‘In exchange for?’
‘Help in stopping my mother and Nathaniel from getting their hands on Infernum, but at the time I think he mostly just wanted to see what I would do. It was kind of like an experiment, he said that there was a way out, a way back to our world but I had to figure it out. I think he wanted to see how I would handle it.’
‘So it was like a test?’
‘Exactly.’
‘And how did you do?’
‘I threw a bit of a tantrum.’
Theo’s brow rose questioningly.
‘Okay I haven’t got to that bit yet,’ she replied, ‘so anyway Hades sends me over to the Otherworld and at first I’m a bit pissed because I figure, you know, that I’m still in Mercy and that he’s having a good laugh at my expense. Then I finally get wise and figure he really did send me to the Otherworld but before he did, he gave me this.’
She pulled the small golden compass from the neck of her shirt. Theo took it gently as it was still slung around her neck on a delicate chain and flicked open the face of it.
‘It’s a compass?’ he tilted his head as he studied the exquisite craftsmanship, ‘it doesn’t work?’
‘Well apparently it does, I just haven’t figured out how to use it yet,’ she took it back and closed it before tucking it back into her clothes.
He stood and listened patiently as she filled him in on her meeting with Bridget and her aunt, and on finding Sam.
‘Sam’s here?’ Theo repeated.
‘Well yes and no,’ she replied, ‘he is here but he’s not exactly the Sam we know. This is a younger version of himself, not only does he not know us but he hasn’t figured out how to use all his powers yet.’
‘I see,’ he mused thoughtfully.
‘There’s something else’ she began, ‘just before I found you Hades came to me.’
‘Why? I thought you said he was just watching you?’
‘Well it certainly started out that way but things have changed.’
‘Why what happened?’
‘When Nathaniel and my mother escaped from The Boatman apparently Nathaniel smuggled my mother into the Underworld so that they could find one of the Lost Crossroads. There are five of them scattered through the Underworld and if any human finds one they can ask a boon of the Crossroad keeper.’
‘A boon? You mean like a wish?’
She nodded.
‘They’re supposed to be very powerful. Nathaniel couldn’t make a deal with one of them himself because he’s not human.’
‘I take it that’s what he is using your mother for?’
She nodded again. ‘He seems to think that the keeper can either tell them the location of the book or send them to it. I’m not entirely sure what he is planning. But I was supposed to go after them once I found you.’
‘Supposed to?’
‘That was part of my deal with Hades,’ she blew out a breath. ‘He would send me to the Otherworld to find you and once I had, I had to get to the Crossroad before them and prevent them from making a deal with the keeper.’
‘So what’s changed?’
‘Nothing,’ she shook her head. ‘I still have to stop them from using the Crossroad to find the book. The problem is, for whatever reason, Nathaniel is destroying all the other Crossroads so that no one can use them.’
‘Why would he do that?’
‘I’m not sure, but what I do know is that by destroying something as old and powerful as the Crossroads it has sent ripples out across all the worlds. It has upset the balance and it is being felt even in this world. I felt it when he destroyed the first Crossroad and the shock wave felt like an extremely powerful earthquake. Hades seems to think that the more Crossroads he destroys the more it will tear away at the fabric between worlds, until every wall begins to break down.’
‘And when that happens?’
‘The Underworld will fall. Hell will spill out onto Earth and once those creatures get loose, what we saw in Mercy will pale in comparison to what will be unleashed.’
‘God,’ Theo raked his hand through his hair.
‘I know, it’s a hell of a head fuck,’ she sighed, ‘but…I gave my word. I can’t go home, I have to stop Nathaniel and my mother.’
‘How are you supposed to do that?’ he frowned. ‘If there are still another four Crossroads how are you supposed to figure out where they are, let alone which one Nathaniel will go for next?’
‘Hades says there is a gateway hidden here, which will take me directly into the Underworld. Once I’m there I just need to figure out how to use the compass. It’s the key to finding them I know it is. I’m tied to my mother by blood, the oldest and most powerful magic there is. If I find her, I find Nathaniel.’
