Ethereal Underground (Ethereal Underground Trilogy) (31 page)

“Creeper,” h
e repeated his words from earlier.

It was no wonder why these creatures were fo
rced out of society. Next, the seer reached for Arie.

“Your hand
, my dear,” she said.

Arie glanced at Finlay who gave her a nod of encouragement. She reached out to touch the seer. Her hand was s
mall in comparison to the seer. The closer her hand got, the more it shook in fright. When they touched, the seer grabbed Arie’s wrist tight and pulled her closer. Finlay reached out to steady the girl so she didn’t fall over. His eyes narrowed in on the seer in disapproval.

“My Arie. You have had a hard past, and have an even harder future I am afraid.” Her voice
was scratchy and it echoed off the walls.

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Arie shot back.
Everyone’s life was hard.

“You will be forgotten, forgotten and left behind.” T
he seer began to laugh as Arie forced her hand back. She kept her eyes to the ground.

The s
eer looked at Leon and started to move closer to him. Leon shook his head at her and kept his hands in his lap. “I do not wish to know anything.”

The s
eer nodded and backed away. “If you are sure.”

Finally
, the seer moved toward Ash. At first, Ash refused to touch the wrinkly creature’s hand, but when Annalise smiled in approval he felt like he couldn’t be rude.

When their hands touched the s
eer pulled her hand back in pain. She let out a loud cry, making the four of them scoot back in shock.

“What are you?” the
seer hissed at him. Ash leaned away from the old lady.

“I am human.”

The seer shook her head but didn’t say a word. Ash wasn’t sure what the old woman saw, but she wouldn’t comment anymore.

“What did you see? Tell me,” he demanded. He tried to reach out to grab her, but she quickly scooted out of his
reach. She was scared of his touch. She made another long moaning sound. It made Ash want to run his blade through her just to shut her up. She didn’t look dangerous, but she was banished down here for a reason.

“This is more than I have said in hundreds of years. I must
rest. I will speak more when I am rested.” Her head slumped over in front of her and she suddenly became very still.

“Is she dead?” Annalise asked.

Finlay shook his head. “She’s sleeping, that’s what we should do before we go any further.”

Just great, she fell asleep without finishing my fortune
, Ash thought.

Arie shook her head. “I can’t sleep with that thing so close by
.” Finlay put an arm around her to calm her down. Rarely did Arie get frightened.

“You four sleep, I will stay up and guard.” Leon told them.

Chapter Ten

Annalise

Finding it incredibly hard to sleep considering the circumstances, Annalise kept her eyes closed so she would at least get some peace from the tension that had been flowing around since Leon arrived. She was lying on the grass Finlay had created with Ash close by. Even though Leon had arrived, Ash continued to stay near her. She was sure it was to keep her safe. Annalise had been very glad to see Leon, but disappointed in herself when she had so quickly promised him she would go home with him when this was over…because she was worried about what would happen with Ash.

As she opened
her eyes to peek around, she noticed that Leon was examining another bone and distracted from keeping an eye on them. She was certain he was still paying attention to all sounds within ear shot, even though he was trying to figure out what creature the bones belonged to and what had destroyed them. He was a warrior, a guardian, and he wouldn’t let some creature sneak up on them. Annalise reached her arm out in front of her and ran a soft finger down his hand. He was so very adorable when he was sleeping, not so tough, and it made her smile. She knew it had hurt him when she promised to return home, but she did not know of any other way to get Leon to stay and not harm him. Leon had made it clear that he would kill Ash if she did not, but now she hoped he would be satisfied with her not returning to the mortal world. She gave one last glance at Leon, noting that he was pacing back and forth, and intertwined her fingers with Ash’s rough digits. His eyebrows crinkled slightly and he mumbled something, then he tightened his grip on her hand.

Annalise tried to suppress a giggle and wondered what he was dreaming. Since seraphs didn’t dream, she had almost forgotten that other species did so
. She did not know if it was a happy dream or not. She tried to be quiet as she moved closer to him but still left a little space in between. Angering Leon was not something that she wanted to do, but she wanted to be closer to Ash. As she closed her eyes, she found it more comfortable there, with her hand in his. It was as if he grounded her and helped her to feel whole. She did not worry about what this meant now, just tried to enjoy the silence and company around her. All of the ones she cared for were near and alive, and she could rest better knowing that.

