My skirts drag across the floor as my black lace kitten heels tap against the marble while we follow the women down the hall.
“Now, you’ll want to take a right at the end of this hall and then go down one flight of stairs. When you reach the bottom, go through the glass hallway. That’ll take you straight to the dining area.” The shortest woman says.
“Thank you- uh. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“Clothio, miss.” Her ethereal red eyes sparkle as her lips tip up into a smile. Bowing again, they each take their leave. Walker and I follow their directions, taking in the grandeur of the palace.
“So, fill me in quickly, before more people interrupt us.” I say in a whisper, not sure what kind of powers or acoustics a place like this has. I once saw an episode ofReignwhere the ceiling was crafted in such a way that could allow for people on the other end of the room to hear what was being said. I didn’t feel like getting beheaded now or any time really.
“Well, all of our demons were ripped out of us. I don’t know where they took them, but the three of us have been taking shifts sitting by you, waiting for you to wake up. You hit your head pretty hard on the stones. Hades was busy with the demons, so we haven’t seen him until today when he burst into your room.”
“This is so much to take in. I had a fucking demon in me? How could I not know that?”
Walker shrugs. “Could have been that he didn’t want to give himself away.”
“I feel weirdly empty.” I remark, noting my magic seems completely zapped out. We continue down the steps, spiraling deeper into the castle.
“Same. I’ve lived with the demon for so long that sometimes I didn’t know where it began, and I ended.”
I nod, racking my brain forwhenI could have become possessed with a fucking demon. It must have been in the cave when we killed the headmaster. I’d assumed that his demon must have been sucked into the veil, but then I remember how off I felt after. How something seemed to slither along my veins and into my core. I’d been so new at magic, just finding out I was a witch back then, that I didn’t know how it was supposed to feel. Still, not picking up on it has me furious. At myself and at the demon who used me as a human puppet. I feel like the guy inMen in Blackthat kept asking for sugar water. Gross. I rub my arms, trying to reassure myself that I’m alone in my own body.
We arrive at the bottom, staring at the expansive hallway that houses floor to ceiling windows on both sides, granting us a view of the outside.
We all have an idea of what the Underworld would look like, but I’m deeply unprepared for the sprawling splendor that greets us.
“Well, shit.” I say, mouth hanging down in shock. Glittering black mountains surround us on every side, offering an intimidating barrier between whatever lies beyond the ominous landforms that leer down and the castle we’re residing in. Thorns are entwined around a gazebo that sits just outside, choking the wood with its claw like vines. Pomegranate trees line a single black road that leads towards the mountains. There is no sunlight, only a faint eerie red glow that flickers along the ground.
I can hear the low murmurings of a gathering starting up and force myself to take a step forward, Walker following close behind, hands shoved deep into his pockets.
I have to face my father and get my questions answered.
CHAPTER6
Chapter Six
GARRISON
SONG: FAMILIAR TASTE OF POISON BY HALESTORM
We’ve been kept locked up in the rooms provided for us when we aren’t waiting for Salem to wake up. It's well decorated. But a cell is still a cell, no matter how meticulously curated it is.
I stare at the antique mirror, adjusting my cuffs, noting the sunken in look that’s taken residence around my eyes from the lack of sleep.
I’m no stranger to dressing up, having done it my entire life. A lifetime spent catering to the whims of my parents while their global empire grew at an exponential rate. Elbow rubbing with the elite. The ruthless and wealthy. Cutthroat heathens dressed in Armani.
But down here? I don’t know what to expect. The past two years I’ve felt less in control every day that passes, and now? I’m spiraling. Hard.
I’ve caught myself reaching for my phone at least a hundred times, only to remember the fucking thing doesn’t work down here. Not being able to check my accounts is sending my anxiety into overdrive. The empty part of my soul where the demon seems to have left a black gaping hole where it once resided gnaws at my sense of identity. I fucking hate being trapped down here not knowing when we’ll be able to get back home.
A knock breaks my trance before a dark figure slides into my room. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end with familiarity.
“Greed.” I acknowledge the demon that’s been inside of me for the last two years with surprise.
He tilts his head, horns gleaming in the flickering candlelight as he stares at my reflection in the mirror.
“I thought Hades took care of you all.”
He pulls his thin lips up into a sneer. “Funny thing, that. We were just simple pawns in a large scheme, so we were let free.”
