I return to my room feeling as though it's already been invaded. Castiel's words are echoing back at me. I immediately take a bath and take a bath, scrubbing my skin red and raw. I want to be with Xavier right now, his body pressed against mine, oblivious to the rest of the world. But things don't work like that. I'm a Princess, and this Princess doesn't get what she wants.
I don't think I can eat, but I have to. I order a servant to bring me a bottle of soda, and way too much food. Chicken Alfredo. Crab meat. Doritos. Chocolate. My buffet sounds disgusting because it is disgusting. But I can't help it. I don't know how long I've been in those dungeons, but that loaf of bread didn't cut it, and I'm hungry.
When my feast is finished and I can't stomach another bite, I leave my room to roam around. . . I can't remember where the Infirm is exactly, but I wander the corridors late into the night until I find it.
The Infirm smells of blood and antiseptic. I almost gag. The Infirmary is a long, hospital-like wing, with rows and rows and rows of endless cots. There is a desk in the center of the room, and nurses and doctors being dispatched to certain beds. There are curtains that can cover the bed for privacy if wanted.
Angelique and Delaney will be here. But will they keep the crazies with the injured? Faintly, I wondered if Castiel stuffed Delaney into another prison, one with four spongey walls.
But as soon as I thought of it, that's when I saw her.
Someone nearby screams. Doctors rush to the cot, not paying me any mind, not caring that I'm not within visiting hours. I head straight for Lainey, who's hands are strapped to the bed. She narrows her eyes at me as I approach.
I sit down on the empty cot opposite hers, and for the first few minutes, I let my eyes wander. "If you're looking for Angelique, she's farther down," Lainey narrows her eyes at me. "Come here to gloat, have you?" Her eyes are rimmed with red. She narrows her eyes at me.
"You locked me in the dungeon I got you out of. I'll gloat if I fucking want to gloat." I leaned forward. "Tell me what happened."
Delaney narrows her eyes, and looks away. "I had a nightmare. I thought I was back in my cell, and I didn't know where I was. Castiel couldn't deal with me, so the guards had to."
I laugh. "Meanwhile, your boy toy asked me to be Queen of the Underworld."
Lainey narrows her eyes. "You're lying."
"Do I really have a reason to lie to you?" I lean forward. "Start groveling at my feet. Find a way to get my Xavier out of punishment, and I won't accept Castiel's proposal." I wouldn't accept anyway, but I don't want to see Castiel anymore hurt than he already is.
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
"You tell me. You planned your escape from a dungeon cell. How about a grand master plan from the infirm by tomorrow morning?"
Delaney rolls her eyes. "Don't be so coy, Caverly. You know I had help."
I lift my shoulders in a small shrug. "Well, I suppose if you can't, well — "
"You're going to get Xavier sent to Tartarus," Lainey spits. Her eyes narrow. She tries to sit up, but she can't. "Love doesn't exist here! You'll get him sent to Tartarus! I'll drag him with me if I have to. I'll plunge a knife in his chest. You won't marry Castiel, you bitch. Xavier will pay the price. He'll face his worst fears, he'll — "
Turns out, I didn't go entirely unnoticed. A woman in white, with a pin up hairstyle approaches me uneasily. She plunges a filled syringe into Lainey's neck. "Ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to leave. You're disturbing the patients."
"No! No! No!" Delaney wails, flailing around on the bed, and when the needle digs into her skin, she goes completely still. Her eyes roll to the back of her head, and she sleeps.
I don't have to be told twice.
Without much of a choice, I return to my room a little disappointed. Between now and tomorrow morning, Lainey will be out cold on her medication. She can't convince Castiel. Nobody can, and I can't say that I blame him. Xavier and I killed his parents. We killed the gods that killed millions before them. We got ourselves into this mess. We should be able to get ourselves out.
But we can't.
I really want to know what Castiel has in store for tomorrow morning. I already visited the bath house, the infirm, a small stop at the library. I don't have my all access card anymore, and only the gods know where that could be now. I didn't have much of a choice but to stay here.
I know why Castiel left Xavier in that cell with Oscar. If he hadn't, I would've helped him escape. I wouldn't have let him get hurt. I wouldn't have allowed him to face his worst fears.
My worst fears.
I manage to catch a wink of sleep. I have nightmares. Flashbacks. I could feel the heat from the lake of fire. Xavier's touch. Hades booming, deep voice telling us that our touch is forbidden. I dreamt of Tartarus, and Xavier screaming. In the morning, someone woke me up by touching me on the shoulder.
"You always were a restless sleeper," It was Anna, and she brought in a food cart behind her. "Castiel has important news. Get ready, meet him in the Dungeon in an hour."
Anna turned to go and pretended like her betrayal never happened. "You don't get to walk away," I snap. "What have I ever done to you? What have I done that made you — "
"The reason I'm dead," She grit through her teeth. "is because of you. So, don't go acting all innocent."
