Page 3 of The Other Side
Chapter
One
CYPRESS
“ P ower suits her, does it not, Tuft?” I gracefully turned my head, meeting his heedful gaze, his golden eyes like liquid gold as they lowered in submission. Rightfully so. My lips curled ever so lightly, a gentle laugh brushing past them as I glanced back at the fiery glimpse into the human world. Iris-Marie, that fiery little trickster, was dazzling yet another wandering soul, displaying her abilities as she used her new magic to lift the tarot cards from her hand and read the spectator’s fate aloud. It had been many years since we first made our deal, and I could still recall that very day as if it had just occurred. I licked my lips, reminiscing the delicious taste of her lips still imprinted on my brain.
Such a yummy memory.
“You would never know the very woman before us was once nothing more than a weak, desperate little thing, craving something she didn’t even know she needed.” My smile grew. “Something only I could give her.” My sight was fixated on her, watching as she entertained the pedestrian, flicking her magic around in the air, glowing in a beautiful contrast against her face. Seeing her move so eloquently as her power flowed from her body—my power—oh it excited me. It’d been such a long time since another human made a deal with me, and she was by far the most enticing of them all.
“Does it not bother you that a human is openly displaying their dealt gift?” The growing animation in my face stopped, my smile fading as I turned to face Tuft, standing only a few feet away from me.
“I’m sorry, but did I ask for your opinion?” I raised a brow, my arm raising while my voice split and began to alter. “I may have grown fond of your melancholy existence, dwelling alongside me here in my home, but do not forget yourself, Tuft.” Shadows ruptured from my flesh, crackling towards him as it took hold of his large frame, constricting around his pale body. He wriggled and groaned, fighting my strength as I slowly approached him.
“F-forgive me, Cypress—” he groaned. “I only meant—”
My body lunged forward as the monstrous shadow of myself appeared. His eyes widened in terror as my shadowy arm yanked him close, nearly squeezing the air from his existence as my eyes bore into his, the fire of my hair burning nearly white with rage.
“Silence! I don’t care what you meant or any of your useless thoughts!” He trembled in my grasp as the color of my flames returned to normal and my temper eased. “But to put your measly mind at ease, I’ll explain my plan, seeing as you have a very important part to play.” His brows furrowed in confusion at my statement. “Oh, yes,” I hissed, dropping him onto the stone floor of the dais. He gasped for air, grabbing the arm of my throne as he looked up at me through his tousled blue hair, dreading what I was about to say.
It was a pity how depressed and gloomy he always was, moping around the underworld, waiting for the time to come when he could either leave or wither away. Such a pathetic display. Alas, I had no sympathy for him. His current predicament was nothing more than the consequences of his own actions—stupid, ignorant, ridiculous actions. We had our fun when he first ended up down here, but the haze of it quickly wore off. Now, he was indebted to serve me in other ways…ways like helping me with Iris-Marie.
Tuft stood, his bare chest rising as he tried to relax his breathing, his pale skin covered in scars from the day he landed his unlucky self in my grasp. He was something pretty to admire, that was for sure, but let’s just say…he wasn’t my preferred taste.
“You see,” I turned back to the fiery glimpse into Iris-Marie’s world, “I have yet to collect my favor from my newest pet.”
“You don’t normally wait so long before calling upon them,” he grumbled, crossing his arms in a huff.
“Ah, but this one is different. She has magic. Yes, I may have given her a taste of my power, gifting her enormous abilities for a human, but it was the push she needed to embrace what was already there. And with it,” I peeked over my shoulder at him, flames trickling from my hair as shadows befell me and I flashed him a sinister grin. “She is going to do the one thing I cannot.”
Tuft’s face dropped as he stood there, baffled. “You—you can’t be serious. Cypress, she’s only a human. Magic or not, what you’re asking cannot be done by her. She—”
“She may be a human, but it’s my power that flows in her veins.” My hand flourished as the shadows produced an elegant bottle filled with a glowing red liquid. My arm raised it lightly as I gazed upon it, knowing its significance. “It’s time my dear brother learned his rightful place.”
