Realms of the Otherworld Box Set

by Jana LaPelle

  ​“No!!! This is not okay,” I bite out and lean down to gently kiss his forehead, stroking his unruly locks away from his sweat covered brow. His pink skin is tinged with an unnatural paleness. Pulling back, I see a single tear leak from his eye, and I lose it. I cry out to the heavens, “Father! Help me. Please…, I beg of you! Help me save him! Remove these cuffs that bind my ability. I can save him.” The entire arena has grown eerily quiet as I wait for divine intervention that is not forth coming. I beg on whispered breath, “Please Father, please help me to heal him. Being born in the Underworld should not define him!”

  ​From behind me I hear Ashlinn’s voice call to me from a distance, “Alaric?”

  ​I turn to see her racing across the ground in our direction. Turning back to Pip I see that he is near death and I whisper, “You honor me, Pip. From the moment that I met you, you have been my savior, my protector, my guide in this realm. I never deserved your devotion. You are so very brave, so selfless, and I’m honored that you befriended me. I love you Pipperton.”

  ​“I love you too, Mister. Don’t… cry,” his breathing has grown shallow and shutters within his small frame. In the distance I hear his mother’s anguished cries. I wonder, how is she even here?

  ​When Ashlinn reaches me, she kneels beside me, silently lending me her support. I look up into her amber eyes and see my anguish reflected back at me. I whisper, “You can fix this, Ash.” I plead, “You can make sure that his next life is a good one.” I beg, my anguish cannot be contained. I look back down at Pip and settle on to the ground, pulling his limp form onto my lap, and I cradle his broken body to my own. I whisper, “I’m so sorry, Pip. I was bad news for you. I didn’t mean to be, I swear, I never meant for this to happen.” I rock his near lifeless body as my anguish takes hold. Looking up at my kindred, I smile and nod while tears track down my face, “You can fix this. You can usher his soul to The Overworld or to the Soul Reliquary for another chance at life outside of this realm. You can do this, you can fix this. Tolin can be your Guardian in my stead. You can do this, right?” I plead.

  ​Ashlinn shakes her head, tears streaming down her anguished stricken face, “I really want to,” her breath shutters as she continues, “I would give anything if I could, but I can’t... It’s against the rules.”

  ​“What do you mean, it’s against the rules. You… are the Keeper of Souls,” I shout. Tears are coursing down her cheeks and I know that I should stop, but I can’t because this is Pip, so I push on, “He’s a child, Ashlinn. He deserves better than this! Now reap his soul and care for it… because it’s precious…” tears clog my throat and I can’t continue.

  ​“I’m so sorry, Alaric. I can’t. I’m not allowed to reap souls from The Underworld.” She sobs.

  ​“Break the rules, Ash. Just this once. Break them, now!” I shout, and my demand rings out across the field for all to hear.

  ​She shakes her head and sobs, “I’m sorry. I can’t.” She drops her head to her chest as she begins to cry in earnest before both Pip and me.

  ​Paynga’s anguished wails grow closer and I hold Pip even tighter. His final breaths rack his slight frame and I whisper, “You are so brave, Pip. My fearless little imp friend. You can’t go. I need you, Pipperton. What will I do without you?” I whisper.

  ​Pip looks up at me, his light blue eyes dull as his breath escapes him, he whispers, “It’s okay to let go…, Mister. I think… I’ll be okay.” His body shutters as he takes his last breath.

  ​I cry out, “Ash… Please?” I beg one last time.

  ​“Alaric, you don’t know what you are asking of me.” She rocks back and forth in an internal battle beside me, tears streaming down her beautiful face, Tarron and Tolin are now on either side of her supporting my kindred and I feel as though I’m being torn into a million jagged pieces.

  ​Tolin pulls her in to his arms and looks my way, he shakes his head before saying, “Alaric, I’m truly sorry, but she can’t do as you ask. You ask too much. The rules are clear.”

  ​“There is still time, Tolin. She’s the Keeper of Souls, she can do this,” I plead.

