Chapter Eleven
“What—what isn’t going well with Bea’s mother? What’s going on there?” Piper asked pushing Will aside with no regards to the demon in front of us.
“A battle has been started, and it seems your gorgon had secret allies in the Underworld that even I didn’t know about.” Angus waved a few of his black legs like a human would with their hand when referring to themselves.
Suddenly, he turned his black eyes to me. I stepped away as Will moved in front of me.
“I sicken you don’t I, little jinxed one?” His tone was curious. “Did you ever think that you sicken me?”
“Just tell us what you want us to do before we agree to your plan,” Will said moving completely in front of me.
I moved halfway out from behind him, wanting and not wanting to gaze at Angus. I couldn’t help it, and like staring at some bizarre newly found creature, I was curious as well as scared.
“Well, there is no agreeing, there is only executing. I’ve already got you where I want. I’ve made it to Iethia, and your Lyra is all that’s left of the original glass people. The rest have fallen or given into me. I would smote you out, but I’ve a use for you, and,” Angus leaned over gazing at me with his millipede head, “for your tag-a-long here.”
He then moved from the shadows as we stepped out of the way. Will pushed me behind him again warning me with his pale eyes to stay put. A curling of black smoke suddenly wrapped around Angus like a flash, and then, was gone. I expected Angus to have disappeared, but instead a man, tall and dark, stood in front of us smiling. His curly black hair glistened, and his neon blue eyes shone with daringness.
“Does this form make you less sick, jinxed one?” Angus’s voice was the same, but his appearance was human. “I saw this image on a romance book I got the pleasure of reading one time out of boredom. If I knew how willingly human women were, I would have encountered them in a different way,” he said with a chuckle.
“Now, my entourage of two demons and a fairy,” he said quickly glancing at Piper with darkening eyes. “And jinxed, you are my main player.” His eyes slid to me. “I want Eve as dead as much as you do. And once that’s accomplished, you can have your gorgon back along with Lyra.”
“What about Iethia?” Will stood taller staring at Angus who grinned back at him. “We help you, and you release your hold on it.”
“Well, that’s very amusing, but I’ve so much invested into Iethia that I’m not going to give it up. What do you think this is? Negotiation isn’t an option here.” Angus glared at Will standing inches from his face. “Do you understand, glass prince?” he said with disgust.
Will glared at Angus.
“Good, I’m taking your no reply as understanding to the situation, but you really didn’t have another choice, and going willingly will be much easier on you.” Angus took a step away from Will looking at him as if summing him up. “Now you see, that’s a princely decision—know when you’re defeated, and cooperate.”
“When this is over…”
“Yes, if you still want to fight, I’m game, but you’ll only weaken yourself and die from exhaustion.” Angus smiled, and then gazed down at me. “Here’s the plan. Jinxed and I will go into the Underworld, retrieve the trident, and kill Eve—making sure she is dead.” He nodded towards me, and then stepped closer to Will. “As you know now, the trident isn’t instant, and to kill something with it takes a little more than just physically using it as your once leader found out.” Angus curled his lips into an amused smile as Will stiffened clenching his fists. “If not done properly, you only piss off what you stabbed with it, and then they will come after you full force.” He stepped back with a giddy smile towards Will. He folded his arms as the shadows in the hallway lengthened and reached out for Angus like long tentacles.
Veins of blackness curled over his shoulders running down the front of his shirt like ink. Turning his attention to me, Angus’s eyes danced with blue flames. The evil charm had evaporated, and his venomous stare was cold—like a reptiles. Angus grabbed onto my arm pulling me close to his hard cool body that was like slamming into a block of ice. The black tentacles ribbon around me, binding me to Angus. I could feel my body heat being sucked out, causing my skin to go numb.
The black void had opened as if something had ripped a hole in the wall. Will desperately reached for me, but it was too late. Angus was quick, and everything happened in the matter of seconds. The black smoke quickly engulfed us as I could hear Piper’s screams and see Will’s image fade with the thickening darkness.
The next thing I saw was black rocks jetting out from the walls and the familiar smell of smoke. We were in the Underworld. Angus had let go of me, and I hoped he stayed in human form.
“This way jinxed, and do hurry, Eve is winning, and I want her daughter alive.” His blue eyes glowed brilliantly in the darkness.
