Stolas: A Dark Soul Series Novel

by Randi Cooley Wilson

  “Everyone just calm down,” Stone says in a calm, soothing voice. “Lore and Vassago, go on ahead of us. Let Hendrix know we will be there shortly.”

  “Your safety, my Lord,” Lore points out.

  “Lev and Avi will go with Hope and me for added protection,” Stone responds.

  “Fine. It will be a much quieter trip without the mortal’s incessant chatter anyway.”

  I present Lore with a fake smile. “Go busy yourself by eating a human.”

  She takes a threatening step toward me, disdain dripping from her features.

  Stone steps in front of her. “Vassago, take Lore,” he demands.

  Vassago approaches the demon-goddess quietly and leans into her ear. Whatever he’s whispered has calmed the beast. She turns to him, allowing him to guide her into the tomb.

  Once they’re out of sight, Stone twists to face me.

  I don’t even try to look apologetic, because I’m not. Lore is a pain in the ass.

  “Go eat a human?” Stone repeats, attempting to stop himself from smiling.

  “What? She’s mean,” I reply.

  “I’d be careful. One of these days, you just might be her human of choice,” he says, and I think he may be teasing me. I can’t tell. His face is blank, but his tone is playful. “We need to enter the tomb. Can you pull yourself together to do so?”

  My gaze swings from the ancient graveyard to the entry, and back to him. “Why in there?”

  “The City of Weeping is a city located in the Crystal Vault.”

  I fidget with the bottoms of my sleeves and lean into Stone so no one else can hear me. “I have a thing about dark, cold, small spaces,” I explain.

  “You’re claustrophobic?” he asks, raising his brow.

  “No.” I drop my shoulders, knowing I’m going to have to tell him why. “One of the facilities were I was admitted used darkness therapy. The doctors said it treated rapid cycling in patients who showed psychotic tendencies.”

  “I don’t know what that is,” Stone replies.

  “It’s where you’re forced to stay in a dark room for up to fourteen hours a day, over the course of several weeks.” Stone frowns at the explanation. “Without your meds.”

  With the additional information, understanding crosses his face. Without medication, the voices and images that haunt me in the dark became more vivid and real.

  Stone nods to Lev and Avi to enter the tomb before stepping closer to me. He dips his chin, looking me in the eyes. “Have you heard the voices or seen the inky swirls while you’ve been with me?” he asks. “Present company excluded, have you seen demons?”

  I grit my teeth and shake my head. It just occurred to me that I haven’t. Not once.

  Stone takes my face between his hands. “I am Stolas, Prince of the Nine Circles of Hell, and you are under my protection. That means no harm will come to you, at my order. The dark souls will not hunt or hurt you. I won’t allow it. Do you understand me?”

  The urge to wrap my hands around his wrists and hold his hands against me longer becomes overwhelming and I’m unable to speak. All I can do is nod in response.

  “I will say this, what you saw before were simply your oracle gifts,” he continues. “They can be controlled. We will teach you how. When you are around dark souls, their auras—those inky swirls you see—will reach out to you without knowing they’re doing it because they sense your gift. The demons are not hunting or threatening you, they’re seeking guidance from you, and you were unintentionally reaching out to them as well. It’s all part of your oracle abilities.”

  “What about the demon that showed up in my suite at Shadowbrook?” I rasp out.

  Stone’s nose flares, his focus hard on me as his stare becomes icy. “That was Vassago.”

  “He’s good at being terrifying,” I whisper.

  His face is so close to mine, I feel each of his angry breaths as they fan my cheeks. In this moment, there is something so volatile within him, it looks as if he would obliterate everything around him if he could.

  “What?” he roars, startling me, but it’s not directed at me. He lets go of my face and takes a step back.

  “Are you joining us, or are we to meet Hendrix alone?” Lev shouts from behind us.

  “We’re coming,” Stone barks out, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the entry.

  A part of me had been clinging to the hope that this was all just a bad dream, but with each forced step I take, I’m starting to see this is all too real.

