Quinn Jackson ◊
I walked around the manor, trying to find Luke when I came upon the door to the Underworld. I shook my head as I walked away, hoping to find someone who could at least talk to me and allow me to ask them questions until I was satisfied.
Lyla was down the hall with her peacock once again, and I smiled at her as I approached her. She simply set her book down and looked up at me, a gracious smile on her face as she stood to her feet and welcomed me in an embrace.
"Ah, Quinn. You are radiating positivity today." She said, and I thanked her before clearing my throat and pulling away.
"Where is Luke?" I asked, and her smile fell a little as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I am sorry Quinn, but he is down in the Underworld right now. The souls are growing restless and it is not best to go down there, especially not a mortal." She said, and I thanked her as I walked away, frowning as I was no longer in her sight.
I wanted answers, and so far no one has told me anything besides the few things Luke has told me. I knew there was only one person who knew exactly what was going on, and I frowned as she was in the Underworld.
I grabbed a cloak and put it on over myself, knowing that it would keep me hidden from those souls in the Underworld, and would allow me to keep a cover. I quickly walked back to the door, before throwing it open and going down.
The walk still felt as if it were through a cavern instead of a manor, but I paid no mind as I walked down, and went left instead of right at the usual place. Luke's throne was to the right, and I remember him saying at one moment that the place I needed to go was closest to him.
I kept my breathing calm as I walked through, souls passing by me and I was able to remain unnoticed as I walked. Some souls were very close to me, and I shivered as they passed by, but continued walking at my pace, going quickly.
I remembered what Luke had told me before, just to stay quiet and keep walking no matter what happens. If a mortal were to come into contact with a soul, something bad would happen, though he would not tell me what.
Finally I arrived at the place based off of Michael's description, and took a deep breath before knocking and the door opened to reveal someone I never thought I would be visiting, let alone asking for their help.
"Ah, baby sister. So you finally know the truth, huh?" Persephone asked, and I rolled my eyes as I stood across from her, realizing now how we actually do look related. She had much more of an elegance to her, and she was much more beautiful than I was.
"I do," I said, and she smiled as she looked at me. She offered for me to come in, and sat down at her table in the middle of the room. I followed her actions, and cleared my throat as I pushed my hood down, a frown etched onto my face at the smirk on her own.
"Come now, there is no need to be harsh. I don't understand why you even are in the first place. The only reason you're even alive is because of me, so you should be a little more thankful." She said, and I took a deep breath as I calmed myself.
"I always thought they were kidding when they talked about you. Aren't you being a little self obsessed?" I countered, and she sucked in a breath as she drummed her fingers along the table and glared at me.
"Look, people fall out of love Q," She said, and I pursed my lips at the nickname but let her keep talking, "We were two people who didn't love each other anymore,"
"No, Luke loved you for a long time after that. I don't think he could have ever gotten over you. You left him with nothing, but that wasn't all you wanted, was it? You took his heart with you too. Did you ever even apologize?" I asked, and she frowned as she looked down at her hands.
"I loved him Q, I actually did. It was too strong of a love and I wasn't ready for it, and I wasn't ready to have all of those responsibilities and things I had to do thrown at me all at once. I wanted to have a carefree life, but Mom just arranged for us to be married."
She took a pause between her words as a grimace replaced the frown on her face, and she shook her head slightly as she looked guilty for the first time I had seen her.
"I tried faking it for a while when I first realized I didn't love him anymore, but I just couldn't handle it anymore. I started noticing the newness of our love was going away, but it was only me. I asked to no longer be immortal, and it was kind of like one last test for Luke,"
"He loved me so much that he didn't even hesitate to give me what I asked, and he didn't even fight for me. I ruined it and I ruined him." I blame myself for it all, though I try not to act like it was. I don't know what to say to him in all honesty." She admitted, and I nodded as we sat there now in silence.
