by Tia Louise
I look around these frozen, grey woods. Twisted tree limbs look like dragon’s heads, and damp lizards peer down at us through dark green ivy. “You met in the woods on Earth, and she was happy with this?”
“She liked the lake. She liked… being with me.”
My voice is quiet when I ask. “How long were you together?”
Another deep breath. “You do have the most inquisitive mind.” He’s irritated, and I wonder why. “We don’t mark time here the way you do above. Still, I suppose if we did, she would have been with me what you call one hundred years.”
My eyes blink wide. “That’s a very long time.”
“We were very happy.”
Guilt isn’t the correct term for how I feel for Hayden in this moment. It’s more empathy. I know the pain of missing a loved one. My body aches with longing for Koa. I see his green eyes in my sleep, and I dream of his strong arms holding me close, carrying me out of this place.
All at once, my memories are split by a terrifying snarl. Out of nowhere the heart-stopping noise of a roaring growl rips through the silent woods.
“Hayden!” I scream, but it all happens so fast.
A horrible, three-headed beast with blazing red eyes races out of the gloom. I run to a tree. It’s nearly on me, and the noise of teeth champing is right behind me.
“NO!” I scream again, bracing for the ripping pain of a bite. I’m close to shifting as I push my feet against the tree trunk, climbing fast. More growls and snapping. It’s my worst nightmare — a pack of wild dogs.
Grasping at a limb, I don’t care what I might touch. I have to get higher. The thing’s breath is at my heels, and I hear the loud scratch of its huge claws as it tries to climb after me.
Through the din, Hayden’s voice is a sharp command. “Cerberus, HEEL!”
At once the violence stops. My entire body is shaking. I still hear heavy breathing and low rumbles of the monster’s growls as it exhales, but I’m high in the black tree looking down on the gruesome, three-headed dog.
“Stop this,” Hayden soothes, sliding his pale hand down one sleek black head. The heads are compact and square like a Rottweiler’s, as is the body. The entire thing is black and sleek, and murder burns in its eyes.
“She’s your new mistress,” Hayden continues, walking to where I’m hiding in the tree. “Come down, darling. He won’t hurt you now.”
“No, thank you.” I push my feet against the limbs and move higher in my perch. The horrible beast’s tail slashes around it like a whip, and its long claws are out as it stamps its feet in impatience.
“Mercy, I said he won’t harm you. Come down.”
“I’m not coming down until it’s gone.”
Hayden stands for a moment looking up at me in his black armored suit, black robe and bone crown with the hound of hell at his side. I am utterly terrified. Finally, he relents.
“Cerberus, go.” He commands the thing in a casual voice, and it immediately responds, dropping two of the heads before turning with a slash of that whip-tail and bounding away.
I stay in the tree several moments longer watching and listening. Hayden’s eyes have never left me.
“Will you come down now?” He asks gently. “I forgot cats and dogs don’t mix.”
Relaxing my grip on the limbs, I slowly make my way down. The dress is ripped, and black smudges like soot are on my feet and thighs from my climb.
“I wouldn’t call that thing a dog.” I grumble once my feet touch the ground.
“I probably should have warned him you were coming.”
If that’s a joke, I’m not laughing. I feel like I’ll be sick from the residual panic and fear. “I want to go back to the castle.”
He sighs and holds a hand out in the direction we came. I walk quickly ahead of him the entire way. We don’t speak, and I know he’s watching me. My breath is fast, and the quick pace of my stride helps with my jumping nerves.
Only my mind can’t relax. All I can think of is Koa facing that thing, and what a fool I was to think Hayden wouldn’t have guards and creatures to protect him here.
Getting out of this place just got a million times harder.
Deep Magic
Koa
Time is passing. Every time I awake, my companion is with me speaking about things I don’t understand. He asks me each day if I remember why I’m here, and he’s always happy when I can’t recall who I am or why I’m in this hole. Rubbing my face, my beard is longer.
“How long have I been here?” I ask in the darkness.