  Lev steps toward us, and Stone pulls me behind him, standing protectively between Leviathan and me. I try to unlace my fingers from his, which makes him look over his shoulder and sneer.

  I roll my eyes and stop so he’ll turn his attention back to his friend, which he does.

  “You and Avi stay behind us. Keep an eye out for anything unusual. No being approaches, touches, or speaks to Hope without my consent,” Stone orders in a regal tone.

  Lev gives me a sly calculating smirk as we pass him. “You have his protection, so stop pouting, la mia bella veggente maledetto,” Lev whispers to me.

  “I’m not pou—” I start, but stop myself as he fades into the pitch-black darkness.

  Paling, I focus on following Stone as he leads me into the damp mausoleum. I blink my eyes, trying to adjust to the endless blackness of the unknown in front of me. This isn’t a normal crypt. It’s more like a cave.

  The larger rocks under my boots crunch and cause my ankles to twist, forcing me to stumble a few times as we walk. The sound of dripping water punctures through the silence as we make our way through twisted tunnels.

  As we progress deeper into the unknown, the blackness that surrounds us begins to fade, giving way to deep turquoises and vivid greens. The reflective jewel-toned colors radiate from the glow of the water pooling below. The light suddenly brings the hollow tunnel to life.

  Steam dances off the glossy liquid and floats between limestone columns, which stretch out of the ground. The long rock formations reach high toward the vault’s ceiling, which drip with glistening, crystal spikes. They sparkle and shimmer whenever the light moves and caresses them. The effect is visually awe-inspiring.

  Water glides down each of the amethyst barbs, falling into the waiting pool below. With each drip, the sound is symphonic. Like chimes or tiny bells ringing and bouncing around the stone walls.

  It’s truly breathtaking.

  “Pretty, right?” Stone asks.

  “Stunning.” I look up and take in his profile; there is a grin adorning his face. I blink, distracted by the way Stone’s eyes light up when he smiles.

  His entire face tilts upward, and in the dancing vivid lights, he’s more beautiful than ever.

  After walking through a series of more winding tunnels, we finally come to the end of the pathway, which appears to drop off into a cliff. Peeking over the side, I see there is nothing below us except a void of more blackness.

  Lev picks up a rock and throws it over the edge. We wait to hear it hit the ground, but it never makes a sound. This would probably be an excellent time to freak out or run, but a bright twinkle in the distance captures my attention.

  In front of me, a city appears, as though one side is built into the stone wall and the other side is floating. The entire island is sparkling with violet and sapphire glimmers.

  It’s like something out of a fairy tale.

  A very dark fairy tale, but a fairy tale nonetheless.

  Deep blue water cascades down the middle of the medieval-looking buildings. Stone statues stand as sentry on a bridge that crosses over the top of the waterfall.

  “What is that?” I whisper in awe.

  “The City of Weeping.”

  Stone

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Hope breathes out. The light from the glowing pool below us reflects off her eyes, deepening their blue hue, and I’m transported into my dreams, where a similar pair of eyes visits me.

  “We should keep moving,”
Avi’s voice reverberates throughout the chamber.

  I grasp the back of my neck, shaking off the idea Hope’s irises match the ones that have haunted my every waking and sleeping moment for the past two years.

  Her eyebrows knit together as she looks around at the lagoon of water that sits between us and the gates. “Wait, how do we get over to it?”

  “It pays to have demon friends with badass powers,” Lev replies with a sly grin.

  I watch Hope’s expression turn skeptical, and lean over to her. “This is where the lines between reality and hallucination blur; it is here you will discover that what we’ve been telling you is true and real. Are you ready to trust us and take this journey?” I ask softly in her ear.

  Hope avoids looking at me; instead, she walks to the tunnel’s edge. She’s quiet for a moment before she sighs heavily. “All right. Show me those badass powers of yours.”

  I nod to Avi and Lev and watch their tattoos flicker with color. Lev focuses on the water and the level rises so that it is even with the edge of the tunnel. Within seconds, Avi turns the water into a glowing sapphire stone, providing us a solid path to the city’s gates.

