Exalted

  Eden shot him in the head, right between his eyes, and Julia thought she might be sick again. “No time to argue." He grabbed Julia’s hand and jerked her out of the room. Just as the door slammed shut behind them, she heard a roar from Methuselah. It echoed inside her, causing her to stumble, and Edan had to half-carry her as they ran.

  “What do we do?” she panted.

  Edan didn't get a chance to answer. From farther up the small, square hall, Julia saw a bobbing white light, and for some reason, she was certain it was Methuselah. This time, instead of motivating her to run faster, the fear made her legs lock. Edan struggled to pull her, and at the moment he yanked her forward, Julia recognized a face in the white light: Nathan.

  “Nooooo!”

  She raised her arms, shielding herself automatically. Damn him! He would not get her again! Fire bloomed at her fingertips, but just before she blew him to pieces, Meredith shrieked, “No, JULIA! Wait, wait!”

  “He is helping us!” Carlin shouted.

  Her friends appeared behind him, and Edan waved at them. "Turn around! Run the other way!"

  “Edan?!”

  “What are you doing with him?” Nathan demanded.

  Before Julia could answer, the hallway blazed with white light, and she fell over, writhing in pain. He was inside her again, but beyond furious now, and ten times as strong. She clutched her head as arms grabbed her, pulling her to her feet.

  “Consider this my apology,” Edan said, and suddenly the pain was gone. He pointed at the dirt floor and twirled his fingers, and the floor opened to a spiral staircase. “I’d think you’d at least appreciate that you’re better off with me than the cranky old god that will probably annihilate all of us.”

  “I’m with Edan, bastard that he is,” Carlin said, and she disappeared down the stairs.

  “Me too, I guess.” Drew was gone, followed by Meredith and Nathan.

  “After you,” Edan bowed.

  At that second, Methuselah rounded a curve in the hall, literally alight with blue fire, and Edan pushed Julia in. She heard an angry cry, and when she blinked again, they were all standing shoulder-to-shoulder along a dark, cracked asphalt road, topped by a black sky with rolling, gray clouds—and she knew, somehow for certain, that they were on their way to Hell.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Everyone started talking at once.

  “Where are we,” Meredith demanded.

  “What's your game?” Nathan demanded of Edan—though, for once, his voice was overpowered by Meredith's screeching.

  Julia heard Drew say, “I'm assuming Cayne is here,” only because he was standing right next to her.

  She couldn't say anything at all; such was her shock at finding herself amidst her friends again. Ten minutes before, she was sure Methuselah was going to kill her, even if it meant ruining his precious plan. Now she was with her friends whom she had worried she'd never see again.

  She scanned the stormy-looking sky for signs of Methuselah. She expected to see some kind of portal to his lair, but she found none. No signs of The Adversary, Demons, or fire, either, but she still didn't feel at ease on the windy, isolated road that cut through what looked like miles and miles of wheat fields.

  People were still talking over each other when Edan held up his hands. “Hey.” He walked out in front of them about ten steps before he turned to face them, wind whipping his gorgeous, caramel-colored hair. Everyone fell silent, and he laughed. “Okay, thank you.”

  “Thank you for what?” she said.

  He grinned a Cheshire cat grin, just like old times, and his eyes scanned the group. “You have to take your first step down the road to Hell of your own free will. Now that we've all done that, the fun begins."

  Julia wondered what that meant. Then everything faded to black.

  The first thing she noticed was the freaky moon. It was orange-red and as big as a school bus in a sky that looked utterly black. It shone through the crisscross of tree branches in what looked to be a forest. She swung her gaze left and right and confirmed that yeah, she was in a forest, surrounded by massive trees, with massive, twisting branches. A cold breeze whipped between the thick trunks, lashing her arms and legs.

  Julia frowned, glancing down at herself—and then she let out a tiny shriek. She was wearing…well, for some reason she was wearing only a polka-dotted bikini. The ground under her bare feet felt damp and cold, and her hair blowing over her shoulders was the only thing protecting her from the biting wind.

