Caged by Damnation (17 page)

Rafe's body took on an icy sheen, repelling the fire before it could harm his skin. Maloc altered until he seemed to be made of hardened lava himself. Neither of them were harmed by the blaze. They took turns taunting it,
driving it away from me and Izzy. Rafe jumped sideways against the wall behind the creature, then dashed up the bookcase, using the shelves as though it were a ladder.

Izzy hissed at the creature when a fireball flew towards me, catching my abdomen. She quickly put it out with her hands, pressing until the fire disappeared. It was agonizing; the wound felt more on fire than it had when it actually had been burning. Looking down, my skin was charred and burnt away in an exposed, raw-white wound. Izzy's hands hadn't been affected by the fire.

Maloc was growing tired. His breathing came in heavy pants as he danced with the creature, keeping its attention divided and away from the rest of us. Maloc's hardened skin had softened to a peach hue, the creature wounding him with minor burns.

"Get up here!" one of the guys shouted from the skylight. Handing Izzy the scroll, I rushed up, but nearly fell when I stretched my hands towards Liam. Pain shot through my abdomen, causing me to keel over.

"I can't!" I screamed through the blaring noise of the creature and the alarms in the distance. Izzy grabbed my lower legs and lifted me to the skylight. Griffin and Liam each grabbed a hand and pulled me through. I looked down at Izzy's helpless face. She stood below, her eyes moving from the warriors back to us. With one last look, she disappeared from my sight. "No!" I nearly fell reaching for her, trying to keep her from going head to head with that beast.

Rafe's voice was faint but direct as he ordered Maloc to leave. "Get out of here. You're tired and they need someone to protect them."

"I didn't fight all these years to go down as a coward, boy!" Maloc hissed back, his hands raised with a blinding white light propelling towards the creature.

Rafe shouted, "Dammit! It doesn't make you a coward, it makes you a protector! Our orders are to protect them,
not argue!" He flipped over the creature’s head and landed on the other side of it. His fist connected with what seemed to be its face. I thought it was strange that he was able to physically touch it.

"Why don't you go then?" Maloc shot back, shoving the light across the creature’s belly, eliciting a painful groan. Izzy tossed Maloc aside just in time to prevent liquid lava from pouring down on his face. 

"I can keep this up longer. It gives them more time to get away. Now, go!"

Maloc sat stunned on the floor as Izzy took his place in the fight. The creature had begun to gain ground as Maloc had weakened, but now was forced to give up ground once more. Grumbling, Maloc climbed onto the roof with the rest of us. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

My feet remained rooted. "What about Izzy and Rafe? We can't leave them with that thing." I wasn't going anywhere without them. I had already been forced to abandon Ash and Maye.

Maloc glanced at me with a miserable cast to his eyes. "Rafe is right. We're a liability. Rafe and your friend are the two most capable of taking on a fire creature. If we stay, we will all die."

When I still refused to move, Maloc walked closer. I noticed a limp in his step that hadn't been there before and some slight burns around his throat and cheeks.

"Rafe will know where to find us and he will bring the phoenix. You're not saying goodbye forever, but we need to get moving before another creature catches our scent."

I looked through the skylight at the scroll. Izzy had discarded it when she had gone to confront the creature. I knew I couldn't take it. Lifting my gaze to Izzy's, I sought reassurance that this wasn't permanent, but she was distracted. Her wings were slicing into the creature, tearing through its exterior to reveal softer insides. Rafe took advantage of those vulnerable spots, sliding low to the ground and jamming his dagger into them. Together they were quite a pair, terrifying, but capable.

I parted ways with my best friend and family in a single moment. Following Maloc and the others, I smelled fumes of both the fires, and something vaguely like chemicals. The sound of battle and the termination of lives boxed us in. The guys halted at the edge of the roof; Isis held back with me, placing a comforting arm around my shoulders. I sank into it gratefully. When we reached the edge of the roof, the reality of our situation crashed down on my shoulders. The grounds surrounding the Ether were flooded with supernatural creatures from the haven, fighting for their lives against creatures born of nightmares.