This is about Tyler? Even in the afterlife, Anna still thinks I want his cock. Last I checked, Tyler is still alive, unfortunately alive and heroine-addicted. It helps him numb the pain of what he's done. Ridiculous shit. And this was about Tyler? If only she knew. "You got yourself involved with Tyler Morganstern. That's what got you killed. I warned you he was bad news, didn't I?"
"You said he was bad news because you screwed him before I did." Anna turns away. "He wanted you, but didn't want to break my heart, so he broke me instead."
So, she found out. Tyler and I had sex — "that was before you even knew him. He's now a heroin addict with two kids. I wanted nothing to do with Tyler, and you — you were my best friend. I would have saved you if I could have."
Anna studies my face, narrows her eyes and tilts her head. She crosses her arms over her chest, and bites her lip, a habit she does when she knows she's wrong. "Good luck today, Princess. You're gonna need it."
"Anna, the real reason why you betrayed me. There's more to it than just Tyler."
"You were always better than me in competition. Any competition. You didn't stop until you got the gold. And here we are, again. I am a servant, can you imagine the humiliation? Serving this suave, sexy, spoiled prince and his family. And hey, here comes Ariel Caverly and more people we must wait on hand and foot, any time of the day. But you? You being here surprised me more than anything. And now you love a servant while the prince wants to marry you: you are not the girl I knew all those years ago."
"You're right. I'm better."
Anna left without another word, eyes narrowed and quiet. Bitter.
I tried to focus on breakfast, eating the eggs, and if Anna poisoned them, I would already be dead. Right? I lost my appetite. My stomach growled in protest. It's almost time. I found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I brush my hair and my teeth, and stall for as long as I can.
When I can't pace my bedroom any longer, I wait outside the dungeon for Castiel. The hours get later and later, and I'm left wondering where the hell Castiel is. I'm hungry and should have eaten breakfast, but I'll stick this out.
Castiel graces us with his presence near nightfall. He grins when he sees me. "Ready for the party to start? I had to get things in order for us all." He gestures to the guards. "Get them. Let's go."
The guards move down the stairs, their boots loud and stomping against the cement. I knew without a doubt that Lainey would not have been able to help. Instead, I promised myself not to throw myself at Xavier when he comes upstairs.
Both Oscar and Xavier look a little beaten up. The left side of Xie's face was a little swollen, and still bloody, as if Oscar had hit him. Repeatedly. "Xavier!" His name on my lips. I wanted to get to to him, but the guards were blocking my path.
"Ariel. Ariel!" Xavier struggles with his guards.
"Struggle all you want. Your fight is useless." Castiel sneers. "Time to go." There was a finality in his voice that suggested they would not be coming back.
I tried to get closer to Xavier, but the guards wouldn't let me. We were taken out of the castle, led down the mountain and Charon was waiting for us on a slightly larger boat.
"Pl-please, I'll do anything you ask. Anything, Castiel. I'll stay away- "
Castiel grins. "Just telling me what I want to hear, eh? Right. I think your opportunity for saving has come and gone, Xie." When Castiel uses the nickname, Xavier scowls. I narrow my eyes. How could Xavier stay away from me after all we've been through? "Being saved will depend upon only Ariel. Only she can save you." He has a wicked glint to his eyes.
I turn away. I have thought about it. But I . . . I can't do it. How should I know that Castiel won't drop Xavier into Tartarus as soon as I agree? I want a deal first.
We each get on the boat, and guards follow us on. Castiel drops a small sack into Charon's hands, and he doesn't bother counting it. He simply tucks it away into his pocket, and starts to move the boat.
Oscar and Jasmine have their hands tied behind their backs, and their mouths duct taped (Castiel had said they were being rather annoying, begging), and the boat ride was long and filled with Xavier begging.
"Look, Reyes, I love hearing this. If I wanted to, I could get you on your knees, like you had Ariel on hers."
I scowl.
"Don't talk about her that way." My knight in shining armor coming to my rescue. Always protecting me, even when he shouldn't, even when he's scared. I could see the fear in his eyes. Castiel loved to play with it, and he would ride this out for as long as he could.
Castiel narrows his eyes. "I'll talk about her however I want."
"Enough." I spit. "That's enough." The rocking boat was starting to make me sick. My empty stomach churned. I see red. If I ate any of Anna's breakfast, I would have thrown it up into the Styx (there's a first time for everything). A thin layer of sweat glistens on my forehead, and the boat rocks farther along, and the waves get bumpier.
From nearby, high up on the hill, I can hear screaming.
Castiel smiles, kicks his feet up and leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ah, my favorite part." I don't like the way he smiles like that. "Part of the field of punishment. Each field is divided into a section. This is Wrath. Can you tell who falsely was put here? Ariel? Xavier? Charon, we're making a pit stop."
