Before Limbo (After Life Book 1)

by Isabelle Crusoe

  “He did a remarkable job on you.” She raised her perfectly manicured eyebrow. “You really don’t remember anything?” She patted her hands together. “This is going to be the most fun I’ve had in eons.”

  “Mira?”

  Voices called my name, so I turned to the door.

  Heat vibrated in the opening, and distorted the figures moving outside. I turned back, only to find the woman had disappeared. I limped toward the door, then leaned heavily on the frame as pain filtered through my hip and chest, my heart bouncing between hope and despair.

  “Mira?” Someone broke free from the group of shapes, and it only took me a second to recognize Kaito. Sobs rattled through my body.

  They were here?

  They were really here?

  He reached me in a cloud of dust, gathered me into his arms, and squeezed me tight. Laughing and crying, I held on while my mind tried to make sense of it all.

  "What is this place?" Kaito wiped away a few treacherous tears from his cheek, but his arms cradled me close while his eyes roamed our surroundings.

  "Mira!" Salma jogged up to us, her tear stricken cheeks glowing pink. The dust wasn't even settled around her feet when the rest of the group reached us.

  "I have to get the key." I locked eyes with Cas. “I have to.”

  Cas shook his head. "How were you planning on doing that by yourself?"

  “Where are we?” Kaito’s fingers dug into my hand.

  "I’ll help her," Tell said quietly.

  "Me too," Aris continued.

  “Seriously? What is this place?”

  "Get the others back to Effulgent." The group stepped aside, and made room for Rigel. "You too, Mira. Let us handle this." Brows gathered in sadness.

  "But how? You can’t even touch it. You need me. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt." It was impossible to stop me from finding Lux, again.

  “Can someone please explain what’s going on?” Kaito yelled. “We were sucked out of school. Literally sucked… out of school, and ended up in some fucking desert city. I’m sorry, but I’m not gonna just stand here and take it, like some extra in a horror movie. Those always die first. I mean if you check the movies that are out now, not that they’re any good, but at least the plot isn’t as twisted as this shit. Seriously? What the hell is going on?”

  “Gehenna.” Salma’s breathless whisper brought everything to a halt.

  Chapter 46

  Cas rubbed his face with a deep sigh. “Yes. I’m afraid so.”

  “What? What’s Gehenna?”

  “Hell.” I squeezed Kaito’s hand, hoping it would bring some comfort.

  “Yeah right.” He huffed, eyes searching the faces around him for someone to confirm that it was a joke. “Come on? It can’t be. Hell doesn’t exist, does it?”

  "What's this?" Tell dipped and picked up a broken brown feather from the ground.

  “Corvus,” Cas growled, and his glare found Lux. “Vega’s back? I thought you dealt with it?”

  Lux raked a hand through his hair. “You and me both.”

  “Did she talk to ya?”

  “Yeah. She stopped the bird thing, and wished me welcome. Said something about my dad, and the heavens.”

  Gazes in the group flickered between each other. Rigel’s brows furrowed deep over the scars. “Why would she wish you welcome?”

  Cas paced the ground, stirring up dust with every step. “We’re missing something.”

  “Mira?” Salma laced her fingers around my wrist. “Where is everyone else?”

  I slapped a hand over my mouth. "Oh, my god." My gut dropped to my feet, and I was dipped in a bucket of ice as I stared at the faces around me. "Cas?" My voice trembled, fingers closed over the glass pendant. "What about the others?"

  He lowered his head, and scratched his forehead. "They’re most likely on the other side."

  I edged closer to the roaring river. My chest tightened as I strained to see the opposite shore. Water boiled, a mirror of yellow and orange split by tormented faces.

  "We have to get them." I started, but Lux grabbed me and pulled me back.

  "You can't get over that river, Mira. That's Styx." He exhaled at my confused expression. "It's the river of hell. Only way across is with the Ferryman."

  “So, let’s find him. We have to save the others.”

  “Yer a nutter if ya think ya can bargain with the Ferryman.”

  “I’m at least gonna try. I can’t leave anyone out there, alone.”

  “They’re probably dead by now.” Lux's malicious words drove a stake through my heart. Knees folded under me, no longer able to keep me up as my heart plummeted, but Cas gathered me up in his arms.

