by Maya Daniels
Alexia’s whimper breaks me from my thoughts, and I rotate to face her, wrapping her in my arms. She cries softly into my chest, her shoulders shaking as her tears soak my shirt.
“Her sister was the sacrifice to open the gate,” the red-haired girl tells the two newcomers.
“Two,” Alexia sobs harder.
“Excuse me?” Tara, the veiled woman, asks.
“Two of my sisters sacrificed themselves so the gate would let us through.” The hollowness in Alexia’s voice breaks something inside of me again. I press her tighter to my chest.
“I am so sorry for your loss,” Tara says, her voice trembling as if she’s fighting tears.
“How can I get them back?” Alexia asks out of nowhere and both women gasp.
“You can’t. If the sacrifice was a willing one, you can’t bring it back,” Maika answers in his deep voice, and I feel Alexia shiver. I glare at him and he shrugs.
“Were they a willing sacrifice?” Tara asks hopefully.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Alexia and I answer at the same time. She glares at me, trying to push me away, but I don’t let her.
“They walked through knowing what to expect. They were willing,” I tell them.
“I was not! That must count for something!” Alexia snaps as if that will fix everything. I kiss the top of her head.
“I know, my love, but the least we can do is to honor their sacrifice, no matter how much it hurts,” I tell her in a soft voice, but she only sobs again.
“Who are you?” I ask them while holding Alexia up. She can barely stand from her grief.
“I am Kalipso, the GateKeeper,” the red-haired young woman says.
“I’m Tara, the Guide. I was pulled here because of you. I will lead you wherever you need to go. And this is Maika.” She hitches a thumb over her shoulder at the male. “He is a Traveler.”
Before I say a word, the rest of our group spills through the gate. Maika pushes Tara behind him and stands protectively in front of her. She barely reaches his shoulder blades, but she elbows him aside to see who is coming. He growls at her but she ignores him. I wonder if Alexia and I look the same when I am trying to protect her. Remi and Jezzinta run to Alexia and pull her from my arms. I let them. They cling to each other, sobbing.
Tara inches closer to me, Maika at her back.
“Her other two sisters,” I tell her when she lifts her head towards my face. I can’t see hers, but I know she has a question in her eyes.
“Oh! They don’t look alike,” she mumbles more to herself.
“They are sisters in everything but blood,” I tell her.
“We should start moving. It’s not safe to stand at the gate.” Maika’s deep voice stops the sobs and everyone turns towards him. Even Philip and the light-workers look dazed. I chuckle. Maika humphs but his lips twitch into a barely-there smile.
“I was not aware Anubis let you all wander around. I cannot say I mind it; I respect that you protect the one who pulls to your soul. I understand it now better than ever.” I sigh, my eyes falling to Alexia.
Maika looks taken aback by my words and eyes on the woman he is with. Wonder, confusion, and maybe even fear flicker through his gaze. I can see when whatever it is clicks into place and he visibly shivers.
“I like you, angel. Protect the one you love. The realms are not what they used to be.” He looks pointedly at Tara, emotions swirling in his eyes. “Not anymore.”
“I shall take the advice, jackal. Thank you. If I can help at any time, all you need to do is ask,” I tell him solemnly. We grasp forearms to seal my oath and he bows deeply from his waist.
“The same applies to you, angel,” he swears.
Inanna comes up to us, eyeing Maika, but he ignores her like no one is there. I smirk at her at first and then remember I am angry at her.
“You knew what would happen,” I tell her accusingly, making sure Alexia doesn’t hear me.
“I have never used this gate, Lucifer. How would I know? Do you think me so heartless I would hurt her this way?” She sounds hurt by my accusations. I watch her, but she looks back without flinching. She’s telling the truth, but that’s beside the point.
“We must go.” Tara leads the way and one by one we all follow. I peer over my shoulder at Kalipso. She is still standing in the same spot we found her.
“I must stay,” she tells me. “Stay safe!”
With a nod, I follow the path behind the others, watching Alexia and her sisters cling to each other like that will keep them from breaking apart from their loss.
