Izzy's eyes had grown throughout her display. The cat-like slits were larger and terrifying. She had moved closer until she stood a few feet in front of me. Recognition still escaped her, and her lips opened to join in the symphony of her wings. The whites of her eyes glazed over into pure fire, causing me to think of both the flames of Hell and the fire that warmed a hearth. I saw the beginning and the end in her eyes.
I moved forward until Izzy hissed loudly and her hand snapped towards my face, claws extended. I didn't have time to maneuver away from the weapons my best friend was aiming at me, but Death blocked Izzy's assault. He moved in a way that seemed effortless. Gently, he pressed his palm against Izzy's chest, but she flew backwards with the strength of a tsunami.
I was shocked by Izzy's animalistic nature. She crouched low and hissed at our group, snapping like a viper intent on spreading her poison. She was a creature trapped in a group of foreign humans, who she thought were threats.
"Iz, we're not going to hurt you. Just ... just calm down." I spoke slowly and softly, but it had little effect on the bird-like creature that had taken over Izzy.
Death held his arm in front of me, barring my attempts to move closer to my friend. "She doesn't recognize or understand you yet," he said. He made an effective barricade since I had no desire to touch Death.
"Explain, please." Willow planted herself directly between Death and Izzy. Her narrowed eyes, clenched jaw, and crossed arms were enough to tell everyone she meant business.
Death stood motionless, his eyes darting back and forth between Izzy and Willow. When I stepped back to give them space, he dropped his arm and relaxed. Unbuttoning the top three buttons on his white cotton dress shirt, he refused to look Willow in the eyes.
"I don't have power over life. You know the human myth about Mother Nature?" Willow nodded, while the rest of us exchanged baffled glances, and Izzy crouched near the edge of the trees. "It's not entirely a myth. The world is created in pairs, one action to balance another. Life and Death are essentially two sides of the same coin, but we only control the aspects that cause our side to land heads up."
"I still don't get it." Willow eased away with a wary expression. She forgot her back was turned to Izzy and jumped away when her movement was met with a sharp hiss.
"Mother Nature isn't a physical being, but an insubstantial energy that creates life. Occasionally, we collaborate and create something that is both life and death, though only in rare cases." He shrugged and nodded at Izzy. "Think of her as an infant who is fully capable of killing. For Izzy to live, she needed to be reborn. She's a phoenix. Every time she dies, she will be reborn from her ashes. She is still in the jetlagged stage, but she will regain her memories soon."
Perplexed, I walked over to a tree near the Hellhounds, far enough from Izzy that she wouldn't view me as a threat, and sat down against the trunk. A phoenix? I wasn't sure how to take this news, but at least Izzy was alive.
Aria moved away from the Hellhounds to crouch near me while Death whispered anxiously to Willow. "Are you okay?" Her brow was furrowed and she seemed genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, I think so. I'm just overwhelmed. Whenever I think my life is beginning to settle, something happens to throw it all into turmoil again. I'm not even sure what a phoenix is. I remember hearing about them, but it's all jumbled together. I can't make sense of it."
Aria cocked her head as if listening to something the rest of us couldn't hear. She sighed. "She will be fine, though she will never truly die. She'll experience death for the rest of eternity, but she will also remain in the embrace of life. She's not human anymore, and it is going to take some getting used to. Once she regains her memories, she will need to learn self control. A phoenix is beautiful, but incredibly deadly. Since the birth of this planet, I only know of a single phoenix being created, and Death locked him away. I imagine his fate is much worse than death...."
Her voice trailed off in such a way that was reminiscent of a thought that couldn't be fully absorbed. "Is that going to happen to her?" Aria sent a pitiful look in my direction.
"What happens to Izzy is entirely up to her. All of us have a dark side. She’ll just need to handle the reins a bit."
"But, what will she be able to do? How do I help her? Where should she go? I – "
"Too many questions," she smiled. "I will leave a journal in your room for you to page through. You'll find your answers there. Just … give your friend some time." Aria stood and walked back to her sisters as Willow and Death joined them.
Willow paused, turned, and walked over to me. "I'm sorry, Savannah. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I'm not so sure. I just figured that if I would be losing my life, I should get Izzy's back."
I reached up to grasp her hand and lightly pulled until she arranged herself on the ground at eye level. "You did. Just not quite the type of life you had hoped." My smile was weak, but I prayed it would be enough to absolve her of guilt.
"I feel guilty leaving you to deal with this, but I made a deal with Death. I know he twisted our deal into a completely different version than I had in mind, but I still feel obligated to keep up my end of the bargain."
"I know. I have Liam and Ash to help me. Besides, I’ve made sure Maye and Josephine will take on their mother hen roles and fix the situation. You have to go." My voice quieted and I squeezed her hand in silent determination.
Our eyes exchanged an entire conversation in the span of a few moments. It was the conversation of two friends who knew each other well enough that they didn't need words. She told me she didn't want to go, she was afraid and worried about leaving behind a mess. I told her I wasn't sure I would really be able to deal with Izzy, that I was already unstable, and that I needed her but knew she had to go.