  He cursed. "You idiot,” He growled over my head to Lux. “I’m so sorry, Mira.” He breathed against my hair, and cradled the back of my head with a steady hand.

  A familiar feeling fluttered to life while he held me, the calm before a storm, the spark before an explosion. But this wasn’t Lux. I caught a glimpse of Salma watching us. Her shoulders slumped, and she fiddled with a loose thread on her sweater.

  She's was in love with him, wasn't she?

  I pressed my palms to his chest, freeing me from his arms and ignoring the hurt sting in his eyes. Confusion painted stories in my head. Palms pressed against my jeans, I put some extra distance between me and Cas.

  I cleared my throat, and shook out of the moment. "So? How do we get to the Ferryman?”

  Rigel held up a hand. “Through the desert.”

  Aris tapped the tip of his bat against the ground. “We have to go through the caves."

  "We'll starve to death out here so what does it matter?" Kaito complained. I hitched as his eyes, for the briefest of moments found Aris. He bit the side of his lip, hand rubbing along his arm.

  No? Oh, crap. We don't have time for drama.

  "No," Tell said. "Hunger, and thirst donny exist outside the gates of hell." He nodded across the river. "Tired, hurt, and dying, aye. But no hungry, or thirsty."

  "Silver lining, I guess." I smiled awkwardly, rolling my shoulders.

  "There's one more thing." Cas stared across the river, his back to us. "Our powers will fade the closer we get to the gates."

  My hand flew to my mouth as I sucked in the scorching air, heart bashing the inside of my ribs. "But. How do we? I mean… I can’t fight."

  “Again, how did you plan on getting the key back?”

  “Uhm…”

  “She can fight,” Beid muttered.

  The deafening silence that followed weighed a ton on the bricks around my heart.

  “Patrol.” Rigel’s unseeing eyes stared down the abandoned street.

  "What's going on?" Salma edged toward me, reaching for my hand. It burned hot against my skin. A rumble grew in the distance, roads and houses elevated, like a wave building momentum.

  “Gawn, lads. Get ready!” Tell stretched his neck, and rolled his shoulders,

  "What’s he doing?" Salma whispered.

  "Don't know, but I don't like it."

  Lux cracked his knuckles, the noise rattling through my ears. Aris twirled his bat, before grabbing it steadily with both hands. A howl filled the air, waves rose toward the burning sky glimmering black in the deep.

  Cas snapped. "Here they come." He pulled the crossbow from his shoulder. The asphalt vibrated; something flew from the cracks. A skinless bird took to the sky. Cas fired, killing it. How the hell? Lux drew his swords from the harness on his back. Rigel swung his staff, rolling it over the back of his hand. Tell slipped his fingers into a pair of brass knuckles, bouncing on the ball of his feet.

  Who was coming?

  Oh. I wished I hadn't asked that question.

  Chapter 47

  There was a ticker of antennas, and then the rush of sand and pebbles being shoveled away by tiny, disgusting legs. Bugs!

  The asphalt rose, and heads popped up in every crack. Heart dropped to my feet, and left my body in a cold sweat. What the hell are those things?
They didn’t look like demons or imps, more like miniature versions of the spiders that attacked the school.

  Eight legged creatures, with human faces. Each leg ended in seven fingered hands, no skin covering their flesh. Long antennas flicked on top of a stripped skull. A twang vibrated as the bolt flew from Cas' crossbow, hitting the closest creature square in the head. It dropped. The legs twitched. Kaito squealed and climbed on Salma to get away from the creatures. Salma cringed and did her best to calm him, despite the pale sweat trickling off her forehead.

  Legs shaking, I fought against the nausea. Fingers laced around my ankle, and I screeched as my feet were pulled from under me. Lux jumped to avoid being dragged down when I slid along the hard ground, and the roar of the river slammed against my ear drums. Water splashed along my legs, burning cold and venomous on my skin. My nails and fingertips clawed for support on the harsh cement. My muscles cramped, my hip burned. I was running out of breath.

  "I can't get it., Lux barked.