‘Olivia,’ he shook his head.
‘I know it’s a lot to take in, I’m not asking you to go with me. I can find a way to get you back to the real world. If there’s a hidden gateway to the Underworld there must be a way back home.’
‘You really think I’d leave you now,’ his grip on her tightened angrily, ‘after everything we’ve been through? Where you go I go, that is not negotiable.’
‘I don’t want you to get hurt,’ she whispered closing her eyes against the pain. ‘I thought I’d lost you once before and I can’t go through that again. It felt like my insides had been ripped out and there was just this big dark pit inside me, which just got bigger and deeper.’
‘Livy,’ he whispered.
‘I want you safe.’
‘And you think I don’t want the same thing for you? You think it wouldn’t kill me to lose you?’ He brushed his thumb across her lower lip, his voice low and intense, ‘you crossed worlds to find me Livy, do you really think I wouldn’t do the same for you. Neither of us wants the other one to get hurt. Well I can’t give you any guarantees but I can make you a promise, that no matter what happens we will always find each other. No matter what’, he repeated. ‘It’s you and me Olivia and nothing will ever change that, not even death will keep us from each other.’
She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his.
‘Do you promise?’
‘I swear,’ his lips brushed hers.
Her arms snaked slowly around his neck and pulled him in closer as she sank into his kiss.
‘Tell me again Livy,’ he breathed against her mouth, ‘tell me the words.’
She didn’t need to ask what he meant, it was the one thing he’d wanted to hear her say to him for months and when she’d finally told him, he had been too lost within the prison of his own mind to hear her.
‘I love you Theo,’ she breathed, ‘I will love you until time no longer exists.’
He took her mouth again, walking her back slowly until he could lower her to the blanket. He stripped away her shirt so he could find her soft bare skin which warmed under his touch. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she gazed up into his deep dark eyes.
‘Say it again.’
She smiled against his mouth. ‘I love you,’ she whispered.
‘God Livy,’ he shuddered in her arms, ‘you have no idea what you do to me.’
She dragged her fingers up his torso taking his shirt with them as she went, allowing him to pull away long enough to draw it over his head and discard it.
‘Theo,’ she breathed heavily, the words choking in her throat.
She wound her arms tightly around him, pulling him in impossibly close so they were pressed warm skin to warm skin. He took her mouth once again, sinking down into that place where time slowed and nothing else existed but the two of them. Everything felt different, so much sharper and more intense. His lips left hers and trailed down her throat to her collar bone causing her to shiver and the fine hairs on her arms to raise. When he reached her breast and drew the tip into his hot mouth she arched helplessly, unable to do anything but feel. It was dizzying to know that he held this much power over her, that he was able to give so much pleasure. He
switched to the other breast and her hands trailed down his chest to his stomach, scraping the skin lightly, causing him to bite down on her softly. She undid his jeans and pushed both them and his boxers over his lean hips before reaching down to wrap her hand around him. He released her breast on a gasp of pleasure, pressing his flushed forehead to her skin and unable to do anything but rock slowly into her firm grip. Reluctantly he pulled away from her, far enough to strip the rest of the clothes from them and when they were both finally naked he crawled back up the length of her trembling body, nestling himself between her thighs.
‘Say it again.’
‘I love you,’ she gasped out as he plunged inside her deeply.
He stilled inside her, holding himself at the deepest point, breathing heavily and trembling at the intensity of her body squeezing him so tightly. His lips brushed against her lightly once and then twice, he rolled his hips slowly, causing her to gasp once again at the wave of pleasure. His tongue swept in and he tasted her, savoring the moment as if it would last forever. She wrapped her legs tightly around his hips, pulling him in closer as her arms tangled around his neck keeping him anchored to her. He slid his arms underneath her and pulled her in just as closely until they were one tangle of long limbs and flushed skin, unable to tell where one ended and the other began.
