by Allison West
They rode until high noon, and from the distance Leila could see the volcano of Mount Incendia towering over the city of Igneus Imber, which meant fiery rain. A fitting title for a city that had been destroyed nearly a thousand years ago. Would the dormant volcano come alive again? If it did, Leila hoped it wouldn't be in her lifetime. It seemed like too much work for a reaper to experience. Reaping souls after the Second Wave had been troublesome enough.
"Which way?" Leila slowed. Her hands grew numb beneath her gloves, and the cloak wasn't doing enough to stave off the cold. She imagined her lips were blue and her cheeks burned from the frigid temperature. "Please tell me there's a tavern somewhere we can stop and warm up first?"
"There probably is one on the way. We have to travel through the city and then toward the outskirts of town anyhow." Wynter pointed east. "Reapers have a habit of living in less populated areas. We can stop and warm up for a little while, and we should still make it before nightfall."
"Because if we don't, we'll freeze to death?" Leila asked, only half-joking.
They stopped for a quick drink at the tavern, and then they headed on the way again. Leila felt a little warmer, at least for a few minutes. The ride on her horse wasn't too terrible, if she didn't mind a cold wind on her face. After veering toward one of two homes on a plot of land out near the countryside, Leila and Wynter led their horses inside a shed and removed their bridles. Wynter grabbed some nearby hay and Leila filled an empty container with water for their mounts before they approached the front door.
"I hope this is the right place," Leila said, waiting for someone to answer. A moment later, Emblyn threw open the door; her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, shocked.
Emblyn pulled Wynter inside and out of the cold. "What are you doing here, Wynter?"
"Leila's gotten herself into some trouble." Wynter grinned. "Same as usual, except this time we're both taking a thirty-day vacation from our responsibilities of the undead."
Emblyn shut the door behind them and ushered them further inside. "Leila, is that you?" she asked, examining her friend and the evident changes in her features.
Leila merely smiled weakly, glancing down at the floor, uncomfortable with the amount of attention put on her.
"Come in, get warm," she said, approaching the fireplace. "I'll make dinner for two more since I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet. You're going to have to catch me up on everything! Can I get you some water?" she asked, having a sip from a wooden mug.
Wynter shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks."
Leila stood in front of the fireplace, warming up. "Jasper and Violetta are a couple now."
Emblyn spit her water across the room. "When did that happen?" She wiped her face with the back of her palm and then grabbed a rag to mop up her mess.
Leila glanced at Wynter. "I'm not sure. It's been developing for the last couple of months. They seem pretty inseparable."
"What about the two of you? How have things been in Vera?"
"I got called off to the royal council yesterday," Leila said. "Quite a trip to get there." The words hung heavy in the air.
"Sounds like you two have been busy," Emblyn said. "Why were you brought to the royal council? Do I dare ask?"
Leila sighed. Of course, Emblyn hadn't known any of it. "The night you left, I received a new assignment. I was supposed to reap my sister, Mara."
"Please tell me you're joking." Emblyn did not look amused. Her brow furrowed and she clasped her hands together as she sat at the table, leaning forward, concerned. "I want every detail."
Wynter began to remove his jacket, careful of his wings hidden inside. "Unfortunately, it wasn't a joke." He stretched his wings, letting Emblyn see the full scale of what he'd become.
"Oh my…" Emblyn couldn't seem to finish her sentence. "You're a dark angel? What about you?" she asked Leila. "Are you one too?"
"No," Leila said. "Wynter made the sacrifice for me."
"Wow. I had no idea. That must have been difficult."
Standing up, she shook her head, shocked. Emblyn headed for the small kitchen, preparing dinner. "How long are you in town for again?"
"A month, but we don't have to stay here the entire time." Leila didn't want to be an imposition to her friend.
"It's no bother." Emblyn grinned. "I'm in charge, which is nice for a change," she said, glancing at Wynter. "Not that I don't appreciate all I learned from my teacher, but I'm the boss which is a nice feeling. It's like I finally grew up a little bit." With a laugh, she gestured to the hallway which led toward the individual bedrooms of the dormitory. "Of course, you can stay. There's plenty of room, and besides, the students in the class I was assigned to aren't that fun to be around, and right now, they're all stuck on a ship in the Jade Sea for six weeks. I would love the company."
