CHAPTER SEVEN
The boat landing was little more than rickety wooden docks, strung together with tattered brown rope. They swayed and groaned under the weight of all the damned souls who gathered on them. Valerie envisioned the entire contraption collapsing into the river below.
“James,” she whispered “What is the river made out of? That doesn’t look like water to me.”
“It is dirty water, made foul by the stains of peoples souls and blood mixed together.” James replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
Valerie realized that was the odor she could smell. Blood. Dirty, disgusting, hot blood. Judging by the steam rising from the river she figured it darn near close to boiling. There were hundreds of people, dead people she reminded herself, standing on the docks. She could hear the whip cracking somewhere in front of her. The hoard of people was moving slowly and for that she was thankful.
“Get on the boat!”
Crack!
“This aint no Disney Cruise princess, move along before you find yourself taking a swim in the river!”
Crack!
“Ah! Garfield, I have been waiting for you! Sodomy gets extra lashes and a seat in the bowels of the ship! Move it now!”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Valerie could hear Charon urging the people forward, but she could not see him yet over the heads of those in front of her. James gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He could feel her trembling.
“It is alright, Charon isn’t really all that bad. I promise.” He whispered.
Valerie knew she needed to calm down or she would never be able to board the ship. She also wanted to be strong for James. When she was little she used to sing to herself, calm melodies, until she was steady again. It was a habit that had followed her into adulthood.
“It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me…” she sang quietly, trying to lose herself in the lyrics.
James smiled and leaned in towards her. “It feels like I’m all the way back where I belong.” He finished the verse for her. The sound of his voice had an instant calming effect on Valerie. Emotion poured through her and into him.
“Come on, let’s get this over with.” She said, slipping her arm around his waist.
James began plunging forward, nudging people out of their way. When he caught sight of Charon he yelled. “Charon! How’s it going? You got room for two more?”
“James! Wow it’s been awhile! I assume by the candy on your arm that you are finally here for a good reason?”
Valerie looked up and saw the demon James was talking to. She almost started laughing. The whip in his hand may have been imposing but he was far from it. In fact if it wasn’t for the gray skin tone she would have assumed by his perfect features and body that he was an immortal like James. Charon had wavy blonde hair and baby blue eyes. On earth he would have made a great doctor, well television doctor. She could picture him as the new Mc. Steamy.
“Move out of the way wretches!” Charon bellowed, cracking the whip on the people in front of him. “Special guests get first dibs, move now!”
Crack!
Gently sweeping Valerie forward amidst the crowd James chuckled, “Hardly special guests, but yes, I am finally here for a good reason.”
Charon stopped cracking the whip long enough to extend a hand to James and greet him like a proper gentleman. Valerie was starting to think Hell was full of contradictions. When Charon extended his hand to her in turn she hesitated to reach hers out and greet him.
“Come now Valerie, I am not as bad as I seem. Everyone has a job to do in this world, mine just happens to be Hell.”
Valerie gasped as she reached her hand out slowly. “You know my name?”
“Of course, I know the names of all the souls that come through here and all the sins they are guilty of. You my dear, as of yet, are not destined for a one way ticket into this realm.”
Valerie smiled slowly, realizing two things at once, demons were not all she thought they were and Charon’s skin was not cold and slimy as she thought it would be.
“Well that is certainly a relief!” She breathed feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders she had not even realized was burdening her.
Valerie watched as James pulled a few gold coins out of his satchel and handed them to Charon.
"Thank you ever so kindly, now get your butts moving on to the boat so I can get the rest of my charges on." Charon grumbled with a smile.
The boat was damp and slippery, presumably from the fog that slowly crawled over the river. James held onto Valerie tight to keep her from falling and to keep her from getting lost in the crowd of doomed souls.
As they made their way to the front open deck of the ship Valerie couldn't help but feel pity for those they passed. The expressions on some of the faces were so terribly sad and unbelievably confused that she longed to reach out and touch them. To give them some type of comfort. She didn't know what they had done in their lives to end up here, she didn't know what their future held now that they were resigned to their fate, all she knew was that she had never seen such desperation on any human face and probably never would again.
James gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He remembered his first few trips here and how hard it was for him to just walk by some of these people and leave them to the demons of hell. James knew that the ferry man had tried to reassure Valerie, but he also knew not all the demons would be like that. It was true that for some it was a job, but for others their job was a form of entertainment. They derived nothing but pure pleasure from their work.
Charon took his job seriously, and understood what he was doing, but also why he was doing it. Past conversation with him had taught James that he did not have any fun torturing the souls, but did take comfort and pride in his work and the fact that these souls were here for a reason. Without Charon true evil would quite possibly never make it to the circle of hell where it should be punished, it would be left to run amuck.