“Time doesn’t exist here,” he rasps. “You’ve lost the grip of mortality.”
I’m losing my grip on sanity, but I struggle to hold on. “If we counted days, how long would you say?”
“I’ve been here forever, panther.”
A knot forms in my throat at his reply. “Are others here with us?”
“Others come, others go. I’m never alone for long.”
His non-answers make me insane. I’ve got to try a different approach. “What do you do for fun, Poppy?”
“Fun?” It’s a high rasp, almost a laugh. Then he mutters under his breath, his voice scratching in that way that makes me want to clear my throat. “No one’s ever asked me that before.”
“Before you came to this place, what were you? What did you do?”
“I told you. I’ve always been here.”
“In this cave?”
I feel movement around me, close by my head. It causes me to flinch. “A cave…” He seems to be pondering the words. “You think this is a cave?”
“What is it?”
“We’re in your mind.”
Fear twists my insides. Visions of being underground, of being buried alive tighten my throat. Have I gone crazy? I’m sure I’m still sitting, but I move my arms for the first time in what seems like a long time. Touching my body, I feel jeans on my legs. I’m wearing a thin shirt and a leather jacket.
Spanning my arms to the sides, I reach around in the darkness, but I don’t feel anything. I don’t encounter any boards or bodies. Putting my hands down beside me, I touch the cold, damp earth. I still hear the trickle of water as if running down the side of a cave.
“You’re in my mind?” I ask, needing clarification. “So you don’t exist?”
“Oh, I exist.” His voice has become a hiss. “Soon you’ll no longer exist. You don’t even remember who you are. Eventually, you’ll stop fighting the inevitable.”
Full-on panic hits me then. I reach for my jacket, feeling the chest, pockets. Something must be in it to tell me who I am. I’ll see it, and I’ll remember. I know I will.
Empty. My pockets are empty. Poppy’s soft chuckle is in my ears, and I know he’s watching me.
A low growl comes from deep in my belly. Feeling inside the coat, I find it has small pockets against my chest.
“Ha!” My breath gushes out as I make contact with something hard in one of them. Pulling it out, it’s a small vial. By the way it feels and its rubber cap… My hope falters. It’s useless.
“FUCK!” I shout, and Poppy laughs more. His sickening cackle almost pushes me over the edge.
“I already checked your pockets, panther.”
I hate his disembodied voice. I want to kill him. I’m about to throw the small vial across the dark hole when I feel a strange urge. Running my fingers over the glass, it’s as if a voice is telling me to do something. I hear nothing but the trickle of water and the rasp of my companion. Still, I’m being implored. It doesn’t make sense. At the same time, none of this makes sense.
Hesitating, I try to look around once more. I don’t know if this is Poppy manipulating my mind again or if it’s something else. It feels different from Poppy’s influence. Using the edge of my fingernail, I flick off the black cap and drink it fast.
“What are you doing?” For the first time, I hear fear in my companion’s voice.
Flashes of light go off behind my eyes. I see sunlight hitting the waves of w
ater. I see a body, the beautiful pearl-white of a smile. Dark hair sweeps around my shoulders in waves. I inhale the scent of fresh air and warm woods. Mercy.
My strength comes back in a rush. Blinking hard, I can see. Grey light reveals I’m not in a cave. I’m sitting in a burned-out wood with my back against the damp trunk of a tree.
Movement whispers above me, and I lift my chin. I shout when my eyes clash with pale ones just over my head. He’s wrapped around the tree above me like a snake, and one hand is stretched out, touching my head. Reflexively, I slap his arm away, and I see long claws retract from my skull. A whisper moves through my hair as his long talons release my brain.
I’m on my feet at once facing him. “What kind of demon are you?” I growl, ready to rip him limb from limb.
“Only the demon sent to guard you.” He draws back and quickly slithers into the branches above. “Goodbye, panther.”
Lunging forward, I try to grab his retreating tail, but I’m too late. He’s gone in the darkness of the branches, most likely all the way to the top. It’s a massive elm.