Wynter walked into the kitchen. "Well, when you get tired of us, just say the word. We won't take offense."
Emblyn nodded. "Oh, you know I will. I can be as nasty and gritty as Violetta. Here, help me with the stew." She handed Wynter a wooden spoon to stir the pot. "Keep stirring it until it thickens a bit more."
"Smells delicious," Leila said, and her stomach grumbled. She'd barely eaten anything all day and had only stopped for drinks at the tavern. Not the brightest idea on an empty stomach.
"Assuming you don't have too many reaps tomorrow, I was hoping we could go on an adventure. Maybe go ice skating, see the city, and visit the ruins and Castellum de Mysterio," Wynter said. "If you're too busy, Leila and I can find our way there on our own."
"That's a lot of activities for one day. You'll want to bundle up since most of the sightseeing is outdoors," Emblyn said. "We can start with ice skating since there's a frozen lake not far from the village."
After two weeks of bliss, learning to ice skate and ski, they rode on horseback to Castellum de Mysterio. Leila hadn't ever heard of it, but Wynter seemed excited about it, and Leila was grateful to explore someplace new. The city had cobblestone streets and a river ran alongside the path, the top just barely frozen over. The wind licked her cheeks raw, but Leila didn't let it dampen her mood. Gladly, she followed Emblyn up the old stone steps, her eyes transfixed by the magnitude of lava covering every inch of the building. The building had evidently been buried during the explosion of Mount Incendia. Leila spun around on her heels, taking in the view from all angles. From the top of the landing, she could see aqueducts, some of stone and others of brick, supplying water to the city. Unlike Vera and Casmerelda, Stile's population was triple the size of the other two countries combined.
"Castellum de Mysterio had been buried until a few hundred years ago," Emblyn said. "I took the tour when I first moved here. Of course, they left out the bit about it being a place for grim reapers to gather."
"Like the asylum?" Leila asked.
"Not quite so disturbing with the frightening atmosphere and locked rooms, but I believe it was a meeting place or some type of sacred ground."
Leila reached for Wynter's hand, giving it a squeeze as they walked several steps up and then inside the building. The walls were intricately carved and hand-painted from millennia ago. "Wow," Leila said, staring up at the ceiling that was also painted in gold and deep reds and browns. It looked like a scene out of a story, one she couldn't quite recognize. "Reminds me a bit of the royal council, how grandiose it is." She knew that had probably been the point of the royal council's chamber, perhaps to emulate the Castellum de Mysterio, which the undead architects had seen in history and loved.
"There's more," Emblyn said and gestured for them to follow her down the narrow hall toward the back passageway. "It's possible the reaper meetings were in this room." Emblyn pushed the fourth stone from the top, and a secret door creaked open.
"Shut that!" Wynter hissed under his breath. He turned his head around, probably to make sure no one had seen them.
"It's no big deal," Emblyn said and laughed. She moved her hand over a stone. The door groaned closed.
"No big deal?" Leila said, shocked. "Yo
u're sounding more like Violetta the longer I'm around you. Maybe being away from her hasn't been so good for your level of innocence." When had Emblyn ever gotten into an ounce of trouble? Had she missed her reaper friends more than they realized? They had all missed her.
Emblyn rolled her eyes and smirked. "I have never been that innocent. Everyone chooses to believe it, so I let them. Someone has to play the good girl role."
Wynter glanced back once more. They were alone. "Have you gone through the passageway to see where it leads?"
Emblyn's smile faltered. "I'm not that adventurous. At least not on my own. What if I got locked inside and I couldn't get out?"
Leila reached for the stone that opened the door and pushed it toward the wall. The door creaked open once again. "Who's staying guard?"
"I will," Emblyn said.
"No way." Leila laughed. "You suggested the secret passage. You don't get to skip out and play the innocent guard."
"Fine." Emblyn glanced between Leila and Wynter. "Who's coming with me? I'm not going on my own."
