by Leia Shaw
“And Gaia? How does she fit in?”
He snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath. “I’m hoping if she sees what I’ve done for her daughters, she’ll put in a good word for me to Ares.”
And Samantha was ruining his only chance in almost two hundred years. The blood drained from her face. She didn’t often indulge in the feeling of guilt. No one else around her cared enough to feel bad for what they did, why should she? And now she understood why so many ignored it. She swallowed the lump in the back of her throat. Guilt tasted like shit.
“Listen,” she said, folding her fidgety hands. “I can try to contact Gaia for you but I can’t promise she’ll hear me.”
Geo’s brows descended. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s not like a cell phone. I can’t just dial her up and expect her to answer.”
He stared at her dumbly and she realized he probably had no idea what a cell phone was.
“But you’re one of her daughters,” he persisted. “Certainly she hears your prayers?”
You’d be surprised. “Yes. Of course,” she lied. “I just…I can’t make any guarantees, that’s all. But I’ll do my best.” And she would.
He smiled and it broke her heart. “That’s all I’m asking.”
Well, if the Underworld Games didn’t kill her, Geo probably would. Maybe he’d have mercy on her and let Nikki go. After all, it wasn’t Nikki who’d misled him.
Geo picked his hunting knife up off the ground and gave her a grim look. “Come here.”
Her throat constricted. Could he hear her thoughts? Did he know she was lying to him?
He cracked a smile. “Why do you look so worried? I just want to feed you.”
She exhaled a relieved breath. Maybe she’d steal that knife before he found out about her non-existent relationship with Gaia. Of course that still left him with the giant sword that could slice her in two with one swipe. Maybe she’d use the classic distract and run technique. That had gotten her out of a jam or two in the past.
Geo reached over the fire to cut off pieces of the meat. His muscles glowed ominously in the firelight. No, she’d never outrun him. Perhaps she could bribe the dog-beast to take her side.
“We’ll save the bone for Erebus,” he said.
Damn it!
“What’s the matter?” He arched a brow. “Not hungry?”
Oh right. He was carving the...pretend it’s turkey...and she was rather hungry. “Um, nothing. I’m coming.” She scooted across the wooden floor to sit beside him.
He took a piece between his fingers. “It’s a little juicy. Here. Open.”
He was going to hand feed her? Her stomach grumbled. Oh, what the hell! She opened her mouth and he slid a slice of meat in. If that had been a chocolate strawberry instead of a chunk of unidentifiable Underworld animal, she’d call this a date gone right. To her surprise, it wasn’t terrible tasting. A little like chicken.
Three more bites then she looked up through their ghetto skylight. Stars sparkled above them. Just a few but…
“Hey. That almost looks like –”
“It is.” Geo put down his knife and sat cross-legged beside her. She was hyperaware of their thighs touching. “That’s your sky. Once in a while the veil is thin enough to see it.”
“Huh.” She smiled, gazing up at the familiar sight. “It reminds me of home.”
***
Me too.
And he couldn’t believe he’d told her about home. Well, some of it. The parts he wasn’t as proud of he’d left out. Like his nickname, The Bastard of War. And that his father chose the Underworld instead of banishment to earth because he thought Geo needed toughening up. His mother had influenced him more than Ares approved of. Geo was a constant disappointment as a child. So Ares had taken him to Mount Olympus to train with his military. Through the often cruel lessons he’d hardened somewhat. He’d learned to defend and to kill, which pleased Ares. But he didn’t love war like his brothers. He didn’t relish in it and crave it like his father. Though the Underworld had taught him it was sometimes necessary to be callous to survive, he’d never be what Ares wanted.
“Do you miss home?” Geo asked Sam, finishing the last bite of meat.
Her shoulders slumped. “Not much to miss.”
Sad, sweet girl. What could be so bad on earth that she didn’t miss it after two days in this horrible place? “You have no family aside from your sister?”
