Page 21 of The Other Side

Chapter

Nineteen

IRIS-MARIE

“ S till as feisty as ever, I see.” Cypress grinned at my temper as I hissed a warning. “Such spark you have always possessed, my dear.” The underworld began to shake as I remained on the floor, eyeing my surroundings. “Ahh, yes. Come, my pet. It seems we have company.” Cypress strolled to the waterfall of hellfire, waiting.

I remained still, sullen and irritable.

“Iris-Marie, it has been weeks since your transformation. Enough sulking. We must meet the new arrival.” I snapped my jaw in defiance, and her flames flickered white as she glared down at me. “Listen here, my love. You chose your fate long ago when you drank that potion. You begged to spend eternity by my side, and I have given you that very desire. If it is not good enough for you, I could always release you to my brother or take your soul and toss it into the Abyss!” Her flames calmed. “Now, come!”

Cypress had broken me, yet somehow, despite all she had done to me, I still fucking loved her.

My head lowered as I crawled, shadowing her as we stepped through the flames and approached her throne. I strode to one side as her hand fell and grazed my head. Standing in the middle of the pool was Bastien and a human. The woman was strikingly beautiful, her pale skin contrasting her deep burgundy hair. She stumbled around, frightened of where she was, a feeling I remembered all too well.

“Bastien!” Cypress exclaimed as the large alligator climbed the stairs to greet her. “What a tasty new treat you have brought me.” Cypress stood and began to descend the stairs, approaching the woman as she gawked at the sight of the god.

Bastien’s eyes met mine, and a voice I had never heard before filled my mind as it spoke to me. “Iris-Marie, is that you?” The alligator titled his head as I realized it was him talking to me.

“Bastien?” I spoke back. “How—”

“It is a long story, one we both already lived. A story we are sadly about to witness as it repeats itself.” I followed his gaze as he stared down at Cypress, welcoming the ignorant human.

“You mean, you were human once too?” I asked. Bastien nodded.

“Same as you. And just like us, that woman will become an alligator too. Let us pray she does not make a deal.”

Cypress took the woman’s hand and guided her up the stairs with a dark and sinister smile. “My pets,” she addressed us, “welcome this delicious new soul, Meg.” Bastien and I both hissed, knowing what fate had in store for us all.

“And so it starts,” Bastien whispered to me.

We watched as Cypress led Meg deeper into the underworld, the two of us shadowing her every move as the story unfolding before me was almost identical to my own. It was an eerily familiar sight.

“She never did love me, did she?” I asked Bastien.

“Truthfully, I do not think any of the gods are capable of love.”

We watched and listened as Cypress began her performance, the poor human like putty in her hands. She opened my eyes, revealing the truth of our love. Or should I say, the perception of it.

“Now, do we have a deal, Meg?” The human raised her arm, her hand shaking Cypress’ as the god leaned in and sealed it with a kiss.

No.