Akeldama | lrh

twenty nine - Fire.

"Whatever you are physically, male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy —all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. Whatever the color, the shape, the design of the shade that conceals it, the flame inside the lamp stays the same. You are that flame."

-Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

•••

The waves are rough, rocking the boat as Jess pushes down on the lever that controls the motor. We've been sailing for over two hours, and my nerves haven't calmed down a bit.

"You're almost there." Michael's voice says from the radio in my lap, and I flinch. Sure enough, I can make out the appearance of an island on the horizon. My heart beat speeds up. "Go slow. You don't want to make your arrival obvious."

Jess slows the motor down to a nearly idling pace. I pull the gun off my lap and flick the safety off, the sweat on my palms making it more difficult than normal. I look behind us, at the six boats a good hundred yards away, and my breathing slows a little.

"We've got this, Alex." Jess says. She is totally calm, her breathing even and her shoulders straight. "Don't freak out. It will only make things worse."

"I know." I mutter, swallowing hard. I think of my mother, my siblings, how they would want me to be in this situation. They wouldn't want me to be nervous. They would want me to get the job done.

I turn my gaze to the island and leave it there, studying it as we approach. The thick layer of ash in the air makes it a little hard to see. It appears to be flat, with no apparent buildings or structures. Strange.

Several minutes pass by as we continue to creep up on the island, until we're only a few dozen yards away. It still seems flat. The waves lap up the sides of the boat, guiding us to the shore, until the bottom glides up onto the sand and stops.

My heart is hammering. Carefully Jess anchors the boat, cocking her gun and adjusting her radio. She clicks the button. "We're in."

A few seconds pass before the radio crackles, Michael's voice ringing out once more. "I've already lost your location. The firewall is in effect. Describe your surroundings."

We both look around. It's hard to see from where we've beached, there's a hill that leads up to the actual land, and we're at the bottom of it. As quietly as possible, I adjust my weapons, tighten my ponytail, and step out.

The sand is very gravelly. It's difficult to walk on, and I'm grateful when I hit the grass and start to make my way up the hill. I crawl when I get close to the top, and ever so slowly, peak over.

Nothing. There's nothing.

As far as I can see, which has to be at least a few miles, there is nothing. No trees, no people, nothing. I'm so shocked that I don't think to be discreet when I turn and gesture wildly for Jess to get up here.

She does, and has the same reaction. She clicks the radio. "There's nothing, Michael. It's all flat, grassy land."

I squint my eyes at the area, intrigued. There's no way this is it. Too many evidence suggests otherwise. Just when I'm about to get up, the shimmer of something catches my gaze.

I blink, startled. The shimmer happens again. It's almost as if the air in front of me is one large, clear wall, moving with the wind.

"Wait a second." I say, picking up a small rock a few inches from my side. Without hesitating, I throw it.

It disappears.