  She raced over to one of the huge tree trunks, pressing her bare body against it. She skimmed the forest for signs of life, feeling dizzy with the knowledge that she was actually in Hell.

  And then—holy shit—there was Edan, suddenly right there in front of her.

  Julia nearly passed out from shock. “Edan?!”

  Except—oh, shit—how could she be sure it was really Edan? She'd just seen him on that road with all her friends. Why were they here now?

  Edan pushed his glorious mop of caramel-colored waves out of his eyes and gave her a lopsided smile. “Tell me how you feel about Zürcher Geschnetzeltes.”

  Julia’s pulse actually pounded harder with relief. Remembering the Swiss dish Cayne had loved to force on her, she gave a wild little laugh. “I don’t like it at all. Oh my God, Edan. Just…oh my God.” Julia sank down to her knees on the roots of the tree.

  Emotion balled up inside her like a burst of that powerful white light. It expanded in her throat, so although she felt like bawling, she couldn’t make a sound. She just sat there, panting in her bikini, while Edan stood a few feet away from her, watching with his lean arms folded across his chest.

  She needed Cayne. She needed Cayne. Oh, shit. She really needed Cayne!

  Her breaths had grown ragged, and now she put her hands over her mouth, feeling like she just might hyperventilate.

  “Julia, you don’t look bad in a bikini.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Did you put me in this thing?” She stood up woozily and examined the suit. White polka dots on pink. Ugh. She hated polka dots.

  Edan’s smile was weary. “I didn't; you did. You don’t like yourself in it. That’s why you’re wearing it.”

  Julia frowned, then waved at his all-black garb. “You, too?”

  He nodded, and she actually laughed. “What’s wrong with black?”

  Edan grimaced, waving an elegant hand over his beautiful, lean physique. “Makes me look too slim.”

  “Seriously?"

  He cut his eyes away in confirmation, and Julia cackled. “You have got to be motherloving kidding me. Got to be kidding me. Oh my God, what’s going on here?”

  “C’mon. Start walking.” He waved his arm, and Julia noticed a path of crisp, black leaves, cutting through the forest.

  “Edan, where are we?” All her manic buoyancy was gone, replaced by dreadful heaviness. “I'm not taking another step until I'm sure you're not leading me somewhere terrible.”

  “You're already in Hell, Julia. Now we're just walking.”

  “In this forest?" It was familiar. "Where is everyone else?"

  “They’re in their own Hell. This is yours.”

  Julia realized why she recognized the forest. “This from that trip to the Smoky Mountain National Forest in sixth grade. I got lost after sunset.”

  Edan shrugged.

  “So everyone else is seeing…something like this?”

  “Could be anything,” he said as they walked. “What you think is Hell, is Hell. Humans figured out the concept a while back. You’ve even put it in your movies.”

  “Really?” How had she missed that?

  Edan nodded. “I saw a Robin Williams film about it a while back. Dreadful.”

  Julia had no idea what he was talking about. “Are you like my guide or something?”

  Edan shook his head. "No."

  "Why are you here then?"

  Edan shrugged, and his gray gaze glided over to hers. “Maybe I missed you.”

 
“Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on? I'm starting to feel like you're not real—” she shuddered— “and not knowing for sure makes me really nervous.” So nervous, her voice actually cracked. “If you are really you, please tell me why you...” Tears filled Julia's eyes. “Why didn’t you help me? Edan...you— You...whipped me. Do you remember that?”

  She wasn't sure she could handle whatever he was going to say next. She had her arms tucked around her shivering body, and she had almost stopped walking when Edan gave a small nod.

  “Why?” she said, half gasp. “Edan, why would you do that? You took Cayne to Hell, too.”

  "Yeah."

  "You really are a Demon."

  He shook his head. “I lost my wings, so I'm only a Shade for now.”

  "What does that have to do with anything! You tricked us, at the resort! You helped Nathan!”

  “It was my prerogative. I also got you out, and I’m taking you toward Cayne. Hopefully that makes up for it.”

  It really didn't. “Toward Cayne? But not to him?”

