The Porter

by Ashley Dotson

  I stood still searching the eyes of my lost love. His words had taken on a deeply familiar cadence which I hadn’t heard in months.

  “Curiosity isn’t a good quality to have here.” Heath stated lifting his eyebrow.

  “Really?” I whispered back, “And how do you know?”

  Heath reached ahead to grab Orias. He spoke in a language I didn’t understand, but apparently Orias did. He nodded back to Heath and disappeared into the dark.

  And just like that we were alone. Our only guide through Hell vanished. I took a step to where Orias had stood moments before and felt into the darkness with my hands. I felt the air in front of me, my outstretched arms were swallowed up by the black cloud crowding around us.

  “Where is he going? What did you tell him?” I panicked, “What are you not telling me?”

  Heath smiled and pulled me close to him. He held me tight against his chest while I struggled to comprehend. His kiss took me by surprise. It was scorching and intense.

  I pulled back from him to look into his eyes. He wore a smirk, his face tilted into a half smile- almost laughing at me, daring me.

  “I’ve missed you.” He said sliding his hands up to my neck sending a heat wave down my body. He opened his mouth to say more, but the words wouldn’t come. I couldn’t speak either. I didn’t know exactly what he meant, and I wouldn’t hope for more.

  He continued to fumble for words, and rested his forehead to mine and whispered, “I’m so glad you came.”

  Oh, of course. He’s glad I came to help him save Daisy.

  “I know how important she is to you.” I said dejectedly.

  “No,” He chuckled, “For me. I’m glad you came. For. Me.”

  “I don’t understand…I told you already…”

  “We don’t have time right now for me to go into depth with this.” He sighed and rolled his eyes, just like he did long ago, “I remember,” he finished smiling.

  “You remember?” I asked letting his words and this sink in, wishing we were anywhere but there at that moment, “You remember!”

  I jumped into his arms and squeezed him so tightly any other human would have been mortally injured. The blood thrummed painfully through my veins. The bond created when we pledged ourselves to one another, so tenuously thin only a moment before, strengthened and gripped my heart like a vise.

  I buried my face in his shoulder. I shuddered from the feel of him, knowing he was holding me- Me!

  With every smile and every kiss we shared, Hell’s darkness retreated, repulsed by our happiness.

  My Orrin was back.

  ***

  Our quest was unchanged. Orrin owed it to Daisy and her father, and I owed it to them too. I felt more confident knowing his memories were intact. He and Orias spoke to each other often in that foreign guttural language, but whenever I tried to speak they silenced me quickly.

  We passed the upside down castle without looking back. Hours passed as we trekked through the unseen lands. The darkness seemed to stay further at bay, but wherever we walked we were still surrounded by the inky fog. It reminded me of being trapped in a cage.

  “It feeds on your fears, Layla,” Orrin said to me referring to the dark. “Pay no attention to it. Just keep walking.”

  “Do you know where we’re going?” I whispered, hoping either of them would finally answer my question.

  Orrin tightened his grip on my hand, “Maybe.”

  I tiled my head toward his father, “Does he know where we’re going?”

  “Probably.”

  I scoffed quietly and planted my feet firmly. I wouldn’t go any farther until I had some answers. I stared at both of them. I wanted so badly to slip my hand in his again. I wanted to steal him away and lose myself in his eyes, but it wasn’t the time.

  It’s never the right time.

  Orrin and Orias shared a look and a nod, “We think we know who took Daisy. This wasn’t an accident. It was planned. Like everything else that has happened since your arrival in Balmorhea- Mr. Reese’s accident, the Vagabonds, Mr. Dougherty, or even the attack at the Springs. None of those were circumstantial. Someone wanted you and me down here. Orias couldn’t be sure until he returned here first and checked with his own scouts.”

  “They confirmed what I already believed was true.” Orias continued.

  “So Daisy didn’t get accidentally pulled through the portal?” I was confused, “I thought you said it was somehow your fault.”

