I don't remember my legs giving up on me—I only remember collapsing to the ground and Sasha barking orders above me. She pulls me up in a sitting position and grabs my face sternly, "This will hurt a lot."
"Thanks for the motivational speech." I reply.
Sasha ignores me but I can see the aggravation in her jaw. She wraps her hand around the arrow and Atlas is handing me a bark to bite down onto. I look up at him and he's looking down at me with something different—he's grateful.
I saved his friend's life.
I shut my eyes waiting for the worse pain in my life.
"Wait." Iris scream. "Don't—"
"—why not?" Sasha asks.
"Dark witchery." Iris mutter. "The arrow is poisonous."
"I can heal her." Sasha pushes wrapping her hand around the arrow again.
"Not if the poison was created with dark witchery or Hal blood. You said so yourself they were experimenting. Your witchery will not heal her, Sasha." Iris pauses. "Hal will survive the poison. She is demonic, however, if you pull out that arrow. She will not survive the blood lost—"
"—you're talking but you are not giving us a fucking solution." Sasha snarls.
Iris chews on her bottom lip and everything around me is becoming blurry. I shut up my eyes but Sasha is tapping my face. "Stay awake." She orders with a hiss.
"Pick her up." Iris demands. "The witch cabin—she had potions, I'm sure she will have the tools to help, Hal."
Sasha doesn't question Iris and she pulls me to my feet. I scream in pain all of my adrenaline gone. She forces me to run but most of my weight is leaning on her. I can hear her screaming at me to keep my eyes open but my body is becoming numb—I fall again and Sasha almost comes down with me. I can't make out anything but I can hear Atlas.
"I will carry her." He bends down and pulls me over his shoulder and then he is sprinting. I shut my eyes only for a second—or it felt like a second—and when I open them, I am being placed on a table and there are things hanging over me and my shirt is being ripped open.
"She's already lost a lot of blood." The woman says testing the arrow.
Sasha pulls her sword, Athene, and connects it to the older woman's neck, "She dies you die."
I inhale and blink, "Sash." I call. "Don't—" I can't complete my sentence but I'm being pulled forward again. I scream when alcohol is being poured over my wound and then something that smells like vodka is passed my way, "Drink." Sasha orders—I guess I don't move quick enough because Sasha is forcing my mouth open and the nasty alcohol is passing my lips and going down my throat.
Before—I can curse her name, the arrow is being snapped and pulled from my chest. I scream and collapsed seconds later into Sasha's arms—I wish I drank more of the damn vodka. The woman lays me back and from there everything is a blur—most of it is Sasha screaming at the woman and the older woman screaming back at Sasha.
I look down and Sasha is pressing towels down on my wound, "She's losing more blood—old woman!' Sasha spats. I blink several times and when I reopen my eyes Sasha's face is near mine—her fingers are all bloody, "Stay alive." She demands. "Stay alive or I'll bring you back and kill you myself—"
I open my mouth to curse her but I can't—fuck. I think to myself. I may not make it. The woman returns and Sasha is looking up with fear, "We will have to burn the wound closed—there's no time to sew her up and her constant moving will rip the stitches open." My eyes widen as I see the glowing red metal tool she is holding up. "Hold her down." She orders.
Hands begin to push me down and I try to shake them off. Instantly, there is an intense pain shooting on top of my wound. I scream at the top of my lungs. It lifts up off the wound before I'm being pulled forward and another hot tool is being pressed down onto my back. I scream and fall unconscious unable to bear the pain.
I awake with a scream—I look around and there is complete darkness. The darkroom is like a place out of time, a place to rest without consequence. I roll my shoulder and I look down to see there is no wound or blood.
Suddenly, there is a fireplace roaring to life, I jump in fear when I notice someone sitting in the shadows. I move closer and I gasp in shock, "Father." The entire room then lights up from candles that are scattered all over. I look around and take in the fancy furniture and dangling chandelier. "I'm dead?" I conclude.
"Not as of yet." My father replies.
I look around and I can feel him watching me. "Where are we?" I question after a beat.
"You should know—" He replies. "—you've been here a few times."
I roll my eyes, "I'm not in the mood for riddles, father."
