by Maya Daniels
“Wait! Stop!” Kalipso’s voice stops everyone with its urgency. “The gate is closing.” She points with a trembling hand.
I stare at the gate like everyone else. It looks more closed than how it was when we walked through, even if it’s not moving at the moment. I look at Kalipso and she frowns at the gate.
“It’s not moving,” Lucifer, ever the helpful, says.
“Thanks, Mr. Obvious. We see that, but it does look more closed,” I tell him and flinch from the hollowness in my voice.
“Never mind, go.” Kalipso shoos us away with her arm.
We turn to walk, but after couple of steps, she yells for us to stop again. Aggravated, I turn around and start walking back.
“Well, what the fuck do you want us to do about it? Aren’t you the gatekeeper? Keep the damn thing open! And why does it matter if it closes? We can leave this realm through a portal, can’t we?” I ask her angrily.
I just want a little time to grieve the loss of my sisters. Is it too much to ask?
“This realm has been closed for a long time now. No one goes in or out. Ishtar closed it when Tiamat started searching for the vessel long time ago,” Kalipso says.
“So, what you are saying is that if it closes…” I trail off, not wanting to finish the thought.
“It’ll need another sacrifice to open again,” she answers sadly.
“Like fuck it will!” I snap at her. “Keep the thing open; isn’t it your purpose, little girl?”
“I’m not a little girl and get off my back. I’m trying to help you!” She bristles and it snaps me out of my attitude.
“Sorry, I’m not saying it’s your fault. I just…I don’t know what I am at the moment. I just want Meda and Faith back,” I say, tears flowing down my face
“I know,” she answers. “Who opened the gate? You?” Kalipso looks at Lucifer, then turns towards Inanna.
“I did it,” I tell her
“You?” She looks at me wide-eyed.
“Um, yeah. Why?” I look at her suspiciously. I wonder if we can trust her.
“Who are you?” Her breathless question gives me goosebumps all over
“I’m Alexia, but you can call me Al.” Automatically the stupid reply flows from my lips and Remi snorts next to me.
I turn to look at her, and she is grimacing, shaking her head at me while Jezzinta is rubbing both her hands over her face, laughing humorlessly.
“Try again, Sap. We have no time for your denials or trust issues. After you opened this gate, the cat is out of the bag. Let’s not waste more time” Jez says tiredly.
“She’s my vessel,” Inanna says helpfully.
“Semiramis,” Kalipso and Tara say in unison and drop down on their knees.
“What the fuck? Get your stupid asses up! Bow to Inanna or Lucifer; I’m no one to bow to,” I growl at them.
“Sorry,” Tara says sheepishly and Kalipso looks up, her cheeks red in embarrassment
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, life-giver,” Maika’s deep voice makes me shiver from head to toe, and I turn to see him bowing low. I lift an eyebrow. These people are high or something. “You are our opposite; without you there will be no balance,” he adds.
“Who are you again?” I ask him, a deep crease forming on my forehead.
“I’m a Traveler. My purpose is to guard the Guide, the one who takes the souls to the Hall of the Dead so their hearts can be weighed by Anubis,” Maika says with reverence.
I don’t pay attention to the meaning of his words. My mind is on one-track mission at the moment.
“You’re on our side or are you working with Tiamat?” I ask him matter-of-factly.
“I have nothing to do with her!” he hisses through his teeth at me.
After his statement, I decide to ignore him since he is not a threat. I turn back to Kalipso.
“So what do we do?”
She is still on the ground, like Tara, and I twist my lips in distaste at the sight. They start lifting themselves up slowly, as if unsure if it’s the right thing to do. I mean, really? Do I seem like someone that people should bow down in front of? I didn’t think so. Well…unless I’m naked and the one on the knees in front of me is Lucifer. The image flashes through my mind and I shiver. Shaking my head, I snap out of my hormonal glitch in the brain. Think about keeping the gate open now; think about screwing later! Sounds like a plan, don’t you think?
“How did you open it?” Tara asks, and her voice helps me shake off whatever is left of my crazy thoughts.
