Hecate said, diplomatically. “It is true what you said about my arrival, however, the choice to stay here has been mine alone. And, to your point, you are also here of your own free will.”
Lilith seethed. “He should have been the one to leave. Not me.”
“Who? What?” I asked, thoroughly confused.
“Do not suffer my fate,” Lilith said. “Marriage is slavery, plain and simple. And any woman who goes along with it deserves what comes.”
My wedding ring seemed to tighten at her words, either in agreement with them or aversion to them. “I don’t have time for this,” I said. “If I don’t find my son, Larinda will turn him over to Armand. Please let me go.”
“Son?” Lilith’s expression changed. Her cheeks grew gaunt and her skin paled. “Are you Armand’s daughter?”
“Weren’t you listening to a thing we said when you were hanging from the tree?” Hecate asked, annoyed.
“No, I was too busy trying to discern this newcomer’s gender.” Lilith tapped her chin several times before speaking again. “Armand once tried to make a deal with me. I told him, plain and simple, ‘Honey, there is nothing you can give me that I can’t give myself.’” She shrugged with just one shoulder. “How can we trust that Armand’s male descendant will not be just as corrupt as him?”
“He’s my baby!” I stamped my foot and the ground trembled. Their expressions changed as they took renewed notice of me.
Hecate held up a hand. “Lilith, the rise of women will not come about through the destruction of men, but through coexistence.”
Lilith snarled, but relented. “Fine. We will let you go. But only because I am curious about you, and I trust Hecate’s intuition.”
“And because she is the Seed Bringer,” Hecate added.
“She is?” Lilith asked, surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me? If this is true, we cannot delay her any longer!”
“So, can I leave now?” I asked, urgently looking around for an opening in the woods.
Hecate snapped her fingers and the symbol of the three spokes disappeared. “You are free,” she said. “Safe travels, and do not forget your primary mission here.”
With that, Hecate and Lilith began speaking of festivals and solstices, no longer concerned with me. A gap in the forest appeared and I scrambled for it before they could stop me.
The trail was clear and well-worn, though I wasn’t sure where it led. I considered taking another bite of the apple, hoping for clarification. Thinking back to Hecate’s warning, I decided against it. You will need the final bite. I clutched the ankh, desperate for it to glow.
Finally, I arrived at a fork in the trail. Shane said we shared abilities, now that we were married, and I decided to put that to the test. I thought of my husband, focusing on the grey in his eyes. The more I held his image in my mind, the closer he seemed.
“Go right,” I said, with certainty. My ankh glowed. I felt the magick of the Netherworld course through me - like mercury.
As I set off, a butterfly floated out to greet me. And then another. Soon, I was engulfed in a cloud of white butterflies. They fluttered around me, giving a hopeful glow to the dusky world. My ankh hummed and I nearly skipped, feeling the pull of my conviction.
7
The Lovers
I looked down into a small valley, nestled between the gentle slopes of two hills. Below me, a shimmering waterfall splashed into a crystal-blue lake. Glowing rocks along the beach illuminated the water, in hues of green and blue and turquoise. The ankh flashed as I peered over the ledge. I made the long climb down, easily and without fear.
The water was inviting, and I slipped off my shoes to dip a toe into the quiet water. It sent small ripples across the water, wrinkling the harvest moon reflected on its surface. The pool was pleasantly warm, and so clear that I could see deep to the bottom.
I stripped naked and waded in, wearing only my ankh and bracelet. My hair bobbed around me like red seaweed. I ducked beneath the water and reemerged, feeling as free as a mermaid. I had never been a strong swimmer, but this water buoyed me. I laid back on and stared at the stars, wondering if this is what it was like to fly.
In the stillness of the evening, I heard a noise. I trod water and listened closely. Someone was speaking. I looked towards the waterfall, and could see the outline of a man standing behind it. I quickly slipped under the surface, just as he dove gracefully in. Before I could swim away, the man caught one of my legs, pulling me further under. I turned to face him.
Shane!
He grinned as he drew me into his arms, and we resurfaced together.
“How did you know it was me?” I asked.
“I felt it.”
He slipped his hands around my waist and I planted mine on his shoulders. Together we bobbed along, gently kicking our feet beneath us. A drop of water collected on his bottom lip and I wiped it away with my finger, as if it were mine now.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, still smiling. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but I thought you were having fun with the wood men.”
“I missed you.” I kissed him, overcome with gratitude at our reunion. “I’m sorry I got so upset. It was wrong.”
He kissed me back, passionately. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken like your son was a burden. And trust me, you weren’t that scary. I’ve seen you far worse.”
“Hey!” I said, splashing him.
“Hey yourself!” He swam backwards, splashing me in return.
I could make out the outline of my husband’s nude body, and I found myself warming. He caught me staring, and gave me a sideways grin. “I’m glad to see I haven’t lost all my charms on you yet,” he said.
“Nope. Your charms are both noted and appreciated.” I pressed my forehead to his. We stared into each other’s eyes, our chests pressed flat as we floated along.
