Death's Dilemma (DHAD #2) (20 page)

“Did the dream tell you where she was?”

“Not exactly, but I think I know where to start. I think whatever spell he has on her that is blocking her location is weakening which was why I was able to reach her in my dream just now. I think I have a plan.”

“Plan for what.”

“To get her back. Now are you in or out?”

“We have to wait to get her back. The council meeting went well, and they’re getting a plan together now. We must wait on the details before we take any action.”

“That’s bullshit! We go now before he kills her. He’s getting frustrated with her. Asking her to do things she can’t do. I could feel her body dying from the wounds he’s already inflicted. We have to move now!”

“Cendall, I want to go as bad as you. Lacie was more than an assignment to me; I practically considered her a sister. Stop talking to me like I don’t care because I do, but this is something that needs to be planned and thought out. A mistake could cost Lacie her life. Is that what you want? How do you even know the dream was real?”

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, Trevor, and are you serious with that ‘is that what I want’ question? If I wanted her dead, I would have killed her a year ago,” I said, gripping my fist that wanted to punch him for the stupid comment. “We can’t wait.”

“You are so frustrating, but I get your point,” he said, losing his composure for a moment. “You’re positive it was real.”

“Yes.”

“Shit! Why couldn’t they move faster? I’ve tried rushing them on this. Listen, I want to rush in and charge like you, I really do, but I have to go with my gut on this. We have to wait it out and go as a large group. The council knows how dire this is, and they’re moving faster than usual due to me losing it a bit. That’s what I was doing the whole afternoon while you were…”

“Having my tantrum,” I finished for him.

“No, Cendall, that’s not what I was going to say. Your best friend died, and Lacie was taken. You’re allowed to be upset. Hell, you should be upset, but this is your biggest problem. You have to learn how to calm down and think rationally.”

“No, I’m going now. Like I said, I have an idea, so I’m going to act on it. I will not wait around and let a bunch of Guardians decide her fate.”

“Oh really, and what do you plan to do by yourself, Cendall? You’ve seen what he’s capable of, and you don’t even know where to start.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I do know where to start.”

“And where’s that?” He asked.

“It’ll be more like a coming home trip for me. I could feel she was in Hell in the dream, Trevor.”

“You can’t go down there, Cendall. You know what your own kind will do to you if they find you down there. And if you were lucky enough to get past them, then you’d have the Demon to deal with. It would be suicide.”

“Why do you think I came to your room? You and other Guardians can go with me. I know in my gut that’s where he took her.” The dream had been in my realm, now what level of hell was where it would get tricky.”

“They won’t go down there, and even if I could get a team to follow me, we can’t travel down there. It’s not possible. “

“I can get down there. I can port you down there with me.”

“So can I,” Drake said as he ported in front of me.” Trevor reached for his blade.

“Put your blade away. There is no soul here for me to take from you,” Drake hissed at him.

“What is he doing here? After what just happened? It was bad enough he was there when the Demons started attacking. They’ll think we had some part in all this. “

“Oh shut it. No one will know I’m here. Now, are we going or not. How many people can you port with you, Cendall?”

“You’re both not getting it. Just like how Demons and Reapers...,” he paused and his eyes shot to me. This was still our secret that I could port into heaven. “Guardians and Angels can’t port into hell.”

“I might be able to port you there with me. We could try it.”

“Fine.”

I grabbed his hand. “Home,” I said, and nothing happened. I let go.

“There are other ways into hell. That’s what they’re discussing now. I’ve heard of rescue missions happening before, and I’m sure they’re rounding up a group as we speak.” I looked at Drake, and for once, we seemed to be on the same page as he grabbed my hand.

Trevor yelling “NOOOOOOOO!” echoed in my ears as Drake and I ported to the place I use to call home.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Home Sweet Home

I took a deep breath, inhaling what use to be home, as we stood in the foggy meadow amongst the wandering souls.

“I miss it so much.” My voice broke.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, but I didn’t want to say. It didn’t feel right doing this without Trevor, but I didn’t have a choice. If my dream had been any indication of what Lacie was going through, we had to get to her sooner rather than later. I couldn’t wait to find a back door to a place I had front row access to.

