Protector (Daray Hall #2)

by Hoffman, Samantha

  “I understand.”

  I take her outstretched hand, and my entire body begins to glow, just like hers. Then the two of us disappear from the Garden. The feeling of teleporting from one place to another is jarring, breath-taking, and horrifying. When we appear in front of a dark cave opening, Selene lets go of my hand, and I wobble dangerously, before falling to the ground.

  “I should have warned you. The first time you travel with a god or goddess is always the worst. If you have to be sick, go ahead, I won’t judge,” she says, taking in our surroundings.

  I lean over and throw up, which is strange because I haven’t eaten anything since before I died, but I don’t have time to ponder the workings of my “spirit”. Selene is pacing nervously back and forth in front of the cave entrance, and I can understand why. The whole place gives off a creepy “all those who enter here will perish” vibe, and I don’t really want to go down there.

  But I figure that’s where we’re heading.

  “Is this the entrance to the Underworld?”

  Selene nods. “Yes, it is. Kylie, I’m not very welcome here. Few of the other gods or goddesses are. You have to be prepared to face some resistance. I need you to try and keep your temper in check, and just let me do all the talking.”

  “Alright, I get it. Hades is dangerous, tricky, and all-powerful. You know how to handle him, and I don’t. Now, lead the way.”

  Selene enters the cave, and I follow her. The second I step into the darkness, it surrounds me, plunging me into a pitch black hole in the ground. I can’t see anything, even my own hands right in front of my face. I can only hear Selene walking a few steps ahead of me, and I stumble blindly after her.

  I put my hands out at my sides, and my fingertips brush against cold, damp, stone walls. The passageway we’re walking through is narrow; I can touch both sides by sticking my arms out. It seems to be sloping downwards, and it gets colder and colder the farther down we go.

  After a couple hundred yards, a dim light appears in the distance. We walk towards it in silence and, when we finally reach it, I stare around me in wonder. The rock tunnel opens into a large cavernous space. There are lanterns that glow with a reddish light placed along the rocky cliffs above us, and it makes everything look like it’s on fire. One look at the river nearby sends shivers up my spine.

  The water is black and thick, like oil, but the reddish light reflects off it, making it appear almost like blood. There’s a boat waiting nearby, with a tall, thin, bearded man standing at the back. There’s a long, thin pole in his hands, and he looks like he’s waiting for someone.

  Selene heads toward the boat, and I follow silently behind her. When she reaches the boat, she looks at the man and frowns. “Charon, I require an audience with Hades. Take me to him.”

  “I require payment for my services,” he hisses. “What do you have?” Selene produces a large gold coin from seemingly nowhere, and tosses it to him. Charon catches it with long, thin fingers, and examines the coin closely. “The payment is fair,” he says, motioning to the boat. “You may come aboard.”

  Selene steps into the boat first, and then helps me in. She and I take seats in the front of the boat, and she leans closer to me. “Do not touch the water. The souls of those that are evil reside in the murky depths, and they may attempt to drag you under.”

  I inch away from the edge of the boat, closer to Selene, but I can still see over the side. The water is black and murky, but just beneath the surface I can see silvery shapes glowing. There are hundreds of them swimming around, floating through the water, just close enough for me to clearly see.

  They look like humans, except their skin is shriveled and ghostly pale, and their eyes are sunken and lifeless. As I’m leaning over the side of the boat, a skeleton-like hand reaches out of the water, grabbing for my face. Selene yanks me away from the edge and back into the center of the boat. “What did I tell you?”

  I sit silently in the boat, refusing to move or speak for the rest of the trip. I can feel Charon behind us, using the pole in his hands to push us along, and I’m tempted to look at him over my shoulder, but I’ve decided to just sit as still and quiet as possible until we get back to Selene’s Eternal Gardens.

  The boat moves along, and I notice that everything around us looks pretty much the same. Black, slick rocks make up the wall of the cave, and the reddish artificial light gives everything a dead, bloody appearance that fits perfectly for the Underworld. It has a sort of dead horror to it that has me scooting closer to Selene.

