Death Unleashed

by TJ Adams

  Hands greedily grabbed my body, wrapping around my ankles, thighs, abdomen and throat. The hands of the damned parted my lips to cram my mouth. They ran through my hair, twisting and pulling on the strands, arching my head back like it was no longer attached to my shoulders. Mercilessly tugged and pulled in every direction my body was like a ragdoll, not my own but under the possession of many.

  This should’ve been alarming, but the torment of fear was cleared by a great wash of serenity. If this was death I could remain suspended for eternity. I forgot what it was I fought for and allowed the hands to maul me with their lust for my life. Nothing mattered more than this moment of inevitability. Never had I experienced the absolute cessation of anxiety, fear or pain. All negative emotions were replaced by this feeling of pure release, pure relaxation. The cold was gone, my body too. Only my consciousness remained, cocooned in a soft warmth I could never let go.

  I didn’t recognize the figure that appeared in front of me, with her long hair streaming in the currents behind her. Neither did I care why she was there. For a brief second, I wondered vaguely how it was that I could see her, but the thought disappeared as quick as it arrived.

  I don’t know when it happened, but the hands had disappeared. My limbs were free. The woman moved in front of me and touched my elbows. She smiled. Her face inched in close and then I felt the warmth of her lips on mine. It was only then I realized my body was like ice and not held within the cocoon of comfort that I’d mistaken for serenity. A tingle ran from my lips down my throat, spreading fast through my body, which exploded from a tingle into a burst of energy pumping along my veins, touching every part of me. It was the feeling of vitality; the feeling of life.

  Gone was my tranquility, my readiness to die. But before I could fight, my mind faded to oblivion.

  The cold woke me, the hard surface at my back, the wetness of my clothes. I opened my eyes and stared at the stars, stared hard enough until I realized they didn’t really look like stars. Why didn’t they look like stars? They were too evenly spaced for starters. They were also all the same size. I craned my head back to see more of the lights behind me. Peering down toward my feet, the lights ran in a line that way as well. It looked like a path guiding me to somewhere.

  And where was I? This didn’t make sense. What had happened before to land me on my back, in the cold, with wet clothes? I sat without any pain, so this was not the result of an accident. My eyes adjusted to the dark, lit only by the glowing lights on the ceiling. I looked at my body, checking for marks, or worse. Nothing appeared wrong with me, no limbs sticking out at odd angles, ripped clothes or blood.

  I was in a cave, in front an underground river, which would explain my wet clothes. How did I get here? And who pulled me out?

  Okay, what was the last thing I remembered? Seeking Bethany’s help to reach Dominic. And we’d succeeded. I’d somehow ended up in Dominic’s lair.

  A shiver ran through my body. The cold was getting to me. I pushed to my feet. Perhaps I should start moving, send some blood into my limbs. But which way would lead me out of this cave? As I wasted time deliberating, a tremor racked my body as the cold inched deeper into my bones. Driven by the chill I gave up on the dilemma and turned right. With the first few steps my muscles felt like stone, every step a heavy load. This was the cold restricting the blood to my extremities. I stopped to jump up and down a few times before resuming my burdened march to possibly nowhere.

  After a minute, or ten, or perhaps longer, where I thought of nothing else but placing one foot in front of the other, my movements became easier. Slowly the warmth returned to my body. I felt it as a small fire emanating from my core. I imagined the glow of the flames as they licked out and spread as far as my fingers and toes. The image gave me strength, but the spread of the warmth was not nearly as quick as I would’ve liked, so I picked up my pace. Maybe fast moving muscles would fan the fire some more.

  With my body warming, I was free to think of other things other than my imminent death from hyperthermia. And of course my first thought was mom. How long had I been down here? Had the soul snatcher taken the last gram? My pace quickened with the idea as my thoughts whirled into overdrive and the panic threatened to overtake.

  I couldn’t remember. That was the problem. How could I work out how long I’d been here when an hour ago was nothing more than blank space. I’d met Dominic; I think. The memory swam just outside of my consciousness, feeling more like a dream than reality, so I couldn’t be sure.

  What was the last thing I remembered…holding Bethany’s hand, the sharp boost of energy, craving more, feeling greedy for the power she possessed. And then the blast that detonated through the room and sent me into the void, or somewhere else? The stone walls…I’d ended up in a cavern? Underground? In hell? A hazy swirl moved in and engulfed the rest of the scene. I banged a fist against my head, and groaned in frustration as the rest of the memory moved out of reach. What was happening to me? Always so weak. Always the pawn, manipulated, at the mercy of the supernatural.

  I shouted my frustration to the stone walls, to the glow lights on the ceiling, to the river that ceased its endless meandering.

  A random thought sprung into my mind. The river. Something about the river. The way the thought muscled into my head, it had to be important. I stumbled over the jutting rocks to the bank and stared out over the inky surface and patted my clothes. I’d been in the river. Why was I in the river? How had I gone in and then gotten myself out when I was unconscious? Someone rescued me.

