“No, you didn’t,” I said firmly. “You tried.”
“You’d think an angel would know better than to mess with that stuff,” Taylah scolded, sounding a little more like her old self.
“You’re right. I should have tried harder.”
“Oh, don’t get all sentimental,” Taylah said. “You know, you’re kind of a legend down here. We’ve all heard the story of how you broke Jake’s heart and your brother banished him underground. He’s been waiting ever since for a chance to get you back.”
“Does anyone know how the story ends?” I asked croakily.
“Nope,” Taylah said. “That’s what we’re all waiting to find out. I really hope you get back to Xavier.”
“Me too,” I said.
The expanse of cracked earth before us seemed endless. Only the occasional boulder or solitary cactus plant broke it.
“There’s nothin’ here,” said Tucker, defeated. “I reckon we should head back.”
“We can’t,” I protested. “Asher said there’s a portal out here. We need to keep looking.”
“We don’t have to find it today. It’s only one battle we’ve lost, not the whole war.”
“Don’t be a pussy,” Taylah told him, with her usual candor. “I want you guys to bust out of here.”
“When will I get another chance?” I said in a plaintive voice.
“I don’t know.” Tucker looked apologetic. “But we’ve been gone too long now, and we’re skatin’ on thin ice.”
The taste of failure was bitter. We’d come so close and ended up getting nowhere. We’d risked everything and achieved nothing. It was only out of concern for Tucker that I was persuaded to turn back. Jake might be angry with me, but the worst he would do was reinforce security so that I’d never set foot outside the penthouse again. Tucker was a different story. Jake kept him around for his own perverse amusement, but I knew he saw him as expendable. We’d already turned to go back when I became aware that something in the air had changed.
“Wait!” I cried, throwing a hand out to clutch Tucker’s sleeve.
“What now?” he said. He was growing increasingly uneasy. Perhaps in his mind he’d concluded that we’d been led on a wild goose chase.
“Something feels different.” I turned in a slow circle. “Actually, something smells different.” This time I had his attention.
“Describe it,” he said.
“I think it’s salt,” I said, suspending thought and allowing my senses to take charge. I knew that smell. It was as familiar to me as my own skin. It was the briny distinctive scent of the ocean and it washed over me like an old friend welcoming me home.
“The portal must be close,” I said, detaching from them to scramble feverishly forward. “I think … I think I can smell the sea!”
I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me and wasn’t sure whether it had come from Tucker or Taylah or both.
“Up ahead!” Tucker’s voice was charged. “That’s gotta be it. I can’t believe you’ve found it!”
I whirled around to see a mess of tumbleweed drifting back and forth across the dusty red earth, only meters from where we stood. It looked twisted and knotted from its endless journey of being tossed around by the wind across the Wasteland, but there was no mistaking what it was.
I ran forward, half expecting it to dart elusively out of reach, but I was able to grasp it in my hand. It felt coarse and dry beneath my fingers but gave off a compelling energy. I was drawn to it like a magnetic force. Its unobtrusiveness made it the perfect cover for a portal. It was big enough for me to be able to crawl through and on the other side, I was just able to make out a yellow finger of sunlight spilling across white sand.
Tucker and Taylah were beside me in a flash, watching intently. Tuck’s face was flushed with anticipation and Taylah’s soul practically vibrated with excitement. I reached my arm tentatively through the center of the tumbleweed and felt its dry twigs scratch my arm. At its core the consistency was like dough, malleable but tough to push through. It only allowed access up to a certain point before my arm met with resistance.
“It won’t let me get any farther,” I complained.
