by Belle Malory
The creature slammed his fists against the front door again, and Riley jumped back. Her expression went from groggy to wide awake in two seconds flat. “Grey!” she screamed, her voice high-pitched.
The creature mimicked her in a mocking tone. “Grey isn’t here.” He laughed, the sound anything but funny. “Open up the door, pretty little human girl. Let me taste your human flesh.”
Riley blinked, going pale. She closed the bedroom door again.
“Hey, can’t you use your summoning magic to send a monster?” I said, hopeful.
“It doesn’t work like that. Summoning takes hours of incantations and careful planning.”
“Awesome.” She was just as useless as I was.
“Come on,” she said, rolling up her sleeves. “Help me move one of the beds in front of this door.”
I did as she asked, not that it would help much. If the creature managed to get past the spelled front door, it wouldn’t have a problem getting past an unspelled one. But we got behind the bed anyway, pushing and heaving until it was shoved in front of the door to make ourselves feel safer.
“What should we do now?” Riley said, lowering herself onto the remaining bed. In the span of the last few moments, she had taken my place as the nervous wreck. Watching her panic forced me to get a grip on myself. We couldn’t both freak out.
“We wait and hope to God that thing doesn’t get in.”
The two of us sat on the other bed, cuddled up next to each other. We stayed like that, very still, listening for the creature. “In case we die,” I said, swallowing. “You should know I’m sorry about stabbing you with those scissors.”
Riley raised a brow, glancing at me. “Really?”
I nodded. I’d never felt guiltier about anything in my whole life.
She chuckled. Out of every possible reaction, I wasn’t expecting that. “What?”
“Nothing.” Her lips curved into a half-grin. “I was just thinking of how much I hated kissing Connor. His breath always smelled like Cheetos.”
I punched her in the arm.
“Ow.” She rubbed the spot where I punched her. “Nice one, sis. Apologize for stabbing me. Then punch me two seconds later.”
This time we both laughed, which abruptly stopped at the sound of skittering on the roof. “You think he’s looking for another way inside?” she said, casting a wary glance at the ceiling.
“He won’t find one up there, not unless he can fit through the oven pipe.”
She squeezed a pillow close to her chest, her knuckles turning white. “I’m going to murder Grey next time I see him.”
“To be fair, he did warn us about there being bad creatures in the area.”
She blinked, remembering. “He said they feed off young mages. What if this one gets some of his cannibal friends to help him break in?”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t.”
“If he does, they can eat you first. That way I can experience a few blissful moments of life without being cursed.”
“Well, I was born first,” I said with a half-shrug. “So, I guess it’s only fair.”
Her eyes twinkled, and she choked back a laugh. “Yeah, I found out about that, too.” She shook her head as if she hardly believed it. “You’re the eldest. Go figure.”
The next few minutes passed like hours, each second ticking by with a painful slowness. We heard the creature along the walls and at the door, relentless in his attempt to find a way inside.
“I’m sorry about Connor,” Riley said, her voice so low I strained to hear her. “But he didn’t deserve you.”
I looked at her, forgetting the creature. “What makes you say that?”
“He cheated too easily,” she said, hesitant. “Now, Xander on the other hand, is made of stone. That one only has eyes for you.”
My brows shot up. “What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “I may have tried to do the same with him—”
“Riley!”
“What?” she said, all innocence. “I thought this was confession hour.”
I slit my eyes, returning my attention to the door. “You need a confession week to get through all of your sins,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Oh, let it go.” She chuckled. “Hey, the noises stopped. I think he might be gone.”
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. “Girls?” said a throaty voice. “Are you okay?”
It sounded like Toad.
Together, we pushed the bed away from the door and left the bedroom.
“Toad, is that you?” Riley said, her tone full of distrust.
“It is,” he said. “No need to open up. Just wanted to let you know the creature that was bothering you won’t anymore. He’s been eliminated.”
Eliminated?
Riley and I exchanged a wide-eyed look. “Where’s Grey?” she said.
“He’s ah, indisposed at the moment.”
“What happened to him?”
“No need to worry. He’ll return soon enough,” Toad said, dodging the question. “I’m heading back to my post on the street. Night.”
Before we could ask more questions, we heard his boots thumping down the steps. I should probably be upset about Toad’s lack of explanations—we both should. But my relief overshadowed everything else.
28
Grey never would say where he went that night, which annoyed Riley to no end. She kept insisting he was hiding something from us. It bothered her that I was so unbothered by the secrecy, but I couldn’t help it. Deception was something I’d grown to expect from people, including her.
After the incident, things got better. We spent the next several days practicing caution. If we looked out the window, it was by peeking through the curtains and only for short periods. Mostly, we just hung out and talked, which was something Riley and I hadn’t done in a long time.
The following week Grey surprised us with our first outing. It happened first thing at dawn, when most people were still asleep. He took us to a cluster of woods in a remote part of the city. We walked uphill through the trees until I was nearly out of breath and my leg muscles were burning. I didn’t complain though, too grateful for the exercise. Being outdoors, breathing the fresh air, and feeling the strange hazy sunlight warm my skin was enough to keep me going for miles.
