Forbidden (A Luke Castellan Love Story)

Chapter 90

I looked over at him, meeting his eyes. "No one has ever made it back from the Underworld." I reminded, my voice shaking slightly.

Luke rubbed my hand reassuringly. "We'll be the first."

My head turned back to the door, still doubting. He sensed my doubt and stood in front of me, his arms around my wait. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"What if we don't make it back?" I pressed, the fear clearly in my voice.

He hugged me, burying his face in my neck. "Then at least I'll be there with you."

Finally the weight seemed to lift from my shoulders from his sweet words as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close and smilingly. "Thank you." I whispered, inhaling his scent.

Rather than responding, he simply hugged me a little tighter then pulled away, kissing my cheek, linking arms with me. "Come on, Thalia will be waiting."

I gave a silent nod then followed him into the building. It wasn't what I imagined at all, walking in was a small entry took with a large sign that took me some time to read but I finally made it out as "NEWLY DEAD? COME GET CHECKED IN, JUST WALK TO THE END OF THE HALL, TAKE RIGHT AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE!"

No one was in the room which made me uneasy. Muzak music could be heard faintly, almost like elevator music. Luke and I looked at each other, then the sign, then started down the hall.

We passed about five different rooms that we passed, waiting rooms from the looks of it. Lots of people crowded the rooms but no one moved or spoke. Luke and I had trouble trying not to stare because if you looked at one of the people directly, they seemed to disappear but from the corner of your eye, you could see them.

"They're spirits." I guessed, knowing that's how Grey looked when she went transparent, but unlike these people, I could see her.

Luke nodded, frowning. "They look miserable."

I gave a sad nod, agreeing, my heart breaking as I saw small children sitting alone. People of every age sat in the waiting rooms and it broke my heart to think that all of these people had died.

Giving me a nudge, Luke gave me a sympathetic look and intertwined our hands. I shook myself from the depressing thoughts and allowed him to lead me to the main lobby room,down the long hallway.

About halfway, we paused, hearing fighting down the hall. Luke and I gave each other a panicked look before running towards the yelling, knowing exactly who was the cause.

"Thalia!" Luke yelled when we entered the main lobby and saw Thalia arguing with a tall dark skinned man in nice suit with sunglasses, though I didn't think the sun shone down here. He had a permanent scowl on his face, though he seemed calm, but obviously annoyed as Thalia continued to speak her mind to him. Heading her name, Thalia turned we head sharply to us, her eyes burning and her nostrils flared.

"He won't let me in." She growled, jerking her thumb at the man in the suit.

"As I've told you before," he stated in an annoyed and bored tone, his accent was hard to place, not quite American, but not quite something else. "only the dead can enter the Underworld and you..." He looked her up and down. "Are most certainly not dead...." His face darkened, "yet."

Luke and I suddenly gave a look of worry to each other, realizing we had forgotten that. No one would want to let us in if we weren't dead.

"No, no we all died." I assured him hurriedly, praying I sounded believable. .