Page 40

To Damn Thy Soul

I never gave much thought to where I would go when I died, because Hell wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be, and Heaven I had never been to. But clearly, I was going somewhere, as I felt my body being lifted from the ground.

Or was it my soul?

Was your soul weightless?

I also found it odd that I would ask myself so many questions upon my death. But then what else could I focus on, as the last face I saw was Jared’s, and one of betrayal?

Gods but it had been so hard to bear, knowing he would be so hurt by it. That I had taken his choice to die with me from him. I just hoped one day in his future he forgave me.

That he understood why I did what I did because I loved him, and his life was all that mattered in that moment. If I couldn’t save us both, then I would use the last of my strength to save him.

Love made you selfish and I selfishly wanted him to live for the both of us.

But wait…why did it now feel as though someone was running with me in their arms. Okay, so now it really was time I try and open my eyes and see what was going on. But then, why was that so hard to do if my soul had left my body?

Holy shit… was I not even dead yet?!

In the end, my curiosity out won my body’s need to rest. So, I pushed through it and opened my eyes and what I found astonished me. The cave was collapsing all around us, just as it had been doing the last time I closed my eyes and waited for death.

But now? Well now those rocks I could see falling down on us, where being cast away by some unknown force.

No, not entirely unknown. The face of a blurred figure was above me, his face focused on what was ahead, as he ran with me in his arms. So, I turned my head to look, seeing the opening just there, luring us closer with its whispers of escape.

Of course, I felt bad for whoever it was trying to save me, as clearly, they didn’t know that I was on deaths door as it was. What would they buy me, a few minutes?

In the end, like Jared, I didn’t have a choice, we made it through the entrance, and we didn’t stop. The large figure just kept running, and as soon as we emerged to where all the bones had been kept, we faced the same problem.

Which meant the entire mountain was collapsing.

I even looked up just in time to see the walkway into the castle now crumbling away.

But the man was determined to save me, as he kept dodging the large boulders, leaping over them, or sliding under them just in time.

If I’d had the strength, I would have screamed as this was like being on some bad ass rollercoaster and not in a good way.

But then, as one large section of the cave wall started to fall, I could see it was just about to cover the small tunnel we were headed for.

“Hold on!” The voice spoke and I gasped.

Because I knew that voice.

But how?

How was it possible?

Was I actually dead, and he was trying to salvage my body? I just didn’t know. But one thing I did, and that was that we weren’t going to make it!

My eyes widened at the sight of the side of the mountain coming down like an avalanche!

Which was when he gained greater speed as he started to lower his body.

At the same time making us both go skidding under the rock wall as it came slamming down on top of us.

I gripped on tighter and this time, my voice broke through as I screamed,

“AHHHHH!” But then just before it could flatten us, we slid all the way through, landing on the floor and stopping just beyond where the crash happened behind us. The rubble rolling in the tunnel until it compacted enough to stop.

“Well now, that was exciting wasn’t it.” The voice said in an amused tone and I was still trying to cling onto the only memory I had. Or should I say… the only memory Anástasi had.

“Father?” I asked in a broken voice.

“Save your strength my child.” He warned now getting back to his feet and carrying me like I weighed nothing at all.

Perhaps I was dead after all. But as I was lacking the strength he advised I saved, I closed my eyes and let myself be carried to wherever it was he wanted to take me.

And in the end, I didn’t know how long I rested my eyes for.

I only knew that I wasn’t completely dead by the time I got there as I felt myself being placed down.

“I am afraid there isn’t much time.” He said and this time, I spoke his name,

“Hades?” at this he chuckled and leant over the slab of stone he had placed me on.

“Yes, my daughter.” He said prompting me to open my eyes and find that we were in a small cave that used to be what looked like a humble temple of sorts. With nothing but the stone alter he had placed me on and what looked like a pool of water behind the God that was my father.

“Am I dead?” I asked.

