They stopped in their tracks and turned to me. Blaise laced his fingers through my hand as Thaddeus stood toe to toe with me.
“When I was dead, I saw Hell,” I told them. “It reeked of sulfur and was filled with a heat that didn’t bother me. I always wondered why I went there, but since this is the gate of fucking Hell, I guess it only makes sense.”
The guys shared a look of uneasiness.
I forced my lips to spread into a determined smile. “Hell wasn’t scary. I think the scariest thing about it was that I felt like I belonged there.”
Saying it out loud held a different meaning, and I realized maybe I was more disturbed than I thought.
Thaddeus nodded, bending down and capturing my lips with his for a few heavenly seconds. “You’re strong. Don’t forget that.”
“You’re fast,” Blaise added with a kiss to my cheek.
“And proper smart.” Kai kissed my other cheek.
“And fucking lucky,” I told them, soaking in their warmth. “Being with each of you makes me feel a kind of comfort I never knew I needed.”
“I can give you all the comfort you need when we get home.” Blaise winked.
“But for now, we have to do this.” Thaddeus turned back around and led us toward the swimming hole.
Flashbacks of the party assaulted my head every time I blinked.
Everyone gathered around the forest, familiar and unfamiliar faces alike.
Nobody got too close to the swimming hole because of the cold as fuck day it was.
Me, downing a hell of a lot of vodka and soda.
Deciding to lie down on the smooth rock that slid into the water.
Rolling into icy water that swallowed my body with barely a splash.
The weight of my winter coat and jeans pulling me to the bottom.
Blinking and finding myself in a dimly-lit hallway made of clay and earth.
Smelling the sulfur and feeling the unprecedented heat smack into me.
My chest blooming with acceptance as a mystifying power pumped through my veins.
Being ripped away violently and gasping for air, soaked and chilled to the fucking bone.
“Lilith.” Thaddeus had my face in his hands, his smooth thumbs brushing against my cheeks.
I blinked a few more times without any flashes and let out a heavy breath. “That was so fucking weird.”
Thaddeus let out a breath of relief and let me go.
“Bloody right it was,” Blaise said.
“What was it exactly?” Kai asked.
I rubbed my forehead. “Flashes of my near-death experience. I couldn’t control it.”
“That’s because you are close to the gate, and Hell wants to be remembered,” a deep voice informed, walking out of the fucking swimming hole in soaked black robes. “It’s a fickle thing.”
“Hell’s fickle?” I asked.
