by Holly Hook
Death was near.
The sky darkened. Greenish blackness floated overhead, blotting out the sun, but it brought me no relief. I wanted to hit the ground as the presence strengthened and then passed. The rolling darkness continued.
Towards the fire.
Towards where Thoreau was lying.
Xavier gripped my hand so hard that I could no longer feel it. We stood side by side, terrified, as the darkness sank and merged with the smoke that rose from the inferno.
"You don't think Allunna was right?" I asked.
"She couldn't have been," Xavier said. "It was a story made by Thoreau to make you go to the Infernal Dimension. It's why she told us to cut through there to rescue Liliana. I'm sure of it. Don't listen to her. You need to stay out of there at all costs."
I shook off the dread feeling. I held onto that hope. It did seem like a plot by Thoreau. Allunna's fading hand might have been another glamour. Yes. That was all. She wouldn't have told us a real way to kill Thoreau for good if it would drag her into death. Thoreau and Leon were still merged, after all. Well, they had been. Thoreau might have attacked her in front of me just to trick us, to make us think that she had turned against him.
I wasn't going, then.
But Death was heading to Thoreau. She was there, in fact. Could it be that--
"I told you so. Turn around."
I died inside. Xavier let go of my hand and instinctively reached for his sleeve to roll it up.
Allunna stood near the back of the ATC van, completely healthy and sinister as ever. Her black glare looked into my soul.
If she was alive, that meant that Leon had come back, forcing her to as well.
And that also meant that Thoreau lived again. There was no other explanation.
"I told you that Thoreau would come back once again," she said. "Until you take and break that Blood Orb, Alyssa, he will never rest until he has completed his plan."
I could only stare at Allunna while Janine and George hung back by the van, joining us in our horror.
"You saw Death, didn't you?" Allunna asked. "You saw Death heading to Thoreau. It's on your faces. That's what happens every time he dies. She has no choice but to bring him back."
My knees trembled. "No," I managed. "I'm not going to the Infernal!"
Xavier rolled up his sleeve to find his skin above the crossed swords clear once again. His victory marks were gone. It was confirmed. Thoreau was back. "Damn," he growled. "When will I get to keep my badges of victory?"
He was trying to make light of the situation. I could sense that. Xavier and I were almost one mind now. But underneath that, he was terrified.
For me.
We both knew what was coming.
"Can't contracts be broken?" I asked. "Death is powerful. She doesn't have to follow his rules. Thoreau's just a demon baron."
"He is the demon baron," Allunna said. "I'm willing to bet that he let you kill him back at the house and in ruins, too. He wants you to know that he's immortal and unstoppable. It's why he has been careless. And as soon as he leaves the wreckage that is that house, he will come for you."
I shuddered. Ice spread through my veins.
The worst was true.
"I do not know how he Bound Death or what his conditions are for her," Allunna continued. "Oh, and another thing. Time is running out. Thoreau saw me with you. He knows that I have given you this information. Your only hope of reaching Liliana is to cut through the Infernal Dimension to get inside the ATC building. It's the only way that won't set off the alarms."
I leaned against Xavier.
I was shaking.
He pulled me close and kissed me on my temple.
"It's your decision," he said, agonized. "I'll be with you the whole way."
I buried my face in his shoulder and breathed in his wood smoke.
Xavier loved me.
Stepping into the Infernal Dimension might mean giving that up, even if he remained my battle partner.
And would I even care? Was I even lovable in the first place?
"I don't know," I said. I knew what the answer had to be and there was no time to mull over it. The vial of demon blood waited in my pocket. I couldn't make this choice.
But Thoreau could track me. He might be coming right now. The demon baron couldn't Transpose, but there was no way for us to stay away from him forever.
I held back a sob. I was one person. The world was seven billion who were all in danger. The right choice was obvious.
I hugged Xavier. "Cumberland's Water Adventure," I managed, dying inside.