"Say that you are sorry." I blurted, and she raised an eyebrow at my words, "Tell him everything you just told me, because he thought, or maybe even still thinks, that you just quit loving him. That probably affected him for so long,"
"But he has you now. You are there, loving him and fixing everything that I had broken. You're going to make a great Queen Q, I believe that fully. And you're obviously the favorite, Mom always comes down and visits and talks about how well you'v become adjusted to this all." She said, a smile on her face.
"Did you know about me too? Before I was thrown into this all?" I asked, and she nodded, "Even when you went and spoke to Luke?"
"Yes baby sister, I did. I knew who you were from the moment Mother came down to visit and she was pregnant. She was so hopeful for you and you have gone beyond her expectations."
"Was the sickness planned?" I asked, and she shook her head as she had a sympathetic expression on her face.
"No, that was never part of the plan. Just the mortal body that she took over became sick, and there was nothing really she could do. I can't even understand the pain that must have put you through, but it has also made you into the person you are now." She said, and I nodded.
"So the other girls all live around here too?" I asked, and she shrugged her shoulders as she drummed her fingers along the table, and sighed.
"Somewhat. We all have our own areas in the Underworld, so I never really come across them. Though, I have visited them all and I'm sure you remember when I told Luke about that." She said, and I nodded.
"Can you tell me?" I asked, and she thought before shrugging her shoulders and standing up, going over to her kitchen and bringing over two mugs.
"I mean why not, I have some time to kill," She said, laughing slightly as she sat back down. "Well, you probably heard the first time but I went to all of the girls to see if they remember anything from before they were, you know, murdered."
"Not many of them did, but out of what they were able to remember, their stories were all the same. One person, though they don't remember who, all took them out and did whatever they did to end their lives. It was someone on the council I think, though I left that part out for Luke." She said, a frown on her face.
"I don't know who, but I want to find out. Especially because I do want to keep you safe, baby sister. You have been a blessing to Mom, and I know that you have been a blessing to Luke. Consider us allies from now on, I will be there to support you." She said, and I thanked her as I stood and she sighed as she looked at the door.
"Does Luke know that you are here?" She asked, and I shook my head as we walked towards it, and she stopped in the doorway once she opened it, "Keep Luke informed on where you are, okay? Just to be safe. Try to visit again, this was...nice."
"Of course," I said, and exited her place, going along the trail that I had come in originally. I put my hood up over my head as I walked, seeing the souls pass by me and I felt a chill as one of them got too close.
Their arm grazed my own, and I immediately felt light headed as I looked down at my body. My arm where they touched me was now turning black, and my heart quickened in my chest at the sight of it.
I walked quicker now, my pace becoming more of a slight run than anything, but I kept my hood over my head as I wove through souls until I found the familiar path that led to Luke's throne. I glanced down at my arm, panic going through my body at the sight.
The small black spot that started on my arm had now spread up to my elbow and my arm was continuing to change color. I ran until I could see Luke, who's eyes widened in panic as he saw me, and appeared next to me at once.
I showed him my arm, tears forming in my eyes as pain started to shoot through my body, and his mouth opened but he had no words to say. He held onto me tight, and I shut my eyes until we were suddenly in the manor, Ashton in front of us.
"Quinn, what were you doing down there?" Luke practically growled, as he helped me lay down on a couch. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but I was at a point of utter exhaustion to where I couldn't form proper thoughts, let alone relay them into words.
"She must have come into contact with a soul. Ashton, do something." Luke snapped, his eyes on mine. I tried focusing on his eyes, the way that they were looking at me with such love but there was another emotion in his eyes.
Nervousness and panic was evident in his actions as he stumbled around the couch, and knelt down by my head.
"Quinn, focus on me baby girl." He whispered, and I turned my head slightly, watching him as he gave me a soft smile. I whimpered as the pain shot all throughout my body and I watched as Luke ripped my shirt off, the black now spread across my skin.
"Oh fuck," He whispered, his fingers ghosting along my skin and I whimpered once again before my body grew numb and it was a struggle to even keep my eyes open. It felt like there was a weight on my chest as I struggled to even catch my breath, before it all went black.