“I’m Koa!” I shout after him. “Tell your master I’m here, and I’m coming for her.”
No use hiding it. Clearly, Hayden already knows I’m here if he’s sent his slaves to hold me. Shaking away the fog in my brain, I remember him standing on the side of the river watching as I drank. I remember his sinister smile. Yes, he knows I’m here, and he thought he’d beaten me.
The small vial is still in my hand, and I look down at it. It was in my jacket pocket… Doris. If I ever get back, that old lady has a lot of explaining to do. For now, I’ve got to find Mercy. I don’t know how much time I’ve lost, and I don’t know how I’ll find her. At least I know I’m on the right track.
Pausing before I run, I think hard, hoping to send a message: I’m here, Mercy. I’m coming for you, my love. Don’t give up. I have to believe she can hear me.
* * *
Mercy
The light never changes in this place, no sunrise or sunset. I never know if it’s day or night. I have no idea how much time is passing. It feels like weeks.
My body grows tired as if by habit after hours of wakefulness, then I sleep. I open my eyes to find I’m in the same dim gloom. I’m starting to think I’ll go mad before Koa ever finds me — is he even still searching? Did he try to find me and Cerberus killed him?
Desperation tightens my chest, and I have to get out of this room. Ripping my covers back, I jump out of the enormous bed and throw open the black doors, running down the hallway to the top of the stairs.
“You let Persephone go home!” I shout at him.
Heavy wooden bannisters lead down to an expansive room with two chairs in front of a massive fireplace. I hold the thick railing as I make my way down to where Hayden stands at an impossibly tall window topped with a pointed arch.
“Persephone nearly drove me insane.” He crosses his arms, and for the first time, he’s not wearing the armor.
“Where have you been?” My eyes fly over his clothes.
He’s dressed in a tailored black shirt and slacks like he used to wear at dinner. It’s topped with a red velvet jacket tied at the waist, and his nails are trimmed and glossy pale, not black and pointed.
“I had business above ground. Nothing to worry your beautiful head about, my queen.”
Koa. My throat tightens, and I’m sure whatever his business was, it had to involve my panther. Keep calm. What do I want to know?
“What did Persephone do that drove you insane?” My voice is still demanding, and he actually laughs.
“There she is.” Walking to where I stand at the foot of the stairs, he lifts a lock of my hair, letting it slip through is long fingers. Pale blue eyes linger on my breasts before rising to mine, and I see desire in his. “I’ve been waiting for my strong girl to resurface.”
Inhaling slowly, I move past him to the dark fireplace. “Why do you have fireplaces and no fire?”
He’s still standing at the foot of the stairs watching me. “They’re esthetically pleasing to me.”
I look down and realize I’m only wearing the thin, beige sheath I slept in. It’s essentially transparent, and I burn with shame. Hayden’s lust is not what I want. Pulling my hair over my shoulders, I use it to cover my dark nipples.
“Tell me why you let her go back please.” My voice is softer, less demanding. I’m still facing the fire, keeping my back to him.
“For starters, she wasn’t very smart.” He’s behind me now. “It’s unfortunate wit can sometimes skip a generation.”
“Maybe if you didn’t make a blanket decree, you could get to know someone like you did with Cora. Find a girl who actually wants to be with you.”
“That’s not how it works!” he suddenly shouts. “I’m the Prince of Darkness. Someone injures me, someone is made to pay.”
Or several someones. My anger matches his, and I jerk my chin at him. “It sounds like you’re the unintelligent one.”
He takes a step forward, and my chest clenches with fear. Blue fire burns in his eyes as he gazes down. “Don’t test me, Mercy. I will allow certain things for a season, but I am not a patient man.”
I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it’s caught. I’m caught, and I tremble before his wrath. His jaw is clenched, and I see the intent in his eyes. A shiver moves through my body, and I know he wouldn’t back down from rape.
“I’m cold. I’m going to my room.”
