pushed you.”
Valerie couldn’t answer him as she watched the bloody display enfold in front of her. The demon was ripping the woman limb from limb, but the limbs kept growing back. Each new tear of flesh and bone brought a round of screaming from the recipient. Valerie leaned over the side of the pit and threw up.
James was rubbing her back. “Would you mind doing that another time?” He asked the demon.
The demon shrugged and tossed the woman over the edge back into the pit. “I have eternity. Is your blood mate alright?”
Valerie stood up turning to face the demon who had saved her, but James had him by the throat.
“Why did you save her? What are you up to?” James demanded.
Valerie was confused, shouldn’t James be happy she was alright?
The demon smiled. “Maybe I felt like doing my good deed for the century today.”
“I’m not buying it, you have never saved a mortal in all your years in this realm or on earth.” James pulled out on e of the silver knives Bart had given them.
“I don’t think you want to do that.” The demon said. “Killing me for saving your blood mate, I have a feeling you would be sentenced to death for that. Not that I wouldn’t mind seeing you around here, I could have some fun with you.”
James released the demon with a grunt of annoyance. “Keep your hands off my wife, or next time I will gut you.”
James grabbed Valerie’s hand and fled the pit, dragging her in tow. Valerie was getting sick of being dragged around like a puppy and was incredibly confused about the demon they had left behind them.
“That demon is one of Erra’s lap dogs. It makes no sense that Erra would send an assassin to kill you, yet one of his demons seemed hell bent on saving you. That bloke plunged off the side of the pit before I could even blink. At first I thought he meant to harm you, but the next instant he was setting you down safely in front of me.” James explained.
Valerie was just happy to be alive, regardless of motive. Everything about this new life was complicated. Her brain desperately longed for a break with reality so it could have to time to catch up and decipher all the new information.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
S tyx wasn’t in the light house when Valerie and James finally arrived. Instead she was down in the river, or rather on it. Valerie watched out the window as a woman in white with silver hair floated above the red liquid that flowed down stream over and around the condemned souls that bathed in it.
“That’s blood isn’t it?” Valerie gasped.
“Yes, blood from the never ending wars on earth. It soaks into the ground and feeds the river. When there is war and things get particularly bloody the river swells. The War on Terror actually caused a flood not too long ago. The blood spilled over into the hoarder’s pit. That caused a big commotion; they were more concerned with their stuff being dirty then the possibility of ending up here if the blood had risen high enough to carry them away.”
It shocked Valerie how blasé James was about these things, but she reminded herself he had been living this reality for centuries.
They made their way down the winding stairs on the side of the lighthouse to the bank of the river. Valerie saw that Styx wasn’t actually floating, she was standing on the heads of two souls in the blood, every now and then grinding her heal into their skulls, forcing their faces under. She glanced up and waved hello when she noticed them approaching.
“These t wo have been arguing all day, their bickering has given me such a headache.” Styx explained.
“Goddesses don’t get headaches Styx, hop out of there and come meet Valerie.” James called out to her.
With a final thrust of her feet she became airborne as the poor souls sank under again. Landing without a sound in front of them she grasped James by the shoulder kissing both his cheeks before turning and doing the same to
Valerie couldn’t answer him as she watched the bloody display enfold in front of her. The demon was ripping the woman limb from limb, but the limbs kept growing back. Each new tear of flesh and bone brought a round of screaming from the recipient. Valerie leaned over the side of the pit and threw up.
James was rubbing her back. “Would you mind doing that another time?” He asked the demon.
The demon shrugged and tossed the woman over the edge back into the pit. “I have eternity. Is your blood mate alright?”
Valerie stood up turning to face the demon who had saved her, but James had him by the throat.
“Why did you save her? What are you up to?” James demanded.
Valerie was confused, shouldn’t James be happy she was alright?
The demon smiled. “Maybe I felt like doing my good deed for the century today.”
“I’m not buying it, you have never saved a mortal in all your years in this realm or on earth.” James pulled out on e of the silver knives Bart had given them.
“I don’t think you want to do that.” The demon said. “Killing me for saving your blood mate, I have a feeling you would be sentenced to death for that. Not that I wouldn’t mind seeing you around here, I could have some fun with you.”
James released the demon with a grunt of annoyance. “Keep your hands off my wife, or next time I will gut you.”
James grabbed Valerie’s hand and fled the pit, dragging her in tow. Valerie was getting sick of being dragged around like a puppy and was incredibly confused about the demon they had left behind them.
“That demon is one of Erra’s lap dogs. It makes no sense that Erra would send an assassin to kill you, yet one of his demons seemed hell bent on saving you. That bloke plunged off the side of the pit before I could even blink. At first I thought he meant to harm you, but the next instant he was setting you down safely in front of me.” James explained.
Valerie was just happy to be alive, regardless of motive. Everything about this new life was complicated. Her brain desperately longed for a break with reality so it could have to time to catch up and decipher all the new information.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
S tyx wasn’t in the light house when Valerie and James finally arrived. Instead she was down in the river, or rather on it. Valerie watched out the window as a woman in white with silver hair floated above the red liquid that flowed down stream over and around the condemned souls that bathed in it.
“That’s blood isn’t it?” Valerie gasped.
“Yes, blood from the never ending wars on earth. It soaks into the ground and feeds the river. When there is war and things get particularly bloody the river swells. The War on Terror actually caused a flood not too long ago. The blood spilled over into the hoarder’s pit. That caused a big commotion; they were more concerned with their stuff being dirty then the possibility of ending up here if the blood had risen high enough to carry them away.”
It shocked Valerie how blasé James was about these things, but she reminded herself he had been living this reality for centuries.
They made their way down the winding stairs on the side of the lighthouse to the bank of the river. Valerie saw that Styx wasn’t actually floating, she was standing on the heads of two souls in the blood, every now and then grinding her heal into their skulls, forcing their faces under. She glanced up and waved hello when she noticed them approaching.
“These t wo have been arguing all day, their bickering has given me such a headache.” Styx explained.
“Goddesses don’t get headaches Styx, hop out of there and come meet Valerie.” James called out to her.
With a final thrust of her feet she became airborne as the poor souls sank under again. Landing without a sound in front of them she grasped James by the shoulder kissing both his cheeks before turning and doing the same to
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