"I will." Leila grinned and stepped through first.
Stone surrounded the tunnel, but a small glow of red emanated from the walls. "Wonder how this works?" Leila asked Emblyn. Leila had never seen anything quite like it before.
"Magic?" Emblyn said. "I've no idea what could cause light without fire."
"It's odd; that's for sure." Leila reached behind her for Emblyn's hand, and together they walked further into the tunnel.
"Wait!" Emblyn said as she pulled the scroll from her thigh. "Seriously? I have a reap now? While I'm in here? This is ridiculous! I never get to have any fun. At least I won't have to travel far."
"Don't worry about it. You go fulfill your duties as a reaper and I'll explore. We'll meet back here. Hopefully an hour is enough time," Leila said.
Emblyn glanced at her scroll. "I think that should be enough time. What about Wynter? Should I send him through with you?"
"Yeah, have him catch up with me. I'm going to keep exploring this place. Just don't forget about us in here, okay?"
"I promise," Emblyn said and turned back toward the entrance of stone.
Leila continued the path, turning the corner into further darkness. In the distance, she could see something move but had no idea what it could be. A flash of two dark-red, beady objects stared back at her. No. She had to be imagining things. Eyes weren't red. Alone in the tunnel, her mind played tricks on her.
Chapter 42
Wynter stood in the small hallway, leaning on the stone wall. He tried to relax, reminding himself that Leila and Emblyn were completely fine. It wasn't an easy task to lounge quietly and wait. As it was, he kept thinking back to Juliana and how she had insisted he come live with his kind when this trip to Stile ended. How would Leila take the news?
The hair on the back of his arms stood on end. A shiver coursed down his spine causing him to shudder unwillingly. Concerned, his eyes darted to the shadows of the Castellum de Mysterio. Had a trucidator followed him to Stile? Maybe he imagined the shadow creeping out of the corner. Damn, he'd forgotten the enchanted dagger, or so the trucidator had claimed it to be when it had touched the creature's skin.
"Let me out!" Emblyn pounded against the stone wall.
Wynter jumped back and pushed with all his force against the loose stone, watching the door creak open slowly.
"What's wrong?" Wynter stared at Emblyn confused. "Where's Leila?"
"She's still exploring. I've got a reap," she said, showing Wynter her scroll. "I promised to come back within the hour, but I doubt I'll be gone that long. The reap is close by."
"Shouldn't take too long. When I finish, I'll come rescue the two of you from the passageway, unless you can manage a way out on your own."
"One hour," Wynter said sternly. He headed inside the passageway. "Leila!" No answer. Heat and darkness seemed to swallow him. "Leila?" he said, trying once again. The tunnel led in only one direction. She couldn't have gotten that far ahead of him.
Even in near pitch black, Wynter could feel the shadow of a trucidator. "Show yourself!" He refused to be afraid.
Deep laughter bubbled. "Are you sure that's what you want? Is it what your girlfriend wants?" Erebus asked.
"Leave her out of this! I'm the one you want. It's between you and me!" Wynter shouted into a deep void of nothingness.
"Wynter?" Leila walked into him. "Why are you shouting?"
"You're okay!" he said and breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing onto her arm. "I thought something might have happened to you."
The girl in front of him, Leila Bele, shifted from a beautiful reaper into a red and brown winged beast that towered over him in the small, confined passageway. A talon reached for Wynter, scraping him across the face. "I could mark you for death." Erebus's voice vibrated through the corridor. "But I don't want you. I want the one you love. The one you call Leila."
Chapter 43
Leila heard Wynter's voice. Although she'd been expecting him to join her in the passageway, what she hadn't expected was to hear another voice with his.
"Wynter?" Leila said, calling out into the darkness. "Who's there?" She knew Emblyn had left the tunnel for a reap. Why had Wynter brought someone with him?
She felt it before she saw it, a flash of light and red beady eyes staring deep into her soul. What was it, and where had it come from? From behind the giant creature, she could barely make out Wynter's shadow and the ghost of an expression on his face. She unintentionally held her breath, frightened. Even if she wanted to run, how far could she go? Instinctively, she backed away, only to find a sharp claw digging into her flesh, ripping at her skin and piercing a layer away as it tore at her dress.