“I know... When this is all over, and whatever happens, happens, if we’re both still alive, I meant what I said before. If it means you being able to come back, I’d still go through with it you know.”

“I know, but neither of us would be happy. I’ve seen how you look at her, and well, I think I...”

“I know.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “At least mine’s human, where yours?” He laughed as I released our hands and punched him in the gut.

“Look at what we’ve gotten ourselves into. Top two in the class will end up being the realms greatest traitors.”

“Yes, but at least it’ll be together.”

“What’s even funnier is that it’s for the same person.”

“And they said we’d never get along.” I laughed.

“You know I’m sorry, right?” he said as he turned towards me.

“For ridiculing me for sixteen years of my life or falling in love with my best friend?” One of my best friends. My other one was gone, murdered by this Demon. I wouldn’t let him take anyone else from me.

“Both.” He smiled. My face froze as I felt the air call out to me.

“She’s here.” A smile reached my lips. I could feel her again. I tried to port to her, but something was blocking it.

“What do you mean she’s here?” he asked.

“Like she’s in our realm. He didn’t take her to his.”

“Why?”

“Who cares? This makes it easier for us.”

“How do you know?”

“I can feel her, like really feel her. I can’t port to her. Something must be blocking it, but I can feel her.” I started to cry.

“Holy shit.” He gripped me up in a hug.

“There has to be reason he brought her here, Drake.”

“Well, in her human form, she’s probably not able to survive being in another realm of hell. They are usually only there in spirit form after death. In limbo, though, it’s only around ninety, whereas I’ve heard the other levels go to extreme temps one’s humans probably can’t handle.

“You’re right. I knew there was a reason I brought you along.”

“She’s got to be in the cellars, then.”

“Let’s go get her.”

“We’re not going to be able to just storm in there.”

“I know, there are too many rooms. Someone is bound to see us if we don’t pick the right place to port to.” I told him.

“Didn’t Eddie’s dad used to guard the cellars?” Drake asked.

“He did.” I smiled. “And he sure owes me a favor after the last conversation we had.” I continued, and Drake nodded.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Good Afternoon, Eddie

“You’ll tell us everything you know now,” Drake demanded from Eddie as we ported into his room. Drake held his neck against the wall with his scythe at his heart.

“You’re here with her? Do you know she tried to kill John? John, you remember him? You two were best friends growing up! She tried to kill him, and when she couldn’t finish the job, her Guardian boyfriend came and ripped him literally into pieces.” I ignored him as Drake gripped his throat tighter. .

“Did I stutter Eddie? You will tell me right now, or I will kill you.”

“I’m dead anyways if I tell you, so what’s the difference?”

“You’ll be doing something right, that’s the difference.”

“Right? Drake, listen to yourself. Who have you become? You used to be feared and respected. Now, you’re running around with the realm’s biggest traitor.”

“You know nothing. Everything you have been told is a lie, but I don’t have time to explain it. Have you ever known me to kid around Eddie? Tell me now or I will not hesitate to start pulling your limbs off one by one.”

“Fuck…” and before he could finish his sentence, Drake ripped his right ear off. Eddie tried to scream, but I slammed my hand over his mouth.

“This is next,” I said as I pointed below his waist. His eyes went wide, and the sweat really began to pour off his forehead.

“All I know is that Herald gave us the mission. Said she was a traitor and we had orders to get her. Alive or dead, it didn’t matter. If we brought the girl she was protecting that was even better, but we were advised we had to get Cendall out of the way.”

“Who is Herald getting his orders from?”

“The council because Cendall is a traitor.”

“Really? The council has interest in killing souls that are vulnerable now.”

“Yes, well no...” Eddie paused.

“You didn’t find that odd?” Drake asked him.

“Have you seen him around lately? I asked.

“No, not since, the soul was taken.”

“How do you know the soul was taken?”

“I…the Demons travel over our realm. I heard things. They were celebrating.”

