by Kristen Day
My attention was caught by a small shadow that drifted downward; gently sinking like a feather in the wind. The closer it got, the brighter it became. It shone bright aqua; pulsing and flashing silver beams from its depths. No longer a shadow, the bright ball of light halted right above my chest. I looked on, mesmerized, as it began to spin at an incredible speed. Completely entranced, I almost missed the moment when it plunged into my body with an immense explosion, sending me spiraling down, down, down….
I hit the marsh with incredible speed, and allowed my body to float back up to the surface on its own. Once my face broke the surface, I sucked in a breath of oxygen and let out an exasperated cry of joy. Everything was brighter, sharper. I could distinguish each individual aroma drifting along the breeze and discern the smallest of sounds; easily pinpointing where they had originated. I kicked to the side of the marsh and lifted myself up onto the bank. As I looked back at the waterfall, the same thick fog clung to its waters, keeping it hidden. Glancing back once more at the thick fog, I turned my attention to the next obstacle. Getting home.
I knew that Nadia would be looking for me, which meant I needed to get out of there as fast as possible. I took off in a sprint along the banks of the marsh; picking up the pace as the River of Forgetfulness flowed gently to my right. If the map I had memorized in my head was correct, once the River of Fire was visible on my right, I would be nearing the Groves as well as the Gates of Horn and Ivory. I could have run for miles without becoming winded, as my newfound strength coursed through me and recharged my muscles every several minutes. As the heat of the River of Fire swelled up beside me, I spotted the Groves on my left. I only slowed when I reached the mouth of a towering white arch. It reminded me of the arch in St. Louis that I had seen pictures of. It was a pearly white, smooth stone and stood impossibly high. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure I hadn’t been followed, when I saw a small tree on the outskirts of the Groves. Deep red fruit hung from its branches. Pomegranate.
Without hesitation, I jogged over to the tree and quickly picked one of the lower hanging pomegranates from a branch. The round fruit fit perfectly in my palm as I clutched it carefully and ran back to the Gate. As I stood before its grandeur, I wished for some kind of instruction or a hint as to what to do next. Did I just walk through it? Did I need to say something? Had Carmen and Phoebe made it through without an issue?
“You have succeeded,” a velvety voice stated simply. Persephone, in all her glory, had appeared directly in front of me; creating a barrier between me and the Gate. “What do you plan to do with your newfound essence?”
“I’ll become the rightful Leader of the Tydes,” I proclaimed with an inner pride.
She nodded, “Your destiny.”
“That’s right,” I held her gaze.
“If that is so, young goddess, then why do you feel the need to take back a souvenir?” She sneered at the hand that held the pomegranate.
“It’s just…insurance,” I stumbled, and she chuckled softly.
“You would give up everything…” She shook her head at me in disappointment, “Then you are a fool. No man is worth any level of sacrifice. Not even Finn.” My heart jumped at his name. She sensed my surprise and smiled wickedly. “Love is a figment of your imagination. It isn’t real, sweet Anastasia. We create love. Love destroys us. The end.”
“Real love is worth any sacrifice,” I countered. “My heart goes out to you and to the sacrifice you were forced to make.”
“And yet you consider making the very same sacrifice. Voluntarily.”
“If it comes to that.”
“I find your idealistic view endearing; however you will find that there is no love greater than self. We are selfish beings who will always put ourselves first when presented with the choice. You are no exception, Anastasia.”
“Have you ever been in love?” I inquired with genuine curiosity.
“Yes,” she retorted as her golden eyes hardened. “And it destroyed me. Now leave.” She narrowed her eyes at me and I knew that I had outstayed my welcome. I was also eager to get back to my body and to find Finn. I could only hope that I still had enough time.
“Thank you, Persephone,” I obliged gratefully. Her face softened and she disappeared without another word.
I turned my attention to the Gate towering above me. I decided that the best plan of action was to simply walk through it and let it take me where it may. Fearlessly, I strode beneath the looming arch. As I stepped onto the cusp, the smooth white stone above disappeared and I found myself in the middle of a field of wildflowers. A light breeze lifted my hair and flowed over my skin.