  ​Tarron kneels down before me, “No… She can’t brother. Luc’s rules were clear. He only reminded Ashlinn of what you both already knew after you ascended. You ask too much of your kindred and you’re breaking her tender heart. I’m sorry for your loss, brother.”

  ​As Tarron’s words sink in, I bow my head and cradle Pip’s lifeless body to me. Paynga reaches my side and she wails her grieve for all to hear. I gently hand over her son’s lifeless body to her, knowing that her brother was right all those days ago. I brought this on Pip, on their family. Pip’s life is on me. He was just a child and I don’t think that I will ever be able to move past this.

  ​Someone claps a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Tolin, “We need to go. It’s time.”

  ​Shaking my head, I say, “I can’t. How can I leave them to grieve, this is my fault…, I can’t …”

  ​“Alaric, it’s time to go back to the realms of the living. Your family needs you. I’m sorry, but our time here is done.”

  ​“But… Pip… I can’t just leave him…”

  ​Luc strides up at that moment, “Alaric, I’m the keeper of souls in this realm. Trust me when I say that Pipperton, will be well cared for.” With his arrival, it’s as if time stands still all around us.

  ​“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” I bow my head in bitter resolution as my breath heaves from me.

  ​Luc leans in, “Your kindred found you. You should be happy. You are finally leaving The Underworld.”

  ​“But at what cost, Luc? Pip was a child in this world and his death is on me, because of these infernal games and my lack of understanding of the goings on in this realm. You did this! You left me for Pip to find!”

  ​“Maybe that is so… I gather that you cared for this tender young soul?”

  ​“Yes! Is that so hard to believe? He was special! He was my friend…” I pause looking around the tournament field to see that the spectators and everyone in attendance except for the few of us here have been frozen in their places, and I ask, “What’s happened here?”

  ​“I’ll make it so that it looks as if you all vanished into thin air. In actuality, you all will trace to the tear between our realms and you will go home. I will take care of Pipperton and his mother Paynga. Alaric… let me do what I can for these imps. Let me take care of those that dwell in this realm. It’s what I do. It’s time for you and your kindred and your friends to go home. You now have an understanding of this realm, and what role it plays in the universe. The good, the really bad, and the ugly. It deserves to be saved just as your realm deserves to be saved. It has its own unique special souls and it provides balance for all the realms. So now, it’s time to go, Alaric.”

  ​Nodding, I turn and kneel before Paynga and say, “I never wanted this. Pip was special. I’m so very sorry that it came to this.” Paynga’s only response is to hold Pip close, and keen over her son’s still body, her wings snap out as she cradles her son in her arms, her alabaster wings close over them, sheltering them from our view. It’s not something that I will soon forget, and my soul mourns for the loss of my little friend. Pipperton was special and I’m not sure that I will ever be ready to let him go.

  ​I back away, shaking my head in disbelief at the turn of events this day. Ashlinn lays her hand on my shoulder and says, “I’m so sorry, Alaric, but it’s time for us to go.” Her voice is full of remorse, but it is also cold and distant, and I fear that I have harmed her tender soul in my quest to save Pip.

  I look over my shoulder to watch as she places her hand on my shoulder to trace us to the tear between our realms. I can’t help the anger that wells up within me. I know she feels it, but I can’t help feeling as though I’m betraying the ones that gave me sanctuary in this realm and I’m helpless but to follow their lead, as if I’m a puppy on a leash.

  I have always been the leader but
now I’m useless.

  I’m unsure of my purpose.

  I’m broken…

  Warrior

  Part 2

  Chapter 19

  (Ashlinn)

  The Mortal Realm

  ​My God. How is Alaric to come back from what happened in The Underworld. How can he even look at me without seeing his loss, seeing how I failed him and Pip. I stand in the corner of our room and lean over the twins to quiet them. They’ve outgrown their bassinettes, so I placed the two in a crib large enough for the two of them and I watch as they snuggle into one another. Both have nursed, and their bellies are full. As always, Lachlan held on to me and would not let me go until he was satisfied that I would not be going anywhere for a while. I watch the two as their eyes grow heavy and they drift off to sleep. They always have a way of calming me, but tonight is different and my thoughts are tormented. We’ve not been back long, and I can’t seem to get the image of Alaric holding Pip out of my mind. In the time that Alaric spent in The Underworld, he came to love that child dearly and his grief over the loss of that boy is stifling.