“I invoked the gate. I felt the beat of the planet that matched my heartbeat and it opened,” I tell her simply.
“Hmmm, let’s try this. Start walking away from the gate, please. Let’s see if it closes because you are walking away from it,” Kalipso says.
Rolling my eyes, I start walking. This is a stupid idea. “Stop,” Lucifer says and I freeze. “It’s closing as you walk away.”
“Now what? I can’t stay here,” I say, exasperated.
“No, you can’t. But we can,” Will speaks for the first time and I look at him.
“Say what, now? How will that help?” I look at both him and Archie, seeing determination in their eyes and their tightly-pressed lips.
“We are light-workers—it’s what we do. We will stand in your stead, matching the vibration of the earth and the gate through us. You should be able to walk away. I think this is why Azalea made sure we crossed paths,” Archie says in his deep voice.
There is no accusation or anger in his voice. He sounds utterly sure of what he is saying. I look at Will, and he nods his head reassuringly at me.
“Great! We haven’t even crossed the damn thing properly and we’ve already lost four people.” My voice wobbles and I clench my jaw.
I will not cry any more. It’s useless anyway. It’s not like it’ll change anything. Looking at Inanna, I see her nodding sadly, too. She’s been very quiet, just tagging along as if lost. I wonder why she’s here. I thought she didn’t want to go into someone else’s realm. She almost busted my eardrums when I summoned her in the dark realm. Now it looks like we’re buddies, hanging out together. I snort. This whole thing is so fucked up it’s not even funny.
“Let’s do this. We have no time to waste. The longer we take, the more time Tiamat has to get ready for us.” Remi, ever the practical, gets everyone into moving.
Will and Archie walk closer to the gate, almost parallel to Kalipso, and drop cross-legged on the ground. The glow from the symbols that are written on the top arch of the gate cast shadows on their faces, making them look otherworldly. Placing their hands on their knees, palms up, they face each other and close their eyes. We all stand dumbly, waiting. Kalipso watches them with such intensity I think she will drill holes in their heads if she keeps it up. What’s taking so long? I start fidgeting and I’m about to ask what’s going on when Kalipso cuts me off.
“It’s not working, not fully. If they stay like this, the gate will drain them in less than a day.”
“I thought this is what they do,” I supply helpfully.
I know it sounds bitchy and not really compassionate, but I’m lost for what to do. I can’t possibly sit here to keep the stupid gate open and no way will there be more sacrifices for it. So this is me now, compassion personified. I cringe. Lost in my own self-analysis, I didn’t see Maika until he grabs my hand and drags me next to the light-workers who are oblivious to everything around them. I yelp from the surprising movement and Lucifer lunges for Maika. The Traveler places me in front of his body to stop the angel from attacking. Me? Like a dumbass I watch it all happen like some damsel in distress who lets man drag her around like a rag doll. I know what I should do, but it’s like watching it happen to someone else. Like I’m in a dreamlike state and have a delayed reaction to everything.
“Stay back, I’m not going to hurt her,” Maika says to Lucifer.
Lucifer stops, and my eyes fly to his face. His eyes look crazier than I have ever seen them before. I have no doubt t
hat if I twitch a muscle, he will level everything and everyone around us, our loved ones included. I smile at him, and he frowns. I wink, just to calm him down. Summoning as much fire as I can, I let it lick through my skin. Let’s see if the handsome Traveler likes things hot. I snicker and Lucifer tilts his head confused.
“Your fire won’t burn me, Semiramis. We balance each other, remember?” Maika’s voice makes me shiver and stops me from snickering.
“Then get your hands off me.” I shake him off.
“You need to give them some of your blood; it’ll tie them to you and they’ll be able to hold the gate,” he says and steps away, holding a dagger, hilt out, towards me. I reach for it without thinking.
“Don’t touch that!” Lucifer snaps and I snatch my hand back. “Nice try, Jackal, she won’t be touching Ishtar’s blade.” He turns his murderous gaze on Maika.
“It was worth a try. You never know; she might be able to control it.” He shrugs a shoulder, unaffected, and gives me a different blade.
