Rising Sun (The Awakened Trilogy Book 3)

by Amanda Carol

  On the count of three, I want you to throw my bow toward me and duck, I tell him. Do you trust me?

  Without a doubt, he replies immediately.

  One, two, three!

  Ignoring the burning pain, I light the back of the arrow on fire and throw it down the tunnel just as Bennett spins around and tosses my bow. The light from the fire startles the Crocotta long enough for me to catch my bow and nock the arrow as Bennett ducks to the ground. It snarls and lunges at him, but I sink an arrow into its neck and it falls to ground.

  It’s out cold, but not dead yet. I couldn’t get a clear shot to the back of its neck. But at least I was able to stun it long enough for Bennett to move.

  My gaze connects with Bennett’s, and just as he springs up, the light from the fire goes out. Then moments later, the tunnel lights up, revealing Bennett standing over the Crocotta’s body. His dagger is plunged deep into the back of the creature’s neck. Its jaw is unhinged, revealing long, barbed teeth. Its eyes are white—no doubt from the lack of sun—and its body is the size of a small sedan. A shiver runs down my spine just thinking of that thing crawling all around us. I make the mistake of looking at the ground….

  Nope. Human bones are scattered along the floor.

  “You are one ugly-ass dog,” Bennett remarks out loud, looking at the Crocotta in disgust.

  Then he looks up at me. He leaps over the monster carcass and rushes over to me, pulling a small container from his pocket.

  “I brought some Gumba Paste,” he tells me. “I didn’t know if our healing abilities would work or not, so I brought this. But I’m not even sure this will work.”

  He unscrews the lid as I carefully pull my arm out of my shirt, thankful that I’m wearing a tank top underneath. He hands me the container, and I start putting the paste on my arm. He rips the bottom part of his shirt, and when I’m finished putting the Gumba Paste on, he wraps the strip around my arm, covering my wound.

  I smile up at him. “Thanks, Benny.”

  “Anytime.” He ties it tightly, and I put my arm back in my sleeve. “C’mon, let’s keep going.”

  I pick up my bow and we continue to make our way down the dimly lit tunnel. Surprisingly, Bennett hasn’t said much since we killed the Crocotta. It’s a little odd, but I think the both of us are still pretty shaken up by the whole experience. Truth be told, I’m ready to put this memory in a box and lock it up tight, never to think of it again.

  “Do you think Hunter is okay?” I ask, careful not to look down. I made that mistake once; I won’t be doing it again.

  Bennett sucks in a deep breath. “I hope so. It makes you wonder where that thing learned that from. I’d like to think that it just read our minds or something and heard his voice.”

  “Yeah,” I reply, trying not to let it get to me.

  Something ahead catches my eye, and I stop walking.

  “What’s that blue light up ahead?” I ask.

  “You mean violet?” Bennett asks, following my gaze.

  “That’s definitely blue.” I say. The shade looks like the color of Hunter’s eyes when he shifts.

  Bennett shrugs. “Whatever you say, but I see violet.”

  I roll my eyes. “Okay, the color doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

  We jog the rest of the way down the tunnel toward the light. When we get closer, I realize that it’s a room, and in it are two whirlpool-looking things. One looks like dark sludge, and the other is a clear blue color. There are two golden goblets sitting off to the side.

  I pick them both up and read the inscription on the first one. “Souls can be found in the bitter dark, but sweet the taste you’ll find the mark. Answers won’t be found in the light, but the bitterness tip will have no might.”

  “Huh?” Bennett asks.

  Ignoring him, I hold up the other cup. “Fill your cup, but choose wise, or when you jump, you’ll meet your demise.”

  “What in the actual fuck does that even mean?” Bennett scoffs.

  Again, I ignore his commentary as I think about the riddle. This is the tunnel of the senses, and Ares said that not everything is as it seems.

  I lean down and sniff. The light blue whirlpool smells like cotton candy, and the dark…well, that smells like sewage. My brain works on overdrive as I try to figure this out. I read over it again and again, and then it clicks.