  ​Retracing in my mind the turn of events that took place in the arena, I don’t think that either of us could have ever predicted that the young imp would put himself between Alaric and harm’s way in that arena. I’m haunted by the image of my kindred begging me for Pip’s soul. Begging me to make a choice to reap a beautiful young soul that would leave one of us forever tied to The Underworld. I’m not sure that Alaric has realized what his request would have meant for one of us.

  ​Lexie walks into the nursery and has caught me in my tortured reflection and whispers, “Are they asleep?”

  ​“Yeah. Come on, let’s go to the study. We’ll hear if they wake, but I have a feeling they are down for the night.” I pull the door closed quietly behind us as we make our way downstairs. I’ve not had a chance to catch Lexie up on what went down when we went after Alaric. Walking into the kitchen, I see Tarron and TNT in quiet conversation, a University of Kentucky basketball game is playing on the flat screen. I grab a couple of glasses and pour some tea for the both of us before heading to the study. Someone has started a fire in the fireplace, and we take a seat on the cozy overstuffed couch.

  ​“So…, out with it. You guys weren’t even gone a day, so why does it seem as if you were gone for days or even weeks?” Lexie’s large green eyes look upon me questioningly, her fiery red hair frames her face and hangs in tumbling curls down her back, and I realize that I have missed her.

  ​“I don’t know where to begin, Lex. So much has happened. I think, for me, it was only a couple of days, but I think for Alaric, it was more like a couple of weeks.” Sighing, I take a sip of Millie’s sweet tea. Staring into the fire, I ask, “What did Camoryn do once he realized that Jasmine came with us? Jasmine has been so worried about how he would react.”

  ​“Oh, he was pissed. There’s nothing like an angry satyr stomping about the Keep and the grounds around the castle to keep everyone on edge. He only realized it about an hour or so before you all popped up in the courtyard, but it was a long hour. I swear if satyrs could breathe fire the whole area would be scorched. Jasmine is going to have to grovel to get back into his good graces.”

  ​“Don’t worry about me. I’m forgiven.” Jasmine quips with a naughty little smile, as she sashays into the room faerie size, her wings retracted. “Cam was supremely pissed, but not surprised by my actions. Now, we have a puzzle to figure out.” She plops down on the floor in front of us. I’m so happy to see that The Underworld has not had an everlasting effect on my sprite friend, unlike Alaric and myself.

  ​Jasmine and I quickly bring Lexie up to speed on the happenings in that miserable realm and she exclaims, “Seriously? No wonder Alaric seems so detached and withdrawn. It’s not just that, he seems…” She pauses, not sure how to continue.

  ​“He seems broken,” I fill in, reluctant to say the words out loud. We’ve only been back a couple of hours and Alaric has retreated to the basement. Breaking from my dismal thoughts, I announce, “Not even seeing the twins has helped. Poor Lillie was so happy to see him, and all he did was give her a quick kiss and hand her back to me. She was devastated. She called after him for the first time ever as he walked out of the room. He didn’t even pause. It was her first words ever. I couldn’t believe that he just walked away from her like that, but how can I be pissed off at him? Lillie cried herself to sleep tonight, both of them were distraught and not sure what to make of their father’s actions. His homecoming should have been happy for everyone. I’m not sure what to do. I know he will wear the scars of his time with The Morrígan and in The Underworld on his heart and his conscious for an eternity. I don’t know if there is even anything that I can do to help lighten the weight of the guilt he feels over Pip. I guess time will tell. In the meantime, first things first. Jasmine is right, we need to figure out how to remove those wretched binding cuffs.”

  ​Lexie pulls her feet up to sit cross-legged on the couch, and says, “I’ve been thinking about that. Meme’s memoirs hold the key, and I think I may have figured it out.”

  ​“Then spill. What are you waiting for?” I demand, anxious to get those cuffs off of Alaric.