I sensed our group condense, but didn't watch as Willow took her place among the Hellhounds and entered the portal to her new reality. I needed a few moments of peace, time to allow healing, and find the strength to approach a world in which I continuously lost those dear to me.
I have no idea how long I sat there, leaning against the tree trunk. I just knew that Liam and Ash were wise enough to give me the space I needed. At some point, my tree shuddered, and a small branch dipped down until it covered my body to shelter me from the light drizzle that cleansed the Divine.
CHAPTER 5
WILLOW
Death was the first to enter the vortex. The other Hellhounds followed until I was left with Kali and Aria. I had absolutely no desire to walk into the chaotic world that lay before me. I had never been this close to the Hellhounds’ door, but staring it down somehow made it more terrifying. I couldn't imagine stepping forward into the churning liquid mechanics before me.
The inner vortex was a jumbled mess of scenes within scenes, each dimension coexisting and battling for their right to the space. The worlds were at war and I worried that I might become a casualty.
Aria squeezed my shoulder before going forth into what I now considered a death trap. Once Aria disappeared, Kali wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer in reassurance. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."
I plunged forward into the icy chaos. The worlds continued to battle around me, but I remained untouched. While it was comforting that the worlds didn't flatten me like a pancake, I was terrified of the tunnel. It seemed that I descended, while my consciousness ascended. I knew they still had to be attached, because I could feel the ice merge with my bones, leaving behind a tingling numbness. My ears were assaulted by a bizarre mixture of nails on a chalkboard and the whistling sound of the air beating against the side of a building. Finally, everything stopped.
Nauseated, I squeezed my eyes closed, and gave in to my fear. I stood still, trembling and afraid to peek, but my efforts were useless. The loss of sight forced me to rely on my other senses, which was nearly as bad as seeing. I smelled the conflicting scents of lilacs, coal, and apples. I heard the shuffling of feet, and the sound of a leather as it brushed against an object. Ivy had w
orn a leather jacket in the clearing, which clued me in to where the sound of leather came from. A collage of throat clearing and a high-pitched laugh slipped through the cracks of the Hellhounds’ circle.
Opening my eyes, I saw that the Hellhounds were arranged in front of me. Three held patient and understanding expressions, but Ivy's contained irritation, and Bay seemed amused.
"Are you okay?"
My head snapped to look at Kali, forgetting for a moment that we had gone through the portal together. I was still in shock; my vision zoomed in and out, while my ears sang like a pod of whales.
"It takes some getting used to. The first few times are the hardest, but once your body has grown accustomed to the travel, you will hardly be aware of it." Kali smiled, and nodded towards the hallway behind her sisters. It was roughly ten feet high and seven feet across. The walls reminded me of a coal mine. Parts were smooth as stone, while other sections seemed fragile, crumbling at the slightest touch. The ceiling looked sturdier, and a bit like hardened lava.
Aria took my hand to pull me forward and Kali remained attached to my side, while the others parted for us to pass. The tunnel branched off into various sections, each with their own essence.
The opening to the first passage on the right was framed with a garland of flowers. Lustrous gold beading swayed through the ivy, connecting the various plants into a unified piece. As I approached the opening, the scent of lilacs opened into a warm caress, covering my body in the intoxicating aroma.
"This is my domain," Kali said with a proud expression. "We each have our own."
My brow furrowed. "Don't you mean bedroom?"
Aria laughed, "No, domain is a more ... let's just say that bedroom would not be adequate due to the size. You'll see."
After that, I walked the passage in silence, the Hellhounds pulled back to allow me the freedom to explore, going their separate ways down individual passages. My new home brought overwhelming feelings and a sense of relief. While I wouldn't call it ideal, the Hellhounds’ lair was more than I had expected. The lack of fire and demons made it seem heavenly.
I wondered where Death had disappeared to and prayed his absence meant that this wasn't his home, too. Continuing down the main passage, I passed many branches and wondered where they led. Pushing them from my mind, I decided to explore those areas later.
While the hallway looked as if I would meet a dead end, I found that it was a trick of the eye. Once I reached what should have been the end, I could see two narrow passages branching in either direction. They curved in a circular pattern before opening into a large chamber. If not for a frigid floor, ceiling, and walls, it could have been a cozy cottage.
Two doors as tall as the ceiling guarded the room. I grasped the cold iron rings that served as handles and strained to open them, but they must have been locked from the other side. Beside a fireplace was another set of doors made of stained oak, barely six feet tall. Walking through, I found a library larger than I could have imagined. It seemed that the never-ending walls were lined with books – an entire solar system of books. A floor glowed a calla lily-white, and the ceiling was a complex array of darkness and stars.
Transfixed by the mirage of stars, the scent of old parchment, and the luminosity of the floor, I moved slowly through the door. Afraid that this was only a dream, I grazed my fingers against the smooth surface of leather binding. This was the room of my dreams, a place where I could connect with the world and yet remain apart. To gaze on the same stars as everyone else, but curl up with a book and descend into a new life filled with adventure, friendships, and love.
"This is my favorite room too." Death's voice was husky, with a hint of fatigue. "Every book that was ever written, dreamed of, or planned is in this library. It's a collection of manuscripts that no other possesses."