  Orrin pursed his lips together, searching for the right words, “I thought that too- before now. I had no memories of my birthright, Orias, or you. But once I was here, in Hell…”

  “The judgment couldn’t contain him forever,” Orias smiled, “My son had returned.”

  “So being here, in Hell, is what restored your memories?”

  “It appears that way.” Orrin said.

  “So Orias and Hell did what I couldn’t?” I asked petulantly. “I thought I was the only one who could do that. Orias told me as your soul mate only I could restore your memories.”

  “In a way you did.” He answered honestly. “It was my daemon that was suppressed, and being here,” Orrin looked around and actually smiled, “Freed it somehow.”

  “So now that you have all this knowledge again you know where Daisy is?”

  “Yes.”

  “And her soul slips away with every moment the two of you tarry,” Orias interrupted.

  “There is only one daemon who wants to pull us apart. Who would benefit most from hurting an innocent girl? Who would want retribution against me? The son of Orias? Your soul mate? Who is the only daemon manipulative enough to go after someone innocent, like Daisy, knowing it would bring you down here to search for her?”

  “Lillith,” I ground my teeth together, “And we fell into her plan so perfectly.”

  “Exactly,” Orrin continued, “Even though she killed me, our confrontation on Neutral territory cause her banishment to hell, and she is unable to get to you. Lillith knows I love Daisy…”

  “Wait! You still love Daisy?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Orrin answered honestly, choosing his words carefully, “In my mind I haven’t seen you in seventeen years. I’ve been in love with Daisy for a long time. That’s all still inside me. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I love both of you. I don’t know how to choose right now.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but he was faster, “I don’t expect you to be okay with this, and I know it’s not fair. I don’t know what to do or what to say to you to make it better. I just know Daisy is innocent in this war. She deserves to live. I will not let her soul be bound to a place like this.”

  He touched my tattoo, knowing what it did to me and tilted my head up so our eyes met, “I died to save you. I would do no less for her.”

  The fog crept closer sensing my sadness. I tried to push it away, focus on the innocent girl we came here to save, but it saw through to my aching heart.

  I breathed in, “So you think Lillith knew I would come with you?”

  “Absolutely,” Orrin said.

  “And I did exactly what she wanted.”

  “You had no choice. She may have designed the game, but she does not determine the outcome.” Orias cut in. “We must go.”

  “You ready now?” Orrin asked.

  Not really.

  “Yes.” I capitulated.

  “No more questions. No more doubt. And no more stopping,” Orias growled. “When the time comes, the fight will be between you and Lillith. You must not be faint-hearted. ”

  Chapter 23

  The Spider’s Den

  The more time I spent in Hell the harder it was to control my daemon. I felt anger rise within me.

  It figures Lillith was behind it all.

  It was Lillith, always Lillith. She had been ruining my life before I even had a life to ruin. I was her creation and she would stop at nothing to see her prophecy fulfilled.

  Why was it always Lillith?

  She coul
d bring out the monster in me quicker than anything else. My hands burned with my pent up rage. Orrin could feel it. My breathing was heavy and sweat dripped down my temple. I was losing the battle within me.

  After hours of walking, we came to a cliff. The barren ground under our feet just stopped. There was no valley or land below, only more black fog filling every empty space.

  Orias lifted his staff swiping at the darkness like an irritating fly. It parted around us retreating into itself in fear of the powerful daemon. Orrin motioned with his hands fanning the air pushing back the fog even further.

  I scoffed, “Why didn’t you guys do that earlier?” I swatted at it too, but it didn’t move for me, “This crap is irritating.”

  “We were trying to protect you. It was concealing the many horrors of this place. And we didn’t need to announce our presence.” Orrin said.

  Orias gestured with his head, “You try it, Angel.” His said nastily.

  Finally! My daemon hissed.