  I fisted my hair, frustrated by all these blanks. This had to be someone blocking my mind. Dominic? Again, his name echoed through my hazy memories. Yes, I’d met him. I had. Out of the murk, his face loomed, the face of a teenage boy, but not the boy of my youth. Something lurked behind his eyes. And now I remembered. His eyes were the black of night, filled with revenge. This was his doing. But how and why? He wanted to send me somewhere; he wanted me to pay.

  This was good. I was finally getting some memory back. I’d ruled out my still being in the natural world, and this memory authenticated my suspicions. So I had that memory back, but I was still lost in no man’s land, a place akin to hell, or was this hell?

  Think, god dammit.

  My memories would be my salvation.

  What to do…what to do? Again, I was helpless. Always helpless, a feeling alien to me until these last few months. But I would not crawl on my knees because I had a damn good reason to stay on my feet; mom. She needed me, and she was one person I would never let down. I’d made a silent promise to her that I would free her from the soul snatcher. Sinking in despair would not fulfill my promise. And being on my knees would make the going extremely tough. Although not perfect, and not nearly strong enough, I was all my family had against the supernatural and that would have to do.

  Somewhere inside my mind was the reason I was here and the way out. I closed my eyes and forced my mind back to the cavern. I descended stairs and came to an elaborately carved door. When I reached out wanting to force my way through the door, my mind slowed as if my memories were moving through molasses. On the other side were my answers, but now the door appeared to be moving further from me, forcing me to run. The harder I tried the further away it became.

  “No!” The echo of my shout ricocheted off the cave walls louder than I’d uttered it. The rebound shocked me. The rocks beneath my feet tremored. In response, the river slapped against the side of the rock. And in my mind the door snapped back and I burst through into the room. I saw Dominic, remembered our conversation as if I were there witnessing it all over again. The rest of the forgotten memory streamed back in like a fast-played movie.

  The Ferryman had deceived me; or maybe not. Hadn’t his parting words asked for me to remember it was because of him; cryptic now, but I was sure to learn the meaning at some point. And that had to mean he expected me to survive. And what about my mystery woman? It had to be my lady in white. The one who’d started me on this journey. But w
ait…hadn’t she explained that she was simply an extension of me? The stronger side of me.

  Driven by my memories I ploughed forward. This was the river Styx. Heading against the current had to mean the heart of Hades’ domain was behind me. The origin of my boat ride would be in the direction I headed. Maybe I would have to face Dominic before I left, and not in a friendly, chatty sort of way, but that was something I was more than ready to do.

  A splash from the river and my heart did a wild gallop behind my ribcage. Perhaps I’d imagined it. The damned souls maybe? Angry at having lost me. They were only a danger if I went near the water, or in it, surely staying on the rocks kept me safe. The last thing I needed was for fear to mess with my head.

  I resumed my pace, only to be brought up short with the sound of another splash, louder, like something large smacked across the surface of the river. The light from the glow worms shone an eerie pallor along the Styx. I couldn’t see clearly enough. Forget it, just keep going.

  But as soon as I took another step I heard the same noise. This time when I peered into the gloom I saw something move. So quick, it was there a moment and then gone, making me question myself. The answer came as laps of water along the rocks. Something had disturbed the water enough to create small waves. The ripples continued spreading outward. I stayed long enough to watch them die away.

  Something wanted to make its presence known. I faced the Styx and waited; no turning from this one. Even if I had to encounter every beast in the supernatural world, I would if it would release me from this dungeon and get me home.

  “Let’s get this over with!” I yelled into the dark, then waited for any signs of response.

  I waited impatiently, it felt like eternity, but perhaps the real time was much shorter. Gone was the short burst of debilitating fear, replaced by determination, my emotion. One I wore like a second skin. Only this time it felt like a true fit. This was not a mask I used to hide the inadequacies inside. I accepted the part I played in Dominic’s death; I accepted my dark side; I accepted that for me there would be a fight to find the balance between the side of me that was evil and the side that was good. Both resided in me, but I also had the power to choose which side would be the strongest. And right now I would take whatever side would pull me through this.

  In the gloom of the glow light a large mass rose out of the Styx. In the blink of a second something whiplashed through the air and lassoed me around the waist.

  19

  Satan clicked his fingers and three beautiful women sashayed into the room, wearing, thankfully, more than they did the last time I ended up in his domain.

  He lowered his legs from the chaise lounge, indicating I was to sit beside him, which I did because I was, strangely enough, no longer on edge when in his presence.

  “Perhaps you ask too much of me, my sweet.”

  “But you will do it. You’re Satan. Since when did you follow the rules?”

  “Maybe I feel inclined this one time.”

  The women fussed around him, materializing a bottle from thin air and pouring him a full glass of red. One fluffed the pillow behind him while the other trailed a long finger nail across the dip in his neck just below his Adam’s apple, not something my eyes should be following. I glanced away when he looked down at me with a wicked, knowing smile. Could he read my thoughts?

  “Drink?”

  He raised his glass toward me and I shook my head. Regardless, one of his women pinged another glass into existence and poured me the same amount as him.

  “Why did you even bother asking?”

  “I hate to drink alone. Besides in my domain, my rules apply, which means a woman as beautiful as you will not be allowed to leave until I’ve had the satisfaction of watching her lips wrap around something hard of mine.”