We stopped at a small clearing. I hadn’t seen much of the Underworld, but this was the greenest, sunniest place I’d come across so far.
“Amazing,” Riley said, her mouth curving into a wide smile. “A hidden paradise in the middle of hell.”
Grey hid his smile. “Glad you like it.”
“It’s wonderful,” she insisted. “Thank you.”
Damn. I’d never seen Riley be this grateful for anything.
“Can I practice my archery?” I said, spotting a tree with a wide trunk.
Grey nodded. “Do whatever you want. We’ll stay an hour.”
I spent the entire hour shooting arrows while Riley went for a walk. By the end of the hour, my entire body was sore in the best way. We had both needed this, the fresh air and exercise. It lifted our spirits.
This same routine continued on for the next several weeks. Grey brought us to the clearing for exactly one hour to do whatever we wanted. I always practiced my archery, getting a little better every week. Riley decided she needed to practice with a weapon too, and so, she convinced Grey to fence with her. The two of them usually spent the hour fencing with dull swords while Toad stayed on lookout-duty, keeping watch at the bottom of the hill. Riley was competitive; but good thing for Grey, he had more skill than I did with a sword. That hour was always something we had to look forward to, something that helped the week pass a little quicker.
As time went on, I picked up on something I hadn’t expected—Grey had magic. The strangest part was, it didn’t feel dark. Curious, scholarly, and fueled by nature, his magic wasn’t something he used often, hidden just beneath the surface. When Riley and I were alone in the apartment again, I
told her about it.
“I’ve known for a while,” she said, as if it were no cause for alarm. “I think he’s some sort of creature-mage hybrid, if such a thing exists. Like you said before, everyone has their secrets. He doesn’t come off as a threat to me.”
He didn’t come off as one to me either. I’d been quick to judge him when we first arrived in the Underworld, basing my opinion on his appearance and my experience with Ajax, the guard who tried to kill me.
Honestly, Grey wasn’t all that bad. He and Riley were developing a friendship of sorts. She would venture down the stairs to bring him a mug of hot cocoa, and the two of them would talk for a while. He even brought the books Riley requested. When she offered me one, I asked her to read aloud, pretending my eyes bothered me.
“You’ve never had a problem with your vision before,” she said, skeptical.
“Well, things change,” I said with a shrug. “I’m getting older.”
She fell for it.
And for the first time since I discovered bibliomagery, I enjoyed the sweet slowness of reading again. I curled up on my bed, listening along in suspense as Riley’s even voice filled the apartment, each word a new and exciting addition to the story. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate my unique ability, but there was something nice about letting a story unfold naturally. Even better, there was something nice about the time we spent together. I began to grasp the Underworld’s profound ability to transform people. We were surrounded by terrifying creatures, monsters, and all varieties of evil. Darkness enveloped us; and somehow, it brought us closer. Go figure.
29
“Do you think it’s getting any bigger?”
Riley was referring to the crack in the stone tablet. She’d been staring at it for the last fifteen minutes, analyzing the hairline crack with careful precision.
“Possibly.”
It looked the same as it did yesterday, but I didn’t want to squash her hope.
She set it aside, frowning. This had become a ritual for her, checking the tablet every morning, obsessing over whether the crack had grown. But I supposed even obsessive rituals were welcome in a place like this.
“Do you notice how Grey goes missing once a month?” she said, off-handedly, glancing at the door. “He left when the creature tried to break-in, and again last month on the full moon.” Her eyes widened as an idea occurred. “Do you think he’s a werewolf?”
I laughed at her conclusion. “Do werewolves exist?” She would know. Between the two of us, she was the expert on monsters.
“They do exist.” She frowned. “But, he can’t be. They have a distinct magic—you can smell it. Guess I can cross that off the list.”
Riley had always enjoyed playing detective. It bothered her when she couldn’t figure people out. And now that we had loads of time on our hands, this thing with Grey had become her new pet project—a mystery she needed to solve.
“Vampire?” I supplied for her.
She snorted. “Vampires have been extinct for the past century.”
“Hmm…” I drummed my fingers along the table, thinking. “What about a demon?”
Riley straightened, considering that. She shook her head. “No, I doubt that. His magic feels too pure.”
I shivered; winter was setting in, and it was getting colder. I got up and added more wood to the stove. Thanks to our Ares magic, we always had a fire going, but by nightfall we were freezing. It got so bad, Riley and I moved our mattresses out of the bedroom and into the kitchen each night to stay warm.
Later that evening, Petra visited for dinner. She tried to visit at least once or twice per month, and she always brought loads of food with her. Each time she came, she brought Riley a letter from Selena. The first time she had done this, Riley locked herself in the bedroom, emerging later with red eyes and a dreamy smile. “Good news,” she said, patting my shoulder. “You’re not my only sibling.”
“Oh, thank god,” I teased her. “Now you can focus on killing someone else.”
She chuckled, then told me she had three brothers, two of which were twins. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Me too,” she sighed. “If that ever happens.”
