Page 37

THIRTY-SEVEN

Ashley

The hours melted away and Samuel never put me back inside the golden cage. I passed the time sitting in the living room drinking tea or playing checkers with either Mandy or a wraith. Board games were a bit different with a disembodied soul, but I managed. It was just odd not being able to clearly see my companion since it was a blur out of the corner of my eye. The red and black chips would levitate or shoot across the board, and I’d have to guess where they wanted their piece placed.

It felt like I was dreaming. Like I was trapped in an alternate universe and observing my own actions, watching things happen to me rather than having things happen because I made a decision to perform a certain act. It was as if I were split in two and the half of me that felt real was frustratingly out of reach every time I tried to latch on.

So, I ignored her.

The times I fought against my fugue state, Samuel, Mandy, or a wraith was right there plunging me back into the abyss of my mind plying me with words or food and beverages.

We attended many a party, and Samuel even took me back to the rustic bar in the village, “for old time’s sake.” The barmaid, Suzy, had been thrilled to see me and congratulated Samuel on a “job well done.”

Something about their exchange had stayed with me. I wasn’t certain if it was her talk of loyalty and responsibility, or her lamentations over Lord Ezra’s demise. I just knew it didn’t sit right.

The reminiscing between the two had brought my hallucination of Micha back to mind and I’d watched them as intently as I could. Which wasn’t saying much, given my state, but I clung to the picture in my head. For whatever reason, I couldn’t let it go. I knew it was significant, the way my heart raced, and my breath caught in my throat. Micha meant something to me, something life changing that I didn’t want to be without.

“Here, love,” Samuel came to a stop in front of me, holding a glass of white wine that I accepted.

He sat down in the armchair to my left, the small table holding the checkerboard between us. “Thank you,” I said, and lifted the glass to my lips.

A snickering sound behind my head had me twisting to see what was there and the wine sloshed over the rim a little bit. I set the glass down and wiped my hand with the edge of my skirt. My skin glittered where the liquid had splashed, turning iridescent under the gentle candlelight.

Samuel waved his hand at the wraith behind me in annoyance before getting up and returning with a bottle. “Here, let me top that off for you,” he said, taking the glass.

My heart thudded in my chest as the back of my neck prickled. Something had changed. Slowly, I slid my hand up my leg and placed my forearm on the rest. The fine sheen remained, and a sense of foreboding blanketed me.

My drink was handed back to me and Samuel kissed the top of my head before he left the room. Curious, I held the glass beside the burning candle to my right. The longer I stared into its depths, the more the wine sparkled until it didn’t appear potable anymore.

I knew I couldn’t drink it.

Several large potted ferns lined the walls, creating a lush atmosphere and plenty of spaces for mischievous wraiths to lurk and hide. Nobody watered the plants, or trimmed them, or did anything else with them that I’d noticed since I’d arrived.

I brought my wine over to one of the plants and poured it over the loamy soil.

This became my ritual, whenever possible. The wraiths followed me around, watching and waiting, and it was difficult to dispose of the poison at times. I did whatever I could to distract them, sometimes dropping jewelry on the floor since they had an appreciation for shiny objects. I also discovered they liked cheese, and I would toss a few slices of cheddar their way in order to rush over to the plants while they were distracted.

Slowly, my head began to clear, until one day everything came back to me with a vengeance. I was horrified. I’d been wined, dined, drugged, and paraded around like a show dog for the crowds at the palace.

The worst part was, I realized Micha had come for me and all I’d done was stare at him dismissively while he was dragged away. There was no way to find out if he was still here—or if he was even alive.

Anything could’ve happened while I was high and drunk against my will. It had been too difficult to figure out if the environment and atmosphere was negatively affecting me, or if something else was going on. I suspected it was a combination of the two because I’d never drunk as much—ever, as I had while in the Second Realm. But now I knew, and I was doing something about it.

I cut back on the amount of food I consumed, and I tossed my drinks into the houseplants whenever I could. Obviously, I couldn’t go without water, so I began taking it from the bathroom sink and praying it had been untouched.

My plan worked. Samuel was none the wiser and I continued to act as if I were completely under his control. Laughing, giggling, eagerly accepting whatever he gave me, and acting delighted with him in general.