I began to wriggle my arm more determinedly through the opening. I had forced myself into the scrubby tunnel up to my shoulder when I felt a gentle suction tugging on my hand. Panic seized me. What if it was all an illusion? What if the tumbleweed was an elaborate joke being played at our expense? It seemed a pretty far-fetched idea but what if Asia and Asher had been having us on for their own amusement? They were demons, after all. Trapping souls was what they did. What if I came out at the other end of the tumbleweed not in my Georgia hometown but in an even darker recess of Hell? Then I would be completely alone, not even Tucker would be able to find me. I made myself snap out of it. I remembered what it felt like melding with Xavier in my spirit form. How whole and safe I’d felt. The memory of it made me strong. Xavier wouldn’t want me bailing on him when I’d come this far. How proud would he be if I actually succeeded in getting out? If I made it through, Xavier would get to see me in the flesh, not as just a vibration in the air. The thought was too tantalizing. I was counting down the seconds in my head before I would feel my feet touch the silky sand.
“Here. Let me try,” I heard Taylah exclaim impatiently. I watched as she effortlessly darted above me, a wispy substance floating through the tumbleweed until she was calling out to us from the other side.
“How’d she do that?” I exclaimed, withdrawing my arm and peering through to see her hazy face at the other end. Taylah gave me the thumbs-up before checking out her new surroundings.
“Of course.” Tuck slapped his forehead. “A soul can easily slip out!”
“I know this place!” cried Taylah, her voice quavering with excitement. “Beth, you won’t believe where I am!” She was crying now. I saw tears of happiness streaming down her face.
“You’re in Venus Cove, aren’t you?” I guessed immediately.
“At the Crags?”
“Yes, Beth,” Taylah whispered. “I’m home.”
19
Sacrifice
“I can see your yard from here!” Taylah cried triumphantly. “The lawn seriously needs mowing.”
“Is anyone out there?”
“No, the beach is empty. But the sun is shining and there are no clouds in the sky and someone’s out sailing and … it’s so beautiful here. What are you waiting for? Come on, Beth.”
I hesitated. Taylah had gotten through the portal, but what would happen now?
“Taylah,” I called tentatively. “Do you think you can stay there? You’re still—”
“Dead,” she finished my sentence cheerfully. “I know I am. But I don’t care. I’d rather be a ghost, free to roam the earth forever than spend another minute in that sewer.” A note of panic suddenly crept into her voice. “Oh my God, someone’s out here! I can hear them.”
“Calm down,” Tucker reassured her. His face too was alight with excitement at our discovery. “It’s probably just someone on the beach. You’re on the other side, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Then concern crept into Taylah’s voice. “I can’t be seen like this. What if it’s a hot guy?”
“Even if it is, he won’t be able to see you,” I reminded her.
“Right.” She sounded disappointed. I couldn’t suppress a smile. Even Hell with all its terrors hadn’t been able to entirely suppress the girl Taylah had been in life.
Once Taylah made it through I relaxed a little. There was less urgency now as I knelt by the portal ready to try again. I longed to join her so that I too could look out over the ocean and feel the wind whipping my hair so it streamed behind me. The first thing I’d do after that would be to run home and straight into the arms of my brother and sister. In my enthusiasm I kicked off my heels and sort of jumped headlong into the portal. Suddenly I was inside it, half my body stuck in the Wasteland, the other half looking directly at a shell peeking out of the delicate white
sand. I reached out to it. I could almost feel the warmth of the sun on my hands and hear the crash of the foamy waves over the rocks.
I was not a wraith like Taylah and once inside, the portal seemed to tighten around me, like it knew I shouldn’t be there. A magnetic force that had first drawn me forward now propeled me backward, but I held on. I soon heard the sound that had alerted Taylah to someone’s presence. An energetic sniffing could be heard that was more inquisitive than menacing. My nostrils were suddenly assaulted by an even more familiar scent. It was just the encouragement I needed. I knew who it was even before his silky coat, the color of moonlight, came into view. I caught sight of a pale silver eye and a damp brown nose.
“Phantom!” I gasped in delight. I could only see him in fragments—but it was still my beloved dog. I heard Taylah jump back, alarmed by Phantom’s enthusiasm. She’d never really been a dog person, but the emotions that hit me upon seeing him were almost unbearable. I reached out a hand and let it pass right through the portal. Phantom nuzzled his spongy nose into my palm, frantic with the pleasure of recognition. I scratched behind his silky ear and a lump rose in my throat the size of a golf ball. I had to gulp to get my next words out.