I thought I heard a hint of pride in his tone. "How do you know all of them are here? Maybe you missed a few?"
I continued my path along the wall until I reached a window that made me pause. Outside was a garden of graceful beauty, captivating and alluring – but it had to be fake. We were in a coal mine. How could a garden or ceiling of stars exist in a coal mine?
The footsteps behind me grew louder with Death's approach until I was certain he was directly behind me. "I never miss anything."
Turning quickly, I flashed an arrogant smile. "You forgot me. You had no clue I existed. If you didn't know about me, how do you know there isn't a book rotting away somewhere that you haven't found?" I knew that I was purposefully antagonizing him, but something about him drew out the worst in me.
Death leaned forward until his eyes were a few inches away. Up close, I could see that his brown eyes weren't brown at all. His irises contained continuous spirals of color swimming within one another. While the brown dominated the other colors, I could make out hues of blue, green, and traces of gray.
"Now what makes you think I forgot about you?"
Something changed in the atmosphere, bringing with it a sense of danger, and an electric charge. Stepping back, my heel collided with the small ledge at the base of the window.
Death shook his head and belted out a laugh I never would have thought possible coming from him. His laughter was smothered as fast as it had begun. "Willow, I have a difficult time believing that anyone could forget you."
"That is not funny."
I pushed my palms against his chest, but he wouldn't move, keeping a rock-like stance with his head bowed. Almost black, his dark caramel hair hung loose around his face.
"I never said it was."
"What? Oh, you make no sense! If you're going to talk, can you at least try to be coherent?" I hadn't had much experience with men, but I was starting to understand why women spent so much time complaining about them.
Death sighed, causing my hair to tickle my cheek. "What do you see when you look out the window?"
His question left me off balance. Turning, I looked back out the window at the serene garden and felt a strong yearning. "Why?"
He stood too close to my back; his warmth seeped through my clothes to drive away the cold. "Just tell me," he whispered.
"I see a garden." His fingers moved my hair over to my left shoulder, leaving my right shoulder exposed. It was difficult to concentrate when fingers were tracing patterns against my sensitive flesh. "It's night, the moon is out, and yet the flowers are in bloom. What do you see?"
The tracing stopped and he looked through the window. I looked over my shoulder and into his eyes, watching as they changed from a swirling kaleidoscope into a lagoon blue.
"I see something I can never have." Death's eyes held mine for a moment before he turned to leave.
"Wait!" I wasn't sure I wanted him to stay, but I felt that it was wrong to leave on that note. "Why can't you have a garden?"
He turned to face me and spoke in a hushed tone. "The window doesn't show what is on the other side of the glass. Everyone sees something different when they gaze into it. I just wanted to know what you saw. I have always seen the same thing."
Death's strides seemed more determined as he left me to ponder his words. If everyone saw something different in the window, what did the view represent? Why did I see a garden? Confused, I walked into the common room and sat in a chair beside the fireplace. My body curled into a tight ball and I surrendered to the sleep it demanded.
I woke up with a stiff neck, cramped in unusual places. The fireplace had long since burnt down to embers, leaving the room colder than a winter night. I could imagine the golden leaves falling to the stone floor, coiling into fragile clones of themselves, only to be whisked away by the cleansing wind.
I felt abandoned, left in an unfamiliar environment without a real friend. The Hellhounds had each gone their own way without giving me the information I would need to maneuver in this new world. Where was my room? What time was breakfast? How could I create my own portal to leave through? I was filled with unanswered questions, though terrified that I might not like the answers.<
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I decided to forego the library, walking toward the main branches where I had seen the Hellhounds disperse. My movements were wary, chaotic, and fidgety. My fingers reached out to connect with everything: the walls, decor, coal. It didn't matter what the object was, I simply needed to remind myself that I was still stuck in this place, and that the world hadn't deleted me entirely.
"How was your first night?"
Bay leaned against the frame of the passage she’d disappeared through the night before. Her voice was a refreshing reprieve from my thoughts, as it removed the impurities within me, bringing with it a river of purity. A tide of dreams that came in waves of empathy sent comfort my way.
"Confusing. I didn't know where my room was so I slept in the room near the library." My shoulders lifted in a careless manner, but the truth was that I cared quite a bit.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"What? Oh, you mean the library?" Bay nodded. "It was perfection. I've never seen anything like it, but I still can't shake the feeling that I don't belong here and that I am not wanted."
Bay waltzed forward and gently grasped my hand to pull me forward. "Let me show you something."
We walked down her corridor while I marveled at the ingenuity of it all. On the surface, the Hellhounds’ lair seemed unimpressive, but beneath the dusty facade was a diamond. The walls of Bay's passage displayed works of art that had been etched into the stone and alcoves. Bay gave brief explanations about the purpose of each room, but I was more concerned with what lay at the end of the tunnel.
We stopped once and reached a wavering field of energy. The electric field encompassed the circumference of the corridor. Bay ignored the energized film, walking through it without hesitation, and I followed. Once through, I realized that what I had seen was, in fact, a doorway.