Destined (Desolation #3) (14 page)

We step out of the labyrinth of tunnels and onto the wide field of gravel that leads to the river. There are dozens more piles of rocks scattered all around, but it doesn’t seem that important, so I don’t mention it. It’s weird, though.
Someone must be doing a little renovating,
I think with a smirk.

As we near the water, my steps slow and a heavy sense of dread falls over me.

“What’s wrong?” Desi asks when she notices I’m not following close behind anymore. 

“I—I don’t know.”

She walks back to me and puts her hand on my wrist. “Are you sure?”

I look to Horonius, but he’s busy counting the gravel at his feet or something.

“What is it?” Desi asks the dog-dude, but he won’t look at her either. Desi sighs. “Look, just spit it out, okay?”

I open my mouth to say something, but I have no idea what. Thankfully, Horonius beats me to it.

“It is the Ferryman. She extracted a promise from him in order to take us across. I warned him not to do it, as what she asks is always far too great, but James didn’t listen.” He looks at me with a totally uncalled-for amount of anger.

“He does not remember yet, but I imagine he is beginning to.”

Desi regards me with an expression that’s full of both horror and fear. “Is this true?”

I stare at her. I mean, she’s an angel or a god or something, right? Shouldn’t she just know? Do I really have to spell out my shortcomings?

I shrug. “I guess.”

“You guess.”

I shrug again. 

She looks around, all around, spinning and searching in every possible direction. Then she closes her eyes, her fists clench and she seems to concentrate for a minute. I want to ask what she’s up to, but I pretty much feel like I’m in the dog house and I don’t have the right to interrupt her.

Finally she looks up, and I see tears in her eyes. “I can’t cross the river without the Ferryman. Not without risking our lives to the soul eaters and—” Her voice catches when she says that and her eyes glisten. “And we can’t do that. We need the Ferryman.”

“I know.” I didn’t think it could be any other way.

“You don’t get it,” she says, the tears overflowing now. “I can’t help you here. I—I don’t have any more Shadow or, if I do, I don’t know where it is and . . .”

I reach out and take her hand. Step nearer. “Des. It’s okay.”

“I can’t help you,” she says in the smallest, saddest voice ever.

Still holding her hand, I lead her toward the shore, with Horonius following behind.

By the time we stop at the water’s edge, Horonius has changed into his dog form and has begun to bark like he did before. Bark, bark, bark-bark-bark. Over and over until I see the edge of the gold-trimmed boat.

It moves silently toward us, operating under no engine or oars, leaving no ripples in its wake. The girl comes into view, and all at once I know. I promised her something. Promised I’d do anything she wanted. Her eyes flick to Desi, then settle on me. And when they do . . . I know I’ll do anything for her. 

The boat bumps against the shore and I find myself wading into the water to pull it further in.

“Hel,” Desi says, her voice dripping with ice.

“Desolation.”

“You’re the Ferryman?”

Hel smiles and gives a half-shrug. “When it suits me.”

“And it suited you now—with them?”

Hel glances at Horonius, but dismisses him. “For him,” she says. My heart expands three times with pride. For me.
She loves me.

“I love him,” she says.

Desi snorts. I used to think it was cute when she did that, but right now it pisses me off.

“Look, you don’t have to like her, okay? But I love her, so show some respect.”

Desi spins toward me. “You love her?”

I touch Hel’s shoulder and she puts her hand over mine, caressing it. I think I might die of happiness right there. Desi gets an ugly look on her face that kind of undoes all the shining glory of her light. Why does she have to be all high and mighty anyway? What gives her the right to judge?

“Well, let’s get this over with,” Hel says. “Come on then.”

For a long time Desi stares at me and Hel without moving. Like she’s seriously considering not getting in the boat. I feel a sting on my leg and looked down, but I can’t see my leg beneath the red lava water. 

