“They showed no hostility towards us until you showed up,” I explained with a frown.
“You know, a simple ‘thank you’ would have sufficed, Lily,” Saxon replied. The ensuing pout on his face did nothing but get on my nerves.
“I was fine, and I would have remained fine,” I argued. “But because of your theatrics, my friends are now having to fend for themselves.” When he didn’t respond, I decided to drop the subject in lieu of a more important one. “And you never did explain why Alaire would’ve reached out to you in the first place, by the way.”
“You are a demanding little thing, aren’t you?” Saxon asked, all traces of mirth now missing from his tone.
“I’m not demanding, I’m just curious,” I corrected him. “It seems to me that you and Alaire are on pretty close terms these days.”
“Nothing of the sort,” he retorted. “But when the master of the Underground City expects you to do him a favor, you obediently perform it.” Then he eyed me with keener interest. “I think the better question is why is Alaire so taken with you?”
“For that, I have no answer,” I replied honestly.
Just then, my phone started buzzing with an incoming text. I glanced around briefly, but saw nothing except the burning sepulchers, so I figured I was as safe as I could be and decided to check it. I pulled the phone out of the satchel and flipped it open. It read:
Ms. Harper,
I have received word that you have reached your destination. The soul you are set to retrieve is in the gravekeeper’s quarters, as I am certain you are now well aware. What you do not know, however, is the object I would like you to recover for me is also within that same locale. Since I am not entirely certain about its exact location, I must leave you to that game of hide-and-seek, Ms. Harper. The object in question is a glass crown bedecked with diamonds. It would be quite difficult to miss.
Good luck, Ms. Harper. I remain affectionately yours,
Alaire
P.S. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that you are the only person who touches this item. It cannot fall into anyone else’s hands or fingers.
I put the phone back into my satchel with a sigh, wondering when and if Alaire’s riddles might ever make some kind of sense to me.
“We see, like those who have imperfect sight…”
- Dante’s Inferno
TWENTY-TWO
“Alaire wants me to retrieve a glass crown from inside the gravekeeper’s quarters,” I said to Saxon, sounding as perplexed as I felt. “Do you know anything about that? I mean, aside from the fact that a glass crown probably won’t travel very well?”
Saxon laughed at my quip, but soon fell silent and worried his lower lip, as if he were in the midst of heavy thought. Then he shook his head. “Can’t say that I do.”
“Great,” I grumbled.
“All I can tell you is that the gravekeeper’s quarters are protected by the three furies and they are going to give us a run for our money,” Saxon replied.
I nodded while taking a deep breath. “I was about to say that I was surprised we hadn’t encountered them yet. I figured they patrolled the graveyard regularly.”
Saxon shrugged as he reached for his bow and loaded it with a fresh arrow. Holding it by his side, he continued forward, leading our way through the burning graves. “Nope, the zombies patrol the graveyard,” he corrected me. “The furies’ mission is exclusively guarding the gravekeeper’s quarters,” he finished flatly.
“Or, whatever resides inside the gravekeeper’s quarters?” I asked. Thinking about the glass crown, I found it remarkably strange that Alaire, the master of the Underground City, couldn’t just retrieve it himself. But I figured he must’ve had his own reasons.
Cocking his head to the side, Saxon’s eyebrows rose and furrowed. “Could be.”
We both grew silent for the stretch of a few minutes and continued to weave our way through the flaming tombs. By now, I’d almost become accustomed to ignoring the inhabitants as they flailed about from inside their crypts, each one emitting a more doleful cry and lamentation than the last. Strangely enough, as we passed the endless rows of sepulchers, more than a handful of the heretics begged us to speak with them, longing to hear any news of the world beyond the City of Dis. Saxon merely discouraged me from replying by shaking his head and urging me to continue on.
After another minute or so, Saxon stopped and turned around to face me. “You need to be careful with the furies, Lily. They aren’t like any adversary you’ve been up against before in the Underground City. The creatures in the City of Dis are … well, different.”