He sighed as if he had lost me already. "Hold on," he said, extending a hand to Allunna as well.
I cast Janine one final glance. I wasn't sure if I would ever see her again. She said nothing and her chin trembled. Her eyes were redder than ever, though still not as red as mine.
And I fell through violet magic, leaving her and George behind to deal with their shattered lives.
Chapter Nine
The three of us fell through the magenta madness.
The jump didn't take long. I landed and fell away from Xavier as the merciless sun continued to beat down. More pain exploded behind my eyes even though Xavier's brimmed hat was blocking some of it. I stumbled and tucked my hands inside his coat. It was the only thing keeping me from collapsing in agony.
I wondered how much the sun would bother me after my trip.
"Alyssa," Xavier said, grasping my arm. "Get under the pavilion."
I became aware that we stood on an expanse of concrete. We were next to the giant pool in the center of Cumberland's Water Adventure. It sparkled in the sun, making my headache worse. The water was a bright, friendly blue and I caught a glimpse of the platform where Thoreau would speak tomorrow night. We stood on the opposite side of the pool.
I let Xavier guide me over to a nearby tent where the sun dulled to a faint red and yellow glow. Canvas stripes flapped in the wind right above us. I leaned against Xavier as Allunna ran over and joined us. She kept her hoodie over her face in case anyone was around.
"We're here," Xavier said. "I'm not too drained. We're not far outside the city."
I blinked, and the headache dulled but refused to go completely away. Daytime never made me feel great. Allunna glared at me and then faced the pool. She was impatient to get to her home turf.
"Can you fight if you have to?" I asked Xavier.
"Yes. For a time." His chest felt secure.
I lifted my head from it. The enormous round pool glittered. The water rippled in the breeze. There was no one here. The park was empty. The roller coaster that was the Baron's Barbecue rose above the rest of the park. Not far from that, a colorful sign for The Dragon's Lair rose above the trees. A golden dragon spewing flames stretched across the sign. The creature's scales glittered in the light.
Somewhere, a saw went off. There were workers deep inside the park, getting ready for the grand opening. I smelled faint pizza. They had ordered out for lunch.
"We're in a giant magical circle," Xavier said. "I can't believe it. It doesn't feel like one."
"Can you stop reflecting and get ready to go through the portal?" Allunna asked. "It will be much easier before we get discovered. Our time is ticking. We have a head start on Thoreau, but it will take him less than an hour to reach a portal. He likely already knows that we're here."
Xavier released me. I didn't want him to. He might never want to touch me again.
"Look," I said. "This is a huge, life-changing thing for me. By going through, I'll complete the Dark Pentagram."
"That only matters if Thoreau gets a hold of you," Allunna said. She waved us out from under the pavilion, drawing a knife from her pocket. "He can't use you unless he catches up. And if you kill him permanently, he will never come after you again." She faced Xavier. "Saving your sister depends on this. Do you understand?"
She was right. There was no time for me to brace. I held back tears, and Xavier slipped his hand into mine again.
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"I won't let go of you," he promised.
I struggled to form words, but they abandoned me.
The time had come.
I closed my eyes and fished the vial from my pocket. "You don't have to cut yourself," I told Allunna. "I have this."
She snatched it from my hand. "That works," she said.
I felt as if I had sealed my fate.
I leaned against Xavier as she uncapped the vial. I couldn't tell if the blood inside had a scent. Allunna's smell was already overpowering.
I listened as she poured the demon blood into the pool and spoke a few words in a low, guttural language. I couldn't watch. Xavier wrapped his arms around me as if he could protect me from what was coming.
I hoped that I was making the right decision.
Xavier sucked in a breath. I dared to open my eyes a little.
The Infernal spread out below, right on the other side of the expansive pool. The image was so big that I thought the worlds had already merged. But no. The sky remained blue and painful. For a moment, I stood wedged between two horrible realities.