  “Fine. Watch this.”I raised my hand to my chest gathered bright white fire and propelled it toward the abyss. I sent up every bit of hope and happiness I could muster. It lit up the darkness like someone flipped on a light switch. The fog that shielded most of Hell fell away. Vagabonds and unimaginable creatures scattered away like cockroaches, screeching and baying, fearing the white orb that instead of falling, remained floating, casting light in what appeared to be a tall cavern.

  Murmurs and whispers became more audible. The beasts clinging to the sheer walls were what children’s’ nightmares were made of. Some had wings, horns, scales. Some had teeth that glinted white. All were missing one distinct feature.

  “None of them have eyes.”

  “They are soulless creatures that live in the dark. They have no need for eyes.” Orrin answered.

  The cavern was gigantic- as tall as a skyscraper, and as wide as all of Balmorhea. Directly in front of us was a floating island that looked like a chunk of earth that had been ripped from the ground, with massive chains connecting it to the surrounding walls of the cave. Vagabonds scurried up and down the length of the chains. On the island was a large dwelling- not a castle, more of a fortress with only one tall turret in the middle.

  I could feel her near. My wings unfurled and I crouched low ready to ascend. I moved before Orrin could grab me.

  “Wait,” He shouted.

  A loud sudden cackle filled the hollow spaces of the cavern. I stopped, suspended in mid-air and I realized what I was about do to. It was Lillith’s voice. She was laughing at us- at me. She knew we finally arrived and had obviously been waiting for us. So far we had played right into her hands, she predicted our every move. I needed to be smarter, less rash, more like Orrin.

  Looking back I saw Orrin and Orias standing at the edge of the cliff. “I will not follow you into her lair. From this moment you are on your own. Orrin can get you and the other girl home when the need arises.”

  Orrin grasped his father’s hand, “I will not soon forget this.”

  “Of course. I enjoy you being indebted to me. Expect me to call upon you sometime soon.”

  With that Orias turned, his broad shoulders and tall frame was swallowed up by the blackness.

  Orrin stood alone on the cliff, “I can jump here like I can on Earth, but I won’t be able to do it into Lillith’s home. She will be waiting for me to do that. I need you to take both of us over.”

  “But won’t she see us coming?”

  “She already knows we’re here.”

  “Okay,” I said, “So what’s your plan?”

  “I don’t know. I think we are basically at her mercy.”

  “That’s not good. She has no mercy.”

  “I know,” he said, “That’s why I’m so worried for Daisy.” Orrin cringed and held back the tears.

  “We’ll get her back. I don’t think Lillith would kill her yet. She needs Daisy alive in order get us here.”

  “That’s what scares me,” His voice grew dark for a moment, “Now that we’re here, what is keeping her alive?”

  “I don’t know. But let’s go end this.” We grabbed each other around the waist and I made another attempt to fly to the floating fortress.

  The exterior of the structure was anything but inviting. It was the antithesis to the white castle we passed upon first arriving to Hell. The formidable walls were smooth and reflective like dark mirrors with jagged shards of black glass where they met and around the tops and bottoms. Sharp pieces of this same material jutted out from every angle on the ground as well. We had to not only watch for attack, but tread lightly with every step.

  “Cutting yourself on that will prove fatal to most. I’m not sure what it would do to you, but let’s not find out.” Orrin warned me. “Stay close.”

  I pushed myself further into his back and pulled my wings in until they were completely hidden.

  As I walked past large pieces of glass I could see my reflection. I gasped and stopped to stare at what I thought was Lillith, except the movements were my own. Staring back at me from inside the glass was the terrible and beautiful reflection of Lillith instead of me. I moved to attack.

  “Layla, no! It’s another way this place is playing with your mind. The glass, it’s not real. You only see what it wants you to see. It’s another creature like the darkness that surrounded us. Don’t give it any more attention, you’ll only make it stronger.”

  “How?”

  “It takes energy from you. That isn’t glass- it grows. It weakens you. Beings become fixated on their reflection and basically get sucked in.”