Desi strides forward, a look of pure anger on her face, and shoves her hand down into the water. My leg burns like a son-of-a-bitch when she pulls her hand out, a red stingray thing in her hand. She throws it onto the beach where it quivers, sizzles, then bursts into flame, leaving nothing behind.

“Let’s go.” She’s about to jump into the boat when a rock goes flying over her head and hits my lady in the shoulder. 

“Hey!” The crazy woman—Ophelia—shouts from further down the beach. She has an armful of rocks and she lobs another one at us. 

“Hey you stupid bitch!” I snatch a rock from the air before it can hit my red-haired lady on the head. 

I climb into the boat, pulling Helena down so I can protect her with my body. “Ophelia,” Desi says, striding toward the crazy chick. She holds her hands out, placating, but when she gets too close, Ophelia throws a rock as big as her fist at Desi’s face. 

My lady traces a nail down my neck and over my shoulder. I shiver with pleasure and sink back against her. “Shall we go?” she whispers against my cheek. Her breath smells sweet and I imagine what it would be like to kiss her. I press myself to her, anxious to discover her taste, her feel.

The boat rocks as Horonius yanks it up the beach and stomps off toward a row of rock-creatures who race toward us. I don’t care about the genii, or Desi or the dog-dude. But I want to get away from anything that could endanger my woman.

“Son of a bitch.” I move away from Helena and jump out of the boat. I’m going to push it back onto the water so we can get out of here. I place my hands on the boat and start to push. When I drag my eyes up to Helena’s she smiles and all I can see are her lips, her red, glistening lips.

Something sharp rips across the back of my knee and I fall to the beach, grabbing at the pain, trying to shove it away. A genii climbs on top of me, baring two rows of razor-sharp teeth as it brings its face close to mine.

“Please don’t bite me,” I say, because really—haven’t I had enough near-misses with vampire-bites today? “All I want is to leave with my lady.” Up until that moment I thought maybe I stood a chance with the thing, but at the mention of Helena, its eyes narrow and it hisses, a sound like air leaking from a balloon.

The sound alone isn’t that scary, but the creature’s black glossy eyes, its rows of teeth, its sharp, angular, polished granite body give a whole new level of scary to everything around me. It sits on my chest, pressing my back into the sharp gravel of the beach. It digs razor-claws into my temples and I arch my back against the pain. It leans down and I squeeze my eyes shut, preferring to picture my lady in my last moments than to see my own reflection in the creature’s eyes.

But with an
oomph
, the creature flies off of me.

I rub at my chest, only now realizing how heavy the thing was, how it was crushing the breath out of me. I look to my left and see Desi standing there, watching me, before she whirls around, kicking out like a badass and sending three geniis scrambling across the beach.

I feel gratitude, sure. I’m glad I’m not dead. But I’m still going to get my mistress out of here before anything happens to her, even if it means leaving Desi behind. 

I shove the boat out and scramble inside. “It’s okay, Lady. It’s all right.” She looks so trusting as she leans against the back of the boat with a small smile on her face. I want to be worthy of her trust. But while I have my face turned away from the beach, watching my lady’s face for any sign of displeasure—or to hear her speak a word of love to me—something rocks the boat forward, then brutally back.

“What the—”

A line of genii have hooked themselves together and are pulling us back toward the beach. I look in the boat for any kind of weapon, but there are only pillows and champagne glasses. I grab up the bottle and smash it over the head of the genii closest to me, but it only bares its teeth.

“Disgusting creatures,” Helena says.

“Disgusting creatures!” I scream.

“Get them! Don’t let them get away!” Ophelia’s jumping and screeching on the beach, cheering her little freaks on. Desi plows into her side and a great big smile splits my face in half—maybe Desi isn’t so bad.

 “Let go you little freaks!” I try prying the genii’s fingers off the edge of the boat, but they won’t budge. Instead the thing snaps and hisses, nicking my hand with its teeth more than a few times.

“Just get us out of here, darling,” my lady says, her voice a low, seductive purr.