“Cypress, after all this time, you must know the very thing you are suggesting cannot be done. You’ve tried befo—”
“Silence!” Ghastly, monstrous shadows slammed into his body, pushing him as I watched him roll down the stoney steps and land in the pool of hellfire with a loud thud. The splashing flames settled around him as he groaned, struggling to move. “You forget yourself,” I hissed, gracefully stepping down the stairs and stopping at his side. My eyes moved along his skin, studying the ancient gashes in his back. They never fully healed, the two large wounds a constant reminder of the deal he too struck with me long ago.
Tuft shifted onto his knees, standing as he stared up at me. Nothing but hatred and discontent boiled behind his golden irises, the frightening old scars across his face matching those covering his body. The idea of his emotions bubbling beneath the surface of his mortal form brought me such joy.
“Don’t worry, Pegasus.” My free arm lifted his chin, forcing him to look up at me. “The human witch will do exactly as I ask, or she will suffer like all the rest. Either way, her soul will be mine.”
“It’ll never work,” he coldly stated, clenching his strong jaw.
I stopped, carefully examining his face closely. “It’s such a shame, is it not?” I asked.
“What is?” Tuft grumbled as I gripped his face and leaned down, hovering in his space.
“That you lost your wings.” Heartbreak and pain consumed his face as I smiled at the dark expressions. “They really were quite magnificent, once upon a time.” I released his face, waving my hands as my shadows began to form across his back, taking the shape of his once-glorious wings. Tuft remained frozen, mesmerized by the sight of them suddenly returned. He cautiously began flexing, stretching the vaporous, feathered appendages. “I almost forgot how wonderful they were,” I stated, watching him closely.
Tuft arched, glancing back as the large cloud wings stretched out, extending far from his frame. For the first time in centuries, he smiled. He was elated at the glimpse, the reminder of his ethereal form that once was. The very one I took from him. Tuft slowly began to flap the wings, the muscle memory returning as he strained, pressing harder until his body began to elevate. His shadow wings lifted him from the ground, raising him higher with each flap. He exhaled, lightly laughing as the vibrance of his old self returned. A sight to behold…for now.
I snapped my finger as the shadowy wings instantly evaporated. Tuft’s excitement vanished as he fell from the sky, slamming into the bottom of the cave. Hellfire splashed in every direction as he grunted and groaned from the impact.
“What the hell was that?” he snarled, struggling to stand. I tell his poor mortal form was weakened, his being completely enraged by my tease.
“Oh, calm your horses,” I snarked, flicking my hair over my shoulder. “Oh, horses!” I chuckled to myself. “How funny!” Tuft didn’t seem amused. “You never were one for my jokes, but that’s beside the point.” My playful demeanor morphed into a serious one. “If you want your wings returned, then I suggest you do exactly as I say, Pegasus.”
I turned from him, gliding back up the steps and taking my place upon my throne of darkness. Tuft took his time, rising from the liquid hellfire and stopping as his foot met the bottom step of the dais. He glanced over his bare shoulder at his back, looking for the now-absent wings, the only reminder of them being the two wounds on his flesh, forever aching from the day he made his deal, the very day I ripped them from his body. He may have hated me for it, but I was going to use that same hate to make him do exactly as I wanted.
“What’s the point of teasing me about my wings, claiming to return them, if my soul is forever chained to you? Damned to the Abyss? I’m never leaving here, so I have no use for them. I’ve done everything you asked for centuries, and yet nothing has changed. Why should I continue to obey you when we both know you never plan to release me?”
My hands curled over the armrests as I leaned back into my throne, my face hiding behind the shadows as I smiled.
“You’ll do exactly as I say, for not only am I offering you your wings,” I raised my hand, my shadows once again gripping the man as I pulled him towards me. He stood in front of me, bewildered as I leaned forward and slightly tilted my head. “I am not just offering you your wings, Pegasus. I am offering you your soul .”
