Eternal

by B C Morgan

  I headed down in the training room as my bared fists repeatedly connected with the punch bug, until my knuckles were sore and bleeding. I stopped when I realised, then shook it off and carried on, relishing in the biting pain that it was causing in my hands. I carried on until I was physically drained, then quickly had a shower to clean off and collapsed in my bed, welcoming the all-encompassing sleep that followed.

  Z

  I knew I was still sleeping, as I had no recollection of ever dragging myself out of my pit, but I couldn’t make sense of why I was dreaming of the obsidian Palace that my boss resided in.

  My feet made the bones that laid before me crunch as my weight pressed down upon them. I felt a shuddering chill of revulsion echo through me as I noticed there were more childlike bones then there had been on my last visit.

  I realised my brain must have conjured the images, but it didn’t make sense, I didn’t need any mental reminders of what a sick bastard he really was, everyone who worked for him was aware of his nature. The only reason no one rebelled was due to self-preservation. We were all well aware of how he could end our lives at a snap of his fingers. Either by his own hand or by a simple order, he would make a father kill his own son or vice versa just to prove his power and their loyalties to him.

  I continued to walk down the hall before it suddenly opened up to his throne room, I saw him sitting on his throne of bones with a fire burning deep within his eyes. It was at that moment that the truth of the matter finally dawned on me. I may very well have been dreaming, but he was the one who was controlling what I would see, like always, he held all the power.

  “I am very disappointed in you Lawson, I expected a report from you at least a week ago, and you dared to keep me waiting.” His voice boomed around the hollow room and it took all my might not to shudder from the power that radiated from it, but I knew better than to demonstrate any weakness in front of him.

  “Forgive me my lord, I was waiting until I had deemed the facts from the fiction,” I replied, hoping that he couldn’t see through my deception.

  “I don’t care for your excuses you insolent child, when I issue orders, I expect them to be carried out to the letter, with includes mandated weekly reports. I haven’t had you up there for the past year, to go quiet on me all of a sudden. Do not forget that I can end your life just as easily as I can snap my fingers. You are expendable boy, the only reason you have such a high place is because my naïve wife saw something within you and of course because of the ability that you possess. But that does not mean that I will not end you right here.”

  I’m not sure what it was about what he said, but something just snapped within me and I couldn’t stop my next words from pooling out of my mouth, like poison from a leaking bottle, no stopper was going to contain them.

  “Then do it, end my life. Do you really believe that I fear death, in truth I welcome it, so go ahead, take your best shot old man.”

  I saw the rage as it filled his eyes up and they shone with utter danger on my behalf.

  He slowly rose from his throne and no matter how hard I tried; I could not make my legs move. He closed the distance that had been between us and curled his long fingers around my neck as he raised me up, leaving nothing but the tips of my shoes on the floor.

  “I can do a lot worse than kill you, you stupid child, have you already forgotten the fact that there is a fate worse than death waiting for any who would be stupid enough to tempt it or me for that matter. Now I will expect you to be here in the flesh first thing tomorrow. Do not disappoint me Lawson, because you won’t be the only one made to suffer, give my regards to Katherine.”

  He dropped me down to the floor and I breathed in deeply, trying to keep my words in my mind, not wanting to make the situation any worse than I already had.

  “No matter what creature you two have helping you up there, I will always find a way to reach you, remember that child now you really should run along, but before you go, I have a little parting gift for you to remember me by.”

  I didn’t have a chance to question his words as his hand came crushing down on the top of my head, with his fingers squeezing, sending a pain slicing through my mind. It started in the tip of my skull before travelling down my neck, into my shoulders and chest, until it was pushing through every part of me, making me feel as though I was coming apart at the seams. I couldn’t hold my scream back any longer, as it poured out of my mouth, the pain did nothing more than intensify to stronger limits.

  Z

  My eyes shot open, as I rolled out of bed, the pain followed me through from my dream and it caused me to fall to the floor as my knees buckled and my legs gave out. I clutched my head within my palms and felt the screams still being released from my mouth. But it sounded muffled to my own ears, almost as though my ears had been stuffed with cotton.

  At some point during my screaming, Kat had entered my room and I could see her panicked eyes through my black hazed vision before I lost focus and the pain blinded me as well as incapacitating me. I couldn’t hear any words she may have said, but when she tried to touch me the pain only intensified until I finally blacked out from it all and the pain could no longer reach me.

  Z

  I wasn’t aware of how much time passed until I finally re-awakened, all I knew was my body was sprawled out on the floor and my head was resting in somebody’s lap. When I slowly lifted my head, I realised it had been resting on Kat and I couldn’t help but hope that maybe we may be able to move forward and repair our ruined friendship.

  “What happened Lawson, I’ve never seen you like that, you terrified me,” she stated, as her voice waivered ever so slightly.

  “He found a way to reach me through my dreams, I had no control over them, it was like I was just there for the ride. He wants me down there first thing to give my report on Unya, but I don’t want to give it to him. I can’t tell him all that I have learned about her, I know he will take control of her the first chance he can. She should at least get until her eighteenth to enjoy her life,” I stated.