  I twisted, reaching for the fender of the damaged car tipped halfway over the edge of the broken road. Tell rushed from the group and raised his hand. Wind whooshed past me. I was pulled into the air, and silver drops of water hit my face as nails scratched along my legs. Tell snapped his fist shut, and the grip released with a crunching sound. I groaned as I bounced off the hood of the car, and slid off. Arms banded around my ribs, I rolled to my side, whimpering at the shooting pain that attacked my senses. The creature’s crushed body washed away by the rising water. My eyes flew to Tell, as he pulled me to my feet. No time to be gentle. I swallowed a cry in pain, and limped toward safety. More of those disgusting creatures broke the surface of the asphalt as it crackled joyfully with every bug that appeared. Was there no end to them? My right side complained from having to carry all my weight after I'd released the car. Aris shimmered in, and out, and the bat came down hard on the bugs. Rigel swung his staff sending a creature in a beautiful arc through the air. The ground shivered under me, shaking me off balance.

  "Homerun!" Aris laughed. "The crowd goes wild." He bounced on his toes, hair shuffled on his head. He was having fun? He disappeared again, but like a recording out of sync, he flickered once too often before disappearing completely.

  "Wohoo!" Tell laughed, his fists like jackhammers, pounding bugs to oblivion as they attacked him.

  I watched, slack jawed, while they danced across the ground, making short work of the creatures. Ain’s beautiful red hair cascaded through the air as she spun across the ground, knives finding their targets. Beid stood steady in front of Salma and Kaito, furiously protecting them against any bugs that made it past the killing squad.

  "Mira! Watch out!" Cas' voice ripped me out of my paralyzed admiration. I spun. Chin lifted to the sky where a beast circled. The wings folded to its body, mouth opened wide. It dove for me. Strings of flesh dangled between sharp teeth and I threw myself on the ground. Hands pressed to my ears, I screamed.

  "Mira. Damn it. Get out." I looked up at the sound of Tell's voice. He stood above me, holding the giant bird up with his hands over his head. The bird was frozen only a few feet away, and sweat trickled down his forehead. Unable to defend himself against the small spiders clawing at his legs, Lux pulled me up and pretty much threw me out of the way. I bounced against Cas' chest, who wrapped an arm around me and spun. He flinched, and his fingers dug into my arm.

  "Get it off me." His voice vibrated through my body, and my heart pounded against my back. My mind was in turmoil with the freezing fire crashing through me.

  Lux flashed past us on the right, aiming for the bird, "Head for Necs. Get them out of here."

  "Tell. Clear a path," Cas' shouted, his hand wrapped around my wrist, and he jerked me into a run, almost pulling me off my feet. A warning spiked through my side, and then another one. I jumped, stumbled along. I couldn't. The burning spears drove deeper into my hip, and cut off my legs from under me. I fell, and my shoulder took the full blow of the landing. My skin burned as I slid along the ground. A black feather brushed against my face. I caught a glimmer of something familiar, but was ripped to my feet before I could make out what it was.

  "I got her," Tell hollered.

  Barbed wire latched its hooks inside my throat, each breath pure agony. Tell's relentless hold around my arm urged me forward. He didn't stop when my legs gave out. He just yanked me up on my feet and kept going.

  "We have to stop." My voice was hoarse.

  "Almost there."

  "I can't... run... anymore."

  Chapter 48

  "Up you go."

  Hurled to my feet, my breaths crackled in the heat as I wiped sweat from my face and leaned heavily on Cas. Flashing white light danced before me every time I tried to open my eyes. I must've passed out. The city had changed. Instead of skeletal remains, these buildings had walls and most doors intact. The buildings were lower, no more than three stories high.

  "What were those things?" Salma demanded. I squinted, and caught her face, twisted into a hurricane of emotions. Her delicate hands worked on overdrive straightening the hijab, brushing off dust, and gesturing wildly around us all at once.

  "Hell spawn." Cas gently rubbed my back; a calm warmth soothed my aching muscles.

  Kaito flexed his forehead, eyebrows climbing to new heights. "Hell, what now?"

  "Hell spawn. Demons, imps, fallen angels, and all that jazz." Tell flopped to his back on the gravel, breathing heavy.

  "So basically, lions, and tigers, and bears? Oh my." I snorted between gasps.

