She crouched down low and I finally got to see what she had hidden away in her pocket. I gasped at the sight of my purple diamond necklace hanging by the chain she held in her grasp. Her eyes widened in sight of my distress and she smiled down at me.
“Who do you think was the one to switch the necklace in the first place?”
“You and Alex were working together?” I asked and my plan of feeding her ego was working alright. Christ what was next, her singing like some damn canary?
“Ha! You would think that, no I must confess he played his part well but that puppet Sammael had no clue about our back up plan, one that was sure not to fail and well, here I am, staring down at the proof of that…and I must say it does suit you.” She winked at me after looking round at my hole.
“However it is missing something.”
“A gun?” I said and she gave me an evil grin, followed by,
“Oh no, I wouldn’t give you the easy option out.”
“The gun was for you, bitch!” I corrected her wiping the foul grin from her face.
“You think you’re so quick don’t you, well let’s see how quick you are with an Aeolus’ eye to keep you company.” She said and I frowned having no clue what she was talking about.
“But first I think you should see me follow through with my promise as I set free the Demon King I imprisoned.” Ok none of this was making sense and it was time to play dumb again.
“I don’t get it, you aren’t doing this to get back with Draven but you’re not doing this as revenge either, so what’s your angle here exactly? Because I gotta say, I am failing to see the point of locking up Draven in the first place if you’re trying to get away with the not so unique, crazed bad guy take of the world shindig…which by the way this shit is getting old and has been done to death! Seriously can’t you be like Gru and try and steal the moon or something?” I said and for once I was smirking at how confused she looked.
“Who the fuck is Gru?” She snapped as I had obviously knocked her evil genius mojo.
“Evidently someone shit loads smarter than you.” I responded like I was bored and hopefully buying myself some time. Time for what I didn’t know but hey, they always stalled in the movies and considering we were following the theme, I went with it.
“Don’t worry, that whole fucking Draven family will get what’s coming to them but for now I will play the game as I did when we were together and get what I need from having them around. But I came here to get you out of the way and I have done my duty in that part so time to bring lover boy back and you know what…”
“What?!” I didn’t really want to know but short of a few rounds to the head with a baseball bat there was going to be no shutting her up, so I played her game. She lent down further and said,
“I am really going to enjoy watching his fucking heart break!” Which was at the point when I lost it. I threw myself forward and jumped up clawing at her face and feeling satisfied when I felt her flesh curl under my fingernails. She screamed out and fell back as I too landed on the dirt ground.
“Bitch!” She growled and I laughed giving her a taste of her own medicine. I had never seen her looking so ugly and the angrier she got the more twisted her looks became. It was like her other self was the black and evil soul shining through and the beauty of the dawn was no more, consumed completely by the destructive storm building inside her.
“You think that’s funny, then you can laugh in the face of your lover’s heartbreak!” She said before smashing the necklace on the side of my prison and the thing shattered like fine glass. Purple rain fell from the two wings that kept it safe and one foreign word spoken and that storm she had been holding back exploded.
“Enjoy your Aeolus’ eye and I will enjoy my new lover, Seth is waiting for me…be good…” Her malicious voice trailed off into the nothingness that started to surround me. It picked up speed until I was enclosed in a hurricane that forced me into the centre in fear of being sucked up and away.
I screamed in frustration and couldn’t believe I had once again not only been captured but also trusted the wrong people. Aurora I had never trusted but Seth? I had thought after he had saved my life and put a stop to his brother that it meant he was on our side. So none of it made sense? Was this their plan all along, to wait until the last possible second to find if Sammael failed then to intervene and come out of it looking like the heroes?
Well whatever it was, I would have to figure it out later as I had a much bigger problem to face now and that was the shit storm that was raging on around me. The noise was deafening and my screams of anger could barely be heard by my own ears so I didn’t hold out much luck on being heard by someone who could free me. For starters I didn’t even know what this thing was and I was tempted to just see if I could run through it. However knowing this place I thought taking the more cautious route was my best course of action.
Of course this decision didn’t come to me in seconds but more like after being sat on the floor for half an hour with my knees to my chest, comforting myself anyway I could. I thought about not only what I could do but also of all the things that could be happening now? I knew that Aurora must have been in league with Alex at some point as she had been the one to change the necklace. I also knew that it must have been the key to unlocking his demon so I could only hope that by her smashing it against the wall it was enough to release him. I wondered if that meant he was awake now and being told of my death.
It was all too heartbreaking to think about and as I sat there on that hard dirt floor I went through every emotion known to man. I went through the anger, the self-pity, and the sheer desperation in not knowing if Draven was alright. The worry that he might not get my letter explaining everything or the devastation he might have to endure thinking I was dead. And I certainly knew what that particular pain felt like.
It was all these thoughts combined that made me get up off my feet and try something I wasn’t sure wouldn’t in fact just get me killed for real. But what were my other choices here…to wait for some demon thugs to come and get me, taking me to Gods only knew where. At least here people knew where I was, ok so they couldn’t get to me but I had to trust in Sigurd’s backup plan. Of course it does always help when you know what the actual backup plan is but that was broody, lone ranger types for you. They were a complete pain in the ass when it came to situations like now!