  “You’ll be reunited with your friends as soon as everyone's orientation is over. The group of you will have to find him here.” Edan waved his hand, and suddenly they were through the forest and standing at the edge of that same enormous wheat field, sans the desolate road. Julia remembered driving through fields like these with Cayne as they'd headed west, looking for Samyaza. She even remembered thinking how they seemed to go on and on.

  Now she was staring at one that probably did.

  Nice.

  “What about you?” She turned back to Edan, who looked somehow both stern and kind of sorry.

  “What about me?”

  “What do you do here?”

  “What I always do. Sit around. Be bored.”

  “Hell is boring for you?”

  "Hella boring.”

  She didn't laugh. “So you’re really a Demon?”

  “I'm a Shade, now," he said testily. "A demoted Demon."

  "Why were you demoted?"

  “Julia, don't worry about it.” Edan's eyes met hers, and his were almost gentle. “You’ve got bigger things ahead of you."

  “I don't want to hear that,” she said, choking on the words.

  “I'm just telling you the truth. And, Julia: Just between us, Methuselah was controlling me. I didn't have a choice, back when I...”

  “When you whipped me?” She put her hands on her hips, and as she did, a big, black bird flew overhead. Edan turned his head, looking over his shoulder as it flew into the forest. “I think that’s my cue.”

  Julia panicked, grabbing his arm. “Please don't go.” But of course he would, so she said, “Give me a clue or something.”

  Edan's hand on her shoulder gripped so hard it almost hurt, and this time, she was sure she saw a glimmer of sympathy in his gray eyes. “Take care of yourself, okay, Julia?”

  And, just like that, Edan disappeared, leaving Julia all alone at the helm of the never ending wheat field, with that damned black bird, which she suddenly realized had to be The Raven.

  Freakin' Edgar Allan Poe. Always had scared the crap out of her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The wheat field really sucked. So did that damned raven. And the knowledge that she was actually in Hell. Alone. In a windy field, under stormy, dusky skies. And yet... It was testament to how horrible her time with Methuselah had been that Julia found the situation almost tolerable, in comparison to the ordeal in Alexandria.

  She couldn't even think of it in detail, but she did wonder how long she’d been held captive. Was it days or weeks—or only hours? She tried to work it out as she tip-toed through the field, looking down at her bare feet for spiders, snakes, and anything else sure to scare her further. Even wondering about how long she'd been in Alexandria made her feel queasy, and it seemed that every thought—even ones of Cayne—brought her back around to there, so she forced her mind to stop thinking entirely.

  The raven kept making its creep-tastic, cawing raven sounds, and Julia jumped at every one of them. Her steely resolution to find Cayne and her friends had began to erode, and she started to wonder crazy things, like whether maybe the raven was Cayne trapped in a form she'd never be able to communicate with.

  Then she saw Carlin.

  Her friend was running through the field at full speed, waving her arms and shrieking things in Spanish. She was running perpendicular to Julia's path, and Julia realized if she ran, too, she could intersect Carlin about fifty yards ahead.

  “Car, you better know I love you, girl.”

  And with that, she started running. Through the wheat field. On bare feet.

  If she'd thought the icky, muddy field was gross when she was walking, it was ten times grosser running. Her feet sank into the chilly mud, and as she ran, it slung up behind her, sticking to her thighs and her lower back, even hitting her on the butt through her bikini bottom.

  When she got within softball-throwing range of Carlin, she started screaming her friend's name.

  Whatever Carlin was experiencing must have scared the bejeebies out of her, because the panicked girl didn't seem to notice Julia at all. She ripped through the field like a tornado, yelping and screaming, until finally Julia got within lunging range—and then Carlin shrieked even louder and ran the other way.

  “Dangit! Carlin it's me! It's Julia!”

  “Julia.” Julia whirled on Drew, looking totally unafraid and very Drew-like, except that he was wearing a yellow sundress.

  “Drew! Holy crap! Wait, is that really you?”

  Drew nodded, plucking at the dress. “I'm afraid so. How are you?” Before he could get all the words out of his mouth, he was stepping forward to wrap his arms around her. He patted her gently on the back and pressed his face into her shoulder. One of his arms came up behind her neck, and he squeezed harder.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her as he pulled away. “Are you hurt?”