Guilt floods my chest, blocks my airways and I feel like I can't breathe. No. My demons are coming back to haunt me all at once.
Xavier glances my way. I know he feels the same. Guilty. This really is a punishment.
We stop below the mountain, and Castiel is the only one of us that gets out. "I'll return in a moment. Harley will want to take part in your punishment as well. She's been punished this entire time, without my knowing. Funny, isn't it? The things people tell you when they confess. . . Xavier stays tied up. Don't have too much fun without me, Princess."
I fiddle with my hands, wanting more than anything to have gone with him and try to explain myself. There is silence lingering in the air. "Ariel." Xavier murmurs.
"No."
"Ariel, I'm sorry. I need you. I need you more than I've ever needed anyone or anything. That was wrong to beg and grovel with our relationship. But I'm about to face my worst fear. You have to understand I'll say anything — do anything — to get out of it. Just in case he decides I'm not worth the trouble, I want you to know that I love you. I love you, and I'm sorry."
I move closer to him on the boat, my hand touching his face. He kisses my hand. "I love you," I smile, tears gathering in my eyes. "And if you're pushed into Tartarus, I'll follow you down."
"There's no return from Tartarus," Xavier protests. "There is only darkness. I could never see your face, again. We could never touch. You would be facing your worst fears. Living them. Every day."
"I can do it for you."
Xavier smiles, turns his head away to watch the red river of the Styx lap against the shore. "I wish we could have met in another world, Princess," he murmurs. "I would have asked you to marry me."
Silence. Thick and dark.
When Castiel returns, he returns with Harley by his side. She looks like shit. Her eyes are red-dimmed, bloodshot, like she hasn't slept in days. Her blonde hair is curly and messy. She glares as she approaches, and I scooch until I'm right up against Xavier, like we were in the library as if he could protect me.
"I don't know who I hate more in this boat. You or Castiel." Harley narrows her eyes at me.
I couldn't play the you-stole-something-valuable card against her. Harley only did what Castiel told her to do, and as a result, she was his lesson to be learned. I stay quiet. My hands are shaking. Harley changed, and so would you if you were wrongfully taken to the Field of Punishment. Up close, you can see the cuts scarring her skin, like lashes or stab wounds.
"You hate the one that rescued you? Well, sweetie, you won't hate me after I let you partake in their punishment."
Harley smiles. "With pleasure I will. I'll make you pay for what you did."
"It wasn't my fault," I demand, whispering. I lean forward as the boat pushed away, starts to bob along again. "Jasmine made me do it. She made a no contact rule between Xavier and I. She's been the puppet master this entire time."
Harley laughs. "Xavier will always be your weakness, Caverly, and I'm about to use that weakness to my advantage."
It took the entire day to get to the point of no return. I wanted to hold Xavier's hand, tell him it would be okay even when it wouldn't. There are tears in his eyes now, too, and I want to reach up and kiss them away. I want one more moment with him, one more second, another day with just the two of us.
Guards surround the edge. There are too many. Too many of them. Two pull me out of the boat, as instructed. Others grab Oscar and Jasmine, struggling, doing anything to stop the inevitable.
The edge was warm, sickly warm and hot and most of all — a different kind of infinite darkness swells within the hole. I can hear their screams as the boat neared. But now, they're powerful and there real and I can't do anything to stop this. I'll follow Xavier in if I have to. We'll jump together, never to return.
Xavier struggles. "No," he cries. "No, Castiel. No. No. No." He was crying, and I realize I've never seen him like this before. I've never seen a weak part of him. "Please, please. Don't."
But he did.
Xavier was tied to a post, each of his arms spread like a fallen angel. His shirt is ripped off his back. The bonds are loose. So loose I'm worried that they'll give. Xavier squeezes his eyes shut, and he's sobbing. "Stop it. Stop. Please."
Castiel notions for the guards to untie Oscar and Jasmine, and remove the duct tape from their mouths. "Any last words? Anymore confessions?"
Jasmine shakes her head, tears in her eyes. She whispers something to Oscar, something that sounds like 'I love you'. Oscar whispers it back. He turns to Castiel. "We apologize for what's about to come."
"Better get on with it, or I'll push you in." Harley threatens.
"Than I'll take you with us." Jasmine glares. "This is a cruel world. This was our hell, being separated from each other during the meek hours of day time. But not anymore. We'll be together in darkness." But by the way she made it sound, just by the glint in her eyes, I could tell they had something up their sleeve. And that's when I notice it. I notice it as they jump: the watch on Oscar's wrist.
The watch.
"No!" I try to rush forward, but the guards grab me, hold me back.
Oscar and Jasmine jump together. Their hands outstretched. Jasmine closes her eyes. Oscar faces the darkness with his eyes open. And suddenly, a flash of white. Both of them vanish. They're not falling, anymore. With that white flash, Oscar and Jasmine disappeared.