  “That’s—” Hope pauses and taps on the stone with her foot. “Pretty freakin’ cool.”

  “It is.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m the heir. Others do, for me.”

  “How demonically royal of you.”

  “Look at me,” I order. As my eyes meet hers, there is something in them that wasn’t there before—belief. “When we enter the city, you need to stay between Lev and me at all times. We’re about to enter another realm, and the souls that live within the city walls will sense you are human. That makes you, and us, intriguing. Both Lev and I will flank your sides, with Avi at your back. You will see Otherworld creatures. Don’t flinch. Don’t be scared. Don’t look like everything is new, bright, and shiny. You cannot act as if this is the first time you’ve seen supernatural beings. Do you understand?”

  Nodding her head, she takes in a shaky breath.

  “Hope?” I say her name firmly to make my point.

  “Don’t act like a tourist. I’ve got it, Stone,” she bites back.

  “One more thing,” I add, and she rolls her eyes. “Don’t call me Stone while we’re within the walls of a dark realm.”

  “What am I supposed to call you then?” Hope asks me, frowning.

  “My Lord.” Her brows lift. “It’s how others will address me.” I hold my hand out to her, needing her close.

  Hope eyes my outstretched arm sourly.

  “Since you are mortal, I need it to appear as though you are with me,” I explain.

  “With you?”

  “As in, you’re his,” Lev states, and tips his head toward the city. “Let’s go already.”

  Begrudgingly, she slides her hand in mine and interlaces our fingers, squeezing tightly.

  At a quick pace, the four of us make our way to the large, wrought-iron gate. As we approach, three guards perched above us come to life. They stand and unfold themselves, stretching to their full height while casting down cool, dark glares in our direction.

  Collectively they turn into a swarm of dragonflies and dive at us from above.

  Hope flinches next to me and I squeeze her hand to remind her that she can’t act as though she’s afraid. Within seconds, the cloud of humming wings is at eye level with us.

  After a few moments of circling our group, the guards morph back into themselves, blocking the four of us from entering the city.

  “What the hell are those?” Hope whisper-shouts and steps closer to me.

  “A form of deity called inferno furies,” I reply. “They guard the city.”

  “A low form,” Lev growls out, showing his distaste for the sisters.

  “They represent lawfulness by keeping and enforcing order,” I continue.

  “Do I even want to know how they do that?” she says, more to herself than to me.

  “By driving their victims insane,” I answer with a flat tone.

  Hope throws me a sideways nervous glance, which I ignore.

  “Allecto, Tisiphone, Megaera. Lovely to see you again,” Avi greets the goddesses.

  The sisters draw in their bat-like wings, their steel-gray eyes never leaving us.

  Most who are not from our world confuse the furies with Medusa because of their taut, tar-colored skin and wild hair entwined with lifeless serpents. They’re more of a nuisance than anything; they were appointed to their position by my father solely to get them out of his way.

  “Welcome, my Lord,” Allecto purrs and bows. “Avi. Leviathan,” she adds.

  “Ladies, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” I charm, tightening my grip on Hope.

  The furies eye her with an obsessive fascination. One I don’t like.

  “My Lord, you’ve brought a human to the City of Weeping,” Megaera points out.

  “I’m aware.” I offer her a charismatic grin.

  “Since when does the prince of the Circles consort with lessers?” Tisiphone asks.

  “This mortal happens to be an oracle under the protection of the Circles,” I announce. “And—and my love.” I feign adoration, and Hope stiffens next to me.

  The sisters frown at Hope, before shifting their disbelieving gazes in my direction. “My Lord, oracles are not meant for dark souls,” Megaera’s voice is harsh.

  “Tell them you’re with us,” Lev murmurs to Hope, sensing the deities’ distress.

  “He just told them. Why do I have to as well?” she asks.

  “They think we’ve stolen you,” Avi explains. “That we’re forcing you here.”

  “Oh,” Hope replies nervously. “Well, technically, you have.”

  “Hope.” Her name rolls off my lips as a warning.

  “Fine,” she huffs. “If you want me to lie to the old bats, I will.”