The cool night air was a welcome relief from the intense heat inside the compound. The breeze carried embers towards us, stinging not only our eyes, but our flesh. Tears that had begun to dry were now covered in the ashen tracks of new ones. I could taste the bitterness around us, the pandemonium taking place before the gods laying waste to the grounds, drenched in blood.

CHAPTER 11

WILLOW

Kali ushered me into her domain, hurrying me along with a smile until I was standing beneath a giant willow tree. The cascading branches fell around us in a nurturing embrace, capturing the warmth of the room and encasing us within it.

Everything about Kali's room was either the polar opposite to Ivy's or exactly the same. She, too, had plants, but they weren't the deadly kind. A few miniature animals wandered around – chipmunks and squirrels – not the sort that made me want to faint. Her bed was a pile of feathers and petals beneath the willow tree, with normal pillows and silken cases. Trails of stone led throughout her garden-like domain to the center of the room and to the farthest wall, which drawers were built into.

Kali's eyes lit up with unspoken laughter. "Going crazy yet?"

"Sometimes I think I am, and other times I feel more sane than I ever have in my entire life. Does that make sense?" I smiled, thinking of my conversation with Death, and frowned.

"More than you will ever know," she said solemnly. "At least you're getting some gifts. It could be much worse. You could be forced to room with Ivy." She shrugged and sat against the tree trunk with her legs extended and crossed. "Sit down." She motioned to her bed.

Luckily, the bed was more comfortable than it looked. I had been worried that the feathers would poke me, but they seemed to be softer than the feathers that wore through the pillows I had grown up with. With my legs bent, I pulled them to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

Staring at Kali over my knees, I hesitated before speaking. "You know, I don't think Ivy is as horrible as she wants everyone to believe."

Kali gave me an appraising smile and nodded. "It depends who you are. I've never gotten along with her, but I have seen a different side to her. She seems to have a soft spot for Calla and occasionally lets Bay in." Her eyes looked off into the distance for a moment before she continued. "She respects Aria enough to listen most of the time, but otherwise she has a ... corrosive attitude."

"That's an interesting way to put it. Her domain fits her perfectly."

"Please tell me she put Brass away before you got there?" I shook my head and shivered at the memory. "Figures! What did she give you?"

"A slow Loris named Nyx. I didn't even know that such an animal existed! She's really cute though." I bit my lips, warring with myself. "Have you ever been inside Death's domain?"

The warmth left her eyes, and a cold fury swept through the room. "No." A tempest built within the sanctuary of the willow tree, causing the branches to rush around us, lashing against my back. "Why?"

The winds died down, leaving me terrified to answer her question. "I was just there. It was unique, but we don't need to talk about that." I rushed through my explanation and hoped she would take the bait. I didn't know what animosity hung between her and Death, but I didn't want to get in the middle of it.

Kali's jaw tightened. "Right, something else." She let her anger be carried away on the sigh of breath that escaped her. "What do you think of our lair?"

The question took me by surprised. I suggested the change of conversation, but thought she would stay on topic by giving me my gift or her name. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had hinted about my upcoming transformation. Small talk about the lair was one of the last things on my mind. Still, it was better than being the focus of a Hellhound’s anger.

"It's kind of peaceful. I feel more at ease here than I did in my old home, but there are some things that will take a while to adjust to." She nodded, staring at the bedding around my feet. I wondered if she felt bad about her reaction before but didn't want to make her feel worse by bringing it up.

"There are some things that are impossible to adjust to." Kali spoke in whisper; her voice held an antique quality which made it seem as if she spoke from the past rather than from the girl directly in front of me in the present. For a moment, I wondered if I heard her correctly, until she finished her thought. "Some things just get worse or you learn to mask your emotions better. Then others think you have accepted them."

