Page 20 of Soul Keeper

Zoe gasped as a comet of darkness sped towards her from the sky. It gathered speed as it dived towards her, until her eyes widened in recognition.

“Shadow?”

“Take my hand!” Shadow flew towards her at top-speed, leaving a trail of darkness billowing behind him. “Now, Zoe!”

Zoe reached for him, and gasped as their hands connected. A deep chill spread through her fingers and turned the blood in her veins to ice. It was as if she held the hand of winter itself.

“Brace yourself!” Shadow roared to her over the wails of the dead. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride!”

At once, they took off, soaring across the canyon of darkness like shooting stars. Shadow wove nimbly through the outstretched hands of the dead, leaving a path of icicles in his wake, before he sped into a current of wind. Zoe gasped as it sent them soaring upwards along the sheer cliff face, before they burst free of the canyon’s gloom, and tumbled into a vast snow heap. Zoe spluttered as an explosion of snowflakes filled the air, and drew deep lungfuls of air to calm her hammering heart. Against all odds, she was alive.

With her limbs still entwined with Shadows, she turned to him in surprise.

“You saved me.”

He shrugged nonchalantly, as if diving headfirst into a chasm of the dead was an everyday occurrence.

“Well, I could hardly let our first visitor in years perish in the depths of Tartarus.”

As Shadow broke into a smile, Zoe watched as his eyes gleamed in the moonlight. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of what lay beneath his fearsome demeanor, to where a spark of his inner light remained. But as their hands brushed, she looked in surprise as an icy chill spread through her fingertips. It was as if his body was made from winter’s breath, unable to be held in the hands of a mortal. She shivered from the cold, until Shadow retracted his hand self-consciously.

“I don’t understand.” Zoe looked at her hand in surprise, her skin pale and bluish from his touch. “How were you able to save me if we can’t touch?”

“The powers of the Underworld might be great, but they come with a pretty big limitation. As its guardian, I can see you, speak with you, even share my powers with you.” Shadow placed his hand towards Zoe’s, until his fingers fell through hers. “But I can never touch, nor be touched by a living thing.”

Zoe looked at their hands in surprise. She could sense his presence, but could feel nothing more than a cold breeze drifting along her skin. She watched as small crystals of ice formed from his touch, until he removed his hand once more.

“So… you’ve never touched anyone?”

As the words tumbled out of Zoe’s mouth, Shadow’s cheeks burned with a deep heat that contrasted their wintry surroundings.

“That’s not… well, I…” The God of the Underworld spluttered as he failed to find his words, before he shot to his feet. “I think we have more pressing matters to discuss. Specifically, why you took a sightseeing tour across Tartarus?”

“Trust me, I hadn’t planned on it.” Zoe peered over the edge of the canyon and into the abyss beyond. “What were those things?”

“The souls of the damned.” A cold breeze carried the whispers of those below. “Nothing good lives down there, trust me.”

Zoe shuddered as she recalled the sea of outstretched ghoulish hands, their jeweled rings gleaming malevolently in the darkness.

“But why were they wearing crowns? There were enough gemstones down there to fill a vault.”

“Tartarus is a home for those who have lost sight of what’s truly important in life. Those consumed by their mortal greed for riches, status, and power.” Shadow’s eyes welled with darkness as he gazed into the abyss. “Until they free themselves of such things, they’ll remain in the darkness. It’s just a pity they didn’t learn such a lesson while they were still mortal.”

Zoe’s stomach churned as Shadow’s eyes lingered on her pointedly.

“Hey, cut that out. You don’t need to scare me with your ghost stories.” She glanced back at the abyss, recalling the glittering wealth of the ghouls. “Besides, do I look like the kind of person who has crowns and jewels lying around in my apartment?”

“Perhaps not. But you do look like the kind of person who’s lost sight of the real treasures in life.” Shadow’s dark eyes turned to her, as if he gazed into her very soul. “And you still haven’t answered my question. What were you doing in Tartarus in the middle of the night?”

“I…” Zoe peered at the lights of the Underworld Motel in the distance, where a jingle of bells echoed in the air. “I was playing Hide and Shriek with Spooks.”

Shadow’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You don’t strike me as the typical Hide and Shriek player.”

“Well, I was a little more successful than I’d expected, thanks to your maze giving me an impromptu tour of the Underworld.”

“Is that so?” Shadow’s eyes narrowed, like a predator closing in on its prey. “That maze exists to protect the Underworld. To misdirect intruders and those who would seek to cause it harm. Which makes me wonder… why would it see you as a threat?”

Zoe’s stomach churned as Shadow’s gaze lingered on her. The intensity of his stare sent a shiver, one that wasn’t entirely unpleasant, down her spine. But despite her uneasiness, she forced herself to stand her ground.

---