“Liar,” I called him out. “Are you being recruited, Eddie?” His eyes gave it away.

“You will tell us where she is now!” I screamed, and he shook his head. “Drake, move.” I told him. The second he stepped to the left I threw my scythe at Eddie, and it impaled him in the chest. Blood poured from his mouth. I walked over slowly, making sure his eyes stayed latched onto mine. When I got to my scythe I pulled it out of his chest and let his body crumble to the ground. I knelt over him and watched his body begin to convulse and prepare to move into the afterlife. When I felt he was seconds near death I let the orange glow leave my fingertips to heal him. He took a deep breath.

“I can do that all day Eddie. How many times is it going to take?” He looked like he’d just seen a ghost as his face went pale, and he finally started to talk.

“She’s in the first cell on the last level. There are too many guards—you’ll never…” And Drake slit his throat. I watched the blood seep out and onto the floor.

“Why did you kill him?” I asked.

“Eddie is the not the same Eddie, like before you left. With me gone, he started to really get influenced by John. The moment he had the chance, he would have turned on us, and we couldn’t afford that liability, we were done with him, weren’t we?”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Lost and Found

We ported to the room Eddie said she’d be in, but no one was there. Little asshole.

“They either moved her or he was lying.”

We crept out in the hall, and luck had to be on our side as no one was there. We walked past each room and listened as the moans of the prisoners wormed through the reinforced openings in the steel doors. We walked past one room that had no window or bars.

“She’s got to be in this room,” I said to Drake.

“I don’t feel anything in there,” he said, stopping just outside the door.

“That’s the point. Try and port in there.”

“I can’t.”

“Exactly, either can I, and that would explain why I couldn’t just port to where she was like usual. She’s in there.”

“How are we going to get in there?”

“We could try opening the door?” I put my hand on the knob, and it turned, letting us in.

Drake followed behind as we entered the room, and we both let out a gasp when we saw Lacie inside a kennel. My eyes wandered about the room to all the devices he must have used to torture her. Blood was splattered on the wall, and the glass tank from my dream was still full of water. I could feel her soul calling to my scythe she was injured so badly.

Drake opened up the cage and pulled her out and onto his lap. I took a look at her injures. One more cut and she’d be dead for sure. She had dark brown and purple bruises up and down her arms and legs.

“There’s a porting spell or something on her. I can’t move her. How the hell are we going to get her out of here with that on her. It’s impossible,” Drake said next to me.

“She’s so close to death already. I know you can feel your scythe calling to you as it is me. She’ll be dead soon,” I sobbed.

“Heal her,” he said, and I placed my hand on her arm.

“I can’t. Just as you can’t port her, I can’t heal her. There is something blocking it.”

How could we get her out of here with all the Reapers that were surely going to catch on soon that we were here? If they didn’t already know. This had been too easy. Were we already in a trap?

“I think we’re in a trap,” I said to Drake, and he nodded.

“I know. I thought the same thing, but where are they then?”

“Watching the show of course,” came Herald through the intercom. I knew it. “Thank you guys for making this so easy for me, and don’t worry. I’ve already called out to Mobrolantis. He’s on the way for your punishment. I can’t wait to finally see you get what you deserve you TRAITOR. Hopefully I’m the one to break it to your father.”

“Fuck you!” I shouted up at the intercom as I flicked up both middle fingers to the ceiling.

I put my spear’s tip into Lacie’s heart, and like I’d expected, it started to come instantly. I quickly snapped it back, making the soul go back into her body.

“What the fuck was that?!” Drake snapped with wide eyes. “Are you trying to kill her early?”

“No, I have an idea…but I’ll need your help. We can’t let him them have her soul.”

“So you’re going to take it first? How does that make any sense? When Mobrolantis gets here, he will just kill you and then take it out of your scythe.”

“She’s dead if we leave her here. Do you really want her soul to belong to him?”

“It’s not his choice... it’s mine. DO IT,” Lacie moaned as she opened her eyes. “Just do it, Cendall, please. I can’t take any more from him….”