The soft smell of lavender soothed me as I turned slowly; taking in my new surroundings.
A small girl suddenly appeared in front of me. Her thick blonde hair hung over her face as her blue eyes widened in fear. As she struggled to lift her arms, the sun glinted off of the gun that she gripped tightly. As she met my surprised gaze, she pointed it directly at me. I recognized her wrinkled pink shorts and stained white shirt, but the image on the underside of her left wrist cemented my assumptions.
“Hannah,” I said calmly. “Put down the gun.”
“No,” she insisted, lifting the gun higher. A paralyzing fear crept up my spine as I realized that she could pull the trigger at any moment. Was she real? Was the gun real?
“It’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be alright,” I promised her in a soothing tone.
“Liar!” she screamed at me; jostling a memory of Natasha’s wise words. ‘ Do not lie to yourself’. I sighed and tried a different approach; brutal honesty.
“You’re right. That is a lie. It’s not alright. It’s not okay. Things are going to get worse; much worse. You’re going to be scared. You’re going to want to die. You’re going to want to give up.” As she listened to my words intently, she began to lower the gun so I continued. “But, you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’re going to make it. And trust me when I tell you that you’re worth the fight.”
She stared at me in disbelief for a moment more, and then dropped the gun and ran into my arms. As I wrapped my arms around her, she disappeared and I was below the Gate once more. The smooth, white stone had morphed into an arch of horns. I smiled to myself and took the next step.
I gasped for air and began to cough uncontrollably as a wave of nausea crashed over me.
“Get her some water!” I heard Natasha shout at someone. Her voice softened as I sensed her lean over me. She placed a cold wash cloth on my forehead and stuck something under my nose that smelled of garlic. It instantly calmed me and erased the nausea twisting within my stomach. I slowly opened my eyes.
“Natasha?”
“I’m here, dear,” she answered tenderly. I didn’t miss the smile in her voice.
“I did it,” I breathed in relief. She chuckled and helped me sit upright as I drank from the glass of water Liam had handed her. It felt amazing to my throat, which had swallowed at least two gallons of black soot. I pulled up my shirt to inspect the stab wound in my stomach, only to realize that it had closed and was only a tender pink scar. The scratches down my arms and legs were also in the process of healing.
“How’d that happen?” I said under my breath. The answer came to a screeching halt just inside the doorway as Willow let out a squeal and she throttled herself towards me.
“Oh Stasia! You made it!” She held on to me tightly. “I was so worried! Did you go over the waterfall? Did you complete your essence?”
“I did it,” I grinned weakly. “I also met my mother.”
“That’s what Phoebe said!” She jumped up and down and hugged me again, as my thoughts went to my other roommates.
“So they’re okay?” I asked, hopeful that Carmen had returned to normal once she had awakened in her body.
She nodded solemnly, but Liam frowned in frustration and gave me the somber news, “Phoebe’s fine - she’s resting in another room. But Carmen is...troubled.” My
heart squeezed as I remembered her blank, lifeless eyes staring into the distance.
“I don’t know what happened. Something got her and wouldn’t let go,” I voiced my thoughts.
“She’s in there somewhere. We’ll find her,” Natasha smiled encouragingly. “Ricker flew in to be with her, but she’s still not talking.” If both Liam and Natasha were here, did that mean…?
“What day is it? What time is it?” I shrieked as I jumped off the table. “I need to get to Finn!”
“Take it easy, Stasia,” Natasha grabbed my arm and steadied me before I fell against a cabinet. “You’ve made it back just in time. It’s only 11:00pm.”
“11:00?!” I shrieked again, “That’s not just in time! I’ll never make it!” Tears began to build behind my eyes and my legs started to shake.
“You underestimate me, Anastasia,” Natasha grinned at me with a twinkle in her eye. “You should never underestimate a witch.”
“Never,” I promised her, and secured the pomegranate in my left hand.