A wraith almost caught me once by the ferns, but I pretended I was chasing it and fooling around, and it seemed to buy my act. Dropping my glass on the floor as I laughed, it’d swooped around me.

“Are you okay, love?” Samuel asked, after hearing the commotion.

“The wraiths are so tricky,” I’d said, clasping his arms and allowing him to lead me back to my seat by the table.

“I don’t know why you’re always going after them; stay away.”

Letting out a deep sigh, I complained, “I’m bored. I think I’m going to go to the palace and hang out with the girls, if that’s okay?” He eyed me carefully, mulling over my request.

“It would help me to be more social, I think.” I took his hand in mine. “Please?”

Samuel stared at me, and I knew enough at this point to be certain he was reading my aura, searching for signs of treachery. Micha had whined about me drawing in on myself and shutting him out and I’d never done it consciously. Trusting my natural instincts was the only advantage I had over the powerful creature in front of me.

“That may not be a bad idea. A couple of the wraiths will escort you; I’ve got some things I need to take care of.”

When Samuel left the room, I let out my breath and my heart felt like it started beating again. In a non-chemical daze, I did everything I could not to rush to my room and give myself away.

Oddly, Samuel had never moved me into his bedroom. I’d never dared ask why, choosing to count my blessings instead. He’d never revealed his end game and seemed content just having me around. As long as I was wasted and compliant, at least.

After several evenings at the palace, it had started to dawn on me that human women really were a status symbol of sorts, and me especially since I’d once been employed at Ipomoea. I’d eavesdropped and picked up on enough conversations to know the demons and vampires that’d moved to the Third Realm were both a source of wonder, and a threat.

Josiah and Micha had been revered before they slaughtered one of their leaders, which made owning me even more lucrative.

The wraiths led me through the freezing tunnel system after I was ready to leave. I’d learned rather quickly to wear a fur coat for survival while traveling through the system with Samuel and tucked myself in as best I could.

“Oh, he let you out I see,” a raven-haired beauty greeted me once I entered the hall.

The other women watched me out of the corners of their eyes as I got situated, quickly reaching for a carafe to keep up appearances. It was doubtful this beverage contained anything that would alter my mental state, but I wasn’t going to drink any of it.

As I poured, I said, “Well, it seems I’m not going anywhere so why not?”

“He’ll get sick of you. They all do it,” she sneered.

One of the other women spoke up. “You need to flirt with some of the others if you want to make it here.” She nodded toward the chairs on the other side of the room. I spotted Ethan, Elijah, and a couple others I’d seen around on the evenings I’d come here with Samuel.

“What do you guys think of them?” I asked. “Have you been with any of them?”

“Ethan and David are all right. Elijah mostly sticks to the harem. The other two don’t like women,” a pretty blonde told me.

“Harem?” I asked.

“Yeah. It's a good job, if you can get it.”

“How does that happen?”

She shrugged. “There’s tryouts.”

My mouth dropped open. “Like a competition?” The thought was wild, and I laughed out loud. “Do you get a trophy?”

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes. “Don’t even worry about it; it's obvious you’d never make the cut.” I let the insult slide off.

“Where’s the rest room?” It was about time I did what I’d come here for and having to use the bathroom was the best ploy I could think of.

It took a minute for my question to register before one of the women gave me directions.

Some basic human functions seemed to dissipate in the Second Realm, if they didn’t disappear altogether. Mandy had told me women don’t menstruate here when I asked for tampons in case I needed them. It was honestly very convenient to go without some natural functions, and I wasn’t going to complain. The women here could go ahead and think whatever they wanted; I had the feeling it wouldn’t matter anymore very soon.

My nerves were on fire as I headed across the floor, keeping my head down. I threaded my way through clusters of people and a guard opened the main doors when I approached. After a pause to make sure the way was clear, I headed to the right and started down a long corridor.

A few doors lined the hall, and I opened each one and peered inside. There was nothing to see, and they definitely weren’t rooms anyone would be kept prisoner in. They looked like offices and classrooms, and one was a storge closet.

As I explored, I told myself I was insane searching for Micha. What did I think was going to happen? I’d left him for dead and here I was seeking him out. After everything, I was still looking for him, just like always.

Shaking my head at myself, I walked a bit farther before stopping to look around again. All that was left was a single elevator at the end and one more door. There was no one down this far the hallway to stop me from pressing the button that would bring me below ground.