Blood trickled down onto the stone floor. Each drop grew brighter, emitting red light.
"Let go of me!" Leila desperately tried to break free, unable to fight off the creature with strength. He was more than twice her size.
Wynter threw his fist at Erebus, and it went through the creature like a ghost upon a grave. "It's not real. It's a hallucination. Or a projection." Wynter reached for Leila's arm, but his hand only seemed to move through her body. The trucidator disappeared, for now.
More of Leila's blood dripped onto the floor, casting a large circle with light that reared up toward Leila, basking her in an orange and red glow. She covered her ears. The sound whirled and whistled as it caused the stone to tremble as if the rock were alive, begging to escape. "What's happening, Wynter?" She'd never felt so scared in her life. Dying hadn't been pleasant, but it'd been swift and she hadn't had time to think about the repercussions of it until later. She reached out, trying to take Wynter's hand but found the air empty. Her blood had turned thick and viscous on the stone, like lava, sliding a path around her feet, trapping her from escaping. "Help me!"
"I'm right here with you," Wynter said. His eyes told her what his words could not. He looked frightened.
"I can't die. I'm a grim reaper." It was the one thing she knew for certain. Well, almost certain. She could die, but she would appear again, in a new body but in the same devastating situation. Had the beast intended for her to use every life she had and die here, in this cold, dark tunnel where no one might ever find her?
"You're right." Wynter nodded and smiled weakly. "Stay strong." His words were fading into the noise of the abyss as it pulled her down beneath the stone layers of the Earth. She had trouble hearing his words, but she could see his lips say three simple words, I love you.
Before she had time to respond, Wynter had disappeared. Or rather, Leila had been dragged further beneath the surface, with fire and stone surrounding her as she fell into a heap on a stone floor. Leila grimaced and rubbed her sore arms and knees. The cavity was bigger than the passageway, about the size of Leila's bedroom. She stood and walked the length of the stone cave. Her fingers moved over the wall, hoping to find a way of escape, in much the same way she had gotten inside the hidden passageway. There had to be a stone that moved and opened
a door, right?
Although, where was she? And why had Wynter been left behind?
A deep throaty laugh erupted behind her. She sucked in a breath and reluctantly turned around to see who was to blame. The beast she'd seen on the surface in the passageway, the one who had pierced her skin and Wynter had attempted to defeat, stood looming over her.
"Hi, Princess," he bellowed, his voice echoing off the cave walls. "Enjoy your new accommodations. You'll be here for a while."
"Where am I?" Leila asked. She tried to play it cool and remain calm. Inside, she felt ready to explode.
"Exactly where you belong. Wynter took something from me. You are how he will repay his debt."
Leila stared up into his dark, beady eyes. They didn't scare her. The longer she stared, the more she could see a red ring like flames around a fire inside his eyes. Strange. "So you expect me to what, play house, and then you'll let me go?"
"I will never let you go." Erebus's voice boomed, shaking the cave.
Leila ducked and covered her head with her hands, prepared for the rocks to fall and kill her.
The creature laughed darkly. "Don't be so afraid, Princess. I have no reason to kill you. I want you alive. You'd make a pretty bride."
Leila sneered, disgusted. "You've got to be joking. I didn't marry Astin Stafford because I didn't love him. There's no way I'd ever marry a nauseating creature like you."
"You will obey me!" Erebus slapped Leila hard across the face. A welt quickly formed, but she showed no hint of pain. She refused to flinch. Biting her bottom lip, she drew blood, keeping the tears from falling. She would not cry. She'd spend her energy on better tasks, like finding a way to escape.
"Where am I?" Leila didn't back down. She stood toe to toe with the creature, ignoring his giant wings as they expanded the length of the room.
"Can't you tell?" he asked, before waving his hand toward the stone wall. The stone seemed to disappear, and behind the wall were bubbling pits of lava and tiny islands of burned land that skeletons inhabited. The longer she stared, the more she began to realize the skeletons had been human, most of them.