  “Souls can be found in the bitter dark. That’s it!” I shout, causing Bennett to jump.

  I grab the cup and dip it into the dark whirlpool.

  “Please do not tell me we have to drink this shit…that literally smells like actual shit.” Bennett scrunches his nose then gags as I hand a goblet to him. “I’m totally going to puke.”

  “Bottoms up.” I tip the goblet at him, then bring it up to my lips and gag as I inhale the contents.

  Much to my shock, when the liquid hits my tongue, it tastes like chocolate. I down the whole thing in one gulp and lick my lips, setting the goblet back down. I look over at Bennett, who is looking at me in absolute disgust.

  “Benny, it’s fine. It tastes—”

  He shakes his head, cutting me off. “No, no, no. Don’t tell me.”

  His pinches his nose and guzzles the dark liquid. I giggle when he repeatedly swallows, still pinching his nose.

  “This isn’t funny, Blondie. I’m seriously trying to keep this actual crap down,” he says, his voice sounding funny from holding onto his nose still.

  He takes a deep breath and removes his hand, and the look on his face is priceless.

  “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t chocolate,” he chuckles.

  I laugh as Bennett steps up to the edge of the dark whirlpool.

  “See ya in hell, buddy!” He salutes me and jumps in with my bow.

  I take a calming breath and jump in after him. Instead of being whisked away in a giant water slide like I expected, I end up being caught by Bennett a few feet down below. He sets me down on shaky legs and I look around, noticing a giant black steel door.

  When we get to the door, I try to turn the handle, but it’s locked.

  “So much for the easy way,” I mutter.

  “The secret of the heart is the key,” Bennett whispers and I look at him.

  He’s fixated on something above the door, so I follow his gaze and notice the golden plaque hanging above it.

  “What does that mean?” I wonder out loud.

  “No idea,” Bennett murmurs.

  I sigh in defeat, slouching against the wall, sliding down onto the floor, and putting my head in my hands. Bennett comes over and sits down next to me, and we just sit there for a few minutes. If we can’t figure this out, then we’re stuck down here and Hunter dies.

  “The secret of the heart….is the key…” Bennett whispers next to me.

  “Yeah, I know what it says.” I say, more harshly than I intended. I lift my head from my hands and look at him. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, but I think I might have figured it out. It needs to be a secret from the heart. Something we haven’t told anyone,” he explains.

  I lift my brows. “Okay. I love Hunter.”

  “That’s not a secret.”

  “Well, I don’t think I have anything else.”

  I wrack my brain, trying to think of something that I haven’t admitted out loud. There isn’t anything that I haven’t shared with Hunter, not since our trip back to Maryland.

  There’s a brief pause, but then Bennett speaks. “I think I might have one. I’m not sure if this will work, but here it goes. Please don’t take this the wrong way…but…I love you.”

  My heart races and I turn my head to look at Bennett. Did he just say what I think he just said?

  He peeks over at me then quickly glances away. “Don’t look at me like that, okay? It’s not what you think. I’m not in love with you, Blondie. Trust me, you and Hunter are perfect for each other and I’ve never had those kinds of feelings for you. But I do love you.” He turns his head bac
k to me, and his amber eyes are glowing slightly. It’s the first time he doesn’t try to hide it. “You’re my second-best friend.”

  I look at him intently. Bennett hides behind his goofy nature, but deep down, he’s a big softie who just wants to be loved. I think that’s why he thinks love isn’t in the cards for him. But I don’t believe that. If there is anyone in this world who deserves to find someone who will love them as deeply as I love Hunter, it’s Bennett. I know he’ll find someone one day, and I have no doubt in my mind that she’s going to be an absolute gem.

  Before I can respond, we hear a loud click, and the door creaks open. We spring up from the ground and stand in front of the door, looking into the heart of the Underworld.

  Standing at the open window, I stare out at the dark clouds that are looming out on the horizon. What started out as warm and sunny is now becoming dark and dreary. I fear that my time is coming sooner than we’d hoped. But I’m holding on for her.

