CELESTIAL FIRE
ira
sky
aper t
line split th
pour
wasn't
ike something waking up
ck. Like it was h
led me be
and was on
t opene
ing steppe
t understand what
s too
wr
e long. Its head almost touched the clouds. Wings spread w
he only thing t
were
e w
ls. No
red righ
dn't b
palm pulsed har
t reme
t a hunter
said. "That
as low. "What d
d," Dar
ld raise
poin
m
ed. "We hav
s head. "We can
d opened
l
tee
a h
und ca
sn't
as q
qu
sper insid
ll to hi
ld hi
n did
nd shook like
didn't
sper crawl ove
didn't
e some
chest. A ligh
ood
rald tilte
fus
ra
ne step
urned with
round me
hield wa
, panting. "Wha
t know,
couldn
sed m
shot ou
, it didn't h
t arou
dn't want
d stepped
. Ca
adow, smaller s
nty. May
creat
isted. Made of
eyes w
nt
t like
nes wer
ar
ved lik
ith s
tood be
aking, b
the front
. "We hold i
tepped b
mething to
ott
nd thick s
Sharp-s
ed both
," he sai
r
e crypt door. I
heard the H
wasn't
as a
le, brok
ed in t
walls d
ng!" Daria
rough win
es. Past cru
om my hand s
was
cu
his hand-i
mine
ched a
pa
n sto
oked
all," h
M
flame. You cho
at both
loped
her cu
sed m
ten
n my palm
n t
the right fe
. Like something
ust d
I said, po
an a
ime, s
nnel n
d to
d into a smal
ead
aid, hear
ed under h
walked to t
ched a
sse
wall s
d it-
cked. Le
t," I
. "Not smart. J
cli
r grew
older
ather could
reached a
pushed
pped o
le
burnin
t
...
te
of tall b
ear an
ds
lin
at.
n loo
r Grove," he said.
een w
Times.
the air. "It s
an said. "But
through
ep felt
s walking
mem
we sa
gi
g in th
about ten
in dress. Lon
tared
ared
idn't
't m
wai
e knew
ed my arm.
n't k
rt of
ped fo
irl t
d
aw
to the
her,"
n aft
es got
now d
idn't f
into a c
l stood at
stone
ed her h
ooked
e late,"
ice wa
st
usand voic
e you?"
u were. Befor
oes tha
teppe
tone tabl
s app
ire
ken t
e made
a
it tore
an fell fr
ngs bu
eyes
oked l
no
irl p
s you. L
d. "No. That's
t
don't I
ting was the on
d at th
The fall.
s sh
epped be
u o
N
want to
irl n
alked
uched
ma
shed b
orest
flew into
sky open
red th
o
omed from
d of
to my
ark b
rl was
helpe
the truth
't wan
t want
eyes w
ed at t
were
hunt
Hera
hing
of l
s of
, "The Guardians
ns?" Zer
hen the bala
od sl
ain f
inside ca
they want
looke
ice wa
ou
ed at
wing army
didn
e deep
was only t