I turned to Alana.
I wasn t sure if I was in the right place.
She smiled, stretching her hand to me, her bright green eyes welcoming.
You re not quite there yet, but almost.
I took her hand and she led me up the stairs, my body strangely lighter with each stair. I felt a weight rising off my chest, one I hadn t known I was carrying and everything started to make sense, like the pieces of the puzzle had finally connected.
We re going to die,
I said, calm and composed, my head clearer than ever, as if the poison I drank had been filled with knowledge.
Alex and I we have to, don t we? Otherwise, there s no getting rid of the star or Stephan and everything that comes with him. It has to happen that way, because it s the only way.
The portal will open regardless,
she said, nodding.
But the death of the star will kill it and everything in it.
Is there any other way?
I wanted to make sure.
A way where I could at least save him?
You d do that?
Her hair drifted across her face as she turned her head at me, astonished.
You would save him and let yourself go?
It was like my life flashed through me, my mind trying to reach unreachable memories. A month maybe even a week ago, I d have said I didn t know. But now, in my death, it was different. My eyes were finally opening from a life of blindness.
I think so,
I said as we stopped at the top of the staircase in front of solid black door.
Hold onto that thought for a while.
Alana gripped the doorknob.
Right now, you need to focus on the queen.
Because it s not as easy as you said it was going to be,
I said, knowing there was difficulty before me.
She swung the door open.
Nothing s ever easy, Gemma. Even in death.
And death this was. The air was so thick it suffocated the light, replacing it with a darkness so heavy I nearly buckled to the floor. The foulest smell touched my nose, like the stench of something rotting. I gagged, feeling like I was floating yet falling.
Keep your head down and try not to look at them,
she whispered and then vanished through the doorway.
I tipped my chin down, my hair a curtain around my cheeks. I tried not to breathe the intoxicating air and that s when I realized my need for air was gone. It s the most fascinating thing and that s where I fixed my attention. But then I glimpsed a bony foot in my peripheral vision and I couldn t help it. I peeked between the slivers of space in my hair. They were like mummies, pail and frail, with no meat on their bones, eyes as hollow as their coffins. I told myself to shut my eyes, but I was too fixated on the dead. The tortured. The lost.
Some of the souls you re here to save,
Alana explained over her shoulder.
But don t look at them. It ll upset Helena.
Lovely. I hurried to catch up with her.
How s it going to be harder? Is the queen going to want more than the ring?
No, you ll understand soon. And Gemma, whatever you do, don t give her that ring until you ve sealed the promise for the freedom of the Lost Souls that were lost because of the mark.
Will she know what I mean when I say that?
I asked, shutting my eyes as one of the souls let out a sharp cry.
Does she know why I m here?
She s the Queen of the Afterlife,
she whispered.
Not the Ruler of the City of Crystal.
I dared another glimpse at the souls, secretly looking for one that looked like my mother, hoping I wouldn t find her.
She s not here.
She ducked her head as the ceiling dipped down
And be grateful she s not.
We reached the end of the tunnel and I suddenly understood what Alana meant. These weren t just Lost Souls, they were tortured souls. The room pulled at my memories of The Underworld, where the Water Faeries tormented those who were sentenced there. This place was the same; bones breaking, painful cries, as the mummy-like bodies were forced to work by men with whips and daggers.
But the difference between The Underworld and the Afterlife was that these souls weren t evil.
They were lost.
Chapter 34
(Alex)
So we fixed the sink.
Laylen leaned back against the counter and folded his arms.
Now what?
I contemplated this, trying not to think about Gemma, upstairs lying dead in her bed.
Unless there s something else broken, I don t have a damn clue.
I m pretty sure we only made the sink worse.
He stared at a pool of water on the floor next to his feet.
What were we even trying to fix?
I asked, not even attempting to hide the fact that I knew zero about plumbing.
Laylen shrugged.
I don t know, I just thought it looked funny.
That s probably why we couldn t fix it then.
I dropped down in a chair, scooting the tools out of the way, and rested my head on the table.
So who wants to help?
Aislin asked, her cheerful voice like a knife to my ear.
Go away,
I mumbled.
If you re going to be cheerful.
She prodded my side with her foot.
Stop being a downer. I need your help.
With what?
Laylen asked.
Wait. Let me guess. A spell.
With removing your Mark of Immortality.
I raised my head, glancing at Laylen, who was staring speechlessly at Aislin.
You ve figure out how?
I asked her.
When?
She shook her head, frowning.
I m not sure if I m quite there yet, but I m close enough that I want to test it.
On me.
Laylen raised his eyebrows.
She nodded energetically.
Then after I ve perfected that, it s on to the shield removing spell. Of course, I m not sure how I m going to figure out if that one works & well, unless I went to Stephan and used a spell on him.
That s not happening. No one s ever going to be around him again. It s too dangerous,
I said.
Hold on & Why didn t anyone give up our location when you guys switched sides?
Because I put an interpres incantatores on us,
she said.
When you left you missed out on all the amazing things I did.
She put her hands on her hips.
I put the spell on the five of us to prevent anyone from telling an enemy our location.
She glanced at the boarded window.
And we have a lot of enemies.
But why didn t you do the spell on me.
She raised her hand in front of her.
Non proferre verbum ad emeny.
Then she sparked silver dust all over me.
Dammit Aislin!
I jumped to my feet, dusting off my jeans.