“And why is that? What’s so different about them?” I asked, genuinely curious. Then, another thought instantly occurred to me. “If my college English literature classes serve me right, wasn’t Medusa one of the furies?”
Saxon quickly nodded with a boyish smile. Although that smile used to warm me, now I found it simply irritating, as well as obvious and fake. “Similar, yes, though none of the furies are actually named Medusa.”
“So … they aren’t related then?”
“They are,” he replied. “The legend of Medusa was largely based on the furies, although it changed throughout the centuries, of course, as all legends and myths seem to do. The only similarities between them are that they have the bodies of women and serpents for hair. However, the furies also possess wings, and Medusa doesn’t.”
“Then, can the furies turn you to stone if you look directly at them?” I asked, gulping down my own lump of fear. I could only hope such was definitely not the case.
“Not stone … exactly,” Saxon admitted as he shook his head. “And not all three of them possess that power. Only the leader, Negara, does. And a better description of her power would be the ability to turn you into a petrified version of yourself. If she entrances you, she can prevent your body from functioning properly. You won’t be able to move. You become paralyzed, rooted in place. Then, of course, the other two would finish you off.”
“And how would they do that?” I asked. Yes, I seriously doubted whether I really wanted to know the answer.
“They are not without considerable strength and ferocity themselves. They will rip you to shreds … and devour what’s left,” Saxon responded with a quick sigh. “Trust me, Lily, it’s not a pretty sight.”
I swallowed hard. “You mean, you’ve seen this happen before?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” he answered with a brief nod. Judging by his expression, I could tell it was a subject he didn’t enjoy discussing. Who could blame him?
“So how do we make sure that doesn’t happen to us?” I asked, now genuinely concerned.
“You never look at the face of any of them, and at all costs, avoid their eyes.”
“But I thought you said Negara was the only one who has the power to paralyze? The other two don’t, right? Or did I misunderstand you?”
Saxon glanced at me with the pedantic expression of someone who knew something I didn’t. “You didn’t misunderstand me.”
“So why would you warn me not to look into their eyes?” I replied crossly.
“Before I answer that, tell me this: how will you know which one is Negara if you have never seen any of them before?”
“Point taken,” I grumbled. When I frowned up at him, he responded with a quick smile.
“It’s best to avoid all eye contact with any of them. Be aware of your surroundings and if you must, only observe them by using your peripheral vision.”
“That sounds impossible,” I muttered. Shaking my head, I suddenly began to feel sorry for myself. “How am I supposed to protect myself if I can’t see my enemies to figure out where they are and what they’re doing?”
“You do whatever you must in order to survive,” he answered with calculated authority. “And don’t forget that I’ll be there to back you up. If we can just make it inside the gravekeeper’s quarters, we will be fine,” he finished. His soft voice, I imagined, was his delicate attempt to re
assure me.
“Until we have to go back out again,” I added with a frown. Inhaling deeply, I tried to calm my already frantic heart.
“Well, yes, until that moment, I suppose.”
“And what about Tallis and Bill?” I asked. My stomach instantly plummeted when I thought of my friends. I could only hope they managed to defend themselves against the zombies, and nothing more, or worse, happened to them. “Can they be paralyzed and then ripped to shreds by the furies?”
“I suppose so; yes, they could,” Saxon answered. Chewing on his lower lip, he further considered the question. “Of course, as immortals, I’m not entirely sure how that works.” Then he faced me with a broad smile. “But you need to leave the chances of their survival to them. Right now, your focus must be entirely on your own safety.” His smile deepened. “Well, and mine too, of course.”
Turning around, Saxon continued down the dirt path. Meanwhile, the sinners that were visible in their open tombs continued to thrash this way and that, wailing and screaming, the relentless fire consuming them entirely, such as it had for decades and, in some cases, centuries. We both grew quiet while making our way through the last of the blazing maze. When we reached the final tomb of the vast labyrinth, Saxon paused and crouched behind it. He motioned for me to do the same, so I quickly acquiesced.