  I see it long before we reach the dock. Rising up in the distance is a large castle made of black stone. It’s even larger than Daray Hall, but it looks like the home of a mass murderer from the sixteen hundreds. The red artificial light that covers everything makes the black stone look like its dripping blood, and I get a painful feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  I don’t want to go any closer to this place, but I have to. Selene takes my hand and helps me out of the boat. “Don’t worry. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe, Kylie.”

  The river of evil souls circles the castle, creating a moat that can only be crossed by a thin bridge. As I look down at those evil, hopeless souls, I think of something. “Selene, how come all of these souls are here in the Underworld, but my soul went to your Gardens?”

  “There are a few reasons someone’s soul would reside with me instead of Hades. Sometimes it’s because I personally chose someone to stay with me. Other times someone is so truly righteous that they deserve eternal peace. But in your case, it’s because you died while in my service. You proved what a pure, wonderful soul you are, and I wanted to reward you for that. Not everyone deserves eternal rest when they die, you know.”

  I follow her over the thin bridge and into Hades’ castle. The place is lit with the same artificial red light, but it’s much dimmer in here, and I can barely see ten feet in front of me. What I can see scares me: stone floors, blood-red rugs and tapestries, ghoulish servants with mangled faces, and I can hear eerie music playing from somewhere.

  Barely noticeable over the sound of the music is the sound of screams. I stop and listen, trying to determine where they’re coming from. These screams are not of fear or even just pain. They’re screams of pure agony. They’re the screams of people being tortured, probably for a very long time, and it sounds like they’re coming from the basement.

  Selene grabs my arm and pulls me along. “This is Hades’ Realm, Kylie. These people souls are his to punish, and you can’t help them.”

  It goes against my every instinct to walk away from the screams, but I force myself to follow her, because Tara is more important to me right now. I’m going to need Hades’ cooperation if I’m going to be able to help her, and setting free his imprisoned souls probably isn’t going to get him to like me. So I bite my tongue, and follow Selene through a series of dimly lit halls, until we reach a large door made of dark wood that’s at least two stories high and engraved with strange symbols.

  The servant that’s been leading us through the castle knocks on the door three times, turns, and looks at us. I try not to fidget at the sight of his bloody and torn face and, without a word, he turns around and leaves us. There’s a pause where nothing happens and then, “Come in, Selene.”

  The doors magically open, and the two of us step into a large, dimly lit throne room. There’s a mosaic pattern in the stone floor that shows the brutal murder of several people, and I keep looking straight ahead, taking in the two large, stone thrones at the front of the room.

  They’re on a dais, and two very different people sit in them. The woman is petite, young and beautiful, with rosy cheeks, beautiful green eyes, and flowing blonde hair. Even though she’s dressed entirely in black, it doesn’t suit her, and she looks like she yearns to be in the sun, or surrounded by a field of flowers.

  The man is her exact opposite.

  He is massive, standing at least six foot five, with a barrel-chest and hard, gray eyes. His hair is a
s black as the clothes he and his Queen both wear, and seated beside him on the steps near the throne is a strange creature that he absently strokes.

  It has three heads. One is a massive lion with a mane, the second is that of a goat with horns, and the third is of a scaly dragon. A pair of massive wings juts out from its back, and a tail curls around the legs, and I see that it’s a double-headed snake. Each mouth opens, and two forked tongues hiss at us as we approach.

  The lion head growls, and Hades smiles, still looking glum in the process. “Easy, my pet,” he hisses. “They are our guests…for the time being.” He looks up from his pet and at us. “Why is it you’ve come, Selene?”

  She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin. “I’m in need of your help, Hades. I’m sure you’ve no doubt heard of my…predicament.”

  “Yes,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “Everyone has heard of your predicament. What it is you need from me?”

  “I think I may be able to stop further destruction by sending back one of my chosen children,” she says with a look at me. “I have her soul, but I need her body, which you have in your possession.”