Valerie and James found a bench to sit on at the front of the boat. The dampness and fog were getting to Valerie and she gave an involuntary shiver. James wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to keep her warm and give comfort. Kissing the top of her head he could feel his worry for her gnawing at him. He could only pray she would be strong enough to make it through this, not just physically but mentally. There have been stories of mortals making this trip before and while their bodies may have survived their minds had not. Valerie was his blood mate now and no matter what happened he was tied to her completely. James would do what he could to protect her, do what he had to do to protect her, and may the gods help anybody who got in his way.
"Remind me again what comes next." Valerie mumbled snuggling into James's chest, enjoying the strength that breathed from every pore in his body.
"Limbo babe. Limbo is not so bad, there are no demons in Limbo, and the souls are civil enough. I can only caution you to not get wrapped up in long conversation. It's best to not get to know anybody too much down here."
Valerie mumbled an inaudible response and closed her eyes. She wanted to take just a few moments to block out her surroundings and pretend it was just her and James. There'd been so much information to absorb in the last few days and so many shocking revelations about immortals, heaven and hell, and demons, but not all of it seemed entirely real. Some of it had not sunken in yet, it was there in her mind floating around, but it still seemed like a dream or a nightmare depending on which way she looked at it.
James continued to stroke her hair as the flow of the river relaxed her.
“James,” Valerie said sitting up suddenly, “How old are you?”
James chuckled, “Does it matter love?”
“Well no, I mean yes, Heck just tell me. I want to know.”
“Okay, I am 22-years-old.” James stated with a smirk on his face.
“22? Ugh, that makes me some kind of pedophile then. I am 26 and have never, never, even looked sideways at someone as young as you before.” Valerie gri
maced.
Her response elicited a full rolling laugh from James. “Calm down love, I would be the pedophile as it were. You have been alive 26-years, and I have been on this earth a total of 324, I just stopped aging at 22. Plus until me you hadn’t really looked sideways at anyone, and before you start blushing let me tell you how honored I am to be the one you chose. Your innocence is refreshing.”
Valerie blushed anyway and playfully swatted James’s leg. “324? Uck! You’re so old!”
“Old but nimble my dear.” James growled in his sexy tone that made Valerie shiver with pleasure before brushing his lips against hers. Valerie felt the heat begin to spread inside her as she wound her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
“Okay you two lovebirds, break it up!” Charon startled them out of the embrace. “Almost time to disembark, figured you might want to be first off to avoid the rush.”
“Many thanks my friend.” James said pulling Valerie up with him.
“What have I said about calling me friend in front of the natives?” Charon grumbled before walking off to go torment some poor soul.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Alright then love, let’s get moving.”
James was trying to pull Valerie forward, but her feet were solidly planted on the ground. They had disembarked the ship without getting run over by the hordes of souls fleeing Charon’s whip. The sight that greeted them was enough to stop Valerie in her tracks.
“This is limbo?” she asked incredulously as she breathed in the sweet smell of grass and stared open mouthed at the rolling hills around her. “Are all the souls staying here?”
“Yes, this is limbo and no they are not staying. They will be compelled to move forward, deeper into other levels until they reach their own final fate. Each is destined for the ring of Hell that suites them best. Now be a dear and let’s get going.”
James was tugging her forward; in the distance she could see small campfires and patches of trees. There was no sun here, but a grey-green light left a soft glow as far as the eye could see. James propelled her forward towards a group of fires. There were people standing all around them. These people were different then the lost souls on Charon’s ferry, they were all clothed and mingling amongst one another. Valerie gasped when they were close enough to the fires to see the faces.
“Children James! Most of these people are children!”
“Yes Valerie. Many children come to limbo, even if it is to stay for just a bit. There are many reasons to come here. For some it is mild punishment, for others it is a place to wait and ask for another life.” James responded.
Valerie dug her feet into the ground, making James stop tugging her along. “Ask for another life? You mean reincarnation?”
“Not exactly what you are thinking, but yes. Some of these souls lost their lives too soon and now they have a chance to bargain with the devil for half a soul, half a heart…” James let the words trail off.
“You mean they want to become immortal, like you?”
“In a sense. I was born this way, so I had no choice in the matter. Half of me was already owned by the darkness, while the other half walked in the light. That is how it is, one foot always teetering on becoming rogue and giving in to the darkness.”
“Will they all be granted this request?” Valerie asked.
“I can’t say. Their souls are measured and then it will be decided. Don’t look so alarmed, as children if their request is denied they will go on to heaven. Now please we really need to get moving. Time passes different down here; we have probably been gone at least a full day back home.”
“What? A full day but it has only been a few hours.” Valerie gasped as James began pulling her forward again.
Dang woman. Always so curious. James thought to himself with a smile curling the corners of his mouth. He tried to imagine being new to this world and knew he would be full of questions as well. Valerie’s lack of fear amazed him; he knew immortals who would not have accepted a trip to Hell so willingly. Fate had paired them up and perhaps this was the reason why. It wasn’t often that fate picked a mortal as a blood mate. James thought of her full bottom lip, the curve of her hips, and her scent…jasmine and honey. He felt a shiver course through him. He couldn’t wait to be out of this blasted place and back on earth where he could spend hours memorizing every inch of her.