“I need you,” he said, tilting my head and kissing me. His breath was hot, and every muscle in his back tensed. I nibbled on his lower lip, working my way to his neck. We twined in the water beneath the stars, his hands on my thighs, my fingers digging into his shoulders. I wrapped my legs around his torso, desperate to be as close to him as possible.
“Come with me,” he said, reluctantly breaking free. He took my hand and we dove to the bottom of the pool, lit by a bed of glowing rocks. As we swam towards the waterfall, I began to make out the entrance of a cave behind it. Swimming through the waterfall and into the cavern, I saw Shane’s clothes, shoes, and cowboy hat were neatly arranged on the shore.
“Mi casa,” he said, pulling me up onto the sand.
“I’m a little insulted you didn’t invite me,” I said, wringing water from my hair.
“I was going to, but you seemed so smitten with that guy you were dancing with.”
I scrunched my brows. “You saw me?”
“Uh, not directly.”
It might have been the effects of the apple, but I ‘saw’ Shane, sitting in the cavern, tuning in to me. I poked him in the chest. “You were spying! If you watched the whole thing, you know I was an angel in the end.”
“My dear, you’re always an angel in the end. It’s the road you take to get there that worries me.”
“Likewise.”
“We are soulmates,” he said, kissing my chin.
“Soul twins,” I reminded him.
His hand combed through my wet hair. “Have I ever told you how much I love this mane of yours?” he asked. “It’s the first thing I noticed about you when we were kids. Well, that and your fearlessness. You were like a lion.”
“You have strange turn-ons,” I said, reveling in the feel of his fingers on my body. We kissed, easily at first, but more urgently as it went on. He hardened almost instantly.
I needed him in every way. I knew that for certain. Perhaps it was one of the truths that came from the apple. I had tried to quiet my feelings so that I could tolerate any potential loss to come. But I couldn’t. He was as much a part of me as myself.<
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I bit his earlobe, running my nails across his chest. “Shane,” I moaned as my hands massaged his hips. “I love you.”
“You say that like you’ll never see me again.”
“In this world, who knows. But we have right now.”
I lowered myself to the ground, pulling him down on top of me. Our mouths locked together, fighting for dominance as we purposely delayed the moment that was to be our first time as a married couple. It was a memory to be savored.
When we could stand it no longer, he lifted my hips. He stared into my eyes, his beautiful body poised over mine. We had made love in dreamscapes before, but the Netherworld was no dreamscape. The ground beneath us was solid, and the air actually filled our lungs.
There aren’t words to describe the scene, or my full emotions. But it was beautiful, and it was real and worthy of remembering every minute detail.
I laid my head on Shane’s bare chest, listening to his heart beat. Thump. Thump. Thump. It was constant and reassuring, like the hands of a moving clock.
“Oh, no!” I sat up, my hair still damp as I scrambled for my missing clothes. They were back on the beach outside the cavern, along with my hourglass and other things. “Shane, wake up! We need to leave!”
How had we allowed ourselves to fall asleep?
“Don’t worry,” Shane said, tucking his clothes into his pack. “I didn’t come out here just for a swim. I needed to be alone to get Montana on my radar again. There was too much noise back at the feast, and I needed silence.”
“You found him?”
He smiled. “I did.”
I smiled, too. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I needed to be sure.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
I stole a final glance at his naked body before we left our hidden cave. Snatching up his cowboy hat, I placed it on his head and stood back, framing him with my hands. “We need to get you on a calendar. The Sexy Men of Dark Root. We could make a fortune.”
“You’d be so jealous. You’d fume every time we sold a copy.”
“I’d be more annoyed at your growing ego each time you got a fan letter,” I said, poking him hard in the chest. “Or every time a woman made googly eyes at you.”
“You’re making up this entire scenario, you know, and it’s getting you all worked up. I see smoke coming out your ears.”
“You’re right. No calendars. Ever.”
We ducked beneath the waterfall and swam to the beach, Shane managing to keep his pack out of the water the entire way. I dried myself as best I could without a towel, then dressed quickly. Fortunately, my belongings were still all there. I looked at the hourglass. Somehow, the sand didn’t appear to have progressed at all! But maybe that was just a trick of my eyes.
Shane finished dressing, pulling on his cowboy boots. “Awe,” I pouted. “Someday I want you to wear nothing but your hat and boots for me,” I said, winking.
“Only if you’ll do the same.”
We found our way back to Cernunnos’ village easily, the path leading straight to the encampment. As we approached, the sounds and smells of the festivities drew us in. There was a rumbling in the air as well, as if a storm were approaching. But the revelers didn’t seem to notice - they danced and sang and ate, caught up in their merriment.
“Doesn’t look like a whole lot has changed since I left,” Shane noted.
I zeroed in on Cernunnos. He had his arms around Merry, her head resting on his shoulder as they swayed to the music. The Netherworld was suiting her, it seemed.
“They certainly don’t look to be in any hurry to help find Eagle Mountain,” I said. “It’s a good thing you were able to tune in to Montana again.”
Shane nodded, though the vein in his neck throbbed. “The signal is getting fuzzy again, Maggie. Maybe it’s this area? All the congested magick here might be gunking up my system.” He put his foot on a bench and looked around. Clouds had begun gathering now, casting a dark shadow over the east. They carried with them the sound of thunder, yet there was still no rain.