“Hey there, boy,” I murmured. “I’ve missed you.” My emotion was reciprocated by Phantom, who now began to whimper and scratch furiously at the portal, trying to gain access. Then, like a thunderbolt it struck me that Phantom could not possibly be out on the beach alone. Someone had to be with him. Someone I loved was perhaps only meters away and heading in this direction! It was probably Gabriel, who always took Phantom with him when he went for runs along the beach. I imagined I could even hear his padded footfalls on the sand. His strong, comforting arms might soon enfold me. When that happened every bad memory would be obliterated. Gabriel would know exactly what to say to make everything right again. I repressed the urge to scream out to him just in case something went wrong. I felt as if I were walking a tightrope and needed to tread carefully.
“Tuck,” I said urgently. “How do I do this?”
“Slowly,” he said, a look of determination spreading over his face. “One bit at a time—don’t rush it.”
My heart was pounding so loudly I thought everyone could hear it. “Go on now,” Tuck said. “Easy does it.”
I struggled against the portal, slowly pushing my way to the other side. Once my hands were through Phantom began licking them relentlessly and I had to swallow back a giggle. The comforting roar of the ocean at Venus Cove and Phantom’s familiar panting filled my ears. I pushed forward, feeling the portal first resist and then relax, allowing me to edge through. It was slow work, but I was getting there.
Then I heard the growls.
The sound was so chilling I thought my heart would stop. The low, guttural snarls were coupled with the sound of claws ripping at the earth. Just ahead of me hovered Taylah’s face, now drained of color, and Tucker’s hands had gone limp on my back. Even before I fully understood what was happening, I knew I had a choice to make. Tuck was still trapped in the Wasteland.
“Keep going!” he said desperately. “You’re almost there. Don’t turn back.” He couldn’t hide the terror in his voice.
But I could as much keep going as I could stop breathing. Tucker had been like a brother to me in Hades and I would never abandon him. In the next instant I wrenched myself free from the pull of the tumbleweed and scrambled to my feet beside Tucker. He was riveted to the spot, looking devastated by my decision. I peered into the dusty expanse before me that was broken only by some straggly scrubs. The sound I’d heard was coming from somewhere nearby and it was growing more insistent by the second.
Sheer terror made me duck for cover, but it also made me lose my footing so that I ended up skidding and falling to my knees. Tucker hauled me up, covered in the red dust of this surreal landscape.
“Don’t move,” he said. We clutched each other as the creatures approached. Finally I could see them clearly; six huge, hulking black dogs stood before us, poised to attack. They were big as wolves, slag dripping from their fangs and a demented look in their eyes. Their faces were mutilated with scars, but their bodies were robust and strong and their claws looked sharp as knives. Their muzzles were stained with blood and the stench of their shaggy fur was overwhelming.
Tucker and I stood frozen on the spot, the portal abandoned. “Beth … ,” he said in a shaky voice. “Remember the Trackers I was telling you about?”
“Yeah?” I fought to keep my voice from cracking.
“They’re here.”
“Hellhounds,” I whispered. “Perfect.”
The lupine creatures knew they had us trapped and circled us leisurely, enjoying their power. When they pounced, I knew they’d move so fast they’d appear only as a blur tearing us to pieces.
The pack closed in, snarling viciously. I saw how rough and matted their coats were, how yellow their eyes. Gusts of dry wind carried their foul odor across to us.
There wasn’t much we could do; if we tried to run they would catch us in an instant. We had no weapons, no defense, and nowhere to hide. I wanted to unfurl my wings and carry us both to safety, but they felt like a dead weight on my back—the Wasteland robbing them of their power.
I closed my eyes as the dogs dropped to their haunches in a low crouch, then arched through the air toward us. At the same time, there came a cry from behind and a moment later Taylah appeared, standing between the hellhounds and us. The dogs were confused and landed with a thud.