  The light in my life that sets my soul on fire.

  My Aria.

  I close my eyes and breathe in the salty air, thinking of my time in here with her. It wasn’t my first time using Dream Shade, but damn. I never knew it could be that amazing or that intense. I guess it really is different when you use it with someone you truly love. Every touch, every kiss, every sound she made was burned deep in my memory, and if that’s the last thing I remember, then I’ll die a happy man.

  When she spoke to me earlier today, my hand felt warm, and I know that it was her touch that was heating my otherwise cold skin.

  The fire that burns in here is starting to lose its flame, but that’s because my body is literally dying right now. I can feel it starting to get cold, but I hold onto her warmth.

  I step outside onto the grass and walk out to the edge of the cliff. The waves aren’t crashing hard against the rocks like they used to. The waters are calmer now, and less vibrant in color. But I know that when I get back, Aria will paint what she saw here, and I also know that she will capture every color perfectly.

  I sit down and make a promise to myself that one day, Aria and I will make it to the beach. The east coast waters have nothing on the Gulf. I think she would enjoy the warmer water. Or maybe we can take a drive out west and spend some time in California.

  All I’ve been doing in here is thinking about what I’m going to do when I wake up.

  The first thing I’m doing is kissing my girl. Next…

  You know what? No. None of that even matters anymore. What matters is that I’ll be with her.

  Then, after we save the world, she and I can finally sit and talk about our future together.

  The one thing that matters the most to me in this world is Aria’s happiness. I refuse to be another person Aria loses in this world, and I will fight like hell to stay alive as long as I can.

  My chest starts to tighten, and I get this burning sensation in the center, making it hard to breathe. I try to stand up, but I fall to my knees clutching my chest, and when I pull my hand away, I notice that it’s starting to bleed from where the blade is in my body. I look back out toward the horizon, and I see the darkness slowly creeping in.

  “Come on, baby. I’m starting to lose you.”

  Stepping through the door, Bennett and I stop and stare at the sight in front of us. Music is playing in a large room, where a giant gold and black throne is sitting on a raised platform. The floor is pitch black, and tiny little gold flakes shimmer in the yellow lights above. There’s a bridge that hovers over a stream of sorts that flows throughout the room, and it disappears behind a wall. A woman with olive skin and jet-black hair sits on the throne. Her lips are tinted with dark lipstick as she sips on a drink, talking to…is that Aphrodite?

  Yep. That’s definitely Aphrodite. She’s wearing a long dress with a plunging neckline. Ares shimmers in right behind her, hand tangling in the hair at the base of her skull. She bites her lip as he pulls her head back, exposing more of her neck. He leans down and kisses a spot right by her ear as his other hand wraps around the front of her waist, and it rests low on her stomach. His eyes flick up to meet mine, and he winks. I narrow mine at him, pissed that he’s even here. I thought he was supposed to be helping us.

  Ignoring him, I look over to the left and see a man behind the bar, pouring alcohol down a woman’s throat as she lies down in front of him. One leg hangs over the edge of the bar while the other is propped up on the countertop. Her white dress splits down the middle as the man glides his hand up her calf, then deftly to the apex of her thighs. She swirls her hips, her back arching up off the counter, and her arms go up toward her head, running her fingers through her blonde hair. She turns her face to us, and her eyes….one is ice blue, while the other is completely white. She bites her lip and beckons us over.

  The man at the bar follows her gaze and smirks, then his eyes roll up as he tosses his head back, a look a pure pleasure on his face. After a moment he looks down and his lips move, but I can’t make out what they say. Then two women pop up from behind the bar. A woman with reddish-brown hair in a black dress turns, wiping her mouth. The other, a woman with long, dark hair in a short red dress, grabs the hand of the woman in the black dress, and they walk around to the front of the bar.

  What in the hell did we just walk into?

  “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” Bennett yells over the loud music as we watch the scene in front of us.

