Forever Yours

Chapter Thirty-Three

Walking with her hand in his, Makaria glanced around. Tumbleweeds rolled past them, jumping over rocks and other fallen objects. There was hardly any trees, and the ones that were there were dead or dying. Nothing green grew in the landscape of dirt, no leaves on the trees nor grass to run through. It made her a little sad to know that nothing would grow there, not without her mother's help anyways.

Her mind went back to the lush gardens behind Hades's study walls. The way the flowers bend towards the unforgiving false sun, the ripe fruit growing on the green trees, and the way the grass felt under her bare feet. Makaria knew the sun wasn't real, but it felt so real that she could forgive that one oversight. She also knew that those gardens had come at a great price, both to her mother and father, in order for them to get something to grow in the land of the dead. 

A smile graced her lips when her mind drifted back to just a few hours ago as she pulled a hesitant Thanatos through the same gardens, their footfalls running down the gravel pathway. She knew, as well did Thanatos, that if they had just ran through the flower beds, her mother would have killed them. Besides her daughter, Persephone was very protective of her flower beds.

Something wasn't right, that much she knew. If Makaria remembered right from her school history class, Hecate was one of the most powerful witches in the history of the world. If she couldn't find her father and the others, then perhaps they weren't meant to be found. In her mind, that meant they were dead. Makaria wasn't about to even cater to that thought. Her father was alive, as were her grandparents.

"Where are we?" Quinn asked from behind them. He and Kaethe walked a few feet behind but close enough not to lose sight of Thanatos. Quinn was worried they'd get lost forever in the Underworld, never to be found and would starve to death. It wasn't a way he was wanting to go out. "Are we lost? We're lost, aren't we? Because I could have sworn we've passed by that exact same tree like ten times now."

Thanatos didn't say anything, just kept walking. Quinn eyed him, wondering if the sun had gotten to him and made him mute. Letting go of Kaethe's hand, he jogged up to the other couple and put his hand on Thanatos's shoulder. "Bro... did you hear me? I think we're lost."

Stopping, Thanatos sighed; his shoulders sagging from under the pressure of keeping everyone safe. He turned around and looked at Quinn, his blueberry colored eyes tired. "Yes, I heard you. No, we are not lost. We're almost there, actually," he responded with. Running a hand through his dark hair, Thanatos glanced around. "In about another twenty to thirty feet, there should be an opening in the landscape. Like something cut through the air. That's the entrance to Tartarus."

"And we go through it?" Kaethe asked as she walked towards them.

Thanatos nodded. "Yes," he replied. "Since you're mortal, you'll have to go first while Makaria and I wait. If one of us goes through it first, it'll close and you'll be stuck out here in the wasteland."

Taking a deep breath, Kaethe nodded her head as she took the lead up front. They walked for a few more minutes, the not knowing getting on Quinn's nerves. He was just about to say something when a shimmer in the air caught his eye.

Squinting, he looked again but didn't see anything. Great, I want out of here so badly that now I'm seeing things, he said silently to himself as he ran a hand over his face before removing his baseball cap and swiping the sweat off his forehead. Putting his cap back on his head, he adjusted it and took a deep breath. The air shimmered again, and Quinn knew this time he wasn't seeing things.

Reaching out, he watched with wide eyes as his hand went through a small silt in the air, disappearing. "Um... Guys?" he called out as he pulled his hand back, checking to make sure all five fingers were still there. He turned his head to see that no one had noticed him nor heard him. "Guys?!"