“Oh, I do. A human mother, a warlock father, three rowdy brothers and my sister, Nicole. Except her, I hate them all.”
“Hate? But they’re your family.” Parents were the only people required to love and accept you from the moment you were born. It wasn’t fair that so many, like Samantha, experienced their first taste of betrayal at such a young age.
“They don’t know the meaning of family,” she spat. “My dad refused to come here, you know. He found out his youngest daughter was missing because of him and you know what he did? Nothing!” He could feel the anger come off her in waves. “No. Wait. He drank himself into a stupor then watched my brothers kick my ass.”
Fire rose in his belly and he ground his teeth together. “What?” The word came out harsher than he’d meant.
Sam flinched and he regretted it. “Um. Well, I got a little pissed when they didn’t seem to care about Nikki and…well…no one in my family is known for their even tempers.” She rubbed a hand absently over her ribs. “The bruises…those are from them.”
Geo counted to ten in his head. When his breathing steadied he said, “Three men against one girl? Cowards.” Without realizing it, he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’m sorry, dove. I wish I could’ve spared you that.”
Her eyes widened a bit when he kissed her hand. Then she recovered with a shrug. “Like I said, nothing to miss there.”
His heart clenched. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, kiss her head, and tell her she’d never be sad again. Every time she frowned, it felt like something reached into his gut and squeezed. His whole existence he’d felt out of place – always a little odd, never truly belonging. But now, something inside him was waking. Instinct had sputtered then roared to life, demanding he keep Samantha safe – that he make her happy. He shifted uncomfortably on the hard ground.
Or maybe he’d gone mad.
“Anyway, my mother is a doormat and I promised myself a long time ago, I’d never end up like her. Like any of them. So I have my five-year plan then my ten-year plan. If I stay focused and work hard then I’ll achieve my dreams. I’ll have a real house. A yard. A husband who adores me and never yells. Kids who I train to use magic responsibly.” She stared ahead, dreamily. “Even the cliché white picket fence. All I’ve ever wanted is to be normal.”
“But you’re not normal, Samantha.” He reached out and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. “You’re extraordinary.” And for the first time ever, Geo wished home was the earth realm and Samantha could be his.
Chapter 10
Samantha woke to hot breath in her ear.
“Erebus. Again?”
A large body stirred beside her. She turned her head. Not Erebus. Geo was snoring, rather loudly, in her ear. And not just that, half his body was sprawled on top of hers. One leg kicked over hers and his arm lay across her stomach, almost as if he were pinning her to their pallet. She shifted a bit to gain some space. She would not acknowledge how her body fit so snugly against his.
After the tender cheek caress last night and the longing look in his eye, she should be far away from the warm cocoon of his arms. Like, another planet away.
She sighed and shook her head. Then he’d called her extraordinary – so fondly, so intimately she’d smiled and leaned into his hand. What was wrong with her? They needed to get to that gate, like, yesterday.
With a grunt, she pushed his heavy body off and slid out from under him. Her stomach growled as she turned a circle in the cabin. Still empty. No demons watching her from the shadowy corners. She let
out a relieved breath then looked for her satchel. God, what she wouldn’t do for a change of clothing right now. At least she could freshen up with some soap and water.
She knelt on the ground and rummaged through her bag. The floor was covered in layers of dirt and grime. And were those spots of blood? She shuddered.
“Morning, dove,” Geo rumbled from behind her.
“Good morning.” Don’t turn around and watch his shirtless body stretch as he wakes up. “I’m going outside to wash up.” She stood and rushed to the door, soap and canteen in her hands.
“Samantha.”
She froze, facing the door. “Yes?”
“Don’t forget to scan.”
“I know.”
The morning went by quickly as they continued their trek through the mountain pass. It was the same routine of walking in silence, except for the occasional comment on scenery or a break for food and water. Only today felt a little different. Something had changed last night. She caught Geo staring at her frequently. He also insisted on helping her over large boulders and slippery slopes, grabbing her hand or lifting her around the waist, his fingers lingering in areas that made her stomach flutter.