  I’m pretty sure we walked into a weird Underworld orgy. It’s like a train wreck; you couldn’t look away even if you wanted to. Mesmerized, Bennett starts moving forward and crosses the bridge. I quickly follow him, but stop and look down at the stream under me, only to realize that it isn’t a stream at all.

  It’s the River Styx.

  I shudder as I look down at all the souls. Some faces are distorted in pain, some look lost, and some….some don’t even have faces. I’m so transfixed by it all that I don’t even notice Bennett come back over.

  “Hey,” he says in my ear. “C’mon, Blondie. We aren’t going to find Hunter in there.”

  With one last glance at the river below, I turn and follow him. Once we are on the other side, the three women are all staring at Bennett.

  The woman in the red dress struts over seductively. When she gets closer, I notice that her eyes are the same as the other one.

  She grabs Bennett’s shirt and leans in close. “Want to see what fate has in store for you?”

  She nibbles on his earlobe and brings her body flush against his. I hold in my laugh because Bennett is standing there frozen like a statue. I don’t think he’s ever encountered this type of woman before.

  The woman looks over at me. “I’ve seen what this man can do with his tongue and his cock.” She turns her face back to Bennett. “I’m already wet just thinking about it. Want a taste of fate?”

  It finally clicks. The three extra women are the Fates. I wrack my brain to think of their names, but I come up short.

  Bennett’s body locks up as he stares down at her. “Well, you see, I would love to, but…”

  He trails off as she starts kissing his neck. The other two women walk over and start to run their hands all over his body, while I get pushed off to the side.

  The man behind the bar jumps over the counter and walks over to me. He smirks, leaning down close, and his hand starts to grab at my waist, but I quickly reach out and wrap my fingers around his throat.

  “I am not here to party,” I snap. “Where’s Hades?”

  His brown eyes widen, and he glances over to his left, his hand also pointing in that direction.

  I release him just as a figure emerges from the river.

  Holy. Shit.

  Hades climbs out of the river; water drips down his bare chest, down his abs, and stops when it hits the pants that sit low on his hips. With one hand, he slicks his short black hair back from his face as his silver eyes scan the room, landing on the woman sitting on the throne. He watches intensely as the woman walks past
us, her gold heels clicking across the floor with each stride. A soul jumps up out of the water and clings to his back, but he pushes it off him as the woman hands him a drink and a towel. He dries the top half of his body, but his black pants are soaking wet. He grabs the woman’s ass and yanks her forward, crashing his lips against hers. He pulls back, taking a sip of whatever is in the tumbler, as the woman casually rests her arms on his shoulder, his hand still perched on her ass.

  “Dionysus, why don’t you fix our new guests a drink?” Hades commands.

  The man that is standing in front of me moves quickly and goes back over to stand behind the bar. I look over at Bennett and roll my eyes. I grab his arm and pull him away from the ladies that are assaulting him with their hands and tongues.

  I march right over to Hades. “As I said, I’m not here to party. That asshole over there—” I point behind me at Ares. “—sent us down here. You have something of mine, and I want it back.”

  Hades’s lips tip up in a smile, but the woman clinging to his arm straightens her back and steps up to me. She’s a good head taller than me, but I don’t care. I just took on a Crocotta, and I brought Ares down to his knees; I can take this bitch too.

  “Persephone.” Hades’s voice is menacingly low as he glances behind me, no doubt looking at Ares. “Leave us.”

  She glares at me for a moment longer, then purposely knocks into me as she walks away.

  “Not here,” Hades starts, walking away toward a room.

  Bennett and I follow him. After we enter the room, I turn to see Ares shutting the door behind me.

  “You’re a dick. You know that? Why couldn’t you just bring us here yourself?” I grit out.

  I know I’m letting my temper get the best of me. I’ve had control over it lately, but now I don’t have time to play nice. The sooner I can get Hunter’s soul back into his body, the better, and if this asshole could have brought us here, it could have saved us time.

  Ares narrows his eyes, his face turning red. “You would do well to watch how you speak to me.”