Tuft’s face told me exactly how he felt. I may have toyed with the idea of returning his wings, but his freedom was what he truly desired, and I planned to dangle it in front of him.
“My—my freedom?” he whispered.
“Indeed. I’m not totally heartless, even if you portray me as such. When the time comes, play your part with Iris-Marie, and I will not only return your wings…I’ll set your soul free. No more deals. No more hellfire or the Abyss. Complete freedom.” I sat in silence, waiting for him to respond, his eyes low as he pondered my new deal. He was hesitant—still. He needed one final push to get him over the edge. But not just any push: a very personal and specific form of enticement, one I had been longing to deliver.
“Don’t you wish to fly back home? To return to the heavens where you belong?” I stood from my throne, my shadows and fire transforming from my ethereal self to that of another—one I knew he preferred. “Don’t you wish to return to me?” I asked in an altered voice. Tuft’s eyes widened as he fell to his knees, the glow of my new skin beaming, warming his sick, pale complexion. I raised my arm, touching his check as a small tear fell from his eyes to my golden flesh.
“How—” The single whispered word was all he could mutter.
“Tuft, do you not wish to return to me? It has been so long since we last spoke.” His brows furrowed as his nostrils flared. “Since we last…touched.” I leaned in close, my new lips hovering so close to his.
“You play a sick game, Cypress. A sick, twisted game.” I only smiled as the warm glow of my pretend skin continued to beam. Tuft sighed, dropping his face in defeat. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Wonderful.” My voice morphed back to itself as the warm glow vanished and my body returned to its ashen ethereal state. I admired my deep gray skin, comfortable to be back within it, shivering at the idea of the warm man I had changed into. “Gold skin is so overrated. Ugh, I’ll never understand what you see in that demi-god of yours. He’s truly no better than his father.”
“I said I’ll do what you ask,” Tuft growled, rising as he balled his hands into fists at his side. “But if you speak of him anymore, I’ll take it back and remain here until the end of time, defying you in every way.”
“There’s no need to be so dramatic.” I tapped the tip of his nose, returning to my throne. “I’ll stop talking about…my nephew. Gods, I can’t even bring myself to speak his name. It makes me sick.” I make a face, pretending to gag. “Besides, your moods are suffering enough. Releasing you will almost be as much of a reward to me as Iris-Marie succeeding.”
“Then we have a deal?” he asked.
“Indeed we do,” I smiled. Tuft kneeled before me, preparing himself to seal our new exchange when I lifted my leg, pressing it to his bare chest. “Not this time. I’d rather keep my witch’s taste on my tongue. Besides, I know you’ll keep true on your part. Your demi-god is far too precious to you.” I rolled my eyes again and lowered my bare leg as he made a face, backing away from me.
The cave began to vibrate and rumble as the pool of fire rippled beneath us.
“She’s doing it again,” Tuft grimaced, glancing around.
“She is.” My nails dug into the throne as I grinned, excitedly listening to the sound of a lost soul as it screeched in the distance beyond the waterfall of fire. It was invigorating.
“Why do you let that witch conjure your souls? It goes against everything you stand for. You’re the keeper of souls, Cypress. If Ozias finds out a human is sucking them from the Underworld, he’ll—”
“Exactly.” I began to laugh, the fire of my hair surging as I climbed backwards in my throne and perched on my knees. I glared through the fiery glimpse into the other side and watched Iris-Marie. She was using her staff and magic, putting on a show as the soul she summoned broke through the veil, seeping from the Underworld. My mouth began to salivate as I watched her, completely transfixed by her beautiful, powerful display.
Yes, take it. Take every soul from me and charm those humans with my power. Make it known what you can do so they can spread the word. It’s only a matter of time before Ozias hears of your abilities. The next time you conjure a soul, I shall return with it and call upon my favor.
An old longing ached in my chest as I continued to watch her. Regardless of the outcome of this game, I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t just want her soul, I wanted her .