More than once she’d scowled and told him to stop. He’d nod his head and appear conflicted for a time, but never failing, at the next tricky spot, he’d assist her again.
It was disconcerting.
They’d been travelling up over a pass between the two peaks for a couple hours and now the last hump was just in front of them. She stumbled a bit when a loose rock moved under her foot. Geo caught her elbow then held it as they walked the final few yards.
“Geo. Seriously, cut it out.” She tried to pull her arm back but he had a grip like steel. “I’ve been through way worse than –”
Her jaw dropped. Below them, the Underworld stretched out like a scene from a movie. But not the kind of movie you’d want to be in – the kind you’d want to be watching from your safe spot on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Cue the grandiose orchestral overture.
To the right, Rheol Haearn stood black as the Underworld night with three tall towers supporting a glass dome. The flat terrain surrounding it was a patchwork of healthy grass and yellow straw, like the ground couldn’t decide if it wanted to live or die. On their left, a murky swamp festered with a low mist hovering over it.
She grimaced. “We don’t have to go through there, do we?”
“No.” Geo pointed straight ahead. “That way.”
Sam zeroed in on their destination. More desert? Her shoulders sagged and she let out a sigh. No sand in this one. Just dry, rocky ground interrupted by the occasional rock outcropping or cactus.
Geo put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s not far. Just beyond those cliffs.”
The ones that looked like tiny ant hills? So damn far. “Kill me now,” she whispered. Maybe she’d throw herself off the mountain with a dramatic “goodbye cruel world!”
Geo smiled then spun her around. “Look how far we’ve come.”
The tall forest they’d run through after the bats had chased them from the tunnel looked like a miniature replica. She could even see the sand dunes far off in the distance.
“Only a few more hours,” he said, giving her shoulders a squeeze.
A few hours. She could make it. Only, she had no idea what to expect once she got there. And she still didn’t have a plan to find or rescue her sister. A few hours and Geo would want his call to Gaia. She stared at the ground as they descended the steep hill toward the desert. He deserved his favor.
Gaia, if you can hear me, give me some sort of sign.
She waited. For what, she had no idea. A bird’s caw. A flash of lightning. A message in a bottle to fall from the sky. Yeah, that’d be nice.
Useless, elusive gods!
They trudged on. Erebus appeared after a bit, carrying an old tennis ball. She and Geo took turns throwing it. Erebus lumbered off, sometimes disappearing into a shadowy overhang. He wasn’t as intimidating in the daylight. He was almost…cute.
She smiled as he trotted to her, tongue hanging out of one side of his mouth, the ball on the other. He dropped it in front of her. She stooped to pick it up then jumped back.
“Ah! Erebus!” She stared at the small skull by her feet. “Gross. That’s not the ball.”
Erebus cocked his head.
Geo laughed. “Go on, boy. Try again.”
The shadow hound looked at her a moment then lunged. She fell back on her ass and Erebus latched onto the satchel hanging off her shoulder.
“Hey!” She yanked on it. “That’s mine!”
He jerked hard and it slipped off her arm. With a playful look in his eye, he ran off with it.
“Erebus!” She scrambled up then started after him. “Get back here!”
She was very much aware of Geo laughing behind her. She’d give him a piece of her mind when this was over.
Erebus could’ve outrun her easily, but he slowed enough that he was always just out of reach. She growled in frustration. “Bad dog. This isn’t funny.”
He was just a few feet in front of her, heading toward a high rocky cliff. A dead end. Perfect. With an evil grin, she pushed her legs faster. His black furry tail was right under her fingertips.
“Gotcha!” She closed her fist around his tail.
Erebus dropped the satchel then leapt toward the cliff, Sam still hanging onto his tail. The world faded and a bitter cold swept through her. Her breath caught in her throat. She was surrounded by darkness. She whipped her head around, looking for any source of light.