“Ok, here goes.” I said for no reason as not even I could hear myself. I decided it was now or never, so I reached out with my fingertips and closed my eyes…
Which turned out to be a big mistake.
I started screaming and this time it could be heard. The pain was unlike anything I had felt before as I had never had my fingers stripped from skin and flesh. I pulled it back to me and felt my stomach turn at the sight of my three fingertips topped with bone. I turned and bent just in time to be sick to the side, bringing up the small amount I had eaten that morning. I kept being sick with both extreme pain and the thought that my fingers were now lost to me.
Tears streamed down my face and I cradled my hand to my chest being careful not to touch the ends. Then the other pain started, again one different from all the rest and by the time I had finished bringing up nothing more than bile I noticed something was happening. The new pain I was enduring was one I didn’t mind so much when I found out the cause. So considering it was from putting my fingertips right again I slumped down to my knees and watched in amazement as my fingers reformed back to how they had always been. I was sure even the length of my fingernails was exactly the same.
“Well I won’t be doing that again!” I said swiping my lips with the back of my hand. I looked down and stared at the floor until my sight went blurry. But wait, what was that? I was staring so hard I started to focus on a darker patch on the floor that for some reason was drawing me in. I don’t know if it was just my mind playing tricks on me or even my hope getting the better of me but either way I couldn’t seem to look away.
I ben
t over and not knowing what I was really doing I started to touch it. Remembering what happened last time I got too curious this time I quickly touched it and yanked my hand back. Thankfully there was no pain, so I did it again and again just to make sure before leaving my hand there. I frowned down at the patch as if waiting for it to do something more and after it didn’t I started to get mad.
“Just do something you stupid spot!” I shouted irrationally wondering if losing your mind just added to the torture. I clawed at it hoping there was a hidden edge but there wasn’t. I banged it with my palm hoping it would activate some kind of mechanism, like something out of Indiana Jones. But no, there was nothing and the more worked up and frustrated I got the angrier I became. In the end I lost it completely and before I knew it I was forming a fist and punching the ground.
“You stupid, stupid, stupid son of a…oh…” I was shouting at it one minute ignoring the pain of punching it until one of my knuckles started to bleed. The second time I hit it some of my blood smeared onto the floor and after that I was left in utter shock. Because now the deadly vortex started to disappear like a cyclone running out of air and with nothing left to power it, the tunnel of what had felt like razor dust started dispersing quickly.
Once I watched the air settle I got up on my feet and looked down at my hand. I turned it round and poked at the cut on my knuckle with my other finger. I collected some of the blood on the tip and brought it up to inspect it.
“Uh.” I said and I don’t know what I was expecting exactly but I was a little disappointed to find it wasn’t bright green and glowing. No, it looked no different than it always did and it was sad fact to admit but I had seen quite a lot of it over the time I had known Draven.
“So what now?” I asked myself finally being able to hear my own voice. I looked around the small cramped space and suddenly regretted not ever getting into rock climbing as a hobby.
“Ok, so new rule, if I live through this I am going to a survival army camp to learn kick ass survival skills!” I said as I jumped up at the first jutting rock that looked like it would make a good hand hold. I missed the first few times but got it on the third. I had already eyed up where I planned to put my foot and my converse squeaked against the rock before I could dig my toes in. I looked up as I hung there feeling like a plonker considering I had no clue what I was doing.
“Give me ivy any day of the week!” I huffed out before launching myself up to the next hold. I just managed to grip on but I didn’t think I could hold it long as the strain hurt my fingers. My final triumph came when I thankfully reached the top of the ledge and by this time I barely had enough strength to lift myself up. I did this with no grace whatsoever and I grunted as I flopped onto my belly and dragged myself along until only my feet were dangling over the edge.
By this point I could only lay there panting trying to catch my breath.
“Gym Keira, you’re getting your ass to a gym…” I said out loud to myself looking down at the floor with my forehead on my folded arms in front of me. I then took a deep breath and dragged my legs over the side when I heard a haunting sound.
“Oh shit!” I shouted scrabbling to my feet and making a run for it. I recognised the sound of the crank turning from before and all I could hope for was that I could make it to the door in time. I pushed myself like never before and ignored all the snarls and growls from the inmates below. They obviously had their own way of dealing with this torture but I wasn’t going to wait around and find out if I could!
I saw the door coming closer and started chanting,
“You’re going to make it, you’re going to make it, you’re…going…to…make…IT!” I shouted this last one out just as I flung myself against the door before the doors above swung open and a torrent of water escaped the small space into the cell below it. I grabbed the handle not waiting around to find out what happened next,
Only…
It was locked.
Chapter 63 –
When did this turn into a Damn Western.
I closed my eyes and could do nothing but wait for whatever Aurora had endured the first time round. I thought about all I had been through in my life trying to save Draven and knew it would come to this at some point. My endurance as a mortal could only stretch so far and evidently something would have to give, snap and break. And out of them all I would have put bets on the human going first.
