Queen of the Underworld | Book 3

• forty-one •

I rolled my sore shoulders and looked over at the breakfast table and frowned.

Julian usually kept it with him, far away from anyone to see but this morning he left it out on the table while he trained Leah outside.

I bit my lip.

The small pouch sat on its own on the table, inconspicuously. It almost looked like a small trinket, harmless.

But I knew better, I knew what was inside.

The emerald held Tianna's soul. And despite the numerous attempts to get any more information on it, it was futile.

Julian's contacts knew nothing more and any hope we had that it could help us or that we could free her, languished.

Maybe that was why Julian was so unhappy suddenly. Maybe he thought his contacts failed him and to an extent, he had too.

I moved to it and picked up the pouch.

It was heavy and large and I wondered how she could wear it for so long without having neck pain. I looked the pouch over. Nothing about it stood out.

I sighed again and untied the strings that kept it closed.

Tilting it on its side, the emerald bounced out and into my waiting palm.

It thrummed with energy in my hand.

I frowned as I looked it over. The energy was low, hollow like it had once held immense power but suddenly didn't.

It held a soul inside. Tianna was in there.

I watched the stone, transfixed. I held it before my eyes turning it in the light, trying to find what made it different from any other stone.

Before I didn't want to go near it but now as I stood in the kitchen, alone with no other options, I forced myself to see anything in the unsuspecting stone.

I looked at the light and how it curved around it just like any other stone. For a moment, I thought maybe it was just an ordinary emerald...

"Alteaza!"

I turned suddenly to the person that called me and froze.

Leah was flushed, her hair sticking to the sweat on her forehead from exhausted effort. She was beaming, in love with the fact that she was actually supporting the effort more effectively than before.

She had bumped into Julian who stopped suddenly in front of her to look at me.

My heart pained as I watched him at the threshold. The more in love I was with him, the more I felt the bargain keep me from reaching to me. There were so many unspoken words between us. I wanted to run to him and tell him everything but the damn bargain kept my feet from moving.

I looked away from him before he could see the tears well in my eyes. I worked quickly to put the emerald away in the pouch. "I came for breakfast." I cleared my throat. "How is it going with you two?"

Heavy footsteps retreated and when I looked up again it was only Leah standing in the doorway.

Julian didn't even say anything to me. I swallowed the knot that was starting to collect in my throat.

She smiled weakly. "Don't mind him," she said quietly. "He's been grumpy all morning." She looked at my empty hands. "What are you having for breakfast? There's cereal, I got some early this morning."

I turned towards the kitchen. "I'm waiting for my oatmeal in the micro-"

I stopped. I thought only seconds went by but when I looked back at the microwave, it was done.

I didn't even hear it when it stopped. I looked at the clock. I was late. Where did the morning go?

"I need to go," I mumbled, walking to the microwave.

Leah appeared on the other side of the microwave, blocking my way out of the kitchen.

Gods, no. I just wanted to leave, I didn't want to talk.

"Another meeting with Asmo?"

I wanted to roll my eyes but instead, I cleared my throat, trying to keep from crying in front of her. I couldn't handle any sympathy from anyone especially if I couldn't talk about what was happening to me. "He wants to meet twice a week. He wants to make sure we're prepared."

She nodded enthusiastically. "At least he's helped in one way. We found that you could take that man's power."

I opened the microwave and took out my mug but stayed quiet. When I had revealed that to them, they'd looked at each other in worry. Damien had never heard of something like that and Julian, oldest of us all, hadn't either.

She didn't seem deterred and that she wanted to keep talking about Asmo unsettled me. He didn't deserve to be talked about. "I'm sure he'll give us news soon."

I stirred the oatmeal with a clean spoon from the drawer. "I'm sure," I repeated. I gave her a small smile before spectering upstairs back to my room.

I set the mug down on the nightstand before throwing myself back on the bed. I grabbed my pillow, placed it over my face and screamed into it.

I hated him. Hated him.

Just when I thought I had control of my life...

I stood up from the bed guzzling down the oatmeal as quickly as I could so I could get the day over with. The worst of it all was that Julian was just a few feet away and he knew where I had to be.

I felt an overwhelming need to go to the Underworld. Immediately, I knew that the bargain was pulling me to the Underworld. Gods forbid I didn't mean Asmo when he called me. I gathered my strength and put on the familiar mask I wore around him. I didn't want to show my feelings towards him. I didn't want to show him that I felt nothing but disgust and anger towards him.

I wanted to show the opposite, actually.

I spectered to the Underworld, to my usual spot in the living room where Asmo and I met in his small apartment.

I stared daggers at his back as he stood on the balcony.

He looked like he was enjoying his morning view of Kingstown. And I hated him all the more.

"Good," he said without turning. "You're here." He turned casually, bending at the hip. "I hope you're rested, Alteaza." He gave a small smile and gestured to a small table between two leather armchairs. "We have somewhere we have to be tonight."

I looked at the stable and spectered the paper to my hand.

Once the heavy cardstock was in my hand I recognized it immediately. The glossy ink threw colors with the light.

"I've been invited to a costume ball. You will be my date."

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life's been kind of rough lately guys, not gonna lie. Writing hasn't been the same. But I'm still pushing through it and writing it all out. I hope to finish it really soon. If there's something I hate as a reader its an unfinished story (ahem, Night World series).

If the chapter doesn't make much sense, I'm going to put the blame on Wattpad. I've been trying very, very hard to work on these chapters both on the laptop and the app but I keep getting glitches. The chapter doesn't save, it deletes previous versions, it deletes text I typed out.... essentially, I gave up trying to write anything on here. I'm just gonna have to work out of google or something so that my stuff doesn't get deleted anymore.