I shook my head. “The last part of the test judges your future actions. Apparently future-Maddi is planning on doing something really bad. Pretty sure it’s to do with my fight against the gods, and whatever happens, I’m a risk to the world.” I wasn’t a moron, I knew that controlling the Hellbringers might destroy me or the world, but it was literally our only option.
“Can any of you feel a stronger connection to your mates?” Asher asked, abruptly changing the subject. In his thoughts, he was pissed that anyone might consider me a threat. He really didn’t have to worry. None of them seemed to care. This wasn't their first rodeo.
“I can feel her,” Braxton said quickly, “but our communication channels are still closed. She’s alive, at least, and that’s just enough for my beast to remain calm.”
“Mischa is alive,” Maximus confirmed.
Rayge lifted his head, eyes flashing to a dark gold. “I can sense Josephina. We’re not mates or bonded in that way, but we have a different connection … a magically created life-debt that allows me to feel her. She’s also alive.”
As confident as I had been that they were okay, it made me feel a lot better to have it confirmed.
“Would you please follow me…” The light fairy was back, trying to usher us along. She never flinched or questioned our presence here, remaining calm and glowing. “You need to go through processing. Then your eternity awaits you.”
Lucky it was the fairy and not Heptashia who was the welcoming committee. That goddess would definitely give the underworld a bit of a reputation.
Gates of Hell, anyone?
Chapter 26
“Let’s follow her,” I suggested, not sure what else to do. “Maybe Jessa and the others had to go through processing and we’ll find them there.”
No one argued, and since the light fairy was still waving us on, like a tiny automated robot attendant, we walked in the direction she was frantically indicating. Nothing changed as we moved; the light breeze stayed the same, the sweet smell in the air was consistent, and the sprinkle of warmth bathing our faces never faded. It was nice, but unnatural. Especially compared to the Academy, where the weather was changeable within seconds. Maybe I liked that more than I thought, the unpredictability. The longer I stayed here, the more I wanted to leave and return to my real life.
The light fairy disappeared as soon as we followed her instructions. We continued along the stream until we reached a large open lagoon, surrounded by wildflowers. There didn’t appear to be trees or shrubbery here, just grass and bunches of flowers, ranging from the starkest white I’d ever seen, to pinks and purples and yellows. The colors were vibrant and eye catching, and the sweet scent had to be coming from them because it was slightly more potent here.
We stopped at the edge of the water, because there was no more path to walk. “What now, little light fairy?” I asked, looking around for her.
She didn’t reappear.
“Light fairy, that’s highly appropriate,” Rayge said. “They’re called thelinuettes, which means lighted guide. They exist only in the underworld. They guide the dead to their final resting place.”
Creepy. Very creepy.
“Do you think it's because we’re not dead that we’re just standing here staring at the water? Because this doesn’t seem like much of a processing … uh, process.”
Yeah, okay, I was a tad impatient at times.
Rayge took a step toward me, hand lifting like he was going to touch me, but a rumble from Asher’s chest stayed his hand. My possessive Atlantean was in fine form today, but I felt the same way about him. The world kept tearing us apart, and we were frankly done with it.
“We’re still standing here because our transport hasn’t arrived yet,” Rayge said. The tension between Asher and him faded as fast as it had appeared.
We were all adults here, and Rayge respected Asher’s claim as my mate. He was also too old to give a single fuck about dick measuring. Not that Asher was doing that, but Rayge could have chosen to respond like he had. He was apparently secure in his supernatural skills. It was one of the things I liked most about him. The other was his ability to drink me under the table.
This was all forgotten as the water started to ripple before us. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting for transport. Since we were standing on the edge of a waterway, probably a boat of some sort, captained by the ferryman. Okay, I might have been delving a little deep into another mythology. I knew very little about the supernatural and Atlantean “death” process.
No boat arrived. The water rippled, waves increasing in an outward flow, until there was a single path through the lagoon. Grass lined this path, despite it having just been under water.
Okay, then.I’d just keep reminding myself that normal rules didn’t apply here. Saved my brain from fracturing under all the weird.
Braxton stepped out first; his mate was missing, and he was done waiting. I really couldn’t blame him. I was next, then Asher, Maximus, and Rayge last. The path was wide enough for one person only.
“We should have flown over,” Rayge said, looking around. There was nothing to see as the path took a downward trajectory. Not a single living creature was visible in the clear blue water around us.
“I don’t think over would have worked,” I breathed, noticing how dark and high above our heads the water was getting, like we were literally walking to the bottom of this waterway. “Looks like we’re going into the depths.”
Silence remained our constant companion. It was only that I was so accustomed to the sounds of the ocean and the birds and the air that I truly noticed the lack of it here. When we’d been walking for some time, the water surrounding us—which was now too high for me to even see the top of—started to ripple. It was the first change since we started, and I braced myself for what might happen next. If this amount of water crashed onto us, we would be crushed.
All of us stopped. Asher’s face beside mine was tense. My power churned, teasing across my fingertips as I readied myself to use it. The ripples in the lagoon grew stronger, and I blinked as water spiraled out of the wall beside us, swinging arcs of color and pattern. It was not clear, as one would expect water to be when separated like that. The strings were teal and purple and red, and as each wound around and through us, I felt them sliding across my skin and down my arms. The water left just as fast, and I looked down to find a teal mark—a perfect match to my hair color—twined across my arm.