Chapter 29
Alexia…
Overwhelmed with grief and still unable to accept that I will never see Meda and Faith again, I step blindly forward. This journey hasn’t started yet, and it has already taken part of me. Remi and Jez are on either side of me, all of us stumbling forward. Through a haze, I hear Kalipso say something, but I don’t understand a word. I can’t believe that in my pain I almost killed the woman. What the fuck is wrong with me? I feel sick. I had hoped that my murderous tendencies had ended, at least until Tiamat is standing in front of me. Obviously not.
“Wait! Stop!” Kalipso’s voice halts everyone with its urgency. “The gate is closing.” She points with a trembling hand.
I stare at the gate like everyone else. It looks more closed than how it was when we passed through, even if it’s not moving at the moment. I look at Kalipso and she frowns at the gate.
“It’s not moving,” Lucifer, ever the helpful, says.
“Thanks, Mr. Obvious. We see that, but it does look more closed,” I tell him, flinching from the hollowness in my voice.
“Never mind, go.” Kalipso shoos us away with her arm.
We turn to leave, but after a couple of steps she yells for us to stop again. Aggravated, I turn and go back to where she is standing.
“Well, what the fuck do you want us to do about it? Aren’t you the gatekeeper? Keep the damn thing open! And why does it matter if it closes? We can leave this realm through a portal, can’t we?” I ask her angrily.
I just want a little time to grieve the loss of my sisters. Is it too much to ask?
“This realm has been closed for a long time now. No one goes in or out. Ishtar closed it when Tiamat started searching for the vessel a long time ago,” Kalipso says.
“So, what you are saying is that if it closes …” I trail off, not wanting to finish the thought.
“It’ll need another sacrifice to open again,” she answers sadly.
“Like fuck it will!” I snap at her. “Keep the thing open; isn’t it your purpose, little girl?”
“I’m not a little girl so get off my back. I’m trying to help you!” She bristles and it snaps me out of my attitude.
“Sorry, I’m not saying it’s your fault. I just … I don’t know what I am at the moment. I just want Meda and Faith back,” I say, tears flowing down my face
“I know,” she answers. “Who opened the gate? You?” Kalipso looks at Lucifer, then turns towards Inanna.
“I did it,” I tell her
“You?” She looks at me wide-eyed.
“Um, yeah. Why?” I look at her suspiciously. I wonder if we can trust her.
“Who are you?” Her breathless question sends goosebumps parading over my skin.
“I’m Alexia, but you can call me Al.” Automatically the stupid reply flows from my lips, causing Remi to snort next to me.
I turn to look at her, and she is grimacing, shaking her head at me while Jezzinta is rubbing both her hands over her face and laughing humorlessly.
“Try again, Sap. We have no time for your denials or trust issues. After you opened this gate, the cat is out of the bag. Let’s not waste more time,” Jez says tiredly.
“She’s my vessel,” Inanna says helpfully.
“Semiramis,” Kalipso and Tara say in unison as they drop to their knees.
“What the fuck? Get your stupid asses up! Bow to Inanna or Lucifer; I�
��m no one to bow to,” I growl at them.
“Sorry,” Tara says sheepishly and Kalipso glances up, her cheeks red with embarrassment
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, life-giver.” Maika’s deep voice makes me shiver from head to toe, and I turn to see him bowing low. I lift an eyebrow. These people are high or something. “You are our opposite; without you there would be no balance,” he adds.
“Who are you again?” I ask him, a deep crease lining my forehead.
“I’m a Traveler. My purpose is to guard the Guide, the one who takes the souls to the Hall of the Dead so their hearts can be weighed by Anubis,” Maika says with reverence.
I don’t pay attention to the meaning of his words. My mind is on a one-track mission at the moment.
“You’re on our side or are you working with Tiamat?” I ask him matter-of-factly.
“I have nothing to do with her!” he hisses through his teeth at me.
After his statement, I decide to ignore him since he is not a threat. I turn back to Kalipso.