  He raised his glass in a toast. “And since I very much doubt it will be⸺”

  “Let’s steer this conversation back on to safe ground.”

  “I don’t play safe, Bounty. You should know that about me by now.”

  While snaring me in his gaze, he clicked his fingers and the women departed. I wanted to break free and watch them leave, because it would give me something else to stare at that wasn’t him. I didn’t because this was his game and I was prepared to play my hand.

  “Trinity was the woman you brought before me the last time I was here.”

  “Not that it did me any good. I wasn’t expecting Death to be so cunning.”

  Why had I not realized it much earlier. She had Matteo’s eyes and skin color, but everything that happened during my rendezvous with the Devil for the first time slipped my mind, crowded out by the one image of him. And then everything that happened after left no room for memory lane jaunts.

  “Will you let me see her again?”

  “I’m not sure it will do you any good.”

  “How would knowing the truth be bad?”

  “You don’t know the stakes.”

  “Then tell me what they are, enlighten me.”

  I stopped breathing while he stared at me, such was the magnitude of wattage in his eyes. The dizziness in my head signaled he’d been looking too long.

  “I find myself in an awkward position.” A well placed sip of his drink kept me dangling on the edge of his sentence. “For the first time I find I care about the outcome.”

  I raised my eyebrows to encourage him further, but he chose to take another sip.

  “You’re not drinking.” He said.

  “Is that a prerequisite to your honesty?”

  He smiled and a small dimple appeared on his cheek. Wow, I’d never noticed that before.

  “You’ve made my hell a living dream.”

  “That is the highest compliment a man called Satan could give.”

  “You distract me.”

  “In a good way.”

  “Eternity will not be dull.”

  “As long as I stick around.”

  “Which is why I doubt the wisdom of giving in to you.”

  “You know saying that makes me want the truth even more.”

  Satan sighed and stretched to his feet, all six foot lots of him. The glass disappeared, quarter drunk. Mine did too.

  “Perhaps eternity is too long a time. And I do like a challenge.”

  The giant wooden door opened and a woman stepped through. Trinity. I was on my feet in a blink, scrutinizing her features as she came toward us. I’d yet to meet Matteo when Satan brought me to this room for the first time, so it was no surprise I failed to connect the two. Looking at her now I could see her brother in her, but she was also her own self.

  In black from neck to toe, she looked striking, the female version of her brother in that regard. The way she strode over and descended onto the chaise lounge with all the grace of a cat, I would say confidence was another trait she shared with her brother.

  Her beautiful eyes perused me like a shark after bait. There was judgement in every inch of her stare.

  “I’m not one for happy reunions, so I will leave the two of you alone.” Satan walked behind the chaise lounge and placed both hands on Trinity’s shoulders, after brushing a lock of her dark hair back off her neck with a sensual sweep of his hand. He bent to whisper in her ear, loud enough for me to hear, while looking me in the eye. “Play nice. She’s one of my favorites.”

  Trinity hmphed a derisive sound. “I never expected the mighty Satan would be so weak willed.”

  “Careful, my pet, I grow tired of your smart mouth by the day.” He kissed her cheek, then with a wink toward, me departed.

  I watched him go with the urge to ask him to stay dancing around on my lips. She was going to eat me alive, and I felt unable to defend myself because she was Matteo’s sister, and in honor of his memory of her I didn’t want us in a fight.

  “Well look at you. Death’s little do-gooder.”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “No, I believe is the word you could’ve used.”

  “I see it was the f
irst word that came to your lips at the eleventh hour.”

  She smirked. “And now you’ve got your hands all over my brother.”

  “You were willing to leave him behind.”

  “For something so much better.”

  “What’s better than love.”

  Her hard, raucous laugh held no mirth. I would’ve expected something more musical or sensual given the way she looked, but witch like and cruel was the only way to describe it.

  “What has Death done to you?” She said after her short burst of maniacal laughter.

  “Given me another chance.”

  Her face pressed into severe lines and sharp angles, while she nail-gunned me with her eyes. “You were always such a bitch.”

  “Which one of us are you referring to?”

  She launched up, the conversation obviously not settling the way she’d hoped. The heels of her leather boots stamped thin circular holes in the rug as she stomped back and forth in front of me.

  Once she reached the end of the rug she spun to face me. “You’re envy poisoned you.”

  “Your greed killed you.”

  “Bounty was mine.” Her anger bubbled over, flooding resentment into the air around us.

  “And now she’s mine.” Ouch, that was harsh of me, but her mocking tone brought out the worst in my nature. And now I knew she was talking to Agnes. Sounds like poor Bounty was the butter stuck between the bread.

  I joined her in standing and waved my hands to placate her. “Please, do we have to fight? This is not how I wanted our conversation to go.”

  “It was always about what you wanted, how much smarter you were. The only reason you’re here is to gloat.”

  This was not going well. I wasn’t likely going to succeed in getting the information I wanted.

  “What did I do to you to make you hate me so much?”

  “It was meant to be the three of us. We’d made a deal, but you betrayed me. Bounty was so gullible, she would do anything you said.”