I followed Angus wondering if this was the same area I was at earlier. At least I could see and didn’t have to depend on Angus to guide me.
“What do you expect me to do—kill Eve.” I asked not being serious.
“Yes,” he replied following some pathless trail through the stalagmites.
I shook my head wondering if I was dealing with an insane arch demon. How could I possibly kill Eve?
“Does that surprise you?” He asked after a few moments of me wondering why.
“Yes, to tell you the truth, it does.” I stopped, and stood in a narrow passage that led to a larger one. Angus stopped and turned to me when he realized I hadn’t followed. “Why me? You have a glass prince, an entity, fairy, and who knows what else that can help you. I’m just a human.” I shifted my weight onto my left foot and readied myself to run. The passage was narrow, I was small, and Angus was tall now. It would take him longer to catch up with me.
“Yes, you’re human, but that’s not all. You’re jinxed, and I know you have somewhat of an idea what that means, but you don’t know entirely.” He stayed where he was at gazing with his blue glowing eyes. “That coin was meant for you as far as I’m concerned, not that store clerk,” he said with a sour voice. “In the end, I had the upper hand on the coin, not the guardians or Eve.” His voice was confident.
I discreetly took a step back as Angus studied me with his piercing eyes.
“Well,” he said rolling his eyes. “Would you like me to tell you more, or are you just going to run and make me chase you? I can outrun your human legs, jinxed or not.” He folded his arms across his chest after motioning for me to come closer. “Like I said, I’ve a use for you, and I’m not letting you go, not this close.”
I knew I had no choice, and I didn’t know my way around through the passages, I was stuck with Angus. I stepped into the large opening that had glowing jagged rocks overhead that pulsated with light. A slight breeze brushed across my face, and smelled of something rotten.
Angus then sat down, looked up at me, and smiled as he patted the ground beside him inviting me to join. I hesitated, and stood where I was.
“I’m not trying to make this hard on you.” His eyes glistened at me.
“You’re a demon, and hate humans, why would you care if this was hard on me or not?”
Angus shook his head agreeing, “Yes, I am a demon, but you’re not totally human yourself.” He smiled widely at me. Not human—he’s lying or trying to trick me. I stared coldly at him, I wasn’t a fool. “Thought that might get your attention,” he said patting the ground beside him again. “Please sit, we’ve got time anyhow…have to wait until the sun sets in the Underworld before we can sneak in.”
I sat, but not next to him.
Angus clasped his hands on a bent knee in a very human way, and gazed at me with his twinkling blue eyes as if studying me. I looked away trying to conjure an escape plan in my head—I was caught, but I wasn’t about to give up.
“Eliza Thorn,” he said my name catching my att
ention. “I saw you and knew who you were before,” he waved his hands through the air, “any of this happened.” He set his eyes on me. “You have a long ancestry with the enchanted community, and don’t even know the power you’re capable of. Pity.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a good thing I found you before the coin did, otherwise, you’d be subject to Eve’s little plan.”
I rubbed my hand over my arm as Angus took notice.
“That initiation coin was initially meant for the little store clerk, but it would have drove her mad until she found the trident, and brought it to Eve—that was Eve’s plan anyhow. I, being able to travel to the Lightworld and Underworld, allowed me to sabotage her plan. I put my mark on it which in turn, bound you to me as well.”
“Bound—?” I shook my head.
Angus set his eyes on me, leaned closer towards me, and smiled. “Yes, you are bound to Eve, the guardianship—can’t get rid of any of their spells, and…to me.” He sat back looking at me. “Only, I’m willing to help you, and a very rare opportunity to be offered by an arch demon—as you humans call us.”
“I don’t want any of you, and you don’t control me.” I stood up wishing I could cut off the stupid tattoo.
“That’s fine, you don’t have to want any of us, and we don’t control your every move.” Angus stayed sitting looking at me with his magnetic blue eyes. “You are bound by service, that is, if the one who bound you is still alive.” Angus motioned with his hands and eyes all around the room. “Once dead, they no longer ‘control you’ as you call it, and that’s the only way out.”
I took in a deep breath turning away from Angus wishing Will was here. I wanted him to save me, but he can’t get to me here in the Underworld, I was on my own with an arch demon that I was bound to.
“Are you ready, jinxed? The sun is just about on the other side of the Underworld.” Angus asked standing behind me. “Time to rid ourselves of a common enemy.”