Tonight was no different; Petra didn’t disappoint. She showed up with steamy tomato soup, shepherd’s pie and cinnamon poached pears, all things she cooked herself. And as always, she brought a letter from Selena and a large bottle of red wine, something Dad would have never given us in the human world. But in Mythos, you were considered old enough to drink alcohol once your magic rooted inside of you.
After dinner, we all shared the bottle until we were giggly and our insides were warm. This was Riley’s favorite time to share stories about our childhood, mostly the embarrassing ones. Petra’s whole face lit up, but there was sadness in her gaze too. She tried to hide it, but not being a part of our memories bothered her.
Riley told her about the time she put honey in my hair while I was sleeping—revenge because I drew on her face with a sharpie the night before—causing all three of us to laugh until our bellies hurt.
Petra let out a wistful sigh. “Ah, I wish I could have seen that.”
I swallowed, wishing the same thing.
Sensing the conversation had steered toward a more serious tone, Riley cleared her throat. “We didn’t tell you the best part,” she said, grinning, “Once we were bored with pranking each other, we decided to prank Dad.”
“Oh, that’s right.” I covered my face in shame as it came back to me. “The fireworks.”
Petra’s dark brows lifted. “What did you do?”
“We set them off in his shed,” Riley said. “While he was in there.”
Petra covered her mouth to hide her grin. “Daniel must’ve been livid.”
“He grounded us for a month for that stunt,” I recalled, chuckling. “He did not find it as funny as we did.”
“What a shame,” she said. “He used to have such a wonderful sense of humor.”
The comment quieted all of us, our laughs dying down. I think Riley and I both kept forgetting that Petra and Dad had a past before we came along.
“He’s an idiot for letting you go,” Riley said, always the blunt one between the two of us. “You seem like you would’ve been perfect for each other.”
Petra snorted, her cheeks reddening. “Yes, well…I guess we all make our choices, don’t we?” She yawned and stood. “I’m tired; I think it’s time I go.”
More like, a good time to exit the conversation.
Riley left to use the bathroom and I walked Petra to the door. As she was leaving, I said, “You should talk to him, if you ever get the chance.”
“Your dad?” She straightened and narrowed her gaze on me. “What for?”
“He said you were the love of his life.” I shrugged awkwardly. “That seems kind of big for him.”
At first, I didn’t think it was a good idea that he held out hope for Petra, and I told him so back at Arcadia. But now that I was getting to know her, I realized she wasn’t as evil as I first thought. I don’t know…maybe there was hope after all.
But Petra looked at me as if the idea disgusted her. “If I never talk to him again, that’s fine with me.”
Okay then—scratch that. No hope at all.
She lightened her tone. “You, however,” she said, squeezing my hand. “I will miss talking to you once you leave this place.”
“Same,” I said, meaning it.
As she went down the steps, I sighed. I’d been thinking about leaving ever since we arrived, but I hadn’t considered what that meant. Petra was stuck here forever, and it wasn’t fair. She should have been in my life before, just like she should stay in my life now. But pledges were more binding than curses. Pledges were a conscious choice. Whenever mages pledged themselves, the magic was unbreakable. Their pledge was just as much attached to them as their own limbs. As much as I wished I could bring my mom home with me, that would never be possible.
30
The
trampled snow coating the alleys in the market was all gray and black from the passing carts. Mages and creatures had flocked to the city center in hordes, setting Grey on edge. He held my arm protectively, mumbling curses under his breath. “Should’ve never agreed to this today.”
“But I need to buy presents,” I reminded him sweetly.
“Aye, I know. For Christmas, or whatever nonsense holiday you have.”
“You don’t celebrate Christmas in the Underworld?” That wasn’t surprising though. Nothing about this place was remotely jolly.
“Definitely not.” Grey sniffed. “Let’s see, we have Dragon’s Day, the Festival of Tears, Parade of Monsters, All Hallows Eve—”
“Oh, we celebrate Halloween, too. In the human world,” I said, glad to find something we had in common.
His voice lowered to an anxious growl. “Let’s just get your gifts and get out of here, fire-blood. It’s much busier than I expected.”
I nodded and the two of us pressed on, heading to a jewelry stand. The idea of buying Riley a charm bracelet made me smirk. She would, no doubt, wonder if I had poisoned it. As hilarious as that would be, I’d better not. This particular gift needed to be a peace offering. A final white flag.
“These would look pretty on her,” Grey said, pointing to a pair of yellow jade earrings.
“They would,” I agreed, my lips curving on one side. “You should get them for her.”
“Me?” Grey sputtered, blood rushing to his scaly cheeks. “But I—that wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“Why not?” I placed my hands on my hips. “You’re her friend, after all. Friends get each other gifts, and Riley would love those.”
He stared at the earrings, deep in thought, as if he were considering it.
“I’ll just be over there while you decide.” I nodded toward the following cart.
Grey waved me on. “Don’t go too far,” he warned.
“I’ll be fine.”
As I ambled toward the next set of wares, Grey stayed back and bartered over the price of the earrings. I smiled to myself. His and my sister’s weird relationship was kind of sweet.