Page 89 of Fallen
"I've always wanted to see a volcano up closed." She smiled shyly. "If that's okay?"
The way she asked reminded me of the time when she'd wanted to go to the museum.Inside this strong woman is still the innocent, curious heart of a child.This thought pleased me to no end. I enjoyed the woman Anna had become—tough and practical—but I also loved the wonder and sweetness that made her so unique and beautiful.
Without a word, I tilted my body toward the mountain. With her wrapped in my arms, I flew us the short distance instead of blinking. I wanted her senses to experience the hidden beauty of my world through touch, through smell, and through her restored sight.
"This is amazing." She laughed into the wind, then narrowed her attention to the ground. "What are those?" Her finger pointed toward the black sand a hundred feet below.
"Hellhounds." A pack of blood-red dogs galloped across the land in search of prey. Their hindquarters, taller than their front legs, lifted their spiked tails higher into the air as they hurdled across the land.
"They're magnificent and terrible at the same time. And as big as horses." She didn't balk or shrink at my creations. Instead, she noticed their beauty and power.
"Actually, they're about the size of ponies, but yes, theyaremagnificent and terrible." I angled my body to a more streamlined position to take advantage of the windshear.
"I never knew you had wildlife here. I always assumed Hell was just fire and rocks."
"After being banished, I decided to make the most of it. If God could havehercreations, then so could I."
Plus, deep down, I missed the creatures of Heaven and the simplicity of lesser beings. Animals didn't demand I grant them special favors or fawn over me.They existed without subterfuge. The only hunger they carried was that of their next meal, not of power or greed.
"You know, I always wanted to fly with you, Lucian." Anna's arms clung tightly around my neck as I held her waist. "Remember that night on the Ferris wheel?"
How could I have ever forgotten? It was then I knew I'd fallen in love with a human and had no idea how to turn it off.
"Yes, I remember."
Her cheek pressed against my throat as she surveyed the gray sky. "I couldn't stop daydreaming about flying into the night with you. I guess it sounds silly now."
"No, not silly. Not at all. I think we have a lot to make up for." I slowed my descent. "Which starts today."
The conical, gray mountain loomed against sky and contrasted with the flat sand. Once I reached the top, I hovered on the warm air currents. Steam rose from the mouth of the volcano and into the air around us.
Anna gasped and choked, and suddenly I remembered she was human, her lungs couldn't breathe such gases.
Immediately, I shielded us with my ether, allowing only oxygen and other non-toxic gases to pass through the barrier.
"Are you okay?" I gripped her waist and leaned back a little to study her skin, ensuring it remained pink and healthy.
She nodded and gulped a breath. "Y-yeah. It felt like fire in my chest for a moment."
I closed my eyes and channeled a bit more healing into her body. "There. Now you'll be protected from the heat and fumes."
"Thank you." She wiped a rivulet of sweat from her brow. "Can you put me down? I feel a little dizzy."
"Of course." I settled us on a ledge inside the mountain, about twenty feet from the top, and freed my arms from around her body.
"It's darker in here than I'd imagined." She took a tentative step toward the edge.
Below us, magma glowed red and orange, casting enough light to see, but not enough to blind.
"Do you use this lava for anything?"
"For many things." I stood on the precipice beside her, partly to reassure myself she truly was here, and partly to ensure she stayed safe and didn't fall into the pool. "Some Chosen and lesser demons operate forges and the lava to craft Hellsteel weapons. Others redirect the flows like rivers to create new buildings."
"Does that mean you have cities here?"
"We do, though they're nothing like the cities of Earth. Think of them more like citadels—giant buildings housing smaller ones."
"This is beautiful, but a little scary, too." She pushed herself closer to me.