I followed behind Angus through a maze of charred crumbling rocks that twisted and turned until we reached a much larger opening. The air was fresher here, and I thought I could hear the sound of crickets. We stood behind a tall pillar of stone that was smooth and looked like it had been carved with intricate designs. Suddenly, the ceiling lightened, and a glowing yellow-orange globe appeared as if hidden behind a curtain.
“They’re turning the lights on,” I said more to myself, but got the attention of Angus.
He looked up at the glowing disk, and then back at me with raised eyebrows.
“That would be a moon,” he said, not amused, and then peered back into the blackness.
I looked up at it wondering how a moon could be in the Underworld.
“There are two of them, and be grateful they’re both not out, or we’d have hardly any cover at all. This is bad enough.” Angus whispered.
I gazed up at the moon and could see puffy clouds framing it that slowly melted into the blackness that shrouded everything. The moon looked exactly like the one I’ve watched and stared at so many times at night. If I didn’t know I was in the Underworld, I’d guess to be anywhere on Earth.
Angus suddenly grabbed hold of my wrist, and without thinking, I let out a slightly loud gasp as I pulled away from him. His blue eyes glowed angrily at me. I then heard noises echoing in the distance.
He pushed me back, and then disappeared. I didn’t move, and tried to force my eyes to see through the dark shadows as to what might be there. I thought of calling out for Angus, but knew something more than Angus might hear me. Instead, I tried to make myself as small as possible still trying to make out shadows, when, without warning, something yelped followed by a growl.
All of my muscles tightened, and then could hear footsteps quickly coming my way. I then remembered I had the scepter in my pocket yet. I fumbled with my pockets frantically trying to get it out as the footsteps approached my hiding spot.
The small disk kept slipping through my sweaty palms as a giant shadow loomed over me with thousands of tiny thorns sticking out from its sides. I stumbled to my feet flicking the scepter until it opened ripping through my coat still stuck in my pocket.
“Please…” I begged as the shadow turned into a human silhouette.
“To think, you’re going to kill the Queen of the Underworld,” Angus said pulling my hand from the scepter, and closing the scepter with a flick of his hands. “Good thing I can handle Fae made swords, because I don’t think you can.”
I rubbed my hand realizing something wet was covering it.
“You’re bleeding, and I can smell it.” Angus began to gag. “Here,” he said taking my hand and pouring something wet over it. “Whatever you do don’t scream because the scent is strong enough to draw attention.” He looked at me as he covered his face like he was trying to not breathe in smoke.
The liquid burned like fire, and I tightly closed my eyes letting myself internally scream until the burning stopped. My hand shook as I held it in front of me. There was no sign that a gash had been there, except for the lingering sting that was fading slowly.
Angus gazed down at me with his glowing blue eyes so human like, that I could easily forget the creature he really was. “Thanks,” I barely whispered.
He nodded. “Not all demons are bad, are they jinxed?” Angus tugged on my hand, and we ran through the openness to the cover of something that was long and stringy hanging over our heads. It brushed against my face tickling my nose, and seemed to be getting denser the farther we went.
“Eve has practically destroyed the Underworld. Everything serves her here, even the two imps I had to kill.” He drew in a deep breath. “Those are the innocent ones, but are gone now.”
“You mean like the imps in the alley the night you attacked me.” Angus stopped suddenly turning to me.
“I wasn’t the one that attacked you, like I said; I have many doubles that I can’t speak for their manners.” He then pushed on through the stringy forest.
“Can’t speak for their manners?” I repeated. “They tried to kill me.”
“Good thing a glass prince was there to rescue you then,” he said with amusement. “Come on, before the forest awakes.” He pointed upwards with his thumb.
I slowly tilted my head back, and peering down at me were hundreds of gray-green faces all withered and wrinkled. Large, pointed, warty noses jetted out towards me like knives, and tiny, unblinking, beady eyes stared down with hollow expressions. Silver hair hung between the bouquets of dead faces all staring lifelessly at me.
I wanted to run as I pushed their hair off of me. Angus quickly grabbed me and jerked me into his face.
“They are cave dwarves. Nothing to worry about, I have them for lunch all the time, and they won’t bother me or anyone in my company. Got it?” His voice was stern, and I nodded my head. “Good,” he said pulling me closer with his hand clenched around my wrist.