There was an uncertainty between them, an undercurrent of desperation that hadn’t been present before, the unspoken fear between them of what was yet to come and whether or not they would both survive it, but surrounding it all was the overwhelming love between them which they had finally embraced. It was empowering, the feeling they could do anything as long as it was the two of them together. Theo plunged into her body, swallowing the sighs and moans as she climbed impossibly high. Her fingers dug into his skin as her core tightened viciously and the pleasure ripped through her like a tornado, leaving utter devastation in its wake.
‘I love you,’ he breathed against her ear, ‘always…’ He felt her clamp down and could do nothing but follow her down into oblivion, spilling himself deep inside her.
At some point the sky had changed from a violent swirl of purple and pink to a clear star lit canvas. Olivia settled comfortably, sitting between Theo’s legs with her back to his chest, as he wrapped a blanket around them both and folded her sweetly into his arms. The fire they had laid out earlier now danced and snapped merrily, bathing them both with warmth and flickering light.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Theo’s voice rumbled quietly against her ear as she absently traced the tattoo along his forearm.
She sighed loudly. ‘I was just wishing we could stay here forever, in this moment just you and me.’
He smiled against her hair. ‘Forever is a long time my love, you’d be bored after the first decade.’
‘That’s true’ she chuckled, ‘fine, I’ll amend that statement to, I wish we could disappear somewhere where no one could find us.’
‘This is about Hades isn’t it?’
‘Not just about him,’ she frowned, entwining her fingers with his and studying their joined hands absently, ‘I gave my word, which means I have to face Nathaniel and…’
‘Your mother,’ he guessed.
He felt her nod silently.
‘You don’t have to do this alone Livy,’ he untangled his hand from hers and grasped her chin, titling her head so she could see him. ‘It’s going to be alright.’
‘Is it?’
‘We are going to deal with Nathaniel and Isabel.’
‘And then?’
‘And then we’re going to live happily ever after.’
She laughed lightly. ‘There’s no such thing as happily ever after.’
‘Alright then,’ he smiled, ‘would you settle for growing old together?’
She turned more fully in his arms so she could look into his eyes.
‘Yes,’ she murmured reaching out to stroke his face, ‘I’d settle for that.’
He brushed her lips gently with a soft kiss filled with promise. Before such a sweet gesture would have sent her running but now she held onto it like a lifeline.
‘So,’ Theo smoothed her rumpled hair back from her face, ‘now we need to figure out what our next move is.’
‘Well we need to figure out where the gateway to the Underworld is, but more importantly we need to figure out how to find Nathaniel and my mother when we get there.’
‘No only that,’ Theo frowned, ‘we need to figure out a way to stop them if we manage to reach them in time. When we went up against them at the Boatman, your Hell fire had no effect on Nathaniel and neither did the Fireblade.’
‘Fireblade?’
‘I needed something to call it and it suits well enough,’ he shrugged referring to the supernatural blade he could call forth from the metallic markings embedded deeply within the flesh of his arm.
‘Well, you’re right we do need to figure out what we’re going to do with them if we get there,’ she rubbed her face tiredly. ‘God if we ever manage to pull this off it will be a damn miracle.’
‘Is there any way we can summon Diana?’ he asked, ‘she’s helped you a few times now. She seems to have taken a certain interest in your wellbeing, perhaps she would be inclined to help us?’
‘Even if she was I don’t know how to call her. Every time she has appeared it’s been to further her own agenda, not at my instigation.’
‘Perhaps we should speak with Bridget then?’ he suggested.
‘That’s probably the best option at the moment,’ she agreed.
A sudden rumble beneath them had them pulling apart abruptly.
‘What was that?’ Theo frowned.
The ground trembled again.
‘Damn it,’ Olivia hissed, ‘last time this happened Nathaniel destroyed a Crossroad.’
‘You think he has destroyed another one?’ Theo grabbed his jeans and jerked them back on, standing up as he pulled his shirt over his head.
