Chapter 55

Cole

Ciomadul, Carpathian Mountains, Romania

I n a truly annoying turn of events, the lava they had seen from the window was not in Budapest. It wasn’t even in fucking Hungary, a fact they discovered once he started surfing the web to figure out a heading more specific than “somewhere that way towards the blazing lava.” "Hungary," an annoyed official informed him in a snide tone, "didn’t have volcanoes."

After some extensive searching on the web, they confirmed that, no, Hungary did not, in fact, have volcanoes. But its neighboring country, Romania, did have a 30,000 year dormant volcano, which, as of that morning at 6:42 A.M., according to social media, was now active. So, a long story short, the supposed entrance to the Underworld was in Romania, an almost ten hour drive from their flat.

He had already called and lectured the Moirai, who hung up on him a total of three times before Essi apologized for the wild goose chase to Budapest. Cleo told him to fuck off several times before Essi shooed her away, and Addy hadn’t even been home. After quick separate showers so they didn’t get distracted, they got dressed, took one last look at the antique headboard Evie had melted and disregarded it as a lost cause, then called a cab to take them back to the airfield, from which they flew to a private airstrip just outside of Brasov in Romania. Once they landed, Evie agreed under protest that the jet was a convenient travel method.

The only positive of the whole mistaken location was that it made a compelling argument for Evie and him to keep the private jet, which reduced the nine hours of car time to just over an hour of flight time.

Hayden arranged for a rental car to be at the airfield since no company would willingly send one of their drivers to transport a couple to an active volcano site. Something about not putting their employees in danger. So now, they were well into an hour-and-a-half drive from Brasov to Ciomadual, the volcano that had erupted with no warning after 30,000 years of dormancy, only fifteen kilometers away from the airstrip. Unlike the rest of their trip, where there were cars on the road and evidence of life, the closer they got to Ciomadul, the more apocalyptic the environs surrounding them looked.

The road was coated in ash, the sky above it practically blotted out by smoke. Visibility was absolute shit, so bad that Cole couldn’t see more than three feet in front of the car. At this point, he was using magic to guide them around the sharply curving roadways of the Carpathian Mountains because his eyes couldn't see far enough ahead of them to keep them safe. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Evie chewing on her lower lip, concern splashed across her face. He reached out, running a hand across the top of her thigh. “We’re gonna get there safely.”

She huffed out a sigh. “It’s not that.”

“Then what’s wrong, Angel?”

Evie’s gaze was focused out the window. “I can feel it.” When she turned back to him, her eyes were wide and unfocused. “I can feel something—I guess it’s magic. Almost like a tugging sensation. Here.” Placing a hand over her chest, she continued, “It’s like it’s pulling me towards the eruption site.”

“I know,” he confirmed. The same feeling was gathering in his gut, more intense with each mile they passed. “It’s getting stronger.” Her nod confirmed his own experience.

They drove for a little while longer until Evie sat straight up in her seat and said urgently, “Cole, stop. Now.”

Cole stepped on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden stop. With a quick pop of his finger, he clicked the car’s start button, the sound of the engine dwindling into nothingness. Without the noise of the car, the world was deathly quiet. Small flakes of ash rained silently around them, making no sound as they struck the car’s metal exterior.

“We’re here.” Evie’s words were pitched low. Raising her hand to the door handle, she made to open it, but Cole lunged across, grabbing her hand before she could.

At her raised eyebrows, he pulled two handkerchiefs out of the glove compartment. “That’s a carcinogenic minefield out there, little witch. We might as well be sucking exhaust fumes out of a tailpipe.”

An inelegant snort burst from her, breaking the tension in the car. “You do that often, love?” Evie giggled, poking Cole in the ribs. “Is sucking exhaust fumes out of tailpipes something I should be doing?” Her laughter wrapped around him, comforting and warm.

“I can think of something better for you to suck on, sweetheart.”

Evie’s eyes jumped to his, her pupils dilating in lust, her lips parting on a gasp.

With a smirk, he nipped her lower lip, savoring her small moan, before he pulled back, tying one of the handkerchiefs to cover her mouth and nose as he did so. Her eyes stared accusingly at him over her makeshift mask. “No worries, Angel, we’ll have plenty of time for that later,” he teased.

