The Seven Skies of Effidel and the Rainbow River below.
Belladonna remembered this place, it had been one of the places Alaris had taken her to when she started dreaming of him.
She swayed slightly when her feet touched the top of the mountain he placed her upon, the sound of the gushing river below filled her ears and she looked up at the moon that glowed immaculately in the skies.
“This is outside the walls.” She said, as she turned to look at him.
His black, leathery wings were tucked behind him, yet she could still catch a glimpse of their towering presence over his shoulders. His slightly glowing hair cast a sort of light on it.
“What are we doing here?” Her hands went through the short curls of her hair, as the wind swayed her dress and made it flap around her legs.
The scenery would be more beautiful if the sun was up but what she cared about right now wasn't the sun, it was the food she was missing. She was too hungry and angry at Alaris to be anywhere he was.
He annoyed her.
“You loved it the first time. I thought you would be grateful for a second.”
“Grateful?” She scoffed and he moved closer, as he freed her hand from her hair and tucked something heavy within her grip.
“It is a Nightshade flower made of gold. My best one.”
He would have given her a heart but he knew how that had gone the last time he gifted someone a heart.
It had created an enmity that would last till the end of time.
"I have done what is right. The past is now behind us. Our relationship has been mended.”
Belladonna scoffed again, looking at the golden flower before she let it slip out of her grip without a second look at it. It hit the ground heavily. "Take me back."
"You are angry?” He sounded shocked. “Still?"
"Of course, I'm angry! You think your “this”,” she gestured to the flower on the ground, “ is enough to remedy the damages that your words and actions have caused."
"What?” He frowned then he smiled. “I shall make more flowers then. Or maybe you are different. You want a heart? What creature would you like for it to be? Or should it be Eli's?” He ended with a chuckle and she balled her fist.
He noticed that, leading him to fold his arms across his chest.
“What do you want?”
"An apology, Alaris! A sincere one."
“What is your obsession with apologies?”
It was her turn to fold her arms.
“Take me back.”
He laughed, the rough sound echoing around them. “I can’t give you an apology, we both know that is going to kill me.”
Anger flashed in her blue eyes. "Then die and give me one."
“You can't risk me dying, we both know you will miss me greatly.”
“Your death will be an immense relief in itself.”
"You are way too demanding, Nightshade. Ask for something else?"
She gritted her teeth, wanting to be rid of him already. Then she looked down at the river and got some ideas.
"Take me back or I'll throw myself down here and we can both end this charade. Might be good for all of us, in fact."
Madness glimmered in his mismatched eyes. "I'll catch you."
"And I'll throw myself again, and again until you can't."
“That can never happen. I will always catch you.” He smirked and in a flash, she threw herself down.
It reminded her of the fall into the Rainbow River, the one she had dreamt about.
She had been scared in that dream, but right now, she felt nothing but an odd sense of freedom.
The hands that went around her though yanked her from that freedom and before she knew it, her feet were safely on the mountaintop once again.
"Take me back,” she demanded. Her heart racing too much for her chest to contain.
Anger blazed in his eyes when he looked at her, and he smirked, finding amusement in her actions.
"Orry that you feel bad--"
She threw herself down once again but this time, he was expecting it and she didn't get very far.
“This is fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yes!” He declared in excitement. “We are playing.”
It was silly that she kept forgetting how insane he was. Of course, this would be fun for him.
Anger ran hot through her veins and her mind was filled with destruction. Voices whispered in her ears, her eyes clouded with red and the bracelet she had on her wrist grew hot against her skin.
He sensed it before the mountain trembled beneath his feet and that wiped his smile away.
"Nightshade—” he called slowly, looking around as the cracks formed. “Stop this madness.”
“Why? It's fun.”
The part of the mountain they were on split into pieces, and he dropped as he watched the side Belladonna was on, do the same.
He spread his wings in a flash, going straight to save her, but different rocks were coming down and he had to dodge their hit. While he did this, his focus remained on Belladonna and that distraction was enough for him not to notice when a boulder hit his back.
That swayed him slightly, and for a second, he lost sight of her.
Just a second.
Panic.
“Nightshade!”
His breath caught in his throat and his heart raced. His eyes searched everywhere, until he found her once again.
This time, he caught her, saving her from the boulder that smashed into the piece of rock she was standing upon, leaving it in a state of raining small stones.
"Will you stop this insanity?!" He yelled when he had her in his arms, as he tried to maneuver their way past the falling rocks.
But more kept coming and Belladonna seemed out of it. Her eyes were filled with nothing but red, it seemed like she couldn't hear him.
"Block it! Close your doors! Close your windows and block the voices! Nightshade!”
The rocks were too much, if only he could fly above them but his wings were hurt and any attempt to do that would send them crashing into the river below.
The fall would be damaging.
His fire blasted the rocks away but the pieces that were laced with flames rained down on them and that was when he remembered that Belladonna couldn't resist dragon flames, so his wings went around her to protect her and…
…they fell.