“Where are we going?” I whispered shifting my eyes from the ground to the cave dwarves overhead as we walked.
“To the City of Lights,” Angus said turning with a half-smile. “You’ll like it there—mimics a human city, but built by us scary demons.” His voice for a moment was light hearted as we cleared the stringy haired forest of dwarves.
“Watch your step,” he said as the pathway turned more into a series of catwalks linking randomly over a pool of glowing green water.
“What’s this place?” I asked and Angus let out a sigh.
“I’m not a tour guide, but it seems like I’m turning into one.” He stopped and had me walk in front of him. “These pools contain acid that would dissolve you down to your bones in the matter of seconds, but nicely exfoliate some demon skins. Considered a spa for us and a death trap for humans, it’s used a lot by the wealthy in this ritzy part of the Underworld.”
I shook my head, and smiled to myself.
“I bet you thought demons lived in pools of fire, enjoyed tormenting
humans, and ran around poking pitch forks in each other’s rears just for fun, didn’t you?” He stopped as we stood on a wide section of pathway surrounded by the glass-like green pool of acid.
I started to say something when I looked into Angus’s eyes. I know his appearance was only a mask, and a millipede demon lived just under the shell. I could clearly see it as I gazed into his abnormally vivid blue eyes. I could see his personality as if he’d invited me into his world, and, he maybe wasn’t what I’d ever pictured a demon to be.
“You humans call us demons, think we are after you, trying to control you, and guide you into a life of evil doing. You thought wrong. What of the actions of humans, who cheat, lie, steal, and kill each other—sometimes just for fun or over ridiculous things. Humans don’t need any demon guidance or influence…they act on their own just fine.” He peered into the still pool that reflected his image. “I’ve seen a lot, Eliza Thorn, and sometimes, it’s the demons who are less of a demon, and humans who should be called such.”
“But you killed Rosie, and she was a good person!” My voice echoed off the cave walls filled with rage, and I repressed the tears that stung the corners of my eyes.
I let my stare pierce Angus as he smiled, amused at my anger. “Ah, jinxed, it appears that way, but, did you really know Rosie? Up until you stumbled into her secret life, you only knew her at that little beacon of hope called the Salvation Army. There was much more to her, and yes she tried to kill me, but I didn’t plan on killing her. I try to use all I can out of things, and often keep them for a later use. It’s only if they get in the way do I eliminate them. Like I said before, I have many doubles, and I can’t speak for their actions.”
“It’s an excuse for what you do!” I yelled.
I stood gazing at Angus, waiting for him to speak, but he didn’t. He stepped away with his unblinking sapphire eyes steady on me. I could slowly see his color fade, almost like someone was erasing it. His appearance slowly melted from human to the black-eyed, many-legged, and twisted body of an insect that I loathed to look at. I moved away in disgust as Angus lowered his head to my level.
“I may look like a demon in your eyes, but it’s the humans that look like it on the inside.” His voice slithered like snakes around me.
“So true, but it took a long time for you to realize it,” said Eve who stood smiling at us with the demon trident swinging back and forth between her pinched fingers. “Look what I have, darling.” Her voice teased as Angus hissed.
Eve jolted into the air with a gleeful, but evil tinged laugh. She had the trident, and now the only thing that could kill her.
“If you want out of here, use the sword. It will sting her enough to get the trident. Go!” Angus commanded with his dark, round, beady eyes reflecting the flames Eve expelled from the trident.
She twirled and looped through the air almost like she didn’t have a care in the world. Eve hummed to herself as her slick black wings whooshed through the air. She then stopped, twisted her head towards me as I expelled the Fae sword.
She scowled, showing her white teeth, and then darted at me like an angry wasp. I ducked, and she missed me, but not Angus. He landed into the pool of acid. A few drops splattered on my arm, and I screamed rubbing my forearm vigorously on my pants.
Angus lifted himself out with his black body steaming, and leaving behind a hollow shell. He looked at me, then back at shell as his many legs moved back and forth like a row of dominos stacked closely together.
“I’m exfoliated,” he said in a calm voice as Eve’s laughter echoed. “Now fight!”
Eve charged at me again and this time, as if the sword was acting on its own, I twirled ducking at the same time with the sword overhead. I heard her scream, and could see a rip in her skin-tight black pants. I stood holding the sword in front of me as Eve’s eyes grew with angry flames.