Evie let out a small growl of frustration as he tied his own makeshift mask. “I have no worries, but you probably should,” she threatened. “Maybe I take a page out of your book and ward you down.”

Cole lifted an eyebrow at her. “Oh, sweetheart, you’ve got a smart mouth that’s gonna be put to good use. You know I love putting my bratty little witch back in her place.”

Evie clenched her thighs together. “How about we go retrieve our thrones before I climb into this backseat, strip off all my clothes, and see if you can resist me when I’m fingering myself a foot away from you?”

Chuckling, Cole nodded. “Let’s go then.” As he got out of the car, he thought back to two weeks prior. Back when sex was a meaningless release, he thought the red-haired woman in his dreams was a fantasy he had made up, and he believed he would have to wed a total stranger to fulfill his fated destiny. Now, he craved his fiancée—the fiery woman from his dreams—with a brutal desire he had never felt before in his life, and, in a short hike, they would be taking the throne together, fulfilling a curse millennia in the making, staving off an apocalyptic end to their world, and gaining immortality for their trouble.

With Evie’s hand nestled in his, they started the long treacherous walk in the direction of the magical tug they both felt at their cores. The volcano was still shrieking overhead, flinging chunks of molten lava like they were grenades. Molten pools of magma, burning the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of a sunset, oozed towards and around them. It almost seemed to shy away from them as if even the lava flows recognized them and what they were doing there.

A faint whining, almost doglike, came from in front of them just as they emerged from the burning trees into an open, plain-like area bordering a lake. While the idea of a dog in the mountains was strange, Cole was distracted from the odd noise by the hellish lakefront in front of them. Although the water was probably serene, the area idyllic, on a normal day, now it was bubbling, smoke rising from it as it seemed to boil from underneath while flaming streaks of lava soared into it from above. A deep blue hue illuminated the water from beneath, giving it a sinister appearance.

Evie walked carefully towards the lake, Cole following closely behind. Without looking at him, she extended one foot towards the boiling lake, sending Cole scrambling to whisk her into his arms, staring down at her in disbelief once he was holding her. “Angel, just a question,” he commented casually, doing his best to sound calm. “Um, what, what exactly was your plan here?”

Shifting in his arms enough to meet his eyes, she cast him a severe look. “The entry’s under the volcano, Cole. I can feel it calling to me, and I, well, I can’t explain it, but I need to go into the lake.” She gave a little wiggle, almost as if she were testing the tightness of his hold,

He swatted her on the ass softly for it. “Just a thought.” Despite her increasing struggles to get out of his arms, Cole held her easily. “Maybe skinny dipping in a boiling lake can be our plan B?”

“My love, don’t be silly.” She patted his cheek, somehow making the motion simultaneously reassuring and condescending. “I was absolutely going to keep my clothes on when I went into the lake.”

Cole could hear grinding in his head; it took a minute for him to realize he was gritting his teeth hard enough to wear down enamel. “My absolute pardon, Angel. I can’t believe I was concerned about the wrong part of this equation. Obviously, clothes are the biggest issue here, not the whole ‘stepping into a lake of lava’ thing.”

“I’m glad you see where I’m coming from.” Evie smirked at him. “Now put me down.” In response to his head shake, she pursued her lips, narrowing her eyes at him. “Put me down, Cole. I know what I’m doing. You need to trust me on this.”

Cole’s heart stopped in his chest. Had she used any other tool in her arsenal, whether it be sensuality, magic, tears, whatever, he could have easily resisted it. But his witch was asking him to trust her. As her partner, he had to trust her decisions. As her spouse, he had to trust her with his heart. As her king, he had to trust his queen in all aspects of their domain. It all came down to trust, didn’t it? “So my choice is to let the love of my life walk into a lake that may flash cook her or let her know I don’t trust her.” It wasn’t a question.

Evie’s responding smile was far too smug. “Pretty much.”

On a deep sigh, he loosened his arms, letting his beloved witch slide to the ground at her own pace. Her feet finally landed on the soft earth, but she didn’t walk into the lake immediately. Instead, she rested her hand gently on his cheek, drawing him into her. “It’s going to be alright, my love,” she whispered to him. “This is what we’re meant to do.”

