Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Stroke the Flame: Chapter 43

We grabbed our few belongings and rushed through the temple, past the bed where Jasin and I had made love, and out through the doors to the volcano’s summit. It still glowed from the lava deep in its pit, but the Fire God was nowhere to be seen this time. We rounded the large crater and battled through the heat that threatened to suffocate us, but I wasn’t afraid of it. Not anymore.

That was, until I saw the lava flowing down the side of the mountain. It bubbled and churned and slowly slid toward the base of the volcano, where it met the ocean with a burst of smoke and slowly hardened into new land. A mix of all the elements, I thought, remembering what the Fire God had told us.

“This is where Calla told us to go,” I said. “But how do we get down?

“I might be able to fly us down,” Jasin said. “Although I don’t really know how yet.”

“That sounds like a good way to get us all killed,” Reven said.

Auric’s brows furrowed. “There must be a way down.”

Slade ran a hand over his beard as he considered. “Maybe I can shift the rock…”

“That’s it,” Jasin said. “The Fire God said we had to work together if we wanted to succeed. Slade and Reven will form a path for us, Kira and I will keep the fire and heat away, and Auric will protect us from the fumes.”

All the men nodded and pride swelled inside me as they made a plan to work together. We moved to the edge of the lava, where Reven sprayed water in a stream, which Slade used to solidify a path of earth. Jasin kept the rest of the flames away and we rushed along the new stretch of land, sweat dripping down all of our faces, and began to descend.

As Slade and Reven continued to create the path going down the mountain, Auric kept a bubble of clean, cool air around us. I did my best to keep the lava and flames back, but I wasn’t sure how to use my new powers yet, and I suspected Jasin was doing most of the work.

The dock at the base of the volcano was made of the same obsidian as the Temple and somehow remained completely untouched by the lava, which flowed away from it. By the time we reached it we were all exhausted, sweating profusely, and covered in soot, even despite our best efforts. We stumbled forward toward the boat anchored at the end, its black sails already raised, like it had been waiting for us all this time.

“Anyone know how to sail?” Jasin asked, as we stepped onto the wooden deck of the ship.

“I know a little,” Reven said, glancing up at the sails.

Auric looked up at the sails as he wiped sweat off his brow. “I’ve never been on a boat, but I think Reven and I can use our magic to steer it.”

“Then let’s get out of here,” Slade said, as he cut through the ties holding the boat to the dock and used his magic to lift the anchor out of the water.

Reven shifted the current around us and Auric filled the sails with wind, pointing us north. To the Air Realm.

The boat began moving away from the dock thanks to their magic, and in a few minutes, we were out on the cool water under the endless night sky, leaving the volcano behind. I glanced behind us at the glowing summit and spotted a large dragon flying over it, his blood-red wings flapping once as he descended to the Temple. Sark.

This time I was certain he was looking for me. For us.

And soon we’d be ready to face him.