“You have got to be kidding me,” Robert said when he noticed it.
“My uncle tends to be a little bit...what’s the word? Eccentric?”
“Isn’t that what they call rich people when they go insane?” I asked.
Kris grinned. “A good word to use then.”
As we walked closer I could make out the features more clearly. It was made from grey stone and was enormous. It had everything you would expect in a medieval castle; battlements, a parapet walk, a curtain wall, a barbican. If you know anything about castles you will know what I am talking about.
“It’s magnificent,” I exclaimed.
“Death is proud of it,” Kris said.
“How do we get in?” Robert asked, noticing that the drawbridge wasn’t lowered.
“Swim the moat of course,” Kris said, winking at me. Robert gave him a sour look. “Death knows we are here. The drawbridge will lower as we approach.”
Sure enough, as we moved closer the drawbridge began to descend, falling into place just as we reached the edge of the moat.
“After you,” Kris said graciously, holding out his arm to indicate Robert should walk onto the wooden planks.
“It won’t move while we’re on it, will it?” I asked nervously. I didn’t like the idea of falling unceremoniously into Death’s castle.
“Of course not,” Kris said as he slipped his arm around my waist. “Come on.”
The portcullis lifted as we drew near. I made the mistake of looking up as we walked under it and the sight of the sharp spikes made me shiver.
“Death really did go into a lot of detail, didn’t he,” I said.
“He has had rather a lot of time on his hands,” Kris said. “He mainly did all of this for Ankou’s mother. She used to love visiting here.”
Kris led us through the castle, heading toward the centre. It was surprisingly warm. The grey stone had made it look cold and uninviting, but inside it was well lit and friendly.
“How does he keep such a large building heated?” I asked.
Kris gave me a withering look. “He’s a demi-god, remember.” Oh yeah. That would explain it.
We kept walking until we reached a set of large wooden doors, which opened automatically as we drew close to them. “The throne room,” Kris said.
He wasn’t kidding. Inside the room was a raised dais upon which sat a throne.
“A little bit over the top, don’t you think,” Robert said, keeping his voice low in case the throne’s occupant heard him.
“Is that a panther?” I asked in surprise when I spotted a large black cat sitting to one side of it.
“Of course not,” Robert replied. “There’s no such thing as a panther.”
“Yes there is,” I said, though with little conviction. I looked at Kris. “Isn’t there?”
“Technically, no,” he said. “Black panthers are just black forms of other cats. They could be cougars, jaguars or leopards. There are also black tigers, but they are very rare now. This one is called Melanin and he is a jaguar. Death has had him as a pet for a long time and he is very friendly, so there is no need to worry about him eating you.”
Great. That thought had not crossed my mind until then. Thanks Kris.
“So how come there is a pink panther then?” I asked a little sulkily. It’s childish I know, but I didn’t like Robert being proven right.
“That’s called Hollywood, Rachel,” Robert said sarcastically. “They can make up anything they like.”
We walked into the room and my eyes were drawn to the man sitting on the throne. Surely that couldn’t be Death. He was dressed in a black single-breasted suit and looked more like a banker than one of the four horsemen. He had the traditional short back and sides and a neatly trimmed short beard. But what shocked me most was that his hair and beard were pure white.
“Is that Death?” I whispered to Kris.
He nodded his head. “Not quite what you expected is he?”
“What’s with the white hair?”
Kris sounded sad when he replied. “It’s natural. He went completely white the day Ankou’s mother died and has never tried to change it.”
Regretting my question, I went silent as we approached the throne. Only when we got closer did I notice that Death was not alone. Ankou stood by his side, looking very agitated. My stomach flipped when I caught sight of him and I felt my heart rate increase. Kris noticed and chuckled. “I guess that is something I am going to have to get used to,” he said.
I felt my face go red as I flushed with embarrassment, making Kris laugh again. “That colour suits you,” he teased. “You can sleep with him any time you like you know.”
I stared at him in surprise. “Are you really that sure of yourself?”
“No,” he replied, his tone turning serious. “I’m that sure of you.” Then he kissed me. Have I mentioned how much I like him kissing me?
“We could always have a threesome,” I said.
“Don’t push your luck,” he said, then kissed me again.
When he released me we turned to our host and I saw him glance at Ankou. Death looked worried.
“Uncle, this is Rob and Rachel. I think you have been expecting them,” Kris said by way of introduction.
“Welcome to my castle,” Death said and smiled at me. I wasn’t sure what to say to him. ‘I’m pleased to meet you’ doesn’t sound quite right when speaking to Death. I was saved from having to say anything at all by Robert.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
Death sighed. “So impatient. She is in her room. She has been well looked after and I would even go as far as to say she is happy here.”
Robert grunted in disbelief.
Death continued. “I brought her here as a bride for my son and I’m not so sure the idea isn’t growing on her. Given the choice, are you certain she will choose you instead of Ankou?”
“Yes, I am,” Robert said without hesitation.
“Very well. You have brought what you promised I see,” Death said to Robert, who nodded his head.
