Page 23 of Vexed

CHAPTER TWENTY

Lily

Okay, deep breaths.

One second I was having the best time with Vex, chatting about the past and getting butterflies as he handed me the beautiful white daisy, and the next, all hell broke loose. Literally.

I’m not proud of myself. I ran. I ran just far enough to see the absolute jerks drag him across the field, kicking and grumbling, towards this creepy, overgrown wooded area. And then I did the dumbest thing imaginable.

My brain, for some reason, decided logic and self-preservation were optional extras. So, I followed.

And what do I see? Fucking magic, that’s what. A door. A plain, wooden, totally normal-looking door just appeared in the middle of nowhere. Like something you’d see in a sitcom, used as a portal to the Underworld, I’m guessing.

They dragged him through, the door started to shimmer, and this voice, a tiny, insistent voice that sounded suspiciously like my conscience, screamed, ‘Don’t do it! This is insane!’

I ignored it and made a stupid decision. I charged.

I barely made it and I felt this weird sucking sensation, like being vacuumed into another dimension, and then…

darkness. Not the cozy darkness of my bedroom with the blackout curtains.

This was heavy, oppressive, soul-crushing darkness.

I blinked, trying to adjust. Slowly, shapes began to resolve themselves.

Oh. My. God.

Not again.

Towers. Jagged, black towers that scraped the sky, which was, surprisingly, even darker than the ground. Scary-looking buildings with way too many spires. Dead trees, their branches clawing at the fog that hung thick in the air. Fog, probably, made of pure despair.

This was the Underworld. It was ripped straight out of a horror movie, except, you know, real. I swallowed, my throat suddenly drier than the Sahara.

I’m officially the dumbest person on the planet. He warned me not to dare do this again—yet, here I am now and Vex is—somewhere. And he needs help.

I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. I have no plan, no weapons, no common sense, apparently. But, I have to find him. I have to get him out of this mess. Even if it kills me.

Starting with—which way did those arc reaper guys even go?

I take slow and deliberate steps, scanning my surroundings. Everything seems so dull and lifeless. No wonder they’re so depressed.

I pressed myself against the rough, obsidian wall of what I could only assume was an Underworld building. Honestly, ‘building’ felt too generous. ‘Monstrosity cobbled together from nightmares’ was more accurate.

Everything here felt like it was trying to kill me, from the air thick with the scent of decay to the unsettling silence that hummed with a low, menacing energy.

I peeked around the corner, my heart hammering against my ribs. And then I saw them. Arc Reapers. Ugh. Even from here, I could feel the electric crackle of their presence, and their skeletal faces were twisted in smug satisfaction. They were dragging someone, and as I got closer, I saw it was Vex.

They were shoving him into what looked horrifyingly like a prison. Panic clenched my stomach. I couldn’t just leave him.

I waited, hidden behind a gnarled, dead tree, its branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers, until the Arc Reapers swaggered back out, their laughter echoing in the oppressive air. Then, I bolted.

The prison door creaked open with a groan that sent shivers down my spine. Inside, the air was even thicker and darker than outside. The walls were a dull, crimson red, and the only light came from strange, faint glowing runes carved into the stone. It was creepy as hell.

I swallowed hard and started down the long, echoing hallway. Each step felt like a betrayal, the sound amplifying my fear. At the very end, I saw it. A room, or rather, a cell. Thick, black bars crisscrossed the opening, and inside was Vex.

His hands were cuffed above his head, stretching his wrists uncomfortably. His shirt was torn, and his head hung low, his inky black hair obscuring his face. He wasn’t moving.

My voice was barely a whisper. “Vex?”

His head snapped up so fast, I almost jumped out of my skin. His eyes, usually pools of calm darkness, blazed with a surprising fury.

“Lily? What the fuck are you doing here?” he hissed, his voice a rough whisper laced with disbelief and something that sounded a lot like anger. “Do you have a death wish? Get out of here before they see you!”

I stepped closer to the bars, ignoring the instinct screaming at me to run. “I can’t just leave you here, Vex.”

He stares at me for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. “You’re fucking crazy, you know that?”

“You would’ve done the same for me,” I admit with a smile. “Now, where the hell are we?”

He lets out a chuckle, pulling at the restraints, “Well, little human. Welcome back to Vuamorta Erebus.”

“Vuamo… what?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

“The Underworld, darling. And this place, is Crimson Domain. Basically, a prison for reapers.”

Jesus. This feels like a dream. No, a fucking nightmare. I gaze around me, trying to find some kind of key or whatever unlocks this gate.

“Unless you have secret reaper power, you won’t get this gate open.” Vex states. He read my mind again. So much for trying to break old habits.

“But you do, why don’t you just open it?” I ask, but he lets out another defeated sigh.

“They took my scythe. Without it, I’m nothing.” He says, dragging his gaze away from mine.

I bite the inside of my cheek, and I get an idea. But I already know he’s not gonna like it.

“Where would it be?”

“Uh, probably in the Erebus Cathedral…wait, no fucking way! You are not going to just waltz in and get it. They will kill you.” He sneers, the anger evident in his voice.

“I thought reapers aren’t allowed to kill humans.” I retort.

“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not in the human world anymore, darling. You’re in ours, and they can do whatever the fuck they want.”

The air suddenly feels thicker and my heart starts to race. But I lock my gaze with his, swallowing the lump in my throat, “I’m going to get you out.” I say with finality before turning and start walking for the exit.

“Fuck, Lily. Okay, wait!” He yells. I stop in my tracks and turn to face him.

“If you get caught, or if you don’t make it in time before they show up—get out of there.

Run through the Dark Planes—it’s the forest across from the Cathedral—there’s a bridge on the other side.

When you cross it, hide in Colbat Cove. I’ll come find you.

I promise.” His voice was strained, laced with an urgency that mirrored the frantic beat of my own heart.

Tears started to brim my eyes as I realized this might be the last time I see him. I quickly nodded my head, desperate to hold back the flood threatening to spill over, and wiped the tears that began to fall before making my way out of the building.