  “No Lawson, she should get her whole life, this is why I warned you not to get involved. The only thing is, how did he reach you, he shouldn’t be able to touch you while you are under my roof,” She replied trying to fool herself into believing that she was still safe from him.

  “He found a way Kat and I have to throw Unya under the bus, if I don’t, he will hurt you, he practically spelt it out for me.”

  She pushed me away from her as she rose to her feet. “We both have somewhere to be then it seems, I will try to find out how he managed to get to you and I guess you had better do as you’re told, you always do anyway,” She said that last part more quietly than the rest, but it still rang loud within my own ears.

  “What the hell is that supposed to be?” I asked growing more and more frustrated with every second that passed.

  “You have done nothing but lie to that poor girl since the moment you met and it’s all for ‘his’ will, do you know how twisted it is that you keep welcoming her back here. Training her how to protect herself and showing her your stash of weapons that you may very well use on her before this is all over.”

  “Of course I know how messed up it is, why do you think I am training her so she could at least stand a chance against someone like me. And against my better judgement I don’t think I can be completely honest with his ‘lordship’ about everything that has been uncovered about her, not yet anyway.”

  She looked at me with a sympathetic look before she turned away from me and we both set off on our own tasks, both of us having to go somewhere that we would rather not visit. For Kat, it was to the guy who held her heart and for me, well that was a little more complicated. You see I had to go and see my boss and not only was he Hade’s himself, the ruler of the underworld, but also my stepfather, luckily, he was not aware of that slight twist. If he were, there would be no way that I would have survived for as long as I had.

  Chapter Thirty

  Unya


  I was once again sitting in Marcus’s basement; he had wanted me to study a little more before he took me to some unknown location to really test my powers. I hadn’t yet informed Mihaela of my latest developments, and truthfully, I wasn’t too sure why I felt the need to keep it hidden from her. I think a part of me may have been scared of what her reaction could have been, and another part of me had grown so used to keeping my life a secret that I didn’t know how to break the pattern.

  Anyway, while I had my nose firmly stuffed within one of his books, I still managed to notice the moment his spine stiffened and the glance he took at the ceiling.

  “Marcus what’s wrong?” I asked, wondering what stoked such a reaction in him.

  “Kat’s upstairs, I have wards in place in my home and they let me know when somebody appears within my abode. And before you ask, she does not know of this place. If she did she would already be in here,” He replied in such a matter of fact way that I wasn’t sure what I should say in response.

  “How many people have you brought here Marcus?” I asked, already suspecting what his answer would be and he did not disappoint.

  “Just you Unya, you are the only other person besides myself that is aware of its existence, please excuse me for a moment.”

  And with that said, he quickly vanished before my very eyes, I hate to admit I was very curious about what they could be talking about when I saw the ceiling above me shake on its very foundations.

  Z

  I was basically pacing the floor; I had no idea what was going on up above me and I had no idea if Marcus was even ok. I knew that Kat wouldn’t harm him, but I also knew that something had come undone within herself and that made her unstable and definitely more dangerous.

  I ripped book after book off of his shelves as I tried to find one of the incantations that he had explained to me only briefly in the past. It was supposed to create some kind of window so I could basically spy on someone no matter where they were, and they should have been none the wiser. I had never tried it before and Marcus had never shown any indication of wanting to teach me how to do it either, but I knew that I was a quick study and now was the best time to at least try to learn. I kept trying to convince myself it was only to make sure that he was safe and not because my own curiosity was getting the better of me.

  The saying always said that curiosity killed the cat and gods help me if Kat had hurt Marcus in any way I would go at her so hard, even if I couldn’t end her, I would make sure I left a nasty and rather permanent mark. No body messes with my friends, even if Kat had become a friend to me as well.

  I somehow managed to get the incantation to work for me, even if it was rather sloppy and all it gave me was a keyhole view, the one thing I did not counter on was the fact it would also allow me to hear whatever was said between them. I must say Marcus was definitely not hurt, even if he did have a couple of bruises marring his rather lovely face.

  “I promise you right now Kat, the wards are very much still in place. I can’t believe you would even doubt that, just because you ended what we had, does not mean that I would become some petty child who would remove all the protection I had offered.”

  “What else was I supposed to think Marcus; you said Hades wouldn’t be able to reach anyone who was under my roof, so how did he manage to hurt Lawson. I know myself and that boy have issues, but I still could not stand to see him in such agony. I genuinely feared for his life in that moment and now we know even our dreams are not safe from him.”

  I tried not to gasp audibly, not knowing if I had somehow created a gateway where they could hear me as well. It’s just hearing news of Lawson being hurt did something strange to me. I had nothing to compare it from the rather bleak life I had survived through, but it was as though something twisted deep within myself. Maybe I should have questioned that, but I chose not to contemplate what that could mean and honed back in on the conversation that was going on between the two ex-lovers.

