The Fire Swans take off furiously after us. We run through the woods as fast as we can. Jay manages to confuse some of them by Gliding in circles. But the rest can’t seem to be distracted. They cut through the trees like skilled creatures of the sky. The sea of fire rages on behind us as we run for our lives.
No longer having a choice in the matter, the team takes to the air to battle the Fire Swans. Marcus grabs one by the neck. It furiously struggles against Marcus’s hold. The Swan is able to break away and send an inferno of flames after Marcus. The blast hits Marcus in the face and he goes flying uncontrollably into the night sky.
Seeing that Marcus’s end is near, the Fire Swan swoops down to finish the job. Wolf skillfully harnesses a white surge of power between his hands and hurls it at the Fire Swan. The Swan is able to dodge it in time, but Marcus uses that window to get up from the ground and take to the air.
The Fire Swan seems really angry about having lost its chance to kill Marcus. It takes to the air more determined than ever to kill its prey. But this time, Marcus is able to overpower the creature. The First Guardian pulls it apart. It cries out and then disappears in a ball of flames.
Meanwhile, a Fire Swan narrowly misses deep frying Isabelle. Jay spots her and tackles the swan out to get her. Ameana comes to their rescue as more and more Swans invade the area. The Twins coordinate an attack by luring one the Swans away and having Wolf blitz them from behind.
Many of the morbid trees are now engulfed in flames. I try to run to safety but before I can move, I hear the massive tree beside me giving way. I know it’s gonna come straight down on me. I squeeze my eyes shut like a two-year-old wishing away monsters from under the bed.
But there’s no heat rising from my flesh. There’s no sound of bones breaking under massive weight. I look up and there he is, securing me in his arms as we soar into the sky. I exhale, nearly dizzy from relief.
“Cutting it kind of close, First Guardian.”
“I had time,” he smiles and sets me down away from the battle.
My relief is short-lived as I realize that Tony is nowhere around. I call out his name over and over again. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot him being dragged off by one of the Fire Swans.
I look around for something to hit the Swan with but I find nothing. Then I spot the knapsack that Tony brought with him. I run over to it but I don’t know what any of the vials are for. I’m worried I could end up doing more harm than good by using them.
Then I find the plant that Isabelle said was a paralyzing agent at the bottom of the knapsack. I grab the rock with the sharpest edge, pound the plant until the liquid seeps out, and dig it into the Swan’s wings before he can take to the air again.
He drops Tony and turns to me. The bird lashes out and hurls a lake of fire at me. Thankfully the liquid from the plant takes effect immediately; the Fire Swan is paralyzed mid-fire.
I go over and check on Tony. He tells me he’s okay. When I look back, all the Fire Swans are either dead or fleeing. Exhausted, I lay down on the ground and try and catch my breath.
“Fire Swans don’t come into the Pyron. They normally live in the castle,” Isabelle informs us.
“What does that mean?” Tony asks.
“It means Kairo knows we’re here.”
CHAPTER TEN: INTO THE WOODS
Off in the distance we can make out the castle overhead. But Isabelle tells us that it’s still at least half a day away. The team discussed taking to the sky since Kairo already knew we were here, but they decided to stay on the ground since it provided more cover. This news doesn’t sit well with Marcus. He asks if there is a faster route. She tells him no matter what, this is the only path to get to Kairo.
Just before night falls once again, I decide to take a walk. Actually Marcus insists I stay no more than two yards away, so it not really a walk. It’s more like take a step outside, then hear him scold me for taking that step.
As I head back from my “long stroll” I notice the most bizarre flower blooming between the cracks of a rock. This amazes me because it’s the first pretty thing I’ve encountered since we came to Pyron. It’s a flower with black and white polka dot petals. I pluck it out of the ground and inhale its scent; it smells like orange blossoms with a hint of spice.
Finding the only thing of beauty in this awful place makes me smile. And suddenly it occurs to me to try and make the best of this situation. After all, I’m with my boyfriend, I’m still alive and sooner or later, Marcus and I will be together. Yes, there will actually come a time somewhere in the week and a half that we have left, where I will be alone with this hottie and no one will stop that from happening.