“Not yet but you soon will be, as will the life you carry inside you.” At this I cried out, my right hand going to my stomach.

To which I finally looked at the father I didn’t know.

I just remembered his voice kissing me goodbye that single one time.

A voice that had always lingered in my mind, no doubt planted there by him.

As for the man who had just saved me, he was dressed entirely in black.

His long cloak wasn’t enough to hide his large, tall frame, or the imposing figure that he made with the spiked armor and horns that curled up from his shoulders.

As for his features, his ink black hair was curled just under the high fold of his cloak.

His black eyes and dark beard matched the rest of him, with only his light grey skin acting as any contrast. He looked like a man in his forties but someone who had seen a hundred lifetimes.

His bare torso also showed an impressive amount of muscle, as all he wore was the cloak and a skirt of black material that hung from his waist.

“I have so many questions.” I admitted making him chuckle.

“Yes, you take after your mother that way, she was always so curious.” He told me with a wishful sigh before he admitted,

“I miss her, for she taught me what it truly meant to love someone.” I swallowed hard at that, and even that hurt.

“Tell me, do you love my Guardian of the Gates?” At this a sob tore through me before I nodded,

“I do.”

“Then let’s hope he remembers what I told him, and he finds you in time.”

“What…what do you mean, in time for what?” I asked but he didn’t answer me, instead he placed a hand over me and said,

“A Venom of God is not for any human, nor for any grandchild of mine.” Then he closed his eyes and I gasped, my body arching up as I felt Loki’s venom coming out of me.

Literally seeping out of my veins before rising through flesh and finally through my skin as it absorbed into his hand.

And it couldn’t have come any sooner, as I had felt the life, I had been clinging to now flow back into me.

The venom no longer taking hold as it travelled around my body, poisoning me.

“I feel…strange.”

“That is because you are a mortal being, living and breathing in the land of the dead. Which you will soon become if you stay any longer.” He told me.

“But how do I get back?”

“There is only one way. You must trust me.” He said leading me over to what looked like a pool of souls. And a memory hit me, as I had seen it once before. No, not just that… I had fallen into it once before. I looked back at him,

“What is this?”

“Thanatos is charged with carrying souls to my realm, he deals with those who die a nonviolent, peaceful death.”

“And that’s who these are?” At this Hades shook his head.

“No, these are the souls of the damned, the souls that do not accept their death and therefore do not want to be here. So, they are caught, between this world and your own, clinging to the mortal life they once had.” He told me and then before I could ask what he was doing, he let a long talon grow before using it to slice into his hand.

Then he squeezed his fist over the water, letting his blood flow, and told me,

“That should last long enough.” I frowned,

“What do I do now.” At this he looked down at me and used his uninjured hand to stroke the back of his fingers down the back of my cheek,

“It is simple… now you live my child. Not as Anástasi but as Ella, who you were always destined to become, your mind no longer split in two, but whole once more.” Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead gently, before warning me,

“Now take a deep breath for me.” I did as he asked and then as my only goodbye, he smiled down at me and then he,

Push me in.

That was when the memory hit me. Because I had done this before.

I had known this terror, as I was pulled under by all the souls that wanted to claim me.

However, this time was different, as ribbons of my father’s blood created a pathway for me to travel without the souls touching me.

Ghostly figures all circling around me, reaching out with gnarled hands.

Gruesome faces with hallow cheeks and empty eyes, snapped their skeletal jaws at me but never once got close enough.

The blood led the way as I sank down into darkness, suddenly my world was flipped on its head and I was instead floating upwards.

Again, my eyes tracked the blood of my father, however, the moment I saw it form a bubble above me, I frowned.

Which was why I quickly dragged water back, trying to get to the surface quicker.

But the second I did, I was met with an icy barrier.

My terror quickly making me panic as I thrashed against it, hammering my fist to the top but it was no use.

And now, the souls of the damned were…

Closing in.