When she opened her eyes again, everyone else was up and talking. Leon and Finlay
joked around. Arie was beside them and laughed right along with them. Ash seemed like he was trying to enjoy the conversation as well, but stayed guarded. She could tell he still did not know what to think about Leon. She could feel the uncertainty coming from him. As if he could feel her looking at him, his eyes moved over to her and he gave her a wink. It made her blush slightly, just like every other time he flirted with her. Annalise wished that she could efficiently flirt back with him.  She stood up and tried to straighten her hair as she walked over to them.

“Good morning…I guess,” she said, eyes looking at the dirt ceiling above them. She’d be so very happy to get out of the tunnels. Annalise missed the sun shining above her, the garden, and the clouds drifting overhead. She wished she could take Ash back with her to the seraph realm just for one day. They would have so much fun.

“Bright and sunny, eh Annalise,” Finlay laughed and threw his arm around Arie to pull her close.

The seraph shook her head in disagreement, fold
ed her arms across her chest and looked over at Leon. He was studying her as if he had something on his mind. She wished he would stop that. He then glanced back and forth between her and Ash as if they were the most interesting thing around. She wanted to ask him about it, but there were other things she needed to get out.

“I need to speak with Ash,” Annalise announced suddenly and took him by the arm to pull him a few feet away from the others.

He came willingly and let out a laugh, “Want to get me alone huh?”

“Ash,” she chastised, trying not to look over at Leon who she was sure was still watching them. Her blue orbs looked up at him, and she let out a sigh, “Please do not be upset with me about promising Leon to go home. I did not want him to kill you and he had his mind set on it.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Ash insisted as he put his hand on her arms and gazed down at her.

“It is just that…he still watches us. As if he is trying to figure something out.”

He nodded in agreement, “I know. Don’t worry so much about him, Anna. We have a mission to do and afterwards, we can deal with him.”

“I just do not want him to hurt you.”

“Anna,” Leon said as he came to stand beside them, “We need to get going. Whatever it is you have to talk about can wait.”

She opened her mouth to disagree, but he
pulled her away from Ash and towards the group. Her friend followed behind her, letting out a huff of amusement or frustration, she couldn’t quite tell because he was putting that wall up in front of his emotions. He was getting a lot better at this, and she still struggled. They left the seer, who was still in the same position they had left her in the night before, and continued on their journey.

Leon did not let go of her arm for the first few minutes
as they walked, this look of contemplation on his face. Suddenly, he stopped and pushed her behind him.

“Everyone stop,” he said and looked over at Finlay, “Do you hear that?”

The blonde paused and placed a cupped hand to his ear for dramatic affect. His smile quickly turned to a frown which showed that he heard something, “Yeah. Hulmiens. Not good.”

“What are
hulmiens?” Arie demanded as she stepped in front of them.

“Do not let their looks deceive you. These creatures are meat eating and poisonous,” Leon said seriously, “I am sure they are the cause of all those bones back there.”

“We can take ‘em,” Ash said as he pulled out his dagger and stepped forward.

Leon reached out to grab the mortal’s shoulder and yanked him backwards, “They are dangero
us, boy, and you are the one I am most worried about.”

Ash shook the seraph’s arm off him and glared at him,
“I don’t need your protection, and neither does Anna.”

Annalise was surprised when Ash reached out and took her hand and turned to lead the group forward. She cast a worried glance back at Leon to see the incredibly
irritated look in his green eyes, more than Annalise had ever seen him. She was also worried because she had no clue what they were walking in to because she did not know what a hulmien was.

They walked closer to the large rocks when Finlay called out, “Hey, you might want to let me go in first. I’ve, uh, met these creatures before. They will be less likely to rip your guts out and have you for dinner if I go first.”

This made Ash pause and turn to look at the seraph. He considered the words for a second before nodding, “Okay, go ahead.”

Annalise was surprised that he was stepping down to let someone else go in first. Finlay stepped ahead of Arie and shot her an apologetic look before taking up the front of the line.

“What does he mean, he has ‘met these creatures before’?” Arie said with a mocking tone. She crossed her arms in front of her body. Ash and Annalise followed behind them. A soft singing voice could be heard as they closed in on the gray rocks. It was as if the ocean was singing to them from the other side, a beautiful sound flowing into Annalise’s ears.

