door opened, giving way to the swirling fogs of the Staran. She stepped forward and thought of Malan's house, willing the Staran to carry her there.