"Think." My father demands. "Your journey to the sinister key is becoming longer because you won't use that brain of yours. Where do the dead go when they take rest?"
I flinch at his stern tone and then my eyes widen after a beat, "The underworld?" I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "That's impossible unless I'm dead. You said I wasn't dead—"
My father crosses his leg over his thigh and his fancy pants rise up showing off his expensive maroon socks. He glances at his watch and I wonder if it's out of habit because time doesn't exist in the underworld. "Demonics are able to travel between the living world and the land of the dead which is the underworld—." He pauses for dramatic and raises his hand, the fire roaring bigger that I have to take a step away from the fireplace. "—Demonics are able to travel freely, safely navigating both the life and afterlife however, it takes years to master and some are unable to master the skill which will result in getting trapped between the two. However, you are my daughter and my blood is running through your veins so I am not surprised that you are here."
I look around and the underworld is not at all what I expected. I twist my feet in the ground, "Can I bring you back?"
"I'm afraid not." My father replies. "The dead are supposed to stay dead."
I furrow my eyebrows in anger, "That's untrue. Faye returned from the underworld."
"—because she's demonic and was one of the few that was able to travel from the underworld and back to the living. This is why your grandmother spelled her to the underworld and why she needed you."
"So, the times when I was in the library—" I pause. "It was her version of the underworld."
"Yes." My father confirms. "Your mother is an intelligent woman. She's even outwitted me. She used the library to her advantage to get you to help her.
"She's not my mother." I spat.
My father ignores me and continues, "It's a skill only the most powerful is able to do." My father waves his hand and I jump away from the flowing magma and my eyes widen at all the lost souls that are walking around naked and shamelessly with nowhere to go. "The weak and the underworld." The people are maddened and screaming in fear—for eternity. My father then waves his hand again and we are back behind solid walls and a warm fireplace.
"How do I control this?" I question. "How will I be able to speak to you when I want—I'm always on the brink of death and it's never pleasant."
"As I stated before it's a rare skill to possess. You will understand in time through meditation. As for right now, your main focus needs to be on reaching the sinister key before Elijah." My father replies. I touch my forehead in pain and my focus becomes blurry. "It seems we are out of time—you will be returning back to the living."
"Wait." I throw out my hand. "The code in your journal. How do I translate it?"
My father arches his eyebrow in confusion. I grit my teeth because I could physically feel my soul trying to return to my body. I hurry and shout, "The section of spells in your book is written in a code. How do I translate it?"
"Oh." My father replies. "Remember the time we spent together—"
"—the one and only time." I spat. "I was seven and we went and played chess before the father and daughter dance."
"Yeah, yeah." My father rolls his eyes. "Your mother forced me to go. She stated that a daughter shouldn't be uncomfortable around a father—"
"We don't have time to share memories." I grit my teeth in a shout.
"We quit chess after the first game." My father continues.
"—because I hated playing with you. You went too hard."
"How else would you learn." My father retorts.
"—your point." I cut him off.
"I took pity on you and listened to your mother. I showed you a few symbols and expected you to not understand but you caught on quickly. I called it the—"
"—Queen's code." I answer and it finally clicks. "I didn't get it then but you said that it was a family text—basically a family language."
"You remember that and you will be able to translate the code." My father nods his head and I think I see a please smile on his face but everything is swirling out of control. "Until next time, my daughter."
I gasp again. There are hands again and I try to lift but Iris's soft voice is commanding, "Take it easy." She whispers. I squint my eyes from the blaring light that is shining through the window and onto my face. Iris is handing me a cup of water and I swallow it down with greed. "Glad to have you back." Iris smile. "We were all worried. It was close—"
"She's awake." I look up and it's the older woman. She's walking towards me with a bowl of steaming hot soup. "I think I was the only one petrified. Your warrior would have cut my head off if you died—"
"—I belong to no one." Sasha presents herself and she looks freshly cleaned.
The older woman scoffs and tells me, "The burned marks will heal in time but it will leave a permanent mark—" before she can finish Sasha is pushing her out of the way.
"Sasha." I chastise her. "Show some respect."