“The three furies are up there on the rooftop; do you see them?” he whispered to me. I glanced up at the one-story, wooden structure, which stood maybe a hundred feet from us. It looked like an old shanty with mismatched wood siding and a corrugated aluminum roof. Sure enough, sitting atop the roof, I spotted three figures. They were nestled closely together, appearing like three enormous crows with their pitch-black wings reflecting the blue moonlight. My attention dropped from the furies down to the front door of the decrepit-looking house. It was wide open. The path to the front door was a makeshift ramp that led to a dock, which stood over what looked like a lagoon … or a swamp?
Not entirely sure I was really seeing water and not simply hallucinating, I narrowed my eyes on the dock and watched the moonlight as it reflected in the ripples of water beneath it. Yep, there was definitely some kind of a body of water surrounding the lean-to.
A body of water? I railed indignantly. You mean a swamp!? It’s just like the one in that vision you had! The same vision in which you were warned not to retrieve whatever Alaire was after! The same vision where Alaire appeared behind you before he pushed you into the swamp so you could become dinner to whatever dreadful creature lurked beneath the water!
Shaking my head to banish my panicked thoughts, I tried to convince myself that what I’d seen was simply a vision created by the Kremelions. Yes, it had been a delusion. A feeble attempt to make me lose touch with my own sanity. There was nothing real about it, or genuine. Glancing up at the water that surrounded the shack again, I decided there really wasn’t anything about it that actually suggested it could be a swamp at all.
“How are we going to make it through that water?” I whispered as I faced Saxon, only to find him already looking at me. I suddenly felt flushed and uncomfortable, although I wasn’t sure why.
“Simple. We walk,” he answered, his tone of voice revealing nothing.
“What? We walk?” I repeated, my doubt and fear instantly brewing up a sickening concoction inside me.
That means I have to get into that water! I informed myself before my stomach dropped like an anchor down to my toes.
“It isn’t deep,” Saxon coaxed. Taking a hefty breath, he faced me with renewed determination. “Okay, are you ready to listen to the plan?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately. The sooner we got this finished, the better. There was no point in me sitting here, imprisoned by my own fear.
“It’s very simple. When I give you the okay, you must run and aim straight for the gravekeeper’s quarters. Do not stop for any reason until you’re inside. I, meanwhile, will do my best to keep the furies distracted and away from you.” He gulped and paused for a few seconds before speaking again. “Whatever happens, you must resist looking at them, and you don’t worry about me. Just do your damnedest to get inside that house! You got it?”
I nodded, and pangs of fear and anxiety twisted my stomach, churning it into knots. “Okay, so once I’m inside, what then?”
“Then, you locate the soul, find the crown, and we come up with plan B, which is how we get ourselves the hell out again.”
“Will we be safe inside the house then?” I inquired of him, eyeing him pointedly. “Won’t the furies come after us?”
He shook his head. “The furies are forbidden to enter. They simply patrol the outside.”
“And there aren’t any other lovable creatures I should know about who might be inside, waiting for us?” I dared to ask. “I mean, the door was wide open! Anything might have gotten in.”
Saxon firmly shook his head. “Anything that wanted to enter would have had to deal with the furies first. Yes, you’ll be safe inside.” He inhaled before sighing as he faced me squarely. “Any other questions?”
I shook my head, and he nodded, which I assumed meant we were about to execute our approach. When my heartbeat started to race, I had to take a few deep breaths before it regulated again.
“You can do this, Lily, I know you can,” Saxon said. He gripped my upper arm and forced me to look at him. “You just run for the front door and don’t stop until you’re inside.”
Nodding, I tightened my grip around the handle of my sword. “I got it.”
Saxon stood up and held his bow with the arrow already loaded up to his eyes. He glanced back at me and nodded, so I stood up. After he mouthed the word “go” at the same time that he released the arrow, I never saw whether it hit its target. I was already running as quickly as I could. What I did not fail to notice, however, was a screeching sound that seemed to be coming from high above me. Yes, I followed Saxon’s orders and paid it no attention. Instead, I galloped at full speed, my entire focus riveted on the front door of the gravekeeper’s quarters. From the corner of my eyes, though, I could barely make out the blurred shape of black wings, which contrasted with the bright white skin of one of the furies’ bodies. Then I spotted another one swooping down beside the first one. They communicated with one another by using a series of glass-breaking shrieks. I resisted the urge to grit my teeth and cover my ears.
One of them attempted to dive down on top of me. All I managed to see was its outstretched talons when they missed my shoulders by a few inches. As I ran, I heard the whizzing sound of arrows flying through the air as they sought their elusive targets. I also detected the sound of Saxon’s footsteps from somewhere behind me. I focused on the entryway into the hovel with even more determination.
You’re almost there, Lily, I cheered myself while eyeing the moat in front of me. My resolve alternated with a sense of doom and dread. The roaring of my pounding heart drowned out all other sounds, and I began rasping as I tried to suck in deep breaths, too fearful to slow my breakneck speed.
Before reaching the water, I realized I had to ascend a very small hill. Inhaling deeply, I powered up the incline until I got to the wide bank of water. And then I stopped. Glancing down at the water, I was suddenly unable to propel myself forward. My feet were irretrievably rooted inside the sooty dirt that bordered the water’s edge.
“Keep going, Lily!” I heard Saxon yelling urgently from behind me.
All at once, the shrieking furies, all three of them, began to fly in circles above me. They reminded me of vultures spotting a carcass. The first dropped down, the talons from her claws outstretched and eager. As if on autopilot, I instantly ducked down, avoiding her. I couldn’t stand up yet, because another fury appeared right behind the last one. This one squawked as she strove to grasp me with her sharp claws. Hearing the flapping of their immense wings, I fought to resist the urge to look up and search for them in the sky. Instead, I got down onto my hands and knees. Just then, I heard the hiss of two arrows flying thro
ugh the sky directly above me. They both landed in the water, only a few feet away.
“Go, Lily!” Saxon’s voice exclaimed from behind me, now much closer. However, when I looked at the water, I still couldn’t motivate myself forward. I just remained exactly where I was, on my hands and knees, unable to move even a fraction of an inch.
You have to do this! I scolded myself, while fully recognizing the truth in my words. Or the furies will rip you to pieces!
I knew I was right so I did what I had to do. Summoning up my residual courage, I started crawling toward the water. The furies continued screaming and swooping above me, but Saxon’s good aim and arrows kept them from reaching down and snatching me. Although I couldn’t look directly at them, it seemed like they were coming closer in their successive attempts to grab me.
“We’re almost there!” Saxon shouted as he appeared alongside me. He aimed his bow into the sky and released one arrow after another. “Only a few more feet and … ahhhh!”
Saxon gave a sudden painful cry just at the same moment that I turned to the side to see him lifting off the ground. I knew instantly what was happening and the thought made me sick to my stomach. One of the furies had him and was now preparing to fly him off to a terrible fate. He screamed as the fury’s talons buried themselves into his shoulders and she started to flap her great wings, soaring up higher into the air.
I can’t let that thing kill him! I said to myself.
My body acted in unison with my thoughts and I tightened my hold around my sword with my right hand as I lurched up and gripped Saxon’s ankle with my left. I felt my hand slip as I lost purchase on his skin. I gripped at him blindly again and was able to grasp onto his shoe at the very last possible second. I held on as hard as I could, doing my damnedest to pull him back down to the ground. The immense pull of the Fury was beginning to be too much for me to fight and I knew I only had a handful of seconds before I would lose the battle. That was when I turned to Plan B.