  Staring into her friend's serious for the first time since she'd been captured on the mountain in St. Moritz, Julia found her eyes filling with tears. Drew pulled her back into a hug, and she squeezed him to let him know it was okay to hug her harder. For a minute, they just stood there in the freakish Hell wind, and Julia allowed herself a second of relief.

  “Drew—” Her voice caught on his name. “I missed you! How'd you find me here?”

  “I was deposited only a few feet away,” he said, looking ruefully down at his dress.

  “At least it's not this,” she said, pointing to her bikini.

  “Hey, you rock that.”

  Julia scrunched up her face. “You rock yours more.”

  “I'm about to take it off,” he said. “I feel ridiculous. I'm not a drag—”

  Carlin let out another awful shriek, and Julia pulled away, feeling selfish for forgetting her freaked out friend. “We need to get her.”

  Drew nodded, and they dashed after her. Drew got to her first, and when he grabbed her hand, Carlin flailed and screamed and eventually even sobbed, until finally Drew and Julia were hugging her, both of them trying to prove that they were really them (“Who did we see at the resort? Jess Stanton!” and “What brand name was your ski suit? I can tell you if you listen!”), and Carlin sobbed, “It's you! Julia! Drew! Oh Christ! Christ!”

  “Car...” Julia hugged her friend tightly, and Drew stroked her hair as the Spanish started again, finally bleeding into English: “...movie about worms, these big, giant worms, and it was hours and hours and I was so tired! They were under the earth, and I always hated that movie since I was a little girl!” Carlin looked around and blinked, like she was seeing them for the first time.

  And then she started crying again. “Julia! How are you!? I was so worried!”

  Julia let Carlin hug it out; unlike Drew, the Spanish girl didn't worry about Julia’s possible injuries and squeezed the heck out of her, which actually felt amazing.

  “Car, I'm so glad to see you,” Julia said, carefully evading the question about
how she was doing. She knew she couldn't talk about her experiences in Alexandria; she didn't even trust herself to say she was okay, even though technically, physically, she was. She could feel Methuselah's power inside her, and it still hurt sometimes, but she wasn't dying or anything. And she didn't feel Methuselah's presence, which meant that perhaps she was rid of that awful leash. Something to jump up and down about, under different circumstances.

  Carlin wiped her eyes, sniffed once, and turned to Drew. “Drew, you are looking amazing!”

  Drew dropped his head into his hand. "I got stuffed into something like this by some dickheads when I was still in training."

  “Oh no! Then Drew, we will find more clothes for you.” She giggled. “And Julia.”

  “Why do you get to wear a sweat suit?” Julia complained, and Carlin snorted.

  “It is from Wal-Mart.”

  They all got a good laugh out of that, and Carlin insisted on swapping her baggy blue sweat suit for Drew's dress, which, as it happened, was designer brand. Drew couldn't fit into the sweatshirt, but he managed to squeeze into the pants while Julia and Carlin turned their backs to him, holding hands.

  “Where is Meredith?” Carlin asked, and Julia pressed her lips together. “Haven't seen her,” she said, struggling not to get overwhelmed by the situation—and her fear.

  “I did,” Drew said. It sounded a little like a confession.

  “Where was she?”

  “I saw her crying at a funeral on the other end of the field. I tried to reach her, but she kept getting farther away.” He pointed. “That direction.”

  Julia grabbed Drew's hand, and the three of them started across the field.

  “Edan, or a version of him, appeared to me right after that road disappeared,” Drew said. “He said this place is based off us—our fears and insecurities."

  “He was with you? Me too,” Julia said. “He said pretty much the same thing. That's so weird.”

  “He was with me as well, for a little bit before he kissed me and left me here with the worms,” Carlin said, vehemently shaking her head.

  Julia saw Drew's eyebrows shoot up when Carlin said “he kissed me,” but he kept his voice even as he threw Julia a look that said 'let's talk about this later'. “Guess he can be more than one place at once.”