Which was why, even though I wasn’t brave enough to open my eyes and watch what my death was going to be, I refused to panic in the face of it. I refused to give in to my fear but in truth I just wished my body would follow my mind. Because all that was happening in these short and few seconds left was my whole body shaking waiting for the pain of death. My face was pressed to the door like I had the jaws of a predator breathing against my skin. My chest rose and fell with heavy gulping breaths that were out of sync with the way my limbs quivered. And beads of sweat rolled down my face to join the silent tears I shed. It was my end and with it…
I fell.
“Dang, what the Sam Hill?!” Ok, so I must admit, that wasn’t the first thing I expected to hear when getting into Heaven. But then again neither was landing sideways into a hard body before being spun around violently and at the same time covered inside a big cape. I heard the door slam and after that the protective arm around my waist went slack.
“Tis alright now little lady.” A gruff voice spoke and the strength in it made me a little reluctant to come out from under what was now obviously his long jacket. However when I did I couldn’t hide my shock at who I was faced with.
“You’re…you’re a…uh…what are you?” I said stuttering as I struggled to form that sentence in sight of this mystery man.
“How’d I do you for little Miss, the names Bill.” He said taking off his brown top hat and bending at the waist. I half expected all the things he had attached around his hat to come off but nothing moved.
“Uh, well I guess I could be better considering I’m a human stuck in the lowest levels of Hell and was about to be scalded to death because some bitch double crossed me and pushed me into a pit surround by a flesh eating twister…”
“Could be worse.” He said making my mouth drop open as he put his hat back over his shoulder length, curly dark hair. I didn’t need to ask what was worse because one look of disbelief on my face and he elaborated,
“You could be dead.” To which I could only nod and agree with him.
“Time we vamoose little lady.” Bill said walking past me, leaving me feeling bewildered. Was this guy real?
“Your name’s Bill?” I asked thinking this must be a joke Hell was playing on me.
“Yup.”
“Let me guess, first name ‘Wild’.” I said unable to help myself. He stopped walking and looked me up and down. One eyebrow went lower and then he said,
“Have we met before?” To which I nearly burst out laughing.
“Umm, nope, definitely not because don’t take this the wrong way but I think I would have remembered you.” And this couldn’t be a truer statement. Because the very last thing I thought I would find down here was a bloody steampunk cowboy!
“They call me Wild Bill Hickok.” He said tipping the rim of his hat and again my mouth opened like a damn fish.
“Wait! Are you telling me you are the Wild Bill?” I said in disbelief. I mean the Wild West wasn’t my forte or anything but there was a handful of famous cowboy names everyone knew and Wild Bill was about as famous as they came.
“The one and only, darlin’.” He winked at me and then turned on his metal heeled boots and walked away expecting me to follow.
“Ok, so even if you are who you say you are, why should I trust you, cowboy?” I said knowing he had saved my life yes, but knowing that Aurora needed me alive and that there was someone coming to get me, I couldn’t really trust anyone at this juncture. So I started backing away and he looked over his shoulder to see me putting distance between us. He rolled his eyes once before turning ba
ck to me and then held up his hands, on which he wore cut off fingerless leather gloves that were cracked with age.
“Tis alright now little lady, don’t you be fearin’ of old Bill.”
“Don’t come any closer, cowboy!” I said as he started to walk closer to me. I didn’t want to trust those midnight blue eyes no matter how kind they looked.
“It’s Keira right?” Bill said and then my heart started to race when he pulled out a gun from one of his holsters and pointed it at me. I nodded and swallowed hard. I was just about to resign myself to the fact he was going to make me follow him at gun point when he surprised me by saying,
“Then duck and get behind me.” I didn’t even hesitate to do as I was told when I heard the familiar sound behind me of a Harpie’s hissing. I ran behind him as I heard the shots going off and by the time I turned all six Harpies were on the floor and trying to drag their damaged bodies away. I half expected him to blow the smoke from the end of his gun but instead he just scattered the floor with empty shells and refilled it again from the bullet stash on his gun belt. He then rolled the revolver back in place with a flick of his wrist and once it clicked home he walked closer to the wining creatures dying on the floor.
One looked up as he approached and snarled before saying,
“She killed our mother.” And Bill looked round to me with an eyebrow raised. I lifted my hands as he had not long ago done to me and before I could speak my defence he said,
“Double crossing Lickspittle?” I frowned and said,
“Uhh…If that means bitch then yeah, that’s her.” He nodded once and then without looking down he unloaded all six bullets into each of their heads. My mouth gaped open at what seemed to be the theme being round this guy seeing as he didn’t even look to aim once. He didn’t even need to look to make sure he had killed all of them, he was that confident in his skill. No, he just spun his gun round his finger and holstered it like the coolest cowboy in the world. Then to make it even cooler he started walking, stopped next to me and said,
The Pentagram Child: Part 2 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) Page 20