“I have.” When he turned to look at me, his face was full of sadness. “I’m sorry Rachel,” he said in a broken voice. “I have no choice.” He turned his attention back to Death. “Rachel will be staying here in exchange for Tammara. She will be Ankou’s wife.”
“What?” I shouted in disbelief.
My voice was drowned out by Kris calling out an anguished, “NO!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped at Robert.
There were tears in his eyes as he faced me. “Before coming here I made a deal with Death. I didn’t tell you the truth about Tammara’s bargain with him. She offered him her life, not her soul. Everything I told you about my research and finding a way to get to Death was a lie. I knew Death intended Tammara to be Ankou’s bride, so I made an arrangement with him the night he took her. It was he who told me how to reach the underworld. All I had to do was bring him a suitable substitute and he would release Tammara back to me. You’re the most suitable woman I could think of.”
I was horrified. Was he expecting me to take that as a compliment? “We’ve been best friends for years. How could you sacrifice me like this?”
“I love you like a sister. You mean more to me than anyone else in the world. Except Tammara. It was you or her. You were never going to win.”
My legs gave way and I crumpled onto the floor. Kris didn’t react. He was too busy glaring at his cousin, who was having trouble meeting his eye. I struggled to speak as realisation dawned. I had been set up from the very start. “So when you said you needed me and couldn’t lose me, you meant you needed me for the exchange.” My voice was barely above a whisper. I don’t know if I was talking to Robert or just verbalising my thoughts.
I didn’t look at Robert, but I imagined him nodding his head. “When you came to rescue me from the ogre, you only wanted to save me so that you could go ahead with your deal with Death. You didn’t care about my safety at all. You
even warned me I was going to get hurt. Like an idiot I thought you meant by Kris, but you were talking about yourself.”
“That is not true,” Robert shouted.
Robert raising his voice at me broke whatever had been holding Kris in place and he lashed out with his fist, catching Robert on the side of the face and knocking him to the ground. “You bastard,” he screamed at him. “I will kill you for this.”
He started pounding him so hard that all Robert could do was curl up into a ball and try to protect his head with his arms. Ankou ran forward and dragged Kris away. “Don’t do this,” he whispered into his ear over and over again.
Instead of calming Kris down, Ankou’s words fuelled his anger. He struggled out of the tight hold his cousin had on him and violently shoved him away. “You’re no better. You could have any woman in the world. Why take mine?”
“Kris, calm down,” Ankou said. “This is not what you think. I don’t want Rachel. Not that she isn’t very desirable,” he hastily added when he saw Kris’s face darken. I noticed that he was slowly backing away from him.
“I could have had her when we were at aunt Fam’s place,” he went on. “I even got her into bed.” I looked up from where I had been staring at the floor. Was this guy a complete idiot? Kris was mad enough as it was. Why was he goading him? ‘Shut up’ I kept saying to myself, in my head, over and over again, but I could not form the words with my mouth.
“I knew about the bargain between Rob and my father. I knew she was destined to be my wife, so why did it matter if we had a little fun first? I had her so desperate for me she couldn’t control herself and called out my name.” I could see Kris clenching and unclenching his fists. Robert, Death and I were watching the two men, wondering when the fight was going to start. Even the overgrown cat seemed enthralled with what was going on.
“Only it wasn’t my name she called out; it was yours.” I watched Kris, waiting to see what his reaction would be. His hands froze mid clench. He didn’t move. He hardly seemed to be breathing.
Certain now that Kris was trying to get his emotions under control, Ankou continued. “Why do you think I left so suddenly? I saw the way you looked at her. You didn’t lust after her, you were falling in love. As soon as I knew that she felt the same way, I came straight here, to talk to my father, to talk him out of the deal. Tammara is a lovely woman. I’m sure she will make me very happy.”
“Over my dead body,” I heard Robert mutter.
“So why are we here?” Kris asked, his voice devoid of all emotion.
“Because I made a deal and I do not go back on them,” Death’s voice filled the room. He raised himself from his throne and walked over to his nephew, placing his hands on his shoulders. “I am truly sorry Kris, but there is nothing I can do. Once a bargain has been made, it cannot be broken.”
“But father, I don’t want a wife,” Ankou protested. He sounded as distraught as I was feeling.
“But you need one. You have been playing around for too long. It is high time you settled down and became more responsible.”
“You cannot make me do this,” I said, rising to my feet.
Death turned to me. “Oh but I can.”
“So what happens now?” Ankou asked.
“You take me to Tammara,” Robert said.
Death whirled on him, his face contorted with rage. “You are in no position to order me around,” he spat at him. “I may have made a deal with you, but don’t think that will stop me killing you if you annoy me.”
“Let him go to her uncle,” Kris said in a resigned voice. “The sooner he is out of my sight the better.”
Death nodded to Ankou, who escorted Robert out of the room. Kris walked up me, took me in his arms and held me tight.
“You must be hungry,” Death said. “Let me get you something to eat.”
We both shook our heads. Neither of us would be able to face food.