“I will!” And oh, I will! It’s the only thing I want to do. Suddenly I see no other choice but to break the chain of genii that holds us to the shore. Desi’s no help—she only cares about Ophelia. She doesn’t care enough to save me and my lady even after all I’ve done. 

“Bitch,” Helena whispers. 

“Bitch,” I say.

And Horonius—what good is he? He’s just a stupid dog plowing through the rock creatures like they’re bowling pins. I guess if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.

I throw myself off the boat, landing in the middle of their chain and breaking it in half. Me and about three of the genii roll into the water—the little freaks won’t let go of me, and they’re going to pull me down. 

“Let—” the water-that’s-not-water makes me gasp from its frigid iciness, “me go!” I try to scream, but my throat is filling up with the bitter-tasting liquid. My eyes are open, stinging in the red water, but I can’t see a thing. I can feel the rock creatures latched onto each wrist and one of my ankles. I thrash and kick, but the things hold fast, dragging me out into deeper water.

My chest burns. I want to breathe.
Need
to breathe. But I’m far beneath the surface now and I suddenly find I’m too tired to fight anymore. I gasp, swallowing down more of the red liquid. Needle-sharp pinpricks blossom over my thigh. But it seems I’m beyond feeling now. After all, what’s a little more pain when pain has become your whole existence?

I can’t figure out how I got here, why I’m sinking with weights attached to my arms and leg. The last thing I remember is calling for the Ferryman—my eyes fly open as I recall her beauty, gliding forward in her glass boat. Her red, luxurious hair. Her pale skin and the glimmering gown she wears that leaves little to the imagination. I remember how I felt when I saw her, how I only wanted to love and protect her.

But now . . . I can’t remember why. 

Because it’s Miri I love. Her messy blond hair, her to-die-for eyes. I picture her now. My eyes close, my body sinks, and I hold Miri close to my heart.

I backhand Ophelia across the face, sending her tumbling to the ground. She tries to lift herself, looking around wildly for her little minions—and finds them indisposed. Most have been tossed into the water by Horonius, and those that haven’t are busy trying not to be. His fury and speed in dispatching the vicious creatures are a sight to behold. 

Not something to laugh at.

And yet Ophelia is rolling with laughter. She flops onto her back, looking up into the red-orange sky while laughter forces tears from her eyes. I stand over her, exasperated and frustrated. I both don’t want to know and do want to know what’s got her so giggle-happy.

She gasps between puffs of laughter. “Your—” more laughter, “human.” And she succumbs to more coughing/laughing. But she’d said enough.

I look out to the beach where last I’d seen James and Helena. The boat sits in the middle of the water, Helena reclining against the back of it. She holds a glass of golden liquid in her hand. When she sees me, she raises the glass as if in a toast.

James is not in the boat.

I watch her face, see the moment she knows I’ve realized I can’t see him. With deliberateness she tips her glass and pours it into the river.

The river.

A quick glance around the beach confirms what Helena has suggested. James is not on the beach. He is not on the boat.

James is in the river.

I don’t think—there’s no time for thought. I dash past Ophelia. She reaches out and grabs at my ankle, but I kick her face, knocking her unconscious. My leg free, I dash for the water. I rush out as far as I can before diving in, forcing my eyes to stay open, my mouth to stay shut even though the blood water is colder than cold, as frigid as the vast emptiness of space I’ve lived in for the past eternity.

At first I see nothing, my vision clouded by the murky red. Something bristly brushes against me and I jerk, only to bump against something else at my other side. As they pass me they take shape and I see them for what they are—soul eaters. Dozens of them. All swimming lazily toward the same destination. 

All ignoring me.

I don’t have the luxury of questions, besides, I know I won’t like the answers. So I dive after the soul eaters, following the creatures down, down, down, hoping they’ll lead me to James.

My lungs are burning, my legs and arms growing weak, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop.