Even though there was no name associated with the text, I immediately knew who it was: Alaire, the Master of the Underground City.
“Ugh,” I said to myself out loud as my heart joined my stomach in dropping down to my feet.
Alaire had texted Bill a few hours earlier, inviting me to dine with him. I wasn’t sure why, but Alaire harbored some sort of odd fascination with me. Tallis made it sound like Alaire was more enthralled with my innocence than he was with me, but I couldn’t be sure where my innocence ended and I began. It seemed we were one and the same. As to Alaire, he was the very antithesis of anything wholesome, which was probably the chief reason he seemed to be so taken with me—being, as he was, so unaccustomed to innocence in the Underground City.
Regardless of the reasons why Alaire was interested in me, the important factor was that he basically had me right where he wanted me. He’d threatened to report me to Afterlife Enterprises when I’d offed one of his demon wolves during my last trip into the Underground City. As far as the wolf was concerned, I’d just been defending myself against its attack, but Afterlife Enterprises wasn’t much concerned with the reasons why certain events took place. Instead, it seemed like Jason Streethorn had his nose stuffed right up Alaire’s, ahem, backside, because whatever Alaire wanted, Alaire got. Which meant if Alaire pressed charges, and I was convicted of murdering one of his employees, I would be punished by an infraction. And two infractions were a ticket to Shade for the next hundred years.
I inhaled deeply and texted back:
This is Lily. I thought you said I had until tomorrow night at ten p.m. to respond to your invitation?
I flipped the phone closed just as it hummed again, alerting me to a new text. I flipped it back open and read:
I have since changed my mind. I expect a more prompt response.
I was surprised by Alaire’s quick reply, but then figured he probably didn’t have much else to do in his high-rise office building, manned by no one save himself.
How about I respond by tomorrow at nine p.m.? I texted back as a smile curled my lips. Even though I knew I had to accept Alaire’s dinner invitation, or run the risk of earning my first infraction, I wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily. Alaire, as Master of the Underground City, expected to get his way, which made him cocky. And those were two attributes I found incredibly irritating in any man.
Very funny, Ms. Harper, he texted back a few seconds later. I expect your response immediately.
As in posthaste?
I find your sense of humor vexing, to say the least, he replied. Shall I remind you of the infraction that awaits you?
So now he was going to threaten me? I swallowed hard and felt my eyes narrowing as irritation began to spiral through me. Should I suppose that dinner with you means the infraction is no longer on the table? I typed back hurriedly, then added: No pun intended. The thought that I should be more aware of my surroundings flashed through my mind, and I glanced up and scanned the perimeter of the forest, although I found nothing untoward or suspicious. I returned my attention to the broken phone screen. Alaire hadn’t responded so I continued. Because if the infraction is non-negotiable, then my reply to your dinner invitation is no.
If you agree to be my dinner guest, you have my word you will receive no infraction.
I sighed before typing my next message. Should I trust the word of the Master of the Underground City? I confess you don’t strike me as being very trustworthy. I knew it was a risky thing to say, and it definitely wasn’t a good idea to incite his anger, but I was worried that he wouldn’t keep his end of the bargain. Not that asking him if he was trustworthy would prove otherwise, but anyhow …
Indeed, you should. I value honesty, Ms. Harper, and as such, you will always know where you stand with me.
And there it was. I didn’t know what I was expecting from him, but hoped his word was truly his bond. Okay, I wrote back. Next Tuesday evening at eight p.m. I shook my head and wondered what I was getting myself into. But having already made my bed, there was no turning back now. Am I still to meet you at the gates of the Underground City?
Yes. He texted immediately. I will send a car to ensure you are unharmed by my employees.
I found it somewhat ironically eerie that Alaire referred to his demons as his employees, but c’est la vie. Okay, I texted back before something occurred to me. One last request …
And what request might that be? I realized he was flirting with me, a realization that made me sick to my stomach.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will be stuck in the Dark Wood for a while, and as I’m sure you’re fully aware, it’s impossible to tell the day from the night. Well, as long as I was in the middle of the Dark Wood, anyway. The sun did shine where Tallis lived, on the periphery of the Dark Wood, but I wasn’t sure how much time I’d be spending there, if any time at all … Right now, I have no idea what day or time it is … I accidentally clicked the “send” button even though I wasn’t finished typing.
It is Friday at midnight.
Just as I started to type my response, the phone suddenly rang. I jumped in surprise as soon as the shrill ring met my ears. “Hello?” I answered in a dubious tone, having a good idea of who might be on the other end.
“My fingers were beginning to cramp,” Alaire explained, although I was sure he was exaggerating. “As to your request,” he continued in his slight Scandinavian accent, “I imagine you would appreciate it if I alerted you when you are due to arrive at the gates of my city?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately as I started walking again. I figured I shouldn’t loiter in the haunted forest where God-only-knew-what was probably preparing to ambush me. It was bad enough that my attention was now focused on a phone call. “Otherwise, I have no way of knowing when Tuesday at eight p.m. rolls around.” But then I remembered it would probably take me some time to make the trip to the gates of the Underground. “Maybe you should text me at the beginning of each new day because I’m not sure how long it will take me to reach the gates.”
“Where, exactly, are you in the Dark Wood?” Alaire inquired, sounding bored. I could hear the tapping of his fingernails against his desk.
“I don’t know,” I answered with a sigh as I glanced around myself. “The terrain here all looks the same.”
Alaire tsked me a few times as if he were disappointed with my retort, which I found exasperating. “Not a very wise choice to be lost in the Dark Wood, now, is it?”
“Well, it’s not as though I planned to get lost!” I railed back at him. I held my sword out before me and it pointed in an easterly direction. “And for your information, I’m not lost,” I snapped back, not wanting it to sound like I was ill prepared for the trip. “My sword is doing a great job of leading me wherever I have to go.”
“And just where would that be?” he continued, his tone of voice now sounding amused.
“To where I’m going,” I spat back, not wanting him to know that Tallis could be in trouble and I was trying to find him. I had a feeling that information wasn’t safe in Alaire’s hands. Even though Tallis and Alaire appeared to share a long history, well, as far as I could tell from the last time we were in Alaire’s office, anyway, it didn’t seem as if their history was a friendly one. And any non-friend of Tallis’s was a non-friend of mine.
“Is your lover with you?” Alaire asked, going for disinterested, but not quite succeeding.
“He isn’t my lover.”
“Perhaps not yet, although I daresay he would quite like to try the role on for size?”
I inhaled deeply, then exhaled just as long. “No comment.”
Alaire was quiet for a few seconds until all I could hear was the even cadence of his breathing. “And the angel?”
“What about him?”
“Is he with you?”
“No,” I answered, immediately thinking better of it.
Alaire exhaled slowly, the only sound on the other line the tapping of his fingernails. “As
I understand it, then, you are lost in the Dark Wood and all alone?”
“No and yes.”
The cadence of his fingernail tapping increased. “As the Dark Wood is not part of the Underground City, I am sadly unable to protect you.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to protect myself,” I responded haughtily. “I definitely wouldn’t want my death to be the reason for missing our dinner date.” I couldn’t help my acidic laugh.
“Nor would I, my lady, nor would I.”
“And on that happy note, I’m going to hang up,” I said quickly. “I should be paying attention to my surroundings, rather than this conversation.”
“On that subject, we shall agree for once,” he answered. “Please do be careful, my dear, and one word of advice if you will welcome it?”
“What?” I grumbled.
“Enable your phone’s flashlight capability if it has one—the light will keep the creatures of the Dark Wood at bay.”
“Okay,” I answered, thinking his advice was surprisingly sound. “Good-bye, Alaire.”
“Good-bye, my dear Ms. Harper.”
I clicked the button to end the conversation and then clicked on the settings icon and located the flashlight button. I turned the flashlight on and immediately felt more comfortable as soon as the phone brightened the path in front of me. If there was one good thing about the Underground City, it was that it was surrounded by a strong electric force field that enabled anything electrical, which meant Bill’s phone would maintain a full battery. At least, that’s what Tallis had told me. I could only hope the same rule applied in the Dark Wood.
I plopped the phone back into my fanny pack and felt a tug on the end of my sword, which indicated I should make a sharp right. I did as instructed and felt energy beginning to vibrate up the cold metal. I was suddenly overcome with the feeling that I had finally reached my destination.
I held the phone up and in the bright light, I tried to make out the lines of Tallis’s cabin but was only greeted with the remains of a few gnarled tree trunks. I took a few steps forward and heard the unmistakable sounds of rustling in the undergrowth. And undergrowth, i.e., bushes, could only mean one thing—I had to have reached an area of the Dark Wood which nourished life. I felt elation begin to grow in my gut because the only section of the Dark Wood which boasted anything living was the same place where Tallis lived.
“I’m here, Tallis,” I whispered.
“Already sinks each star that was ascending”
– Dante’s Inferno
TWO
I wasn’t sure if I should have knocked on Tallis’s front door, or just opened it, or what. I lingered outside for another second or two before reminding myself that Tallis was in trouble, so timing was of the utmost importance. I needed to take action … now. Clenching my sword in my left hand, I pushed against the door, which immediately swung open. I stepped back and watched the door close again while my Scooby senses went on high alert. Ordinarily, Tallis was much better about security. When living in the Dark Wood, one had to be overly conscientious about one’s surroundings … As a rule, Tallis’s door was locked from the inside if he were home, or the outside if he wasn’t. With my heart lodged in my throat, I leaned my right arm against the large, wooden door, which yielded immediately, making a whining sort of noise.
Inhaling deeply, I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The inside of Tallis’s humble abode was dark and eerily quiet. It didn’t feel like the same place I was accustomed to. Usually, there was a fire burning in the hearth and the scent of hearty stew flavored the air. Now, however, the acrid odor of alcohol overwhelmed the small space. And there was no warmth from a fire. The air was crisp and cold. It caused goose bumps to ride up my naked arms and midriff. As luck had it, I was wearing nothing more than a workout bra and a pair of tight yoga pants—ideal for sparring with the creatures of the Underground City, but not so perfect when warding off the cold.
“Tallis!” I called out as I took another step forward, finding it hard to make my way in the pitch-black darkness. Then I remembered Bill’s phone and the flashlight application. Pulling his phone out from my fanny pack, I clicked the icon for the desktop and had to squint at the brightness of the screen. I clicked the lightbulb icon and held the phone out so I could see where I was going. The odor of whiskey was so caustic, I had to breathe through my mouth.
The flashlight lit up the log walls of Tallis’s home, imbuing them with a creepy glow. I shifted my attention to the pieces of splintered wood that littered the floor in front of the fireplace—pieces of wood that were once Tallis’s couch. My heartbeat started to race as soon as I viewed the carnage. The roughly hewn log table still stood in one corner of the room, but one of the two chairs was broken and discarded. The other chair was lying on its side and didn’t look damaged, as far as I could tell. The straw mattress that lay in the far corner of the room was still intact, but the only things atop it were a few animal furs that Tallis used as rugs or blankets. There was no trace of Tallis.
He isn’t here, I told myself and felt my heart drop all the way to the dirt floor.
I turned and did one final inspection of Tallis’s house before reaching the conclusion that he most definitely wasn’t home. I took another tentative step forward as I tried to figure out why my sword had led me here if Tallis wasn’t. My attention returned to the splintered pieces of wood strewn about the room as panic began to spiral through my body.
If he isn’t here … I thought and then gulped, shaking my head as I tried to figure out my next course of action. Maybe he was here a little while ago, but got attacked and had to vacate the place?
But where would he have gone? I argued with myself. And how in the world will I find him now? I started to chew on my lower lip, not at all comfortable at leaving Tallis’s house to venture into the merciless territory of the Dark Wood again. Maybe he’s outside or planning to return soon? You know what they say—it’s better to wait for someone who’s lost to come to you than to go searching for him …
Was that true though? Because it really didn’t make much sense …
Hmm, I couldn’t be sure. But if Tallis were somewhere out there, lost in the Dark Wood, I had basically zero chance of finding him. Especially since my sword clearly wasn’t as good at navigating as I’d assumed.
With disappointment and frustration coursing through me, I turned on the ball of my foot and held Bill’s phone up so I could light the way back to the door. It felt like the weight of the world had fallen on my shoulders because I didn’t have a clue of what I should do next. As soon as my attention settled on the door, I felt an icy-cold, iron grip around my ankle. A scream that started in my throat never made it past my lips before I felt myself falling backward. I released Bill’s cell phone at the same time as my sword. Suddenly surrounded by the bleak darkness, I could only make out the sound of my sword when it clattered against something metal before landing on the dirt floor. I was quick to follow. I hit the back of my head against the ground and winced in pain. The fall knocked the wind right out of my lungs. My eyelids clenched tightly shut on their own.
“Who are ye?”
I heard Tallis’s voice, but it sounded different somehow—foreign. The acrid scent of whiskey now fully overcame me and it took me a few seconds before I realized it was on his breath.
Even though he’d asked me a question, I found it difficult to talk. In fact, it was difficult even to open my eyes. I wasn’t sure whether it was because I couldn’t breathe, or it might have been from hitting my head so hard, but I felt very dizzy. I couldn’t concentrate on anything except the incessant pounding between my ears.
“If ye dinnae answer meh, Ah’ll rip ye in two, straight down yer middle,” Tallis threatened in an uneven voice that reeked of stale alcohol. As soon as the words left his mouth, I felt the cold iron of a blade pressing on my throat. Instinctively, I opened my eyes. My reward was a brief flash of pain inside my head. Ignoring my discomfort, I found Tallis looming above me,
staring down at me through alien eyes. They were eclipsed by black, much darker than their usual midnight blue, and he was illuminated by a pale, bluish light. At first, I thought he was glowing, but I soon realized it was just the flashlight application on Bill’s phone which was now shining directly on him from where it lay on the floor.
Tallis was just as stunning as I remembered him. Wearing only a kilt, his naked chest was … impressive. The span of his shoulders prevented me from seeing anything beyond him, not that I was interested in whatever was behind him. Instead, my attention was riveted on his sculpted muscles which covered his body like a suit, only eclipsed by his imposing size. The guy had to be nearly seven feet tall. Despite his mouth-watering, awe-inspiring body, it was Tallis’s face that always kept me captivated. His was the face of a warrior, one that most women would not have described as handsome. A huge scar bisected his cheek, running from the tip of one eyebrow and ending at his jawline, giving him the appearance of someone who had truly weathered a storm. The lines of his square, chiseled jaw and cheeks were heightened by the shortness of his hair, which was as black as his eyes were presently.
He pushed the tip of the blade against my throat again, reminding me that I should have been paying attention to whatever it was he’d said. Answer him! He’s going to gut you, you moron! I reprimanded myself internally, suddenly growing irate for becoming so awestruck at the very sight of him. Especially when he clearly didn’t recognize me and, consequently, intended to do me in.
“T … Tallis,” I managed, in a small, insignificant voice. There was no expression of recognition on Tallis’s face. It was blank. With my heartbeat racing, I wondered why he had no idea who I was. Then I realized he couldn’t see me. The flashlight was solely focused on him, which kept me obscured in the darkness.
“A lass,” he responded in a voice laced with surprise and doubt. The knotted furrow between his eyebrows settled and he leaned back on his haunches, albeit clumsily. He was clearly intoxicated. If the smell on his breath wasn’t proof enough, his uneven movements betrayed him. He reached for the flashlight and shined it on me, temporarily blinding me as he shone it from my head down to my thighs, which were currently playing prisoner to his. “Och aye, ye are ah lass,” he repeated, setting the flashlight down beside me until it caught us both in its bright stream of light. Even though his eyes still appeared to be just as dangerous as they were moments earlier, a smile now played on his lips.