Lakes of fire seethed and dotted a landscape of dark red stone. Thoreau's castle rose in the distance, the same distance and direction away from us as the ATC building was in this world. We stood at the edge of the portal, looking down at all the barracks. There were so many of them.
Terror gripped me, and I backed away.
But not before Allunna seized the back of my jacket and shoved me forward so hard that Xavier lost his grip on me.
I screamed.
The Infernal flashed in front of me, taking up everything, and then the world burned as I fell through fire.
Chapter Ten
My ears rang, and a distant roar filled the air. I lay on the ground, on my side, eyes closed. I trembled as if someone had sucked away all my strength. My facial bones felt bruised. The space between my shoulder blades protested and had a heaviness to it. Even my teeth ached and didn't sit right in my mouth.
Nothing felt right, not even my thoughts. They were more separated from each other, with a dark void lurking in between them.
"Alyssa!" Xavier yelled, shaking me.
I groaned. My battle partner didn't sound as loud and clear as usual. I tried to open my eyes, but I didn't yet have the strength. I felt like I never would again.
"Alyssa! Please!" He shook me again. "This messed her up. She's in shock. Her body couldn't handle it."
"This is normal," Allunna said. "Could you calm down? We'll carry her between us if we have to. Time is not on our side, and we have a walk ahead of us."
"Shut up," Xavier snarled at her. He was resisting her spell. "I should kill you right now. You betrayed my parents, and now you did this!" He yelled with incredible rage. "You pushed Alyssa in, knowing this would happen to her!"
"You won't kill me," Allunna said. "You need me to show you where the Orb is and how to get to your sister."
I wanted to tell Allunna to shut up, but I was too weak to form the words. A bit of my strength came back, and I could move my arm a little. My skin was too sensitive, almost like it was new and experiencing the world for the first time. I could feel every grain of Xavier's leather coat rubbing against my forearm. His hat rested over my face. Details came one by one as my body woke up.
"Alyssa," Xavier said. He put his arm around my shoulders. "Oh, crap."
"Xavier?" I managed. My voice had a strange depth to it, even though my pitch hadn't changed. My hearing was also different. It wasn't as sensitive as normal.
I felt...rearranged, somehow.
He sighed, but not with relief. "You're going to have to brace yourself," he warned, covering my hand with his free one. My palm rested on the rocky ground.
I didn't understand. Why did I have to brace myself?
A memory flashed back.
The portal.
Allunna had pushed me in.
I must have blacked out during the fall.
"Would the two of you knock it off with these mushy feelings?" Allunna asked. She was standing nearby. "Get up and walk, already."
The roar continued in the distance. I'd never heard anything like it. Xavier squeezed my hand harder. My shaking faded along with the ache across my face. I was feeling better.
I opened my eyes.
Xavier's face was close to my own. We locked gazes, and his pupils widened. I could feel his horror, but I couldn't pick up his scent. My sense of smell had dulled as well. Sweat beaded on Xavier's forehead and he glanced at the reddish-black stone where I rested. Behind him, a distant fiery glow cast light on low, blackish clouds that drifted through a brick-red sky. Thoreau's castle rose high above the landscape, jagged and sinister, almost touching the clouds.
We were in the Infernal Dimension.
Where I was supposed to--
Xavier looked down again. I followed my gaze to his hand. He curled his fingers over mine.
I grabbed onto the hope that it was only a trick of the light that made my skin appear lobster red and my sharp fingernails the color of ink, but that only lasted half a second. Terror exploded, bringing me back to full consciousness. I squeezed my eyes shut.
My nightmare.
It was true.
"Is it bad?" I asked Xavier.
He hesitated. "Yes."
"On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst--"
"Alyssa, we need to grab that Blood Orb, get out of here, and rescue Liliana. Allunna says you can't use glamour in the Infernal, but you can in the regular world. Transposing doesn't work here, either. I tested it while you were unconscious. We have to walk. Come on. Get up, and try not to look."