Scanning the campfires up ahead James spotted the flaming red hair amidst the crowds.
“This way love, I need to make a quick stop to see an old friend.”
When they approached the nearest fire the chatter of conversation quieted and everyone stopped and stared. Valerie noted all eyes were fixed on her, not James. She held her head high and made eye contact with each. She refused to feel intimidated, even though she felt like slinking behind James and hiding.
There were people dressed from different times; she noted recent jeans, old flowing robes, a pretty blond dressed in a Victorian gown made of the palest blue Valerie had ever seen. One of the men, the one with flaming red hair, dressed in Egyptian garb, broke away from the circle and approached them. James let go of her hand and nodded his head before wandering a few feet away.
Valerie watched the two of them, standing with their heads bowed close together speaking in hushed whispers. She noticed the creases in James in forehead, the violent shake of his head; clearly this man was upsetting him. Feeling the strong urge to comfort him, Valerie began walking in their direction.
“Stop. Stay there for just a moment love.” James snapped at her, seeing her movement from the corner of his eye.
This was the first time he had been short with her and Valerie felt enraged. She only wanted to make sure he was okay, and why shouldn’t she know what they were saying. If she was a betting woman she would bet the conversation included her, especially considering the red haired man was sliding her sideways glances with curiosity painted all over his face. Truth be told his eyes were making her feel like a specimen in a jar at a science lab. Planting her feet solidly on the ground she crossed her arms and glared at the two of them. The Egyptian man gave a small chuckle at her defiant stance.
“Looks like you are going to have your hands full James.” He continued to laugh, loud enough for Valerie to hear.
James glanced in her direction and chuckled himself. The man handed James a silver pendant that twinkled in the eerie glow before James quickly pocketed it. Shaking hands and clapping each other on the back the two men parted company. James looked at Valerie and in a flash he was standing in front her, cupping her face in his hands, planting little kisses on her cheeks and forehead. Valerie wasn’t used to his super speed and hadn’t seen too many displays of his immortal power yet. The movement startled her at first, but the feel of his hands and soft kisses quickly quieted her.
“I am sorry for snapping at you my love.” James mumbled between kisses.
“It better not happen again mister.” Valerie tried to sound stern but the feel of his lips on her skin was distracting. She snaked her arms around his neck and leaned into him, tilting her mouth to his. Heat sparked between them and James deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth when she moaned. Just the feel of his tongue exploring her mouth made Valerie’s knees grow weak. Grabbing a handful of her hair James growled into her mouth as she pushed against the growing bulge between his legs.
Valerie forgot her surroundings; all she could think about was how badly she wanted to feel James inside her. Her fingers dug into his skin as she grasped his shoulders, trying to pull him closer. She felt one of his hands trail down her back, grasping her butt and lifting her slightly onto him. She knew he could smell the moisture growing between her legs, she was panting into his mouth, grinding herself against him. She felt his fangs slide out and nip at her tongue. The feeling was exquisite.
“Ehem! Would you two mind getting a room, there are children here for fuck sakes!”
The red haired Egyptian’s voice startled Valerie out of her lust filled haze. Disentanglin
g herself from James she felt the blush creep into her cheeks.
“Don’t be such a prude Marion.” James laughed. “Age means nothing down here and you know it, but yes we should be moving along.”
Valerie was straightening her clothes that had become crooked when a thought occurred to her. “James, with your speed why can’t you just flash us to Styx and then to Satan? Wouldn’t that make it quicker?”
“Quicker yes, safer no. There are demons down here that feed off power. Best not to alert them love. They would take my use of power as rubbing it in their faces that I get to share their abilities, but am not tied to this place. Demons tend to be petty and envious of any immortals. It is a fine thread that holds peace between our species together in truce. They would use any small thing to break that thread, and considering you are mortal I do not relish the thought of getting into a brawl down here.”
The word demon reminded Valerie they were in Limbo and that the rest of the journey would not be so calm and peaceful. The shock of that did wonders to douse her previously lovey mood. James led them back away from the campfires and through the hills. They walked on for what seemed like hours and although James had a gentle grip on her hand, he had not spoken more than two words to Valerie since leaving the campfires.
Valerie knew something was wrong, but wasn’t sure how to approach the subject. James hadn’t told her what Marion said or what the pendant was.
“James, I saw Marion give you something. Does it have to do with me?” Valerie asked quietly.
“With you? Yes. Am I going to discuss it right now? No.” James replied, not even pausing in stride. His answer made Valerie feel like she was prying into something that was none of her business, but clearly if it had to do with her it was her business. Making up her mind she stopped walking and sat down on the ground.
To Hell and Back (Eternally Blooded) Page 4