Chapter 40
Before changing into a pair of clean jeans and a black hoodie, I did what I could to scrub off the black soot from the Underworld as Natasha brought me up to speed on Phoebe’s condition. She was perfectly healthy except for a touch of exhaustion and anxiety. Natasha had worked up an herbal remedy that would keep her in a deep sleep until her body and mind were able to recover. She wanted to be careful with Phoebe’s state of mind, considering the condition of Carmen’s. Willow and Ricker were tending to her, but she was still unresponsive. Willow was working her healing magic and Liam was working on a couple remedies to try, so Natasha remained optimistic; but I had the feeling that she was only trying to prevent me from worrying.
She led me out to the grand parlor and turned to face me abruptly, “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” I declared.
“Then close your eyes.” I did as she instructed. Without a word, she placed her hands in mine. I began to feel a modest spinning sensation as a cool wind blew up around us. I peeked out of one curious eye and instantly wished I hadn’t. The air wasn’t blowing or spinning. We were. A continuous blur of colors wrapped around us and the ground beneath our feet was no more. I closed my eyes and held onto Natasha for dear life. For the sake of my nerves, I was glad when I felt solid ground beneath my feet and Natasha released my hands.
“We have arrived,” she announced joyfully. I cautiously peeked out of one eye and glanced around timidly before opening the other. We stood on a rocky beach full of boulders; the largest of which were taking the full force of the ocean’s fury. The sea spray showered over us and I tilted my face up, welcoming its cooling mist. The proximity to the ocean felt like coming home. It filled me with the reassurance and happiness that I had greatly missed while in the Underworld.
As a smile spread across my face, I felt a trace of warm darkness wrap around me and my heart stopped. Finn.
“As long as you’re with me we shouldn’t have a problem getting into the coliseum, but we may have to improvise in order to get you close enough to Finn.” I patted my jacket pocket where I had hidden the pomegranate and nodded in agreement.
I followed her up the rocky beach towards a large cliff that towered high into the night sky.
Unsure as to how we were going to scale the massive rock face, I was extremely relieved when I spotted what looked to be a tunnel. It was an unassuming arched entrance about ten feet wide and eight feet tall.
“This is the back entrance,” Natasha whispered to me; her eyes fixed up ahead of us. The back entrance? What I thought had been a rock face was actually the back side of the coliseum that I had seen in my vision. As we made our way through the dim tunnel, we began to hear voices up ahead and Natasha whispered to me over her shoulder.
“I think your best bet is to stay on this main level. I’m allowed one visit before the fight starts. You’ll follow me to his room, but the security will be extremely heavy, so you’ll need to make sure you are not seen. They will keep him there until the beginning of the fight,” she glanced down at her watch, “which is in fifteen minutes. He’ll be escorted to a platform, where he’ll wait for the signal to enter the arena.”
“Okay.” Knowing what was at stake, I had to deliberately calm down my frantic thoughts and shaking legs.
“Once on the platform, he’ll be alone for only a couple of minutes. That might be your only chance.” She took my hands in hers, “Good luck, dear. And remember, if you are unable to convince him, do not feel guilty about his sacrifice. My son’s happiness is all that matters to me; not the Prime position, not the Underworld, not even the Sons. He loves you. You make him happy.” Tears collected in her bright blue eyes.
“Thank you so much, Natasha,” I hugged her fiercely, “for everything.”
“Time to go,” she smiled, as she smoothed out her clothes and took a deep breath. I nodded as I began to follow her down the tunnel. We veered to the left, and I could just make out a larger room up ahead. Natasha put her hand up to signal for me to stop, so I pressed my body against the rock wall and looked on in silence as she continued. Two men dressed in black suits stepped forward, seemingly out of nowhere. They nodded respectfully to her.
“Welcome, Natasha,” one of the men greeted her. “Finn is awaiting your arrival.”
“Thank you,” she obliged. The two men stepped aside and I leaned forward slightly in order to see Natasha open a thick wooden door, slip inside and close it behind her. I leaned back against the wall and scanned the tunnel for any nook or cranny that would fit a person. I couldn’t very well lean up against the wall while they escorted him out to the arena.