  I become rigid. If the furies overheard her, we could all be in a lot of trouble.

  Tisiphone steps closer to us. “Are you here of your own free will, oracle?”

  Hope shifts closer to me, seeking comfort. “Yes, and my name is Hope.”

  Megaera sidles up to her sister. “Why are you here with your . . . love?”

  “My Lord, we have not heard rumors of you finding love,” Tisiphone adds. “It seems odd that word of your newfound dearest hasn’t been sent by your father.”

  Hope looks up at me anxiously, and I force myself to offer her a tender smile.

  “My father’s interests do not include my love life,” I scold the sisters.

  Needing to make this look believable, I lean down and allow my lips to brush the side of her neck. The moment my lips touch her skin, a warm energy floats between us, and her body tenses before relaxing into my touch, goose bumps crawling across her skin. A smile tugs at my lips as her pulse rapidly beats under my lips.

  “Tell them why we are here,” I say, almost inaudibly.

  “We’re here to see Hendrix,” Hope exhales, her voice breathy.

  “What would a human oracle and demon prince want with him?” Allecto asks.

  The demons remain quiet. If we answer, the furies will sense deceit.

  “I’m seeking guidance that only Hendrix can provide,” Hope says.

  A loud shriek emits from Allecto, as if she’s laughing at Hope’s answer. “Humans may not enter the city without a dark soul,” Tisiphone points out.

  “I know,” Hope lies. “That is why I am here with . . .” she trails off, not knowing what to say.

  “The one who has your heart, above all others. Isn’t that right, Hope?” Avi interjects, trying and failing to hide the amused sarcasm in her tone.

  Biting my lip, I hold in a laugh at the ridiculous statement. “My devotion and love for you has no limits,” I say, nudging along Hope’s jawline with my nose. “If it’s Hendrix you want to see, a meeting with him is what I shall grant you, sweetheart.” I lay it on thick.

  Allecto watches us. “You a
re truly in love, then?”

  I lean into Hope’s ear and whisper, “Tell her you love me.”

  Hope clears her throat again, signaling to me that she’s having trouble speaking.

  I lift our entwined hands to my mouth, kissing her fingertips one at a time. “With every fiber of our existence,” I say, looking deeply into her gaze.

  “I’m unconvinced that she isn’t enthralled by demon magic,” Megaera states.

  I’m about to lose my cool and release my demon rage on these nitwits, but Hope’s expression turns seductive and she runs her hands slowly up my chest. My breathing increases with the sensuality she exudes.

  “Baby, are you going to let these old hags speak to me this way?”

  I soften my tone. “Hope, these are furies—”

  “I know what they are,” she replies. “But you promised me a meeting with Hendrix,” she whines, leaning into me as if we’re sharing a secret. “You said if I did that thing you like, you’d bring me to meet him,” she murmurs on a purr.

  Her eyes intensify, waiting for my next move.

  “Hope—” I’m cut off when she presses her lips against mine.

  I haven’t been kissed by a woman in centuries. Normally, I initiate and only take their mouths during a fit of passion, far from being intimate.

  Regardless of the eyes on us, the second Hope’s lips touch mine, an innate desire to claim her mouth roars deep within me. I step into her, grabbing the back of her neck and the small of her back, bringing her flush against me as I dominate the kiss—softly, slowly, sensually.

  Our breathing syncs, and with each motion she melts further into my embrace. An embarrassing moan is ripped from my throat as her arms wrap around my neck, and her fingers thread through my hair.

  I know I should stop, but she tastes and feels so good. Like she belongs to me.

  Beneath my touch, I feel her coming undone, and I push her further to the edge with my assault, rocking my hips into her, craving more. In just seconds, I’ve become addicted.

  There will be no coming back from this.

  Truth be told, I’m not sure I want to. With one kiss, I’m destroyed.

  Somewhere in the far distance, I hear Lev clear his throat and call out to me, breaking the hold Hope has on me. I tighten my grip and rip my lips away from hers, with more harshness than I intend. My gaze falls onto her heaving chest.