He was right. Time was ticking down. I focused on that because it was better than the alternative. My mind felt different. My thoughts were quick and brutal. There were black pits between them and no comforts.
I forced my eyes open again. Xavier curled both of his hands around my red fingers while Allunna tapped her foot. He held on as I struggled to my feet, leather coat squeaking around me. I tucked my free hand inside the sleeve, hiding the unbearable sight. My skin felt less sensitive now, and the aches were almost gone. The ringing in my ears had stopped. My body was getting used to whatever had changed. I was glad that Xavier's coat covered me. I didn't want to see the extent of it. My shirt and jeans still fit me fine, but my feet felt strange inside my boots as if my toes were pressing against the sides too much. I reached up and adjusted Xavier's brimmed hat, pressing it down further on my head. My black hair had somehow become darker. Coarser. I lowered my still-hidden hand to feel my face, but Xavier reached out and grabbed it.
"You don't want to," he warned me.
I wobbled. My legs were still weak. The look on Xavier's face was frightened. Serious. His dread flowed into me.
"Is it that horrible?" I asked.
"Just keep your hands in your sleeves, so you don't have to look at them," Xavier said. "Look straight ahead. We'll get out of here soon enough." He faced the walk ahead and gripped the leather around my hand. Then he checked out a huge, round pool full of a reddish-black liquid some distance behind us. It was the Infernal version of the Water Adventure's swimming pool.
A dagger of hurt impaled me.
Xavier didn't want to look at me.
I leaned on him from my lingering weakness, resting my head on his shoulder. Xavier tensed, but he kept his hand on mine, keeping the leather barrier between us. I breathed in. His wood smoke scent was gone. My amazing sense of smell had left me.
"Come on," Allunna demanded, leveling her black glare at us. "Thoreau must know that we came to this dimension. If we're lucky, we came through the portal before he could figure that we were at Cumberland's Water Adventure. He may not know which part of the Infernal we're in, but he will figure out that we've left the regular world the second your Blood Amulet stops working."
"I hope we bought some time," Xavier said. He still held my hand, but he wouldn't put his arm around me like he always did when I was weak. That wasn'
t normal. There was also a new weight on my back.
None of this was right.
But we had to move.
I wasn't going to think about--
"Walk," Xavier whispered in my ear. "Don't pay attention to anything but our mission."
I was too weak to feel any tingles from his voice. We followed Allunna, heading in the direction of the castle. I felt dazed and disoriented. For the first time, I realized we were on a wide, brick road. The bricks were the same color as the surrounding rock. The road twisted and turned through the landscape. Smaller roads branched off from this one and led to low, dark towns made of the same brick. Each settlement was too far away for me to spot the inhabitants.
I felt very, very weird.
I would not look.
I focused on the road ahead, following Xavier's instructions. It was the only flat surface in the Infernal that I could see. The rest was jagged hills and fiery lakes that seethed with brimstone. Flame jets erupted from the lakes and soared into the sky. Lava crashed against lava. It was the source of the roar. We passed an old, broken cart filled with dry bones. Far ahead, a bridge rose and arched over an enormous fire moat. Huge lanterns gave off rusty light from the bridge's four corners. I blinked. The bridge appeared to wobble. Was it the heat?
I realized that the fire moat surrounded Thoreau's castle and the rows of barracks. I was staring at a hellish version of an army base that must be miles across. The border must still be a couple of miles away. Lava poured from some of the upper castle windows and formed rivers that cut through the base on their way to the fire moat. There were some safety violations there.
I stumbled and put my arm around Xavier for support instead of holding his hand. He flinched again, uncomfortable. Allunna led the way. We walked quickly. I almost felt like I had to lean forward to compensate for the heaviness on my back.
Xavier huffed and puffed. Sweat poured down the side of his face. "It's hot here."
I couldn't feel it. I wasn't even warm.
I was...I was...but how much?
Allunna looked back at him and smiled as she walked. "It's comfortable," she said. "Your girlfriend isn't complaining."