“So what do we do?”
She is still on the ground, like Tara, and I twist my lips in distaste at the sight. They lift slowly, as if unsure if it’s the right thing to do. I mean, really? Do I seem like someone that people should bow down in front of? I don’t think so. Well … unless I’m naked and the one on the knees in front of me is Lucifer. The image flashes through my mind and I shiver. Shaking my head, I snap out of my hormonal glitch in my brain. Think about keeping the gate open now; think about screwing later! Sounds like a plan, don’t you think?
“How did you open it?” Tara asks, and her voice helps me shake off whatever is left of my crazy thoughts.
“I invoked the gate. I felt the beat of the planet that matched my heartbeat and it opened,” I tell her simply.
“Hmmm, let’s try this. Start walking away from the gate, please. Let’s see if it closes because you are going away from it,” Kalipso says.
Rolling my eyes, I move. This is a stupid idea. “Stop,” Lucifer says and I freeze. “It’s closing as you walk away.”
“Now what? I can’t stay here,” I say, exasperated.
“No, you can’t. But we can,” Will speaks for the first time and I look at him.
“Say what, now? How will that help?” I look at both him and Archie, seeing determination in their eyes and their tightly-pressed lips.
“We are light-workers—it’s what we do. We will stand in your stead, matching the vibration of the earth and the gate through us. You should be able to go on your way. I think this is why Azalea made sure we crossed paths,” Archie says in his deep voice.
There is no accusation or anger in his voice. He sounds utterly sure of what he is saying. I look at Will, and he nods his head reassuringly at me.
“Great! We haven’t even crossed the damn thing properly and we’ve already lost four people.” My voice wobbles and I clench my jaw.
I will not cry any more. It’s useless anyway. It’s not like it’ll change anything. Glancing at Inanna, I see her nodding sadly, too. She’s been very quiet, just tagging along as if lost. I wonder why she’s here. I thought she didn’t want to go into someone else’s realm. She almost busted my eardrums when I summoned her to the dark realm. Now it’s like we’re buddies, hanging out together. I snort. This whole thing is so fucked up it’s not even funny.
“Let’s do this. We have no time to waste. The longer we take, the more time Tiamat has to get ready for us.” Remi, ever the practical, gets everyone moving.
Will and Archie shuffle closer to the gate, almost parallel to Kalipso, and drop cross-legged on the ground. The glow from the symbols written on the top arch of the gate casts shadows on their faces, making them look otherworldly. Placing their hands on their knees palms up, they face each other and close their eyes. We all stand dumbly, waiting. Kalipso watches them with such intensity I think she will drill holes in their heads if she keeps it up. What’s taking so long? I start fidgeting and am about to ask what’s going on when Kalipso speaks out.
“It’s not working, not fully. If they stay like this, the gate will drain them in less than a day.”
“I thought this is what they do,” I supply helpfully.
I know it sounds bitchy and not really compassionate, but I’m lost for what to do. I can’t possibly sit here and keep the stupid gate open, but I definitely won’t allow another sacrifice for it, either. So this is me now, compassion personified. I cringe. Lost in my own self-analysis, I don’t see Maika until he grabs my hand and drags me next to the light-workers, who are oblivious to everything around them. I yelp from the surprising movement and Lucifer lunges for Maika. The Traveler places me in front of his body to stop the angel from attacking. Me? Like a dumbass, I watch it all happen like some damsel in distress who lets men drag her around like a rag doll. I know what I should do, but it’s like I’m watching it happen to someone else. Like I’m in a dream-like state and am having a delayed reaction to everything.
“Stay back, I’m not going to hurt her,” Maika says to Lucifer.
Lucifer stops, and my eyes fly to his face. His eyes look crazier than I have ever seen them before. I have no doubt that if I twitch a muscle, he will level everything and everyone around us, our loved ones included. I smile at him, and he frowns. I wink, just to calm him down. Summoning as much fire as I can, I let it lick my skin. Let’s see if the handsome Traveler likes things hot. I snicker and Lucifer tilts his head in confusion.