“What are you doing?” I cried, trying to clutch at her insubstantial form. “Go back!”
To my despair, I watched the portal close behind her, the glimpses of Venus Cove replaced by nothing but a harsh tangle of weeds. Taylah looked over her shoulder at me, her blue eyes bright with tears. She was so small compared with the hellhounds, her limbs frail, her once-beautiful hair matted and blowing across her face. She gave a small, sad smile and shook her head. “Taylah, I mean it!” I yelled. “Don’t do this. You have a chance to be free. Take it.”
“I want to make things right,” she said.
“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “Not like this.”
“Please,” she said. “Let me, for once in my life, do the right thing.”
The hellhounds gnashed their teeth, saliva pooling on the ground. Tucker and I were forgotten as they concentrated on their new target. After all, they were trained to search out souls who had fled into the Wasteland, hoping for escape. Their natural instinct drew them to Taylah.
She spoke quickly. There wasn’t much time. “If I go back I’ll only wander the earth for the rest of eternity. But you …” She fixed me with her intense gaze. “You can make a difference and the world needs all the help it can get. I have to play my part. Besides,” she gave a casual laugh, “what can they do to me?”
Before I could object further, Taylah turned to face the creatures.
“Hey, you!” The dogs cocked their heads, grizzly fangs glinting in the dull light. “Yeah, you, ugly mutts,” she continued. “Catch me if you can!”
And then she sprinted. It was the signal the hellhounds had been waiting for. All six bolted after her, completely forgetting our presence. I watched in horror as one caught the pocket of her shorts in his muzzle and dragged her through the dirt like a rag doll. Taylah wasn’t flesh and blood but that didn’t stop the dogs’ jaws snapping as they clamored over her lifeless form like vultures. Then the leader of the pack secured her in his teeth before bounding away, Taylah’s blond hair trailing in the dust. The pack followed close behind.
I felt my chest heave with violent sobs. Taylah was gone and the portal was already drifting away, no use to us anymore. Then Tucker grabbed my arm so hard it hurt.
“Run!” he said, tearing his gaze away from the bloodied rags on the ground. “We have to run.”
And so we did.
WHEN we got back to Club Hex we were so disheveled and out of breath that the bouncer took one look at us and refused us entry.
We had to call Asia to vouch for us. When she came to the door she couldn’t hide her shock at our return.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she growled between clenched teeth. The bouncer shot her a strange look and she ushered us quickly inside. When the darkness and the pulse of the music enveloped us, she spun around again. “The hounds should have ripped you to shreds.”
I looked at Asia closely, the savage look in her black eyes, the hostile, clenched shoulders and realized what she’d wanted all along. She had sent us out into the Wasteland knowing the hellhounds would drag Tuck into the pit and probably dismember me. What she hadn’t counted on was Taylah showing up and saving both our skins.
“You really should have mentioned them,” I said as breezily as I could. All I wanted to do was cry, but I refused to give Asia the satisfaction. “Running into the hounds kind of tripped us up.”
“Why aren’t you dead?” Asia stepped forward like she wanted to rip my throat out.
“I guess I’m just lucky,” I said defiantly.
“Stop it,” Tucker interrupted, too shaken by what’d happened to remember his place. “Let me just take Beth home.”
“No.” Asia grabbed my arm, digging her talon-like nails into me. “I want you gone.”
“Don’t touch her.” Tucker shook me free and flashed Asia a dark look. She narrowed her eyes viciously.
“Who do you think you’re talking to, boy?” she snarled. “Maybe I should mention to Jake the little expedition you just went on.”
“Go ahead.” Tucker shrugged his broad shoulders. “He’ll probably be kinda pissed when he finds out you helped us. I’m just a farm boy, but he really thought he could trust you.”
Asia drew back, fury spreading across her feline features.
“C’mon, Beth,” Tucker said. “We’re leaving.”
“Don’t think I won’t find another way to dispose of you,” Asia called after my retreating back. “This isn’t over!”
Hades Page 19