  ​Lexie turns to Jasmine and asks, “Remember when you and the gang came rushing into Ashlinn’s hospital room and Alaric asked for Ashlinn’s necklace, her talisman, and you began a thorough examination of it?”

  ​“Yeah, I remember. What about it?” Jasmine narrows her eyes in reflection as the fire snaps and cracks in the grate behind her.

  ​“Remember what you said, Jaz? You said it looked like a-”

  ​“I said it looked like a KEY!” Jasmine exclaims and jumps to her feet before continuing, “That must be it!” She paces in front of us before pointing excitedly to my necklace, and says, “You’ve had the key all along! Lexie, you’re a genius. Why didn’t we figure this out sooner? Your mother’s journals said she will have the means that will be needed to unlock the bindings of the gods. Bindings forged in angel fire. The key resides with her. The key, Ash, it's right there!”

  ​My thoughts are racing, and I look down at the pendant that lies nestled between my breasts. Looking back up at Jaz and Lexie, I ask, “Can it be that easy?” Thinking back, I’ve had no explanation as to where the pendant came from and why my mother gifted it to me. Needing answers, I summon my mother. It takes just a moment before my mother and father are standing before us in the study.

  ​“Ashlinn, are you okay? Your summoning was laced with anxiety and curiosity.” My mother asks, and I notice that she looks a bit pale, whereas my father looks rather like the Cheshire cat.

  ​Tarron and TNT come strolling into the room and ask, “What’s up with all the commotion in here?”

  ​“I’m about to find out about the pendant I wear. Come on in guys and have a seat.” Turning to my mother and father, I ask, “I need to know how you came about this pendant. I know that it was meant to protect me, but does it have a history that I’m not aware of?”

  ​My father pulls a chair over for my mother to have a seat and she says, “I was wondering when you would get around to asking me about your talisman. Before I begin, how are you baby girl?”

  ​Sighing, I say, “I’ve been better, but you may be able to help us with a puzzle that we are trying to solve. How did you come by this pendant?” I hold my key shaped talisman up for emphasis.

  ​Danu looks at us all gathered within the room and I sense the moment that she realizes that Alaric is not in attendance and she cocks her head and gives me a penetrating once over and decides to not broach the subject before she begins, “Many years before your birth, I crossed paths with an old crone, she was ancient, and although she felt familiar to me, I knew that I had never seen this old woman before. She said that she lived not far from where our paths crossed and asked that I join her for tea. You see, like so many of my brethren, there was a time that I had lost my purpose, and I began traveling the lands of
Faerie disguised as a wanderer in hopes that I would find my purpose once more. You see, I missed Nirvana, I missed The Overworld, my home. I missed my creator and I missed my wings. For a time, I felt lost. On this day, the old crone welcomed me into her most humble abode. She fed me and gave me a warm bed to sleep in for the night. The next morning, before I left out, she held out her hand and the pendant you wear, laid in her open palm. I remember thinking how beautiful I thought it was, but then she surprised me when she called me by name. She said, “Danu, mother goddess to all the realms, I gift you this pendant. You must keep it safe. You see, it has special properties. You must keep it hidden away until the birth of your first-born daughter. This talisman is meant for her. It will keep her safe and when the time is right you will place an enchantment on it and send your daughter away.” I remember thinking that she was crazy. Why would I ever send a daughter of mine away?

  ​As I left the old crone’s home, my purpose was renewed. I believed her, at least part of her predictions. For the first time in eon’s I felt as if I had something to live for. It was not long after that when I came upon a piece of the prophecy. The rest is history, or so they say.” My mother finishes.

  ​The room is utterly quiet as we all process her tale and I announce, “We need The Dagda. I think this is what we have been looking for. I think Lexie and Jasmine are right, this pendant is the only thing that can release Alaric’s binding irons.”

  ​“What are we waiting for?” Declan exclaims from the doorway. I have no idea as to when he joined us. “He’s not himself, Ashlinn.”

  ​I shake my head and say sadly, “This won’t fix my kindred. I don’t know what will. He’s grieving, Declan.”

  ​Tolin speaks up, “It’s a start.”

  ​I nod, “Mother, can you summon The Dagda?”

  ​“He will be here soon.”