  “How am I supposed to know what’s real here?” I asked.

  “You won’t be sticking around long enough to find out. I just need you to survive. Can you do that for me? I don’t want to think about losing you too.”

  The large dooryard that enclosed the remains of a decrepit rotting garden gave way to an extremely boring front door.

  “Layla, before we go in, you need to remember how manipulative Lillith is.”

  “I don’t need reminding about that.”

  “Nothing in here will be as it seems either. Lillith is a creature of Hell just like everything else down here. She draws power from everything around her. Remember when I fought her?”

  I nodded cringing at the memory.

  “She wasn’t weakened by my attack, only the opposite- it made her stronger. Don’t attack her. If anything, treat her as you would a harmless ghost.”

  “Harmless, Orrin? She’s anything but harmless.” I scoffed.

  “Think back. Did she ever hurt you?”

  “No,” I said wondering where he was going with this. “She always threatened me or threatened my family. And then there was Ben…”

  “Exactly,” He explained. “She has power, but only if you give it to her. She threatened everyone you cared for, because she knew that would anger you. Lillith and all the other Vile thrive on fear, anger, hatred. Their powers are limited to what we give them- even in Hell.”

  His explanations bred more questions, “Then how are we able to do what we do? How are you and I able to retain are powers on Earth or Hell?”

  Orrin shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t think the Vile know either, and that pisses them off. That’s why they need us. I can do things that my father can’t. You can do things that Lillith can’t. We take that power away, and it weakens them.”

  “Then why exactly did you attack Lillith that day on the beach?”

  “After she flipped are car over, I just lost it. I was scared for you- too scared to think rationally. I think she played on my fears too. She’s not without her tricks, and that was definitely a good one. Once she threatened your life like that I was worried. I thought maybe you weren’t strong enough to protect yourself. I guess I didn’t trust you.”

  I was left speechless after that was a powerful confession.

  “That night feels like a lifetime ago. Seventeen years ago, to be exact. My whole life as Orrin feels like
a memory, but it’s coming back. I fell through that portal as Heath Darringer, but the moment I was back here, my life as Orrin, my memories, my love for you- it hit me hard. And it was you I remembered first. Five hundred years of living and the first thing I remembered was the smell of your hair and that beautiful smile.”

  I couldn’t help but flash my beautiful smile at him.

  “That one,” he whispered, his eyes turning dark.

  “The day we tied our souls to each other- tell me you remember that day.”

  “Of course, Orrin. It’s only been months for me. That was the sweetest day of my life. I could never forget it.”

  He wanted to kiss me.

  I loved that look.

  “I missed you.” The tears slipped down, “Orrin, I love you.”

  “I love you, Layla.” Orrin repeated.

  He bent down to kiss me, and I stopped him, “But you love her too?” I asked.

  He sighed lifting his head from mine. “I love Daisy too. And now I have to save her.” He bent down and kissed me anyway, “Thank you for coming with me.”

  I smiled and kissed him back, “Of course.”

  Above us my lighted orb winked out and the darkness slithered back in bringing a chill with it.

  A voice rode in moving about us like a breeze, “Do not make me wait any longer, daughter. It has been far too long since I have seen you.” It was as smooth as the blood she fed on, a rich and beautiful sound that seduced even me.

  Almost.

  I took the lead and opened the door to my mother’s home. I was reminded of those trap-door spiders, which snatch little bugs that walk near their den. Lillith was definitely a spider, but I was tired of feeling like her prey.

  Chapter 24

  His Wilted Flower

  The pristine carpet was an off-shade of white revealing our dirty footprints as we walked further inside Lillith’s home. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the dramatic change before me. The inside was a complete contrast to the macabre exterior. It looked so normal, so perfect. Two inn tables flanked a simple squared couch and geometric artwork was placed on the pale blue walls. There was even sunlight peeking through bright clean windows at the back of the room.