He pulls the backpack to the front and rifles through the contents, finally finding the map. Taking it out, he studies it for a moment, frown pulling at his scar.
“The Lake of Despair.” He says. I turn and see where on the map he’s pointing to. “There’s a note below. Souls, trapped in The Lake of Despair, are pulled down by the water and are only allowed to break through to the surface for short bouts of air. The souls pay their penance by repeating this cycle for eternity.”
I look down into the water as a shiver runs down my spine. There must be thousands of souls here, doomed to an eternity like this.
“We’re in for a long trek.” Garrison says, leaning over to study the map. “There are nine levels of torment. We’re in limbo right here, but we need to get to the bottom. The Circle of Treachery. That’s where the gate is located. The note on the bottom reads that Salem’s blood will be able to open the gate.”
“So, no pressure.” I quip, pushing down my unease. I grip Emmet’s hand in mine, needing to feel grounded. Persephone is on our tail, we’re separated from our friends once again, and we’re drifting on a lake full of tortured souls. We’ve faced dragons and gorgons, demons, and a pack of skeletons. What’s another obstacle? Or nine.
“Salem.” A gurgling sound comes from the water. My stomach drops and I frantically search the black expanse. “Sa-alem. I can sense you. Don’t leave me here.”
“Don’t look.” Pierce grabs at me, but I can’t help it. I spot the wrinkled face of my mother, eyes and mouth sewn shut as she flails. I watch as she’s pulled back beneath the surface, fingers grazing at the waves as she’s ripped away.
“How can I hear her if her mouth is sewn shut?”
“She’s using her magic to lure you in. Do not fall for it, little demigod. She wants for you to take her place. That is the only way these souls can escape. A soul for a soul.” The skeleton warns.
Of course, my mother would wish this upon me. I put her here, I realize. Ending her life, it’s all my fault.
“I wouldn’t feel bad about your part. They all made their choices in life. They’re here for a reason.”
I swallow hard, wondering if he can read my thoughts or is privy to everyone in this lake’s stories.
“Both.” He answers for me, and I burrow into myself, careful of where my thoughts stray. The screams of the tortured souls continue every time their faces crest the water. I shove my fingers into my ears to block out the noise, but only manage to muffle it. We drift closer to the shore. The screams becoming less frequent.
Our boat lands on the rocky bank with a thud. “Out.” The skeleton figure demands. We scramble out of the vessel, shoes jostling the stones. The boat shoves away from the shore and disappears into a fine mist that’s blown in coating the surface.
“Which way?” I ask Walker, who’s staring at the map.
“Looks like the entrance is through this valley and nestled between these two mountains.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
I try not to think about the obstacles we’ll face on the way down. The screams from the lake still ring in my ear, and my mother’s mutilated face is seared into my memory. I steady my nerves as we trudge through the Underworld, the fate of the world breathing down my neck.
CHAPTER47
Chapter Forty-Seven
LUKAS
SONG: MERCY BY HURTS
The carriage comes to a sudden stop, enveloping us in darkness as we pass through a portcullis. I take a breath readying myself for the fight that’s about to ensue. Skye jolts awake, having been lulled to sleep by the motion of the ride. She wipes at her face, sitting up in a daze.
“You got this, Skye baby?” I whisper as I hear some men outside the carriage begin to discuss our fate. She nods her head, pulling herself onto her knees, ready to blast her power at the first person that opens that door.
I can barely make out the shapes of the guards through the barricade, but there are at least four or five of them conversing just outside.
“Transport the prisoners to the dungeon, by order of Persephone.”
“What level?”
“Level nine.”
“Jeesh, what did they do?”
“That’s not for us to know, now, is it?”