  A horseshoe creased between Lux's brows when his eyes landed on me. "What?"

  I swallowed, the laugh stuck in my throat. "You're kidding, right?" My eyes ran to the distant river. "I mean... Wizard of Oz? Yellow brick road?"

  Kaito nodded, equally disappointed at the blank expression on Lux’s face.

  Rigel pointed to the wasteland stretching out in front of us, and called for Lux's attention, their voices low and short. My mind swirled with questions, but where to start? “How do we get Salma and Kaito out of here?”

  “We can’t.” Aris’ t-shirt was covered in slime, dampening the bright yellow. “You okay?” He placed a gentle hand on Kaito’s shoulder, brows pulled together in worry. Kaito lit up at the attention.

  “What do you mean? We can’t bring them with us. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Over here!” Salma waved her arms in the air, drawing attention to the figures stumbling toward us.

  “Is that Jonathan? And Elize? And… Odell?”

  Kaito and Salma rushed to greet our friends while I waited back, head heavy with regret. An arm wrapped around my shoulder.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Beid soothed.

  I exhaled. “It feels like it is.”

  “Jonathan’s hurt,” Kaito called, his arm wrapped around Jonathan’s waist to steady him.

  I cringed at the blackening blister on Jonathan’s ankle. “What happened?”

  “Devil’s cherry.” Tell huffed. “Yer in for a painful awakening, laddie.”

  “What’s a Devil’s Cherry?”

  “A plant. A brutal, gnarly little thing, that moves in this area.”

  “Rigel, can you fix that? We need to figure out our next move.” Cas rubbed his forehead with two fingers, eyes searching the area around us.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked.

  “A way out.” Brows pinched over his nose. “You need to go with them. Don’t worry about the key.”

  “I’m not leaving,” I protested, arms laced over my chest.

  “You can’t be here.” His voice sharpened. “We’ll get you and your friends out, and we’ll get the key.”

  “No. I’m not leaving.” My eyes narrowed, fists curled at my sides.

  “Don’t argue,” Cas growled. He paced the dirt, his hands clenched. His jaw tightened. “As soon as Rigel’s done, you’re leaving.”

  “No. If I leave then—"

  “Damn it, Omi!” Cas roared, eyes a fiery s
torm.

  I flinched, and then heat crashed through me, and my breath stuttered. Silence slammed over the group. I stared at Cas, our eyes locked in shock and confusion. His face paled, he raised a hand, and opened his mouth.

  With a groan, Jonathan fell to the ground, arms banded around his head. The group exploded into action.

  Cas ripped his eyes from me. “We need to work fast. Since he didn’t ingest it, I need to suck the poison out.”

  Something swayed through the air, slowly making it to the ground. Another black feather. I picked it up and lifted my gaze to the sky, searching. Strange. I switched to searching the building around us as my fingers played with the softness of the feather.

  “Wait. You said the plant moves? Plants can’t move. Can they?” Elize lisped, and wiped her face with the hem of her dress. “It’s a joke, right?”

  Jonathan dug his fingers into his head and screamed

  "Oh, they're no joke, love," Tell said.

  "Poison?"

  "Right, like the one Caroli used on-- Ouch!" Aris rubbed the back of his head, and glared at Rigel. "Did you just swat me with the staff?"

  "Yes." A tender curve of Rigel's lips sent Aris into a chuckle.

  “Now come hold him down, so we can clear out the poison.”

  Chapter 49

  Jonathan’s pale face relaxed when Rigel’s hands hovered over his heart. Color gradually returned. My eyes swept the group, and my gaze landed on Elize cuddled into Odell's arms. He was stroking her back, comforting her. I felt a slight tremor in my chest, and a spike of longing. My gaze fell on Cas. Spikey chains wrapped around my heart, squeezing it so tight I could barely breathe. His eyes found me, and I quickly looked away, wiping a bead of sweat from my cheek. He'd used her name.

  “Where did you find that?” Ain asked, and nodded to the feather in my hand.

  “It just fell from the sky.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and she scanned the buildings. “Stay close to me.” She ushered me behind her, back to the group.

  The air was almost too hot to breath. No matter how much I tried to fill my lungs, it seemed that I always came up just short of the amount needed to survive.