“I thought you said most people would be back home?” Skye yells. Sweat gathers at her brow as she pants. My shirt is soaked now, and completely transparent from my perspiration. Why the hell has this place not invested in an elevator?
“They must be the ones who stayed for our house party. The souls must have tracked them here and took over.” Sloan answers, almost to the bottom.
As we near the exit, a group of students I faintly recognize come out from the first floor to block the door. We come to a screeching halt as footsteps pound from behind us, closing us in from all sides.
“What do you want?” Skye demands, holding her hands aloft as she gathers her strength.
“We want for you to let us live in peace.” A girl next to her answers, taking a step closer to us.
“Fat chance.” Skye answers with an explosive light. The students scream out, as they’re blasted back. A hand snakes out and grabs mine, leading me through the door as we make a break for it. We don’t stop running until we make it to the car. Sloan shoves the keys in the ignition, but fumbles with the stereo.
“Oh my God, Sloan! Let’s go!” I shout from the back.
“Just a second.” He hits a few buttons a frown pulling at his brows. The people inside must have gotten their bearings, because they start heading straight towards us. Spilling out of the dorm building like an angry mob with a vendetta. Too bad they don’t have pitchforks. I watch in horror as they get closer with each second that ticks by.
“Seriously, dude what could be so important?” I ask, right asShould I Stay or Should I Goby The Clash blares from the speakers. We peel out of the parking lot a second later.
“I needed to find the right mood music.” He says with a shrug.
“Should have known better than to make the guy possessed with Sloth our getaway driver.” Graham mumbles next to me and I crack a smile, resting my head back on the leather headrest. We take the fastest way back to the house, completely exhausted. I want to do nothing but pass out on my bed, though there’s no guarantee those souls won’t chase us back here. One thing is for certain. No place on this island feels safe.
CHAPTER18
Chapter Eighteen
EMMET
SONG: THE MAGICK BY WITCHZ
Ifeel empty. Defeated. I’d tried for so long to keep that part of me that made me feel alive. I was a bolder person with the demon strapped inside of me, and now that it had been ripped out of me? I’m spiraling.
I toss in my bed that I’ve been gifted, going over the events of the past few days in my mind. I wonder how the guys above are getting on. I can only imagine how furious my father must be right now, although since time moves differently in the Underworld, I have no idea how many days have actually passed. I think they said for every day they have, three pass here, but who knows for sure. Everything is a mindfuck down here.
It’s the middle of the night, and I can’t sleep since I share a wall with Walker, and he’s been banging Salem all night. There’s nothing to distract me from their sounds. No television, no phone. No clock to watch the minutes tick by as she screams out her pleasure. Fuck. I rub at my tired eyes, wishing I was over there with them right now. Had I still been possessed, maybe I would have the gumption to barge in. I’ve done it before. But now my insecurities are front and center. Wondering what she even sees in me after everything I’ve done. Everything I’ve put us all through is enough for them to toss me in the river of lava that snakes through the rocky terrain in the distance.
What do people do down here to keep themselves entertained?
I shrug off the bedsheet and find my shoes. Maybe this place has a library of some sort.
My guards let me pass after I explain I’m going for a short walk. Insomnia claws at my bones as I walk through the empty castle. Candles flicker in the darkness, illuminating a dim path through the hallways. Wandering aimlessly to keep myself occupied, I take in the murals painted on the walls. It seems to be a story of some sort. Hades, and who I assume are Zeus and Poseidon, are depicted in a battle against the Titans. As the mural continues it changes to show them ruling over their prospective lands. But tucked in the corner of the Underworld drawing is a figure that looks to be waiting. Biding their time. I take a step closer to examine the piece, seeing a scene of travelers headed into the mountains that look like the ones outside this castle.
“Can I help you?” Hades asks, startling me. He’s dressed in a satin blue robe and matching slippers like he also couldn’t sleep. He has a chameleon like manor about him that can make you forget that you’re standing in the presence of a god. At this moment, he looks more mortal than ever. Tired and in sleepwear.
“Uh, no. I was just admiring the artwork. Couldn’t sleep.”
He reaches out and touches the mural, admiring a portion of it that represents his wife. “Yes, it is a beautiful creation.”
“The entire castle is breathtaking.” I say not knowing what else to offer to the conversation. Small talk is the bane of my existence. I’d rather peel my skin from my bones, then discuss meaningless shit with someone.
He smirks down at me with his stubble lined cheeks. “You seem to know my daughter fairly well. Tell me, is she always this… spirited?”
“I’d say spirited is putting it mildly, sir.” I chuckle thinking of how much she loves to bust my balls. “She’s amazing. You should be proud to have her as a daughter.”
“Interesting. And what can you tell me of your demonic possession? How did that come about?” He scratches at his face, eyes blazing.
The hair raises on the back of my neck. “Sir?” I swallow hard, knowing that he has Pierce in the dungeons. I wonder for what reason.
“I’d like to know how you became possessed with Envy. In your own words.”