Olivia shook her head. ‘The tremors aren’t strong enough, trust me you’ll know it when he destroys another one.’ She grabbed her own jeans and lifted her hips off the blanket as she slid them on and grabbed her bra and shirt. ‘It could mean that he’s getting close to one. Either way we need to move soon, there are only four more Crossroads and with the destruction of each the more damage the Veil between world will sustain.’
Theo leaned down and yanked his boots on.
‘We should probably head to Bridget’s house then and see what she knows.’
Olivia nodded as she pulled her own boots on, grasping Theo’s hands as he reached out to help her up. She swayed dizzily on her feet as soon as she was standing and stumbled against him.
‘Are you alright?’ he asked holding onto her tightly.
Olivia drew in a shaky breath as the spinning feeling began to subside.
‘I’m fine,’ she breathed against his chest, ‘just a little dizzy.’
He pulled back and tilted her head so he could look into her eyes, concern etched on his face.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I’m okay.’
‘When was the last time you slept?’
‘I have no idea,’ she sighed, ‘I don’t even know how long we’ve been here. Honestly Theo I’m fine, I’m sure it’s just the stress of everything catching up with me.’
Frowning he bent down to scoop up the blankets and Olivia’s backpack before wrapping his arms around her tightly.
‘Hold on,’ he told her softly.
‘What?’
He closed his eyes the way Olivia had shown him and thought about the place he wanted to be. Their surroundings blurred and shifted and suddenly they found themselves back in their bedroom at Olivia’s house.
‘What?’ she looked around in confusion, ‘why have you brought me here?’
‘Because,’ he dropped the blankets and backpack down on the chair by the fireplace and scooped her up into his arms. Pulling down the beddi
ng he laid her down and pulled off her boots. Kicking off his own he climbed up onto the bed next to her and wrapped her up in his arms.
‘Theo,’ she struggled to sit up, ‘we don’t have time for this, we have to find Bridget.’
‘We can do that tomorrow.’
‘We might not have tomorrow.’
‘I doubt Nathaniel will manage to find and destroy four Crossroads in the space of a few hours. You’re exhausted physically, emotionally and mentally,’ he pulled her back down and wrapped his arms around her once again. ‘You can save the world tomorrow but for now you need some sleep.’
‘You’re so bossy,’ she yawned against him.
He smiled as he felt her slowly relaxing into his arms.
‘Yes I am,’ he murmured, ‘sleep now love, tomorrow will come soon enough.’
He could tell by her lax body and rhythmic breathing that she was already deeply asleep. However, sleep would not come so easily for him. He’d spent God knows how long trapped in a dreamlike state while she had searched for him and worried for him. She’d faced down a God and learned that she had a terrifying destiny in the same breath. A destiny that could cost her not only her own life, but those of the ones she loved most dearly and yet here she was, exhausted and drained but still ready to fight, to do what was right.
He looked down at her, stroking the soft dark satin of her hair and tracing the soft curve of her lip. He marveled at her, not quite believing she was really his. She was fierce, a warrior even if she didn’t know it. She may have thought she was chosen because of her ability to control Hell fire but the truth was it was her strength and love and loyalty which made her so special, even if she couldn’t see it.
Satisfied she was deeply asleep he slipped from the bed and padded over to the window, staring out at the lake glistening in the moonlight. The ground trembled softly again under his feet causing the pictures on the wall to rattle quietly. He was worried about what she had told him and he knew they had barely glanced the surface yet. None of them knew for sure what Nathaniel’s end game was. They had been so certain it was Isabel using the demon but it was becoming quite obvious it was the other way around. Nathaniel was allowing Isabel to believe she held the upper hand but he was manipulating her, and the more unstable she became the more danger she was to her daughter. He turned back and looked at Olivia’s sleeping form, the darkness was coming. He could feel the oppressive weight of it in the air. Whatever Nathaniel’s plan was he was going to do whatever was necessary to achieve it, even if it meant destroying this world and theirs and every one in between. Drawing in a shaky breath he turned back to the window leaning heavily against the frame with one arm.
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