"Are you okay?"

Kali shook her head and smiled at me, as if she had never let her guard down. "That's right, you're probably anxious for your gift!" Her smile brightened. She jumped up and ducked beneath the branches of the willow tree. Opening one of her drawers, she pulled out a large box and carried it over to me. "Here you go."

The green box was lighter than I thought it would be given its size. It was shaped like a rectangle, large enough to contain two or three pairs of women's shoes. It felt like she had sewn fabric onto a cardboard box and slid some cotton in before stitching it up. The lid had silk flowers arranged in the style of a corsage pinned to it.

"It's lovely," I said, confused at her care with making the container, which I doubted was meant for anything more than holding my gift. Lifting the lid, I found large bunches of fabric within. I pulled out a piece of red lace to find that it was a sheer chemise and blushed. "Um, thanks?"

She giggled. "Keep looking and one day you are going to thank me for those."

"There are more?" Shocked, I pulled out an entire collection of lingerie that I didn't plan on using in this lifetime. The box was beginning to remind me of those clowns who kept an endless stream of handkerchiefs tied together and stuffed up their sleeve. The lingerie would not stop!

"I'm not saying you have to wear them for anyone, but sometimes it's nice to look pretty for yourself. Who says you can't have beautiful nightgowns?"

Finally, I reached the last nightgown and discovered it was actually a handkerchief. The laughter and tears that followed were erratic, but the irony of finding exactly what I was comparing the lingerie to was hilarious. I brushed the evidence of humor away from my eyes and lifted the black silk hankie. It revealed a large, jeweled vial.

Kali's voice took on a husky tone, as she raised her eyebrow. "Surprised that I didn't just get you lingerie?"

She plucked the vial from the box and turned it full circle to reveal the intimate touches of sapphires, diamonds, and painted glass. The silver filigree caught my breath with its perfection.

She took the cap of it and handed it to me. "Smell it."

Dumbfounded, I stared at her. "It's perfume made from plant extracts and a few ... secret ingredients."

Her secretive grin shook me from my reverie. Lifting the vial to my nose, I took a cautious sniff. It was intoxicating. The scent was pure ecstasy, with hints of devotion, nostalgia, and hints of carefree daydreams. It wasn't the embodiment of floral scents, but the liveliness of unadulterated emotion.

Kali placed the cap back on. "Just be careful when you use it. Men go crazy for it."

I nodded absently. I was still immersed in the aroma. "Huh?"

"Think of it as a love potion. It draws men to you, and when you're wearing it you can pretty much get your way with everything.”

My visit with Kali was short but sweet. She didn't want me to be late to my initiation and rushed through the proceedings. She told me that her Hellhound name was Vixen and ushered me along until we stood in the library beside the common room.

Confused, I searched the room for other occupants, but found none. "Aren't we supposed to meet the others?"

Kali bit her lip, examining the books on the far wall. "We are." Grasping a leather-bound tome with gold etchings along its spine, she tilted it towards us.

When the book was triggered, I could hear corroded mechanisms churning on the other side of the wall. I cringed when it sputtered, died down, and began again. Obviously, it was rarely used and beginning to short circuit.

Kali pulled aside a plum-colored runner, revealing a section of the floor that was receding. Through the opening, I could make out a circular staircase wrapped around a pillar. I wasn't sure I wanted to discover where it led, especially with shadows consuming all corners.

"Please tell me that you don't expect me to go down there?" I pleaded.

Kali shook her head with amusement and peered into the depths. A draft gave life to her dress; its skirt coiled about her legs, hugging them as a small child would when frightened.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks, and I’ll protect you if you're afraid of the dark." She looked up, smirking at me, and grabbed two lanterns from an end table. I wondered why I hadn't noticed them before, but quickly abolished that thought. I had more important things to concern myself with.