  He smiles slowly, looking like’s hatching a plan of some kind. “Well, well, well. You’ve found yourself in quite a rough place, haven’t you? What do I get in return for doing you this service?”

  Selene frowns. “You need something in return? The home for my chosen children has burned to the ground, along with some of its residents, and four ancient goddesses are preparing for war! Do you honestly believe that they’ll be satisfied with the moon? From there, the next logical step is to wage war on Mount Olympus.”

  Hades frowns too. “Hmm, I do not relish the idea of giving up my throne anytime soon. But, I have never given anything for nothing in return. What do I get in return, Selene?” he asks again.

  “You get the chance to help me prevent all out war with both Earth and Mount Olympus. Isn’t that enough?” Selene asks, though she doesn’t sound hopeful.

  There’s a pause where nothing happens, and then Hades throws back his head and laughs. “Ha! You’re not serious, are you? Oh, Selene, I truly hope you brought something with you beside this girl.”

  I step forward angrily, forgetting Selene’s words of caution in an instant. “She doesn’t need anything else! You should just be willing to help her. Don’t you want to save Earth?”

  Selene pulls me back from the dais, and Hades regards me with cold, calculating eyes. Slowly, he smiles, making Selene tense up beside me. “Well, aren’t you a little firecracker.”

  Do the gods know what firecrackers are?

  “I think I have a way for all of this to work out, and I’ll make you a deal right now. If you want your body back, you’ll have to work for it. I have three tasks prepared right now and, if you can complete all three without dying for the second time, I’ll give you back your body.”

  “And if I lose?” I ask. Is there a chance that I’ll ‘die’ and fade into oblivion? Or am I going to end up screaming in agony at the top of my lungs for the rest of eternity?

  “If you fail to complete any of these three tasks, you’ll forfeit your soul to me, for an eternity of torture. What do you think, Kylie Redding? Do you have what it takes to earn the right to return to your beloved Tara?”

  “I’m game,” I say, looking him directly in the eye. “Whatever these tasks are, bring it on.”

  Hades smiles thinly. “Wonderful.” He snaps his long, thin fingers, and a servant steps forward. His nose is missing, and his eyes are bleeding, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Ready the tasks for Ms. Redding, and make sure I have a front-row seat to each of them.”

  The servant bows respectfully, before scurrying from the room.

  Hades looks at me again. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Four

  The first task stares at me with a hungry, vengeful look in its eyes. I feel myself involuntarily shudder as I stare at the massive, winged, black dragon standing before me. It opens its mouth and roars, showing me a mouthful of two-inch long teeth, and I notice a piece of flesh caught in-between some of them.

  Oh, crap. I don’t even need Selene’s gift to know this is gonna end badly, I think as my wrist itches.

  Selene is by my side in an instant, and I can see the worry on her face. “How are you feeling?” she asks softly.

  “I’m about to fight a dragon. How do you think I’m feeling? What am I supposed to do, Selene? This thing is three stories tall, with razor sharp fangs, and spikes all down its back and tail. It breathes fire, and there’s still some of its last meal caught in its teeth. I’m gonna be eaten alive!”

  Selene puts her hands on my shoulders. “Kylie, listen to me. I cannot help you with these tasks, but I can give you advice. Now, something you need to know about dragons is that they’re eyesight is very poor. Fast and sudden movements are going to be to your advantage. He has an excellent sense of hearing and smell, so try to avoid making noise.”

  “What kind of weapons do I have to use? I can’t do this with my bare hands!”

  “And you won’t have to,” Selene says, smiling. “Hades has allowed me to give you weapons.”

  “He did? Doesn’t he want me to fail?”

  “Of course he does, but he doesn’t want the fight to be over too quickly. He thinks that even with my weapons, you’ll only last so long. Prove him wrong, Kylie. You’re a Protector; you can do this. Now, take these weapons.”