“Your fire won’t burn me, Semiramis. We balance each other, remember?” Maika’s voice makes me shiver and stops me from snickering.
“Then get your hands off me.” I shake away his hold.
“You need to give them some of your blood; it’ll tie them to you, and they’ll be able to hold the gate,” he says and steps away, holding a dagger hilt out towards me. I reach for it without thinking.
“Don’t touch that!” Lucifer snaps, and I snatch my hand back. “Nice try, Jackal, she won’t be touching Ishtar’s blade.” He turns his murderous gaze on Maika.
“It was worth a try. You never know; she might be able to control it.” He shrugs a shoulder and gives me a different blade.
I look at Lucifer and he nods, not letting his eyes leave the Traveler. Taking the blade, I turn towards Will and Archie, then stop.
“Ummm, now what? I cut myself and they drink it like vampires?” I grin at my own joke. Tara snickers, too. “I like you,” I tell her. No one else finds it funny. Party-poopers. I shrug. It was worth a try.
“You need to cut them and your hand so you can mix the blood together,” Kalipso says.
I reach towards the two men sitting still as statues in front of me. This is their sacrifice for me. They have so much faith in me that, just like Meda and Faith, they will do this even knowing they might not come out on the other end with their lives. My hand trembles. I don’t think I can do it. Cut myself? Cutting off my own limb I have no problem with, but hurting them is a different story. My hand lowers towards my body.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Sap. Snap out of it, would ya! We’re all adults here and we’ve made our own choices. Who are you to tell us what’s worth risking our lives for? Who died and made you God?” Jezzinta speaks and my head snaps around to look at her. “Just do the damn cut and let’s get moving. I think it’s time you stopped insulting us with your doubts and hiding your fear behind the idea that you’re trying to protect us. Don’t you think we want the same? We need you to do this with us, not to protect us. We’re equal, if I may remind you.”
I look around at all of them. Solemn faces meet mine. No judgment, just determination. Shame like I haven’t known before hits me like a truck. She is right. It’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
“The path to hell is paved in good intentions, Semiramis,” Maika says gently, and as always since I met him and heard his voice, goosebumps cover my body.
Lucifer is right behind me, plastering himself to my back and kissing my neck.
“Do it, Alexia, and let us continue before the Jackal speaks again and I break his neck,” he mumbles, his lips grazing my skin and making me shiver all over again.
“You’re lucky you found me first, angel. The Jackal is definitely something.” I want to say it for his ears only, but my voice carries. While the rest snicker, Lucifer growls, squeezing his arms around me while Maika looks at me, his eyes widening for the first time. It looks almost comical. More interesting is that Tara creeps up, standing slightly in front of him as if to protect him from me, or maybe to stake her claim. I smile at her. Even if I can’t see her face, I can see the embarrassment in her movement when she slinks back. The Traveler doesn’t miss it either. He nods his thanks.
Without delay, I reach out and make a slash on each arm of the light-workers. Red blood wells up, sliding in rivulets down their arms. Turning the dagger towards my palm, I stop and look at the branded pentagram. Should I cut it? Oh, what the hell. I don’t care! Making the slash, I clench my fist a couple of times until blood runs towards my wrist. When I place it on Will’s cut, it feels like something ties a knot in my belly. His heart beats in a much faster rhythm than mine, but within a second it evens out and matches mine. Two hearts, one beat. I repeat the same with Archie. As his heartbeat matches mine, the energy clicks together between the three of us and my birthmark—the one in the shape of a tree on my spine—pulses in the same beat. Three hearts, one beat. The oneness of it is beautiful, but I force myself to remove my hand. It doesn’t cut off the connection. I can still feel them both, along with their gratitude. They are aware of what is happening. As I step away, they start glowing like they are in a bubble.
“It worked.” Kalipso snaps me out of it.
“It did?” I ask, still looking at my friends. “They’ll be okay?”
“I think so, but I wouldn’t linger. Go do what you must and leave the realm,” she tells us.