Several yards away, there was a crack in the wall where I thought I might be able to squeeze myself into. Wryly, I thought the fact that I hadn’t eaten in at least twelve hours should help. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled loudly. The acoustics within the stone tunnel were not conducive to someone who did not want to be seen or heard. I inspected the crack in the wall and decided I could fit. I turned sideways and shimmied my body inside. It was extremely uncomfortable, considering that several stones were sticking into my back and legs, but it worked.
After about five minutes crammed into the crack of the wall, I had begun to develop a fear of small spaces. I held my breath as I heard a click and then soft footsteps coming down the hall.
Natasha padded by, tears streaming down her face. As silence fell over the tunnel once again, my stomach became one big ball of nerves and my forehead broke out in a cold sweat. I closed my eyes and tried to take several deep breaths, but it did little to calm me. I had no idea how I intended to pull this off. Even if I somehow made it to the platform, I had only minutes to convince him not to deny everything he’d worked for up to this point.
“Let’s do this,” the sound of Finn’s voice created an explosion of emotions that rocked me to the core. Tears sprung to my eyes, as it took everything I had not to run to him and throw my arms around him. As their footsteps echoed off the tunnel walls, adrenaline began to pump through my veins and all of my already heightened senses became alerted. The world stopped once I caught a glimpse of his handsome face as he walked by with the two men in black suits. They were explaining to him what would happen next.
“…your axes are in the arena and you will wait until given the signal to enter…”
I shimmied back out of my crack in the wall and instantly took a deep breath. I made a mental note not to make a habit out of hiding in cracked walls. I looked back towards the direction they had come to make sure the coast was clear. Then I crouched down and followed the sound of their voices. As we rounded a corner I began to hear the crowd above. The rhythmic pulse of their stomping feet matched my own beating heart and I felt each stomp deep within as it sent pulses through my body. Their chanting voices reminded me of my vision as a blast of light filled the corridor. I peeked around the wall to see Finn’s dark figure standing alone on a black raised platform; the sounds of the arena beckoning to hi
m from only feet away. Wearing black shorts and no shirt, he matched the image I had seen. His hands were at his sides, wrapped in his signature leather gloves.
The immense sound became deafening as the crowd became more impatient. Knowing that I didn’t have much time, I decided to move.
I looked around quickly to make sure that no one else was around, and then stepped around the corner towards the platform. Right before I got to the three small steps leading up to him, a loud horn sounded from the arena and Finn began to walk into the arena. With my heart in my chest I leapt up the steps; missing one and crashing down onto my knees.
“Finn!” I shouted out to him, but the sound of the crowd drowned out my cries. I watched in quiet horror as another figure began to walk towards Finn from the other side of the arena. Maddox.
Also wearing black shorts, his strong chest tensed with each step he took. I scrambled to my feet and pressed my back to the wall, peering out of the doorway. The height of the arena was dizzying, and it was packed to capacity with cheering Sons. The bright lights I had seen in my vision were shining down onto the black circle Maddox and Finn now stood in. They halted their steps and silently nodded their heads at each other respectfully.
Maddox’s dark face was serious and menacing as he fixed his eyes on Finn’s. They looked very similar, although Maddox’s features were slightly harsher. His blue eyes flashed as another horn sounded and the crowd erupted. Confusion swept over me as I tried to figure out why Finn hadn’t stopped the fight yet. Was he waiting until he killed Maddox? My thoughts were interrupted by a shrill bell that signaled the beginning of the fight. They immediately knelt in a defensive stance and began to circle one another. Finn was the first to lunge at Maddox; immediately connecting his punch to Maddox’s jaw. Unphased, Maddox punched Finn in the stomach; pulling his head down and kneeing him in the chest. With a pained expression, Finn straightened and lunged again. Punch after punch was thrown until they were both bleeding and bruised. Maddox’s left eye had swollen almost completely shut and Finn’s lip was gushing blood. I realized that they both healed extremely fast, which must be part of the difficulty of the fight. Finn connected one last punch, sending blood flying from Maddox’s nose. I cringed as he fell to the ground and then immediately hopped back up to his feet.