  Her hands begin to glow with a silvery light, and a beautiful silver bow appears, along with a quiver of twelve glowing arrows. She hands them over to me, and I examine the bow with amazed eyes. The bow is beautiful, and it practically hums in my hands. “It’s amazing.”

  Selene’s hand glows again, and a silver broadsword appears. There are intricate markings etched into the blade, and there are emeralds worked into the handle. It’s much lighter than I would have expected; it’s light as a feather. I lift the sword and swing it around in an arc, testing my ability to use this blade.

  Kaven would have begun teaching me to use a blade like this if I’d returned from the graveyard, but we never got around to it. So I was absolutely clueless about how to use a sword, but I was somewhat familiar with a bow. “Which do you think will work better?”

  “I think the bow will keep you a safer distance away, but I’m not sure if they’ll be able to punch through the thick hide. The sword will give you more power, but you’ll have to get up close to the dragon, and that makes the sword a more dangerous choice. It’s up to you.”

  Hades clears his throat from his place high above the dragon’s pen. “It’s time to begin,” he says with a smile. “All you have to do is kill this dragon, and then you can move on to the next task. If you give up, or are killed, your soul will belong to me for all eternity.”

  I glance at Selene. “I can die?”

  “If you’re hurt now, it’ll scar your soul permanently. If you die, your soul will fade out of existence. If you give up, Hades will torture you for the remainder of time. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  I nod. “Yes, I have to. Tara needs me.”

  Selene brushes back a strand of my bangs, which still aren’t long enough to tuck behind my ears, and frowns. “Be careful.”

  I step into the dragon’s pen, and its beady black eyes watch my every step. He’s resting about fifty yards from where I stand, and he hasn’t moved yet. Obviously he doesn’t see me as much of a threat, and it hoping I’ll just go away and let him rest. Unfortunately, I can’t do that, or I can’t go back to help Tara.

  I pull an arrow from the quiver strapped to my back, and knock it. The dragon looks at me with interest now and, trying to ignore the hundreds of servants and souls watching me, I take aim at its heart. The second I release, I know I’ve done something very stupid.

  The dragon stands on his hind legs, spreading his wings wide, and the arrow buries in his stomach. He roars and flame spews from his mouth, instantly raising the temperature fifty degrees. As the d
ragon looks down at me, still breathing fire, I dive behind a large, black rock, shielding myself from harm.

  The rock heats to a nearly unbearable temperature, and I notch another arrow. The dragon can’t breathe fire indefinitely; he’ll have to take a break to breathe or swallow or something, and that’ll give me an opening.

  The second the hissing stops, I roll away from the rock, coming to a stop on my knees. I release my second arrow, and the dragon swats it away with a massive, clawed hand. The arrow smashes into tiny pieces, and he lunges forward angrily, intent on swallowing me whole.

  The ground trembles as he stalks forward, but I hold my ground, trying desperately to get another arrow ready. When he gets within twenty yards of me, I realize the bow isn’t going to be of much use, and I toss it over to one side, freeing the sword in the process.

  The dragon reaches out with his long neck and snaps at me. I jump to the left, and bring the sword down across his snout, leaving a deep, bleeding wound. The dragon roars, and his clawed hand flails out, catching me in the stomach. The claws barely break the surface of my stomach skin, but the force of the hit sends me crashing against the rocky wall. My spine hits a rock that juts out, and I cry out in pain, before slumping to the ground.

  The dragon looks for me, and I remember Selene’s advice about the dragon. If he can’t see me, he can’t eat me, roast me, or disembowel me. All I have to do is stay out of its range of sight, and I actually stand a chance!

  I edge away from the rocky wall, careful to avoid disturbing any rocks or debris. Even though he can’t see me, he can sure as hell still smell or hear me. This is gonna be tricky…

  I grip the sword tighter, and raise it above my head. I’m getting into position behind its back leg, hoping to maybe cripple it, when my foot slides out from beneath me, sending rocks skittering away like a rockslide. I only have time to regain my footing before the dragon has spotted me.