She looked over at Ash, “Do you hear that?”

He nodded and gripped her hand tighter, “It must be the creatures Leon was talking about. Doesn’t sound so scary to me.”

“Do not be so quick to think Leon does not know what he is talking about. If he says these things are dangerous, then I would
say they are.”

Ash
shot her a troubled look and continued forward in silence. The singing grew louder and louder as they came to an opening in the rocks. Finlay gave one last worried glance back at the two of them and continued through the thin space between the rocks. Annalise could feel Arie and Leon catching up behind them as Ash pulled her with him behind Finlay, her heart racing to see these beings.

The beautiful singing stopped, and then resumed, this time with words instead of a melody,

“We heard that you were coming,

We hoped that it was true.

Oh, our dearest Finlay,

Aren’t we so glad to see you!”

“Ladies! It’s a pleasure,” Finlay said and threw his arms open in a greeting and let that charismatic smile spread over his face.

Annalise peered around Finlay’s large wings to see a bonfire sitting in the center of the rocks. There were a dozen tall, curvy, gorgeous young women who were stood around the fire. They each wore skin tight clothing made from beast skins, some more revealing than others. Out from behind each of them curled long furry feline tails that matched the color of their hair. They were all looking at Finlay in awe, excited to see him here. Ash let out a surprised , “What tha-” and the hulmiens snapped their heads around towards him.

Leon stepped up beside of them, Arie there as well with a less than pleased look on her face.

The girls opened their mouth again, a song flowing from their lips,

“We have been so very lonely here,

And you have brought friends with you we see,

Along with the beautiful women there,

What handsome men you’ve brought with thee.”

“We are just passing through,” Leon said as he reached for the dagger at his hip but not pulling it from its sheath.

“Dear, dear guardian,” one of the ladies said
as she stepped forward, her tail swishing back and forth behind her as she did so. Her large green eyes bore into Leon, taking in his body from top to bottom as she approached. She stopped several inches in front of him and trailed her eyes up at him and smiled, “No one simply passes through here. We are so very lonely here. We have been cast out from our home, forced to live in the lower levels.” Even though it was just one voice, the rest of the hulmiens quiet, she still sounded like water flowing as she spoke.

Leon took a step back from her and took a deep breath, “You have nothing I want.”

“I do not agree with that, seraph,” she said as she ran her hand down his chest and then skipped away to rejoin the others with a giggle.

“What the moons was that,” Arie spat, angry brown eyes looking over at Finlay for answers.

“Those, my dear, are the thing of nightmares. They will seduce you and kill you in one thought. Drag you back here and cut you to pieces.”

“You speak so lowly of us,” one of them piped up, this one taller than the others. She cocked her head to the side and bit her lip affectionately, “Do not pretend you don’t love our company dear Finlay.”

“Visitors, this is Mannassa, leader of the hulmiens.”

“Come, join us for dinner.”

“We were just cooking up something special,” spoke another.

“Just for you,” another purred, as they all began to sing again. All but two of them began to dance around the fire, singing and moving in unison.

“I do not think we are planning on eating here,” Annalise whispered as she leaned over to Ash.

“Wouldn’t hurt. I’m starved
,” he said in disagreement and walked forward.

She reached out to grab him as he let go of her hand, but Leon had her arm, “Do not follow him.”

“I will not let any harm come to him,” Annalise said and glared at him, annoyed that Leon would keep her from following Ash. If these beings were as terrifying as the seraphs said they were then she wanted to keep her eyes on Ash.

He sighed
and rubbed his forehead, “Fine, but I will come with you.”

Finlay nodded and stepped ahead to go sit where Ash was by the fire. Arie came to stand by Annalise and walked beside of her, “What is up with these girls?”

“I do not know. It appears as if they are harlots.”

“Shhh, Annalise,” Leon chastised, “Do you want to get us killed?”

“What would you like to call them?”

“Hulmiens. That’s it.”

“I don’t like them,” Arie growled.

Annalise turned to her and put her hand on her shoulder, “Do not worry. Finlay, he
cares for you. He may have a past with these evil creatures, but he will not have a future with them.”

“Soooo, what are you cooking up?” Ash asked
as he leaned over on the log from where he sat, eyes on the pot that hung over the fire.