He doesn’t move, and I cower back, turning quickly and running up the stairs. I don’t know how much longer I can do this. If Hayden tries to force me, I’ll fight him. I don’t know where that will leave me. I don’t know how far he’ll go to break me.
* * *
Koa
My running finally slows to a walk as I reach the edge of the forest. A tall castle rises in front of me against the grey gloom. It’s shadowy with pointed spires and tall windows that twist into pointed arches.
It’s his castle, and it’s unguarded, which makes me even more cautious. If he doesn’t think he needs a guard, I’d better be on my toes. Asphodel crush beneath my boots, and I wish I were armed. I don’t have anything to use as leverage. I don’t know what I’m even planning here.
Doris talked about deep magic and our bond. Is it written somewhere that I can take her back on love alone? I only know of one myth where a man was permitted to take his loved one back from the underworld, and it ended badly.
Standing before the tall, wooden door, I turn the round handle and push. No surprise it opens slowly. It’s so quiet. The hall I’m in is dark with the only light coming from blue flames in small lanterns. The flames feel cold on my skin, but I don’t waste time studying them. I continue until I reach a large open room.
I’m facing an enormous fireplace with two chairs in front of it. Two heavy wooden staircases lead down to it from opposite ends. Looking up, I see the stories rise high on either side. Everything rises to a sinister point.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come.” Hayden’s calm voice snaps me to attention.
I take a step back, assuming a defensive pose as he steps around one of the chairs to the center of the room. I now realize he had been off to the side, standing at one of the tall windows.
“Where is she?” My voice is a low vibration in the quiet.
“My queen has retired to her bedroom. You just missed her, actually.”
Anger twists in my chest. “She’s not your queen. Mercy belongs to me.”
“You belong to me.” His eyes flash blue. “All murderers have their place with me in the underworld.”
“I’m not dead, I’m alive. I’m here through the rift in the worlds, and I’m taking Mercy back.”
“A murderer walks into the castle of Hades. He demands his bride and a pardon.” A mocking grin is on his lips. “It’s not so funny, is it?”
“Mercy belongs to me. Our blood has bonded. She’s my mate.”
“Too bad for you. The High C
ouncil says she belongs to me.”
“No one can give her to you if we’re bonded. You’ve been using an old grudge to punish her family for generations. You don’t even care anymore about your lost mate. It’s a game of spite for you.”
He folds his arms and walks to the fireplace. I watch his elegant moves. He’s dressed in black slacks and a black tailored shirt with a blood-red jacket on top. It’s belted like a smoking jacket.
“Only one part of what you say is true. I don’t miss my lost mate as much as in the beginning. Mercy’s aunt Cora eased that initial pain.” I start to speak, but he continues. “However, she’s gone, and I will have a wife. Mercy pleases me.”
“Mercy is MINE!” I shout, hoping she’ll hear me.
Rushing forward, I reach for Hayden’s throat, but his hands rise at the same time, meeting mine.
We hit each other with a CRASH! like granite meeting limestone. He’s immortally strong, but my strength is equally impressive. Our hands are clasped, and I’m pushing against him. Eyes flash, green striking blue. We both growl, hot breath rising between us in this battle of wills.
I push against his arms, and desperation fleets across his face. In that moment, I realize my advantage. I’m grasping his wrists. He can’t conjure or even signal his minions. I could defeat him this way.
ROAR! From the depths of my soul, I shout as I rip his arms down, hoping to pull them from his body. A yell of pain tears from his throat, and satisfaction rises in my chest. Suffer, motherfucker. I want to see you bleed. I want to be the panther who sees you die.
Just then, a noise changes everything.
“Koa?” It’s Mercy’s voice — muffled, but coming from above.
I’m distracted, but with all my strength I throw Hayden hard against the wall. His head hits the stone with a sickening CRACK! and I’m sure he’s down for the count.
“Mercy?” Looking up, I start for the staircase. I don’t know where in this castle she might be, but I plan to find her and carry her out of this hell.
I’m running for her voice when WHAM! I’m hit with a flash of energy so hard it knocks me to my knees at the foot of the stairs.
