Soul Ties

Chapter 17: Violent Horizons

My eyes fly open at the sound of a faint beeping coming from somewhere in the water pod. I whirl around, locking eyes with Barlow's. I didn't have to see him clearly to know that it was time.

Pushing my palm on the glass in front of me, I wait for the door to open, my nerves all over the place. We must be near Ocura. Even though I had plenty of time to rest, my mind wouldn't turn off. Whenever sleep tried to take over, images of me burning to death would surface and keep me awake.

I felt more tired than I had before I came into this pod. Stepping out, I stretch my neck, moving it in a circle to hopefully relieve the tension that was so obviously present. A puddle starts to form where I stand but I know it will be gone as soon as my skin soaks up the last drop it can.

Making my way back towards the passengers chair, I take a deep breath and strap myself in.

"Have we arrived?" I ask, my eyes fixed on the buckle around my waist to make sure it's secure.

Barlow clears his throat. "See for yourself."

I didn't want to look out the window in front of me. In fact, I made sure to avoid it when I walked over to sit down. My eyes had been everywhere else. Now it seems I can't escape my fate, even if everything inside me told me not to look. I had to.

Inch by inch I force myself to look towards the window. First my thighs, then the lever that I had pulled back in Dalmoria. I was becoming dizzy with anticipation. Different colored buttons that spread out in front of me were the next things to come into my line of sight. There was barely anything else to look at and in a few seconds the window would be in clear view.

Just look, I tell myself. There was no point in trying to avoid something that was going to happen anyway. I crane my neck up and come face to face with my nightmare.

It seems Barlow had spared me from watching the ship break through Ocura's atmosphere, which I was grateful for. Right now the ship was flying over what looked like oceans of raging red-hot lava. I could feel the heat coming from down below. I wasn't sure if that was just my mind playing tricks on me or if the lava was actually making me sweat.

A bubble burst from the top of the lava, followed by a spray of fire which almost touched the glass before me. My stomach drops fast causing me to grip the buckle I'm strapped to. From the corner of my eye, Barlow was working his jaw, the muscle of his brows pulled together hard. A heavy frown was displayed on his face.

I watched him expertly dodge one small explosion after the other, his facial expressions changing from annoyed to distressed every now and again. Eventually, I see an area where the flames dimmed and the ocean of fire deepened to a dark black. A high cliff separated the land from the fire, tall enough where it appeared if an explosion happened to take place, the flames wouldn't be able to reach.

Barlow increases our speed, heading for that blackened piece of land. His face relaxes a bit but not enough for me not to be worried. In all honesty, I don't think he'll be completely calm enough until he's off this dangerous planet. I, however, wouldn't get the pleasure.

The ship flies over the cliff until it slows down enough where it seems like we are going to land. I prepare myself for when that time comes. Looking away from the window, I let go of the buckle I've been holding, the material of it imprinted into my hands from how hard I'm gripping.

The ship comes to a complete stop, hovering for a few seconds before it starts to descend. My heart raps against my chest so loudly I can hear it over the engine. When I feel the vessel shake, I know we have landed. Barlow releases his hand off the golden one and pushes himself from the captains chair.