The others took a seat
around the fire as one of the hulmiens came to stand beside of Ash. She leaned over, tail swooshing back and forth as she whispered in her ear, “Razda meat. I know it is your favorite.”

“Yes,” another agreed and came to stand beside her friend and place herself in the mortal’s lap, “We aim to please.” She let out a giggle and wrapped her arms around him. Yet a third creature came to stand behind him and run her hands through his hair.

Ash closed his eyes and smiled, “Can’t wait.”

Annalise scowl
ed at the four of them, crossed her arms and tried to keep her mouth shut. She did not like these hulmiens at all, she decided. She could feel the conflicted emotions fading away in Ash and being replaced by emotions that she was only slightly familiar with. Turning to Leon, she whispered her concerns, “Are they going to kill him?”

“No, not yet,” he said with a laugh, “They are just playing with him. Like a
beast plays with its prey.”

“It is sick.”

She heard Finlay let out a laugh and she turned to see him standing off to the side watching the show. The hulmiens would pass him as they danced around the fire, one by one trying to get his attention. He would swirl them around occasionally if they were friendly. The overly friendly, the ones running their hands over his wings, he would push off of him and encourage them to go dance.

Arie stood up, going over to where he was and sp
oke to him angrily, “You had better watch it.”

“
Love, it’s all good. Come with me, dance,” he laughed as he grabbed her by the hand and began to dance around the fire with the hulmiens. His loud laughter reverberated off of the rocks as he did so. Finlay was a spectacular dancer, even moving in a circle around the pit of fire, and he eventually had Arie laughing and dancing with him. They would take turns pointing and laughing at Ash, making comments about him and the ladies. Annalise tried to ignore them, but found it difficult to ignore their persistent happiness. Did they completely forget that they were all about to waltz into the layer of the fallen?

Leon scooted closer to Annalise and put an arm around her. She eyed his large arm suspiciously and didn’t say a word.

“These creatures are fascinating aren’t they?” he asked, a smile on his face as he watched his friends having fun.

“No. I do not
think so,” Annalise disagreed and looked over at Ash to see the hulmiens attempting to pour some kind of liquid into his mouth from a carved out rock. He turned his head to refuse it and the liquid ran down his chin and onto his chest. Annalise turned her eyes away from him but could still hear their laughter. She badly wanted badly to get up and stop their nonsense, but Leon’s words made her stop and listen.

“They are telepathic. That is how they can sing together like that. They hunt in packs
sometimes. One or two will draw out the prey and then they will all feast on it. It’s very bloody, very vicious. They can also read the minds of their intended victims. That is how they know your mortal likes razda meat. I am sure that is not at all what is in that pot.”

“I do not care,” Annalise insisted.

“Is that really the kind of person you want to spend all your time with?” Leon asked and pointed over to where Ash sat.

Annalise did not look over, choosing instead to eye Leon suspiciously, “He cannot help their enchanting ways.”

“They do not make him do anything he does not want to do.”

“Do not lie to me as you have before. I am not so naïve. I can see that Finlay is only having fun and letting it affect him and Arie. That is why you and I are sitting here unaffected. Ash is mortal. I am guessing that is what they feed on.”

A hulmien came to stand in front of them and Annalise looked up at her and frowned.

“Beautiful seraphs, come and dance with us,” she reached out to run her hand along the outer part of Leon’s wings.

“No thanks.”

“But we are so very lonely,” she begged, her hand now going to his arm.

Leon leaned away from her to stay out of her grasp, “I said no.”

She frowned, beautiful face showing legitimate concern and sadness, “We will
still let you join us if you change your mind.” With that she walked away, and Annalise was glad. She was about to say something not so nice.

“Tell me,” Leon said
and turned her face to look at him, “What is it about this mortal that makes you feel for him?”

This caught her attention, “Feel? What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I am talking about. You are sitting here about to go drown each of those hulmiens that have his attention. That is very unlike you.”

“I am worried. That is all.”

“You care for him.”

Annalise paused and let out a sigh. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she didn’t want to tell him the truth either. He had kissed her before she left their realm with Ash, and that told her that he cared way more than he was admitting to her. It told her that his feelings may be unseraph like, like the ones she was having for Ash. “And if I do?”