Sasha rolls her eyes, "Move." She orders but I continue to stare her down. "Please." She gives me a snarky smile. The older woman shakes her head but grabs her things before moving towards the corner of the room. Sasha pulls down my shirt which shows my disgusting injury. She places her cold hands on top of the wound and I flinch slightly in pain. She inhales before exhaling and we all watch as the first-degree burn turns into a simple scar.
The older woman's mouth opens in shock, "How?" She narrows her eyes. "You're a healer. All of this could have been avoided."
Sasha ignores her but Iris chooses to explain, "Dark witchery. The arrow contained poisonous that simple witchery wouldn't have been able to heal Hal at the time—it has worn off now."
"Impossible." The older woman replies. "There hasn't been any evidence of dark witchery for hundreds of years and if it was so then Hal would have died unless—"
The room becomes deadly quiet and I pull the shirt down covering the new scar. I roll my shoulders and I still have a slight ache but I do not complain. The older woman glances at me and my eyes glow purple—the sinister key calling out to me. "You're—" The older woman starts but she's in shock that she cannot complete her sentence. She notices the small knife on top of the table and reaches forward but before she can get close there is a long blade at her neck—Athene.
"Sasha." I call. "She saved my life—"
"—she could let them know where we are." Sasha argues back.
"I won't say a thing." The older woman promises. "Please—"
I roll my shoulder again and get off the bed. I reach over for my bag and pull out a few more bills. "Here. This should buy your silence and another shop."
The older woman looks down at the cash as if it's devil money. Sasha presses the sword to her throat, "Take the money or die."
The older woman snatches the bills from my hand and Sasha returns her sword to her sheath. I freshen up and when I walk out of the private room that holds a small shower and toilet the others are waiting by the door. The older woman shoves items into my hands and wishes me the best of luck. I arch my eyebrow in confusion.
"I explained everything to her—" Iris whispers almost startling me.
"Let's go." Sasha screams into the shop. "We wasted three days of travel."
I look at Iris oddly and she explains, "She's been moody since you've been unconscious."
I nod my head not bothered by Sasha's mood swings and follow Iris out the door. The older woman slams the door behind us and says, "Please. Don't return—" We all ignore her and get back on the trail.
"Three days?" I question Iris from the front. I think back to my conversation with my father—it seemed like I was only with him for moments. "Time must not exist in the underworld."
Iris glances at me oddly. We have been walking for hours now and the sun would be down soon. We choose to stop for camp and I choose to start the fire because Sasha disappears into the woods to hunt. It is odd receiving this negative energy from her for so long—she's usually passive yes, but this is different—she's angry.
I expect this type of attitude from Atlas but he's being supportive—he's still the most silent of the group but he doesn't look at me with hatred anymore. I look to him for answers but he shrugs his shoulders and continues to unpack the camp.
I exhale—and I am flipping through my father's journal and desperately trying to remember what each symbol means on the first page. However, I'm distracted when Sasha is tossing the rabbits at my feet. I look up and she's staring down at me as if she wants me to say something. I ignore her. Sasha clenches her jaw and storms away before pausing and returning.
"What you did the other day was stupid and reckless."
The camp becomes quiet and I look to Atlas and Iris for help but they busy themselves with other things to do. I exhale and finally stand, "I'm sorry for saving your life. Next time I'll let the arrow hit you—"
"Do you not understand, idiot?" Sasha snarls. "You're the only one who can get us to the sinister key—if you die, this all will be for nothing."
"So what?" I push. "Your life doesn't matter—Atlas and Iris lives don't matter?"
"No." Sasha shouts. "—our lives don't matter." She sneers clenching and unclenching her jaw. "If you die now then I wasted my time saving you from the hanging."
I rub my neck at the memory and narrow my eyes, "I was only there because you betrayed me—"
"—and I saved you to avenge Eliza." Sasha snaps back. "You die and I will never be able to kill Elijah with my bare hands."
I blink in shock. I squeeze my fist closed, "You're only here to avenge, Eliza?"
"Yes." Sasha replies in a clipped tone. "Stay alive long enough to get me to Elijah and then you're free to do whatever you wish." She pauses narrowing her eyes. "Until then, I need you alive." She then ends the conversation and disappears into the trees to take the first watch.
Iris is looking at me skeptically and she opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off before she has the chance, "I never trusted her anyway—" I scowl before opening my father's journal and focusing on cracking the code.