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me he had ways to manipulate dreams, I never counted for that when I placed the wards in the first place and I would have to physically remove the old ones to even include it now. I really don’t think that would be a good move, especially with how hostile he is being towards his golden boy,” Marcus said it with such conviction but I couldn’t comprehend the words, surely he couldn’t have meant that Lawson was Hades golden boy, that just did not sit right with me.

  “Give it a break Marcus, Hades doesn’t care about Lawson in the slightest, he only keeps him around because of what he can do. Maybe there is more to it than that, but I can’t fathom what that could be, we are all expendable to the ‘Great Lord’ we are as meaningless to him as his word is to us.”

  The disdain that she portrayed held me utterly riveted until Marcus seemed to stare straight at me. I wasn’t sure if he knew I was watching, but I wondered if I should stop until it dawned on me that in my haste, I hadn’t even checked for a way to reverse what I had done. I noticed a slight quirk to his lips, but it faded fast as he closed some of the distance between himself and Kat.

  “I can enchant some jewellery or something for you, I would do anything to keep you safe Katherine, no matter the cost to myself.”

  She turned her gaze away from him, as she sucked in a deep breath.

  “Why Marcus, what does my well-being even matter to you. Eventually I’ll be gone and you’d soon forget I ever existed.”

  “How dare you even say such things to me, I could never forget you Katherine, you are burrowed within the very being of myself and I wouldn’t trade that for all the power in the world. You must know what you mean to me, it was never just fooling around for me,” he stated, his voice breaking on his words.

  “You never told me though, you didn’t even try to fight me when I finished it with you,” she stated, clearly torn by what he was saying to her and I felt that I must have been a truly horrid person to watch such a private moment between the two of them.

  “I didn’t fight you, because I knew I couldn’t have won, you are too stubborn for your own good Kat and I wanted to respect your wishes. But if you honestly believed I wanted any of this, I truly didn’t just ask Unya if you don’t believe me.” I saw the moment he realised he had un-wittingly dropped my name and I also knew he would have done anything in that moment to take it back.

  Kat’s eyes darkened and the dull red of her eyes became brighter under her barely contained rage.

  “What the hell does Unya have to do with any of this?” She screamed at him, the anguish bleeding out of her in streams.

  “She caught me stalking you, I’m not proud of it but I was at such a loss, you wouldn’t see me and I had to attempt to even steal a glimpse of you somehow. She made me realise it wasn’t healthy and we’ve been helping each other. And before you freak out there is absolutely nothing going on between us in a romantic sense, she’s just been helping me to deal with the broken heart you left me with.”

  Marcus had definitely lost his cool now, as his own anger dripped out from his lips, like honey from a hive.

  “So, pray tell, how exactly have you been helping her then?” She asked, clearly trying to reign in her emotions.

  “She somehow found out the truth about herself, and before you ask, no I do not know who told her but in all honesty, even if I did, I would not repeat it. I would refuse to ever break your trust and it is the same for her. Anyway, I have been helping her to harness her abilities, she’s strong Kat and I swear to god if any harm befalls her, I will hold anyone associated with the culprit accountable. Like I said I will never break your trust, but maybe you should re-evaluate where your loyalties lie, regardless of you and I.”

  He turned away from her then and with one last bittersweet glance towards her, he teleported away, yet in that moment, he did not return to me.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Lawson

  I was standing within his great room and my tension was palpable. I wanted to be anywhere else at that mom
ent, but my pride would not allow me to just run away.

  To be completely honest I always felt like I owed Hades, for not ending my life when I reaped my revenge on those who had been responsible for my sweet Lilianna’s demise. I honestly believed Hades was aware of that fact and used it against me at every turn.

  Before I had come here, I honestly believed finally meeting my mother would change my life for good and truth be told it had, only it hadn’t been for the better.

  My father had always portrayed her as some kind of angel, but that was not the woman I had met, she barely even acknowledged me when I had arrived and I hadn’t had a single moment with her. Why she sent for me in the first place was beyond my understanding, and honestly as far as I was concerned, my mother died along with my father on that fateful day.

  All those moments had seemed to lead me here, standing at his feet, fighting the urge to bow, but eventually succumbing, proving my allegiance to a being that deserved to die a most painful and brutal death.

  My mother Persephone sat by his side, in a corseted ice blue dress, that portrayed the ice that surrounded her heart perfectly.

  She stared right through me, not even bothering to acknowledge my existence, as though she had never created me at all.

  “Speak boy, give me your report,” ordered Hades with a puzzling smirk on his face.

  I slowly rose back to my feet and took a step back, before clearing my throat. I didn’t care if my need to stall was obvious or not, all I knew was that I had to choose my words carefully. As long as he did not openly question me, then as far as I was concerned, lying by omission was no ill fate.

  “Unya has definitely been touched by your brother’s blood, as well as by Calliah’s. As far as I can tell at this moment in time, she does seem to be demonstrating a strong ability in her sorceress side, but I cannot rule her out as the one that the prophecy spoke of, not until she has reached her eighteenth birthday at the very least.”