“Oh God,” she whispered. Where am I?
She took a tentative step forward and something crunched under her feet. All she could picture was human bones.
Then something glowed in the distance – a faded grayish shape but iridescent against the black. It floated high off the ground in a ghostly way. It weaved through air, coming closer and closer. She gulped. Another came from the right – almost human-like. Then one rose up from the ground just a few yards away. It’s face was gaunt, it’s eyes haunted. A spektor?
Her whole body shook. Oh fuck me! She’d never been so afraid. The death worm seemed like child’s play compared to…whatever the hell this was.
Then a pair of red glowing eyes appeared just in front of her stomach. A low growl started. Erebus? Something shoved her backward. She stumbled, tripped, then fell back…in slow motion. She grabbed at the air for something to hold onto.
A gust of cold hit her body then she landed, hard, on her butt. It was daytime. She looked up at the tall cliff and let out a breath of relief.
Something grabbed her shirt from behind. She gasped as she was pulled to her feet.
A second later, Geo was staring down at her with a terrifying expression. “Never,” he grated, “follow him into the shadows.”
She nodded, trying to calm her pounding heart. “Yeah, I got that.”
He stared at her a moment and she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been worried about her. Finally, he let her go and seemed to relax. “Good. Are you okay?”
“Yes. Just a little shaken.” Had he been there before?
He smirked. “I bet. The Shadowland is not a place for mortals. Well, living ones anyway.”
She rolled her eyes. “I gathered that.”
“Come on.” He picked up her satchel and handed it to her. “Let’s keep going.”
They started back the way they came and headed on the path to the gate once more.
“Didn’t you have pets growing up?” Geo asked after they settled at a steady pace.
“No. Well, my brothers kept poisonous snakes, but I wouldn’t call them pets. They collected their venom. I shudder to think what it was for.” She thought back. “One of them escaped once when I was in high school. I didn’t sleep for a week. They finally found it dead under the trailer. I was so relieved.”
He smiled. “I like hearing your stories. I wish you’d tell me more.”
“Most of th
em are unpleasant. I can tell you someone else’s stories. They’re better. When I studied for a few months with a witch mentor, Selene, I met three girls. One was part demigod, actually. Her name was Athena and she –”
“I don’t want their stories. I want yours.”
She stared down at the ground. “Well, then, there’s nothing to tell.”
They trudged on in silence but she couldn’t help feeling like she’d disappointed Geo. Erebus didn’t return after that so there was nothing to break up the monotony. She didn’t wear a watch and her cell phone certainly didn’t have service, but after what felt like a trillion hours, she finally broke down and asked, “Are we there yet?”
“Does it look like we’re there yet?” Geo answered wearily.
“No.”
“Then we’re not.”
She sighed. She used to say the same thing to her sister.
“How did you get to the Underworld?” he asked, falling back so they were side by side.
“I bought the location to the door then took a train halfway across the country to get to it.” It had taken all her courage to step through the hazy shape and into the new realm.
“What price did you pay for the location?”
With a sly look and an eerie voice, she answered, “My soul.”
His eyes widened.
She laughed out loud. “Oh god! You should see your face!”
He tossed her a dirty look and she choked back her chuckles.
“A greedy warlock with a loose tongue gave it to me for fifty bucks.”
“And Gethin let you in?” He arched a brow in disbelief.
“The creepy dragon? Yeah.” That was something she’d rather not remember. Gethin, the red dragon of Wales, was the guardian of the Underworld door. Dragons were as old as dirt and some of them had gone mad with boredom. Others played games with political figures like puppets for their amusement. Gethin was one of the oldest dragons, and the most dangerous creature she’d ever met. Though he had appeared in human form, power flowed around him, making her hair rise on end. With his yellow flickering dragon eyes and creepy Cheshire cat grin, she’d almost turned back around and gone straight home where her trailer park looked like Leave it to Beaver.