I look at Lucifer, and he nods, not taking his eyes off the Traveler. Taking the blade, I turn towards Will and Archie and stop.
“Ummm, now what? I cut myself and they drink it like vampires?” I grin at my own joke. Tara snickers at that. “I like you,” I tell her. No one else finds it funny. Party-poopers. I shrug. It was worth a try.
“You need to cut them and then your hand so you can mix the blood together,” Kalipso says.
I reach towards the two men, sitting still as statues in front of me. This is their sacrifice for me. They have so much faith in me that just like Meda and Faith they will do this, knowing very well that they might not come out on the other end with their lives. My hand trembles. I don’t think I can do it. Cut myself? Even cutting off a limb, I have no problem with. Hurting them is a different story. My hand starts lowering down towards my body.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, sap. Snap out of it, would ya! We’re all adults here and we’ve made our own choices. Who are you to tell us what’s worth risking our lives for? Who died and made you God?” Jezzinta speaks and my head snaps around to look at her. “Just do the damn cut and let’s get moving. I think it’s time you stopped insulting us with your doubts and hiding your fear behind the idea that you’re trying to protect us. We feel the same as you. We need you to walk this with us, not to protect us. We’re equal, if I may remind you.”
I look around at all of them. Solemn faces look back at me. No judgment, just determination. Shame like I haven’t known before hits me like a truck. She is right, it’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
“The path to hell is paved in good intentions, Semiramis,” Maika says gently and as always since he first spoke, goosebumps cover my body.
Lucifer walks up behind me, plastering himself to my back and kisses my neck.
“Do it, Alexia, and let us continue before the Jackal speaks again and I break his neck,” he mumbles, his lips grazing my skin and making me shiver all over again.
“You’re lucky you found me first, angel. The Jackal is quite something,” I wanted to say it for his ears only, but my voice carries. While the rest snicker at that, Lucifer growls, squeezing his arms around me while Maika looks at me, his eyes widening for the first time. It looks almost comical. More interesting is that Tara creeps up, standing slightly in front of him as if to protect him from me or maybe stake her claim. I smile at her. Even if I can’t see her face, I can feel her embarrassment in her movement when she slinks back. The Traveler didn’t miss it either. He nods his thanks.
Without delay I reach out and make a slash on each arm of the light-workers. Red blood wells up and starts sliding in rivulets down their arms. Turning the dagger towards my palm, I stop and look at the branded pentagram. Should I cut it? Oh, what the hell. I don’t care! Making the slash I clench my fist a couple of times until blood starts running towards my wrist. When I place it on Will’s cut, it feels like something just tied a knot in my belly. I feel his heart beat in a faster rhythm than mine, but within a second it starts evening out and matching mine. Two hearts, one beat. I repeat the same with Archie. As his heartbeat matches mine, the energy clicks together between the three of us and my birthmark, the one in the shape of a tree on my spine, starts pulsing in the same beat. Three hearts, one beat. The oneness of it is beautiful, but I force myself to remove my hand. It doesn’t cut off the connection. I can still feel them both. I also feel their gratitude. They are aware of what is happening. As I step away, they start glowing faintly like they are in a bubble.
“It worked.” Kalipso snaps me out of it.
“It did?” I ask, still looking at my friends. “They’ll be okay?”
“I think so, but I wouldn’t linger. Go do what you must and leave the realm,” she tells us.
We don’t need more prompting. I turn around, and we speed down the path leading us deeper into Ishtar’s realm.
30
Lucifer…
I know Alexia is only trying to frustrate me. It’s been her new pastime ever since I realized that I am a fool for not understanding why the witch was pulling me towards her. I let her; it is not like she has many things to take her mind off of what she needs to face. Still, seeing how the Traveler affected her bothers me. I must admit to myself that I was jealous. He didn’t affect only her but all of us; it is how he was created to be, alluring and tempting, but that does not settle the uneasiness in me.
She said she is mine, but was that because it is true or because she was trying to placate me? And when did I become so unsure of myself? The woman is driving me insane. I can see my sense leaving me ever since she walked into my realm, like a skittish animal trying to save, of all things, the betrayer. Oh, how I wish I knew then what I know now. Everything would’ve been very different.