Kali disappeared down the staircase with only her lantern for a guide. I grabbed mine from the floor beside
the opening and steeled myself. Part of me wanted to run to my domain and go through the threshold to find sanctuary in my friends. However, I knew it would be childish, and I would be breaking my deal with Death.

The staircase seemed sturdy despite its decrepit appearance. Grasping the railing with all my strength, I followed Kali to the underworld. It was a slow descent, but I reached the bottom to find her waiting for me.

"You okay?" she asked with a concerned tilt to her eyebrows.

"Yeah, just please tell me there aren't more stairs."

Kali held her lantern away from the staircase towards an incredible corridor. Muted lights hung from a cathedral ceiling, while the floor and walls curved as one, like the ribs of a large whale. When I drew closer, I was pleased to find that they were made of wood that swept across the floor. Though the architecture was visionary, it wasn't practical with the jutting logs making our steps precarious.

Kali walked ahead through the whale-bone corridor and turned right. This section was less deadly with flat floors and plastered walls with carvings on them. The bookworm in me wanted to examine the art and learn its story, but responsible Willow could never be late.

At the end were two enormous doors out of the dark ages. They belonged in the castle from Frankenstein or a museum. Any place would have been better than here, giving me the willies and making me reconsider our entire endeavor.

The handles were statuesque heads protruding with eternal screams engraved across their faces. The door was solid iron, embellished with carvings of souls frozen in terror, trying to claw their way out. I stood back, waiting for Kali to take the initiative.

Once the doors had been eradicated from my path, we saw what Kali called the temple. The horror of it would be imprinted on my mind for the rest of my life, which, now that I was a Hellhound, would be endless.  

I walked through the threshold into a room that could only be called a temple. It was in the shape of a polygon; the only exit was the doors behind me. The room would have been pitch black if not for the circle of lit candles on the cement floor.

Death stood at the head of the circle, Echo at his right hand, and Scrye at his left. Whisper was on the other side of Scrye; Vixen had taken her spot next to Echo, and Poison stood opposite Death. It felt strange to think of them in their Hellhound names. I had grown too used to their human ones, Echo as Aria, Scrye at Calla, Whisper as Bay, Vixen as Kali, and Poison as Ivy.

Without looking at me, Death motioned to the circle surrounded by candles and Hellhounds. "You stand in the center."

I did as I was told, looking around the room. It had seemed more frightening when I’d first walked in. Now it reminded me of a sweat lodge. The ceiling dipped down with giant ledges connecting the walls, resembling bridges. I hoped the place had been renovated because I didn't relish one of those falling on top of my head.

"Give me your hand."

Death reached out, waiting for me to place my palm in his. It was an improvement since normally he would have grabbed it without warning. "Do you accept the duties of a Hellhound and vow to place them and your sisters above all else?'

"I do."

He grabbed a hunting knife from the table behind him and faced Echo, who was holding a large chalice. My stomach began to do cartwheels, which turned to full-blown flips as he slit one of her wrists and filled the chalice with her blood. The sight made me queasy, but she smiled at me in reassurance. He followed the same action with all of the Hellhounds until the chalice was filled with their blood and I was beginning to realize what he intended to do with it.

"Drink." Death placed it in my hands and I swallowed back bile. The idea of drinking their blood, especially so much, was revolting. However … I knew it was part of the deal I had made and I resigned myself to the task.

I gulped back the blood, forcing myself not to vomit, concentrating on any thought that stood a chance of distracting myself from my current predicament. I reached the bottom and handed it back, covering my mouth to keep them from seeing the grimace that would be permanently cemented there.

When Death turned to place the dagger and chalice on the table behind him, I couldn't stop myself from sticking my tongue out in disgust at the blood left behind on my tongue. Scrye smiled at me in understanding, with a silent promise not to say anything.

Death faced me once more. "Do you vow to protect innocents, avenge those who have been wronged, and condemn unholy souls?"

"I do." I was beginning to feel like I was in the middle of a wedding ceremony and I was the bride.