“I’m done playing games, and done with you being my retriever!” She hovered in midair, expelled her wings in full, and snapped her pointed tail in the warm air. “Time for you to die,” she said in a low voice I could barely hear.
With her fanged teeth, jet black hair, and extended claws, Eve darted towards me as I raised the sword in front of me. It burned the air with blue sparks, and I could feel a sudden connection to it, like it was an extension of me. Eve let out a yell as she came closer with her eyes focused solely into mine. This time, I didn’t duck, but swung at her trying to aim for her neck. I missed horribly as I heard a cracking sound behind my head.
It felt as though my back had caught fire, and I dropped the sword letting it bounce to the pool of acid. It was swallowed with a thousand bubbles, and hissing smoke, my only weapon was gone. Eve landed in front of me as I whimpered in pain. She smiled, crossed her arms, and slid her eyes over to her sharp tipped tail dangling between her and me. It dripped with black liquid. Eve extended her finger wiping it, and then licked the black substance with her forked tongue.
“I love my poison mixed with that of human blood.” She laughed gazing at me with enjoyment. “It’s absolutely delicious, oh, and don’t worry, my poison works very quickly, but unfortunately, painfully.” Her eyes burned with tiny slits as she began to laugh.
I gingerly touched the back of my neck, and felt a large bump oozing with hot blood. I could feel my heart race that pumped the poison through me. I dropped to my knees feeling sick. My vision began to blur, and all that I could hear was the sound of Eve’s taunting laughter and voice as everything faded around me. I wondered where Angus was, when suddenly, Eve stopped laughing, and she lurched over, grasping her stomach.
I tried to focus my eyes as she began to growl, and struggled to stand upright. Black, stringy, and oozing liquid expelled from her mouth. She coughed and sputtered trying to wipe the substance away.
I pushed myself up, watching her, and trying to stay conscience. Eve managed to pull herself up, and staggered towards me with her black slime covered mouth curling into a scowl raising the trident over her head. Her eyes filled with fire mixing with hatred.
I lifted my trembling hand in protection, when suddenly, a flash darted behind Eve causing her to fall face first to the ground. The trident flung from her hand landing with a clank to the ground.
Eve lay in a heap of blackness. Her wings had fallen off and crumbled like stone. She slowly lifted her head, and peered at me with her fire-filled angry eyes.
“Here!” Angus’s hand, the human one, latched onto the trident dropping it in front of me. “Kill the gorgon!” He yelled holding his smoking burnt hand that was scarred with the imprint of the curled design of the trident.
“Now!” He repeated as I looked from his hand to him.
I had no choice, and the trident was my only weapon now. I grabbed it wondering if it would scald me as well, and readied myself for the initial burn. It didn’t, and felt very cool to my touch. When I first saw the trident, I thought it would be heavy, but it wasn’t. It was amazingly light, and like the Fae sword, I could feel its pull, as if it was another extension of me.
Eve was a pile of bubbling blackness that was slowly withering. I staggered towards her, and gazed down at her. She looked up at me like a dying injured animal. Only her eyes contained any strength.
“Kill her now before she regains power!” Angus commanded.
I could feel the trident vibrate in my hand, almost like it wanted her dead too. She screamed out, and raised her hand in one last effort before I planted the trident into her head with a crack. Internally I was shaking; externally I looked like a warrior killing an enemy. My mind raced, and I think I was solely operating on adrenaline. I could see the black liquid come to the surface of her broken skull pooling beside her just like in a bad horror movie. I wished it was a movie that I could turn off, but knew it was all too real.
My hand began to tremble, and I felt nauseated as I looked down at Eve trying to move. She wasn’t totally dead yet. I gasped, pull
ing the trident out, and stepping away from her. The weapon dripped with her blood, and splattered to the parched ground.
Eve’s body quickly transformed to stone then crumbled piece by piece falling into a pile before turning slowly to dust. I stood watching, and realized I had just killed the Queen of the Underworld, only she wasn’t done yet. The last thing of her to turn to dust was her tail that thrashed through the air wildly trying to cling to life. I stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over my own feet, when suddenly, as if it had radar, Eve’s arrow tipped tail curled around my ankle and jerked hard. I lost my balance, and realized I was falling right into the green pool of acid.