Page 7

“Sit down, Aurelius,” Walter murmured quietly as he carefully kept his eyes on Kaohs the same way a rabbit observes a fox for a sign of when to bolt.

I glanced back at the god and was immediately unnerved by the wide smile covering his face.

“Do you not enjoy my game?” he asked with an intense look, watching as I tried to swallow down my disgust. He let out a laugh like a clap of thunder.

“Too macabre for you? Most Seelie don’t enjoy the suffering aspect of it, though they all still play—eventually.

The prize is so good, it’s nearly priceless. ”

I held his stare, wishing I could make him feel the suffering that he obviously enjoyed doling out to the desperate and hopeless fae who had no choice but to take it.

His jaw tightened. No doubt every soul here cowered and worshiped the ground he walked on, and understandably so, being that he and he alone could make one’s time here completely unbearable if he chose.

Another sharp pang of grief hit me in the chest. Fuck, it hurt.

It hurt in an annoying, unavoidable way in a hidden, buried body part in the cavern of my ribs next to my heart.

I knew it wasn’t my heart because that ached too but in an entirely different way.

I’d never, ever get to see my sister again.

I couldn’t explain to her why I told Mendax to kill me.

She would be left with no one now, no family to help take care of her.

As the leader of the Fallen Fae, I was fully aware she was capable of taking care of herself, and I knew the Fallen would proudly die to protect her after everything she did to ensure they have a place of their own in the realms, but I still couldn’t be there for her if she needed me, and that felt terrible.

I had left her all alone. Cal and Mendax had no reason to see her again; in fact, they were probably in Unseelie right now, plotting how to take over Seelie for good.

I broke the staring contest with Kaohs to chide myself for thinking so little of Cal.

Maybe, at least out of sheer courtesy to me, they would hold off on destroying Seelie to make Unseelie the largest of the realms. Or if not, then at least maybe they would keep Tarani out of the desecration or be kind enough to find some place for my people. That would be enough for me.

“Will you assist me in finding Adrianna?”

Kaohs’s eyes lit up eagerly and I instantly worried about what I’d gotten myself into. Was she a wailing, screaming, sickly child that cried incessantly for her missing mother? Possibly she was a true terror of stickiness and that was why he suddenly looked so eager to be rid of her.

“Of course I will help you get the child her powers. Then I suppose you will be staying here, Seelie? ”

Another bloody scuffle on the field redirected our attention.

Several more men had been knocked to the ground, each of their bodies turning to a fine dust that floated off into the wind.

I suppose it was a competition of the fittest in a way.

Every time a player was dropped, only the best remained alive and standing.

I was repulsed by the barbaric game, which I didn’t understand, but even I found my pulse gain speed as I watched each round grow more and more intense.

Kaohs’s words pulled me back. “Will I be staying? As though I have the chance to leave?” I grinned, unable to stifle it. “It’s unkind of you to tease me with thoughts of home.”

Walter leaned back so that Kaohs was unable to see him and shook his head from side to side, letting me know that whatever the god was about to suggest, I needed to steer clear of. I nodded once in acknowledgment, but my mind had already begun to stir. Was there actually a way out of here?

“Ha,” he laughed. “You are a good-hearted Seelie, are you not? Of course you can leave this place. Fate knows I’d love to leave myself. I’ve grown tired of this scenery.”

What? “Wait, I can? How?” I moved to the edge of my seat. This could be amazing. After I got the little girl out of here, I could go back to my home and see my family… Well, Tarani and Cal were the only ones left, but they were family.

“My lord, he knows nothing about the tiers, so I’ll speak for him on his behalf.

Eli will be staying far away from them with your blessing,” Walter interjected sternly.

I still didn’t understand completely what was happening, but I knew that Walter was saving me in some way, even if it didn’t sound like it.

I nodded my thanks. Though I desperately wanted to be gone from this place, he was correct in his assumptions; from what I knew about the tiers, I did not want to even think about entering them.

Kaohs gave me a handsome smile. “I believe I’ve accidentally misled you, Aurelius.

I’m afraid you are dead and will never again feel the heat of the sun in Seelie.

Would you not though, be more comfortable finishing your afterlife in the Elysian Fields with the rest of your Seelie family?

It’s a shame I couldn’t trade you for your mother.

I would pay good memento to see what the tiers did to her. ”

The air around us was heavy with dangerous tension; only a dismal amount was from the game.

I knew it was a trick of sorts, but the way in which he was asking me if I’d like to leave did nothing but further confuse me.

He seemed to genuinely be interested in my comfort but that didn’t make sense.

“The Elysian Fields? Not back to Seelie?” I asked, hoping I’d misheard him.

He squinted, and I could feel his regret.

In what universe was the God of the Underworld kind and empathetic?

“No, no. As I said, you are dead—you cannot return to the living realms. Should you decide to leave my world, the only way out is to attempt to prove your worth and aptitude in the Ten Tiers of Tartarus.” On each T, he spit a little.

I wiped the droplets of saliva from my cheek with a frown. “Lovely name.”

“Each tier is a challenge, a test, completely different for each individual. The portal to the next level will only open once you’ve proven your ability to understand the lesson of that particular tier.

If you are unable to advance past that level, you remain on that tier indefinitely.

Should you somehow make it to the tenth tier, then you, a Seelie, will have a door straight to the Elysian Fields opened for you.

Were you Unseelie, the door granting your return to Eromreven would reveal itself. ”

“Why would anyone want to return to Eromreven?” “Eromreven, though it is only a small part of the entrance to Tartarus, is the chosen location if you were looking to party and sin your days away.” He patted my back softly as we stood.

“I wish I could do more. You should know Mendax wasted no time in bartering and finding a loophole for your friend, and for what it’s worth, he tried to free you as well.

He has already secured Calypso a place with him in Tartarus when they die.

It well may be a millennium, as they both seem to be fueled by piss and vinegar, but should you decide to remain in any consolation. ”

My mouth dropped. “What do you mean Mendax has already found a way for Cal to come here after her death? It’s been hours since my death? How did he do it? And so fast?” I could hardly believe that angry, maniacal man who hated me so passionately had actually tried to free me from Tartarus.

A look of sadness pulled at the god’s charming features, causing him to suddenly look incredibly worn and tired.

“Time up there is vastly different than time down here. It could have been a year in Unseelie while you are feeling that it’s only been an hour.

Also, you should know my deal to allow Calypso in Tartarus wasn’t done for Mendax.

Someone much more important to me showed concern for your friend.

Now, please go enjoy yourself at the party.

I have a feeling it’s about to get a good deal more tiresome for you here after I introduce you to Adrianna. ”