Cole nodded slightly, drinking in the sight of Evie standing before him as if it might be his last. A slight smile on her face, she turned, but before she could even step away, he hauled her back into his arms, crashing his lips down over hers. She gasped softly at the intensity, and, without a second thought, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, taking in the sweet taste of her. It was a rough, sloppy kiss, full of urgency and passion, and over far too soon.

He drew away, cupping the back of her neck tightly. “I love you, Angel, and I trust you with my life, but you better fucking be right about this. Because if I lose you, I will raze this goddamned earth to the ground to bring you back.” He stared into her beautiful eyes, lit blazing blue and molten gold as she drew on both her magical sources.

“I’m right, my love.” She drew away, turned back towards the lake, which had somehow only grown more intense in its rumbling and bubbling. “Let me prove it to you.”

Cole was practically shaking, but Evie kept one hand in his, which calmed him. Somewhat. “ Ouais ,” he heard himself say. “ Ouais , let’s do this, ma petite sorcière .” He stepped next to her. “Together, though. ”

Evie gave him a brilliant smile that practically stopped his heart before leading him towards the lake. A small step forward into the roiling, lava-riddled water sealed their fate. But while he expected the water to be liquid fire, it was lukewarm where it lapped around their ankles. Evie took another slow step forward, and he followed her.

A small splash drew their attention to the center of the lake. Nothing was there, though. Then another splash, larger this time. Cole raised an eyebrow in confusion, prepared to drag Evie from a new, potentially more dangerous situation, when a plume of water geysered uncontrollably out of the lake. Under their feet, the lakebed began rumbling. Cracks splintered around the grassy area surrounding the lake itself, steam exploding from the fissures.

“Good or bad sign?” he asked Evie.

Before she could answer, the earth around them emitted a massive crashing sound. The boiling waters split from where they were standing to the base of the volcano, revealing a dark muddy path with a steep incline that ran from the lake's edge to under the mountain itself and into the void beyond. The water parted around them was dark, practically black, but an inexplicable blue light shone along the pathway. It was the same blue currently lighting both their eyes: death magic powered this.

If he needed any further proof that this was the way, it was answered by the tendrils of magic currently threading themselves around him, through him. Even living across from a cemetery, he had never felt his source anywhere near this powerful. The hair stood along his neck, and goosebumps rose along his arms. He was also rapidly hardening under the onslaught of magic; his body didn’t seem to understand that this intense full-body arousal wasn’t sexual in nature.

Evie’s jaw dropped in shock. “Cole?” Her voice was breathy. He imagined that she could feel the same unfiltered power coursing through her veins, the same overwhelming arousal causing her to soak those pretty lace panties he had laid out for her before they left this morning.

Hell, he wanted to slip a hand under her jeans and see just how wet she was, would have happily dragged her down to the mud and fucked her while they were high on their magical source, if the rational part of his brain wasn’t reminding him that time was definitely a factor. He shook his head unhappily, satisfying himself by running his thumb along her wrist and watching her shudder. “I’ll make it up to you for leaving you unsatisfied later,” he murmured into her ear.

Her eyes were hazy with lust, but her voice was crystal clear, her smile taunting when she looked up at him and responded, “You better.”

Cole threw back his head and laughed, tugging Evie along with him down the exposed path.

A loud shout came from the bank. They both paused then shrugged, continuing down the path. The shout sounded again, this time clearer. “ Aidoneus !”

Cole stopped, turning towards the shore. Who the fuck was calling his last name? His eyes raked along the lake edge, the open field, until his gaze came to a massive group of women gathered by the trees surrounding the clearing. Fury radiated from them, toxic even at this distance. A low murmur rose from the women, lulling, almost a chant.

“Mother of witches, no!” Evie cursed. He was about to ask her what was going on when fire exploded around them. In seconds, his vision was obscured by a wall of fire, ears ringing, skin burning. Evie let out a shrill, fear-laced scream, and then her hand, held so tightly in his own, was gone. Roaring, mind blank with rage at the idea that someone would take his fucking Angel , he lunged for the last place he had seen her. A second scream pierced through the sound of blood rushing through his ears, and then his world went black.