Bite Me

Chapter 9: Descend and Ascend

The feeling of entering the dark tunnel, lit only by torches hanging on the black walls, sends tingles throughout my body. "I've got goosebumps." I whisper, looking at Devin as he leads me down the winding steps.

"I remember my first time coming down here. I got the tingles too. Of course I didn't have to walk down the stairs, Hades just brought me to his castle." He sounds like he's excited again, and I know it's because we finally made it into the mountain.

"We made it." My voice is filled with surprise. I honestly didn't think I'd make it this far.

"I told you we would. Maybe after this you'll trust me more." He grins in the dim light, the shadows on his face making him look a little sinister. His eyes glow more in the torchlight than they did when he was on fire.

"Maybe after this you'll admit that you don't actually know best. If I recall correctly, I'm the one whose plan actually got us here." I tease, feeling like I'm floating. I can't even feel the soreness in my body that was bugging me before.

"Ok, you got me there. That whole situation is probably why you're the chosen one. You looked at it from a different point of view, which is what this world needs." He sighs, suddenly worried again.

"What's the matter?" I ask, immediately catching on to his worried look and tone.

"Back at the lake, I thought I was dying. I've been alive for so long, that I guess I forgot I could still die. It was a scary reminder, but one that I will always keep in mind. This isn't about me anymore; this is about our family. They deserve to not live in fear like I did for so many centuries." He lets out a sigh again, his face falling into a frown. "I will die one day, but not any time soon."

"You better not die. You still have to help me through this." I'm surprised at the tightening of my throat at the thought. The thought of losing my brother, even if we haven't known each other long, stings.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I promise. Under your supervision we should all live long fulfilling lives." He pats me lightly on the back and I fall silent. There's a light at the end of this tunnel, and it's finally coming into view. My heart starts to race as we get closer, and Devin must feel the nervous energy emanating from me. "Are you ready for this?"

"I am ready. More ready than I've ever been. I can't wait to see the Underworld. To see our siblings." I pause, wondering about our father again. "Will he be there?"

"Dad? Yes, he will. We haven't left since the massacre. That includes dad." He pulls up short as I come to a complete stop. "What's wrong?"

"This is what I've been waiting for my whole life. I know that now, after seeing the veil lift. I spent the first 18 years of my life worried and alone, because I knew deep down inside, I didn't belong out there." I say it quietly, as if someone on the outside could be listening.

"So why are we stopping then? Don't you want to see your home?" Devin sounds more confused than anything. I'm not sure how to begin to describe this new fear coming over me. I spent the last few days so focused on surviving and the impending war I'm meant to lead, I haven't had much time to think about the rest of my siblings there, and the trial waiting for me.

"What if I'm wrong? What if you're wrong? What if I fail the trials? What if they don't like me?" I abruptly stop speaking, and Devin gives me a curious look.

"You are crazy if you think they won't like you." Devin tries to sound sympathetic, but I can instantly hear the discomfort in his voice at my emotional display. I laugh, and a bewildered look crosses his face.

"Man, you really hate emotions huh? What happened to you?" My tone is teasing, but I can sense he has a lot of demons surrounding his human emotions. His inability to really talk about them without getting overwhelmed made that obvious.