Walking closer to her, I take her hand in mine. I love touching her. She turns those ocean-blue eyes on me and absentmindedly smiles. She is looking around and I do the same so I can see what she sees. We walked away from the gate, with its gloomy feel, onto a wide road stretching in front of us forever. On either side, green pastures and hills follow us on our journey. The sky is cloudless and a beautiful pale blue with the sun shining bright as if everything is perfect. It’s far from it, but I cannot think about that now. We are all quiet, following behind the guide.
After what feels like forever, in the distance voices can be heard and I can make out shapes on the sides of the road. Fields. We come across field workers gathering whatever they can harvest. Men and women work, chatting and laughing. A song can be heard in the distance, too. With everything we have been through, I am fearful how the witches will react to this. They still sniff from time to time, probably remembering Meda and Faith. I feel that Alexia is fighting the sorrow with everything in her, walking stoically with her shoulders pulled back. First seeing her grandmother and saying goodbye all over again. Now her sisters. I feel proud that she is bravely walking and pulling herself together. She even tries to make us smile in the middle of her turmoil.
“Almost there. Don’t stop; just keep walking,” Tara says from in front of us.
I tighten my hold on Alexia’s hand. I’m ready for anything when it comes to the goddess. That idea makes me stiffen. Should I speak to Alexia before we reach the temple? Call me a coward but I cannot. It’s been centuries since I have set foot here. Maika said the realms have changed. Let us hope he is right.
“You okay there, Lucifer?” The husky voice makes me rumble deep in my chest.
“Yes, Alexia. Are you?” I look at her.
“Peachy.” She gives me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
“What does fruit have to do with this? Are you hungry?” I frown at her.
“Just another figure of speech, angel,” she snickers. “I’m not okay, but I will be.”
“I hope so, my love,” I mumble under my breath.
“What? Sorry I couldn’t hear you.” She looks at me
“Nothing. I said ‘I know.’” Squeezing her hand g
ently, I look ahead. “Look, you can see the city.”
As if I have spoken the wrong words, the people working in the fields turn towards us. The chatter ceases, the songs die out. We are met with a noteworthy silence. One by one they start coming closer to the road, stopping at the edges of their fields.
“Come, try this harvest we have gathered. You haven’t tasted anything like it.” A man leans towards us, holding ripe tomatoes in his hand.
“Don’t talk; just keep walking,” Tara makes sure everyone can hear her, but she doesn’t stop. Neither do we.
More voices join the first, offering us grains, fruits and vegetables. Some even offer urns filled with water, and I realize how thirsty I am. My parched throat makes a clicking sound when I swallow. Jezzinta reaches her hand towards a woman holding grapes in her palms like an offering. Like lightning, Alexia grabs the back of her shirt and pulls her back without saying a word. Her eyes as wide as dinner plates, Jezzinta looks at us, swallows thickly but continues walking, not lifting her head anymore. The longer we walk, the harder it is to resist all the food and drink they offer. Everyone’s stomachs make growling noises, like bears waking from a slumber. Mine does, too. No wonder the gate has not been opened in so long. If you have to go through this without someone like the guide to warn you, I doubt anyone would ever reach the temple. We keep walking; sweat runs down between my shoulder blades and gathers on my upper lip. It feels like I physically battle their words and offerings, and the rest of us are no better off. Inanna, for the first time, looks disheveled, with Daisy clinging to her like a lifeline. Only Tara and Maika walk freely, like there is nothing going on.
Almost there. I can feel it. the end of this suffering. Remi is fighting herself but also dragging Philip behind her, holding onto him for dear life. Alexia still has one hand in mine and one twisted in the back of Jezzinta’s shirt. As we are about to walk off the road, a woman reaches and grabs Daisy’s shirt, halting her movement. Before Inanna can react, a burst of water slams into the woman’s chest, sending her flying back in the field, landing on her back. Without a word Alexia storms off onto the paved path towards the temple where Tara and Maika wait, dragging Jezzinta and me behind her.