“Then take her to your usual room,” he said. “Giving you one more night alone together is the least I can do.”
Kris released me and glared at Death. “No uncle, the least you can do is cancel this stupid deal you have made and let me have Rachel, but it looks like you are not prepared to do that. I used to think that family meant something to you, that I meant something to you. I guess I was wrong.”
His words hurt Death deeply. It showed on his face. “You do mean something to me,” he said. “You mean a great deal to us all, but you are asking the impossible. One day you will understand that.”
“No,” Kris said. “I won’t.” Then he took my hand and led me from the room.
We walked down an empty corridor then up a winding staircase made from stone.
“This is my tower,” Kris said as he opened a wooden door at the top of the stairs. “I have stayed here ever since I was a kid.” The room was plain and simple, containing a bed, a chest of drawers and nothing else. “Bathroom is through there,” he continued, indicating the only other door in the room.
We sat on the edge of the bed, holding hands. Neither of us knew what to say. Kris ran his other hand through his hair in frustration. “I need a drink,” he said and stood up. “Wine?”
I nodded my head and he left the room. I looked around, unsure what I should do. I didn’t feel like doing anything except curling up into a ball and pretending today had never happened. I was still feeling numb inside. I could not believe that Robert could have done this to me. I imagined him in another room in the house, making love to Tammara, both of them blissfully happy. It made me feel sick.
Kris returned with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. “Death and Ankou are having a blazing row,” he said as he walked into the room. “I don’t think they even noticed me raiding the liquor cabinet. This stuff is better than anything I have managed to create.”
He poured the wine and handed me a glass. “I hope red is alright. It seemed more appropriate somehow.”
While he had been away I had undressed and was now lying in the bed with the covers pulled up around me. I felt cold and asked him to join me, which he willingly did.
“Uncle Len warned me there would be trouble,” Kris said as he pulled me closer. “That is what we argued about before we left his place.” I remembered that there was a disagreement between Kris and Pestilence, but until now I hadn’t realised that he had never told me what it had been about.
“He knew I was falling for you and warned me to stay away from you. He never mentioned Death and Rob’s plans for you, but he knew. Of that I am sure. He should have told me.”
“And what would you have done?” I asked, rolling over to face him.
“I don’t know. Told you I guess.”
“Then I’m glad you weren’t told.”
“Why? Surely it would have been better for you to have known.”
I stroked his cheek. “If I had known, the journey would have been a real nightmare. I would have been dragged here against my will, kicking and screaming. More importantly, I wouldn’t have got to know you so well.”
He placed his hand over mine and gently pulled it way from his face before leaning forward and kissing me. He kissed me again and again and for a while our problems disappeared from our minds as we thought of nothing but each other.
“Does Famine know, do you think?” I asked later as we lay in each other’s arms.
“No,” Kris replied. “She would have told me. Of that I have no doubt.”
I agreed. “She knew I had feelings for you, even before I realised it. Looking back, the way she questioned my reaction to finding out who you really are makes it obvious.”
“She always has been a shrewd woman.”
“And your father? Did he and your mother know?” I couldn’t imagine the jolly fat man being a part of this scheme, but I had to ask.
Kris shook his head. “No way. Had they known, the moment they found out how I felt about you they would have come here and confronted Death. They asked me about my intentions toward you as soon as they got me alon
e. Ankou had forewarned them of my feelings and I dreaded my sisters saying something to you. Didn’t you wonder why you were being treated as part of the family whereas Rob was just a guest?”
“That explains why your sisters bombarded me with so many questions. They were making sure I was good enough for you.”
“They like you, by the way. A lot.” I tried to smile, but couldn’t.
“What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” he said and kissed the top of my head. “But I will think of something, I promise.”
Day 40
Kisses on my neck woke me. I smiled. “I could get used to this.”
“You may have to,” Ankou said.
I whipped my head around and pulled the covers up higher, making sure only my bare shoulders and arms were visible. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He smiled and stretched out on the bed next to me. “Kris had to go somewhere and asked me to look after you.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean like this,” I snapped.
Ankou had the audacity to wink at me. “Probably not, but I couldn’t resist having a bit of fun.” Then his face turned serious. “We will sort this out, you know. My father is a stubborn and pig-headed man, but he is not cruel. We will get through to him somehow.”
I wanted desperately to believe him, but I am too much of a realist to cling to false hope. Ankou offered to bring me breakfast, but I said I wasn’t hungry and when I told him I wanted to be alone for a while he left without protest.
Not knowing what else to do, I updated my diary with everything that happened yesterday. I didn’t want to relive it all so soon, but it was important that I got it down on paper while it was still fresh in my mind. Not that I think I will ever be able to forget. After all, it’s not every day you are betrayed by your best friend.
I showered and dressed and was pleased to see Ankou waiting for me when I opened the door. I had no idea where I was supposed to be going, so it was nice to have an escort.
“Kris is back,” he said as we made our way down the corridor to the throne room. “And he has brought some company.”
Diary of a journey through Hell Page 26