The second my hand went near the panel; it started flashing red. Whirling around in a circle, I panicked, looking for somewhere to hide. The signal must’ve alerted someone because almost instantly, a couple guards came around the corner making a beeline straight for the electronic doors.

A small group of people exited the one other door I hadn’t opened and spilled into the hallway, oblivious to the lights flashing by the elevator as they talked among themselves before slowly separating. I paced back and forth, trying to keep the stragglers in front of me before I spotted an alcove and darted for cover.

With muttering and then a huff, one of the guards reset the panel as the second man lazily perused the surroundings. They backed away and crossed to the other side where the wall automatically swung open.

Sucking in a breath, I sprinted after them, shoving my shoe in the way to stop the door from closing. It held, but the weight started crushing my foot while I waited for their footsteps to recede. My fingers curled around the edge of the layer, my flesh turning white from the effort until I was finally able to slip inside.

Once my eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting, I took in the space. From the end of the new hallway, I spied several doors with a staircase down by the end. Everything was nearly silent other than some faint chatter I attributed to the guards who’d entered right before me. I’d expected tortured screams and cries of agony and was met with the low din of electronic humming and voices.

Carefully, I took the stairs, holding the handrail as they wound their way down into the darkness, while glancing over my shoulder the whole time. My steps were soundless, but I fully expected to hear boots come running after me, or some type of effort to stop me in my tracks. No one came.

The space opened when I reached the bottom and I clung to the wall while I explored, peeking around every corner, my heart racing. More than once I asked myself what I was doing, what I thought I’d accomplish by sneaking around a castle in Hell.

I knew I’d seen Micha. He’d been bound in chains as he tried to reach for me. He needed help. I wasn’t dumb enough to think I could do much, if anything. All I really knew was I wanted to see him and tell him I was sorry. It no longer mattered he thought I stole from him, or that he’d unfairly fired me from my job. All that mattered was I wanted to be near him; see him one last time.

I wanted to know why he’d stalked me around Ipomoea, and why he was kind to me, just to turn around and act like he couldn’t stand the very sight of me before he’d accused me of theft. What had changed? It’d been like a switch was flipped. It’d given me whiplash. One moment, he was there peeking over my shoulder and the next he was yelling at me over emojis.

I’d be killed when I was discovered down here, especially after interfering with a prisoner. It wouldn’t be Micha who ultimately killed me, but I suspected I was already dead and gone.

The number of doors I’d pushed open revealed nothing but empty space. Bare rooms with stone walls, shackles fixed to iron loops, stockades, and everything else one would expect to find in the underworld’s palace.

Before I touched the last steel entryway, I knew it was different. The air felt heavier, and the energy was different, tugging at my soul and compelling me forward. My heart leaped in my chest, and I pushed through.

A body was laid out on a metal table, bare-chested and so pale it almost glowed. One marble-like arm dangled off the side, a chain loosely woven around its wrist. The figure’s head was twisted away from me, but I would’ve recognized the man anywhere.

“Micha,” I cried softly, rushing over to the table.

I gently lifted his hair from his face, pushing it back while I took him in. His cold skin felt waxy and stiff, and I placed a hand on his chest. No heartbeat. With a start, I realized the table was for cadavers.

It seemed impossible for the man to be dead but without a heartbeat and not even the rise and fall of his chest, I didn’t know what else to think. I started searching the room though I had no idea what I was looking for. A spell? Some kind of instructional paperwork? What was I supposed to do?

There was a desk against the wall, and I tugged open the drawer, thinking maybe I could find a cellphone. I knew the chances were slim to none, impossible really, but I had to try. Had I found one, I would’ve called Josiah for help before I remembered technology worked differently here. Not that I wouldn’t have dialed Della’s number anyway just in case. There was nothing, the drawer was bare other than a matchbook.

I wasn’t sure how long it took as I tore the room apart, but I returned to Micha’s side and stood there staring at him, keeping one ear to the door in case anyone decided to check on the deceased. They’d left him in pants and boots, with his earrings and rings on, and I started tugging one of the pieces of metal from his finger. I’d been too late to do anything helpful, but I’d take something to remember him by.

The band was at his knuckle when he growled, “I always knew you were a thief.”