“What do you think that noise is?” I asked.
“Let’s not stay to find out,” Shane said. “We’ll round everyone up and get gone.”
By now, almost everyone was draped across the tables, full of food and wine. A few were still awake, talking in pairs around the bonfire. The trio of musicians finished their set, leaving the violinist alone, playing the saddest song I’d ever heard. Though I didn’t understand the words, I felt its heartbreaking loss in every note.
I was dabbing my eyes when Eve found us. “Where have you been?” she demanded, pulling us away from the crowd and behind the communal building. “Do you even know what’s going on here?”
“Looks like a party,” I said.
“Do you notice anything unusual?” She crossed her arms.
I rolled my eyes, not having the energy for guessing games. “You think Paul’s flirting with that serving girl?” He was talking to a petite, doe-eyed woman who was sitting beside him at a table. He laughed at something she said, and a strand of his dark-blonde hair fell across his eyes. She pushed it away. I felt Eve steaming beside me, but to her credit, she didn’t storm over.
“No, I don’t think Paul is flirting with that…woman creature. They’re just talking about trees or something.” Eve took a long breath and exhaled through her nose. “I mean, do you see what else is going on here?”
“They’re all drinking different wine now,” Shane said.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“It’s blue,” Eve lifted her glass. “Ever since one of Tree Man’s minions started pouring it, everyone’s been going Looney Tunes.”
I peeked out from behind the building and looked again. Ruth Anne was seated amidst a small group, her mouth opening and closing very slowly, as if having trouble articulating her thoughts. I realized Merry wasn’t so much draped on Cernunnos’ shoulder, as holding on to him for support. And Paul kept touching the serving girl’s cheek, despite the fact that his nearby girlfriend was capable of neutering him with one of her potions.
“They’re all drunk,” I said. But as I concentrated, their auras changed, tinged with neon blue not visible on Eve or Shane. “You didn’t drink any?” I asked my younger sister.
“I learned long ago not to take drinks from strangers,” she said. She shuffled her feet, her eyes flitting angrily towards Paul.
“They’ll sober up,” Shane said. “I thought I smelled coffee somewhere. We’ll keep an eye on them and force some caffeine down their throats.”
“I also noticed they only gave the blue wine to us,” Eve added. She lowered her voice and stepped closer. “I heard some locals talking about us making ‘good additions.’ I’m not sure what that means, but I can guess.”
“To hell with that,” I said. If they thought they could keep us here, they were wrong.
“There’s more,” Eve said, her expression uncharacteristically serious. She brushed her hair away from her face and straightened her clothes. “I went for a short walk after dinner and ran into a couple of Cernunnos’ cronies. They were talking to some scary-looking shadowy creatures, and the conversation didn’t seem friendly.”
“What did these creatures look like?” Shane asked.
Eve was visibly nervous. “They were large and dark and… fuzzy? I don’t know, but they were terrifying. They had these red eyes and their energy gave me the heebie-jeebies. There’s something really bad about this place.”
“The shadow’s growing,” I said, looking at the sky. The entire woods were nearly consumed. Darkness was coming and the moon, full as it was, was in no position to stop it.
My eyes scanned the forest’s edge. Two humanoid forms were scurrying from tree to tree. One stopped to look at me. He smiled, and I could nearly taste his malevolence. Before I could point them out to Shane and Eve, they were gone. “I’m going for Ruth Anne first. Keep an eye on me in case there’s trouble.”
“It was a dare,” Ruth Anne explained to the others, her face comically serious.
The women wrinkled their noses and took their glasses, immediately leaving the table. Ruth Anne punched me on the shoulder. “Damn. They were cute. Thanks a lot, Mags.”
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Great, if you don’t count the fly-eating story. Cernunnos was right - this place is restorative.” She reached for her goblet. “I wouldn’t mind staying a while longer.”
I took the glass and dumped its blue contents. “Ruth Anne. We have to go. We’re here to find Montana, remember?”
She removed her glasses, cleaning them while she blinked at me. “Oh yeah. I didn’t mean now. But it is nice, isn’t it?” She reached quickly for the wine and took a gulp straight from the bottle.
“I hate to do this, but it’s for your own good.” I focused on the bottle and it shattered in her hands.
“What the hell? You could’ve cut me,” she said, teetering on her legs as I led her back to Eve and Shane.
“She’s way drunk,” I announced.
“Not drunk enough,” Ruth Anne said, chewing on her blue-stained tongue.
“We need a drunk tank,” I said. “Or a sobriety pill.”
“I think there’s a spell for that…in the book…hic…but we don’t have time for that,” Ruth Anne stuttered, waving her hand. “It ‘quires like…three…maybe four nights of naked dancing or something…. we don’t have time for that.”
Eve handed Ruth Anne a glass of water. “One down, two to grab.”
“I’ll get Paul,” Shane said. “Maggie, think you can pry Merry away from Cernunnos?
The Shadows of Dark Root (Daughters of Dark Root Book 5) Page 14