Page 130 of Cruelest Kiss and Fairest Blood
Her body must remain undisturbed. But so lovely a trinket as the jeweled dagger is sure to catch the eye of a greedy grave-robbing mortal. I need to hide her body somewhere no one will find it. She’s special. It could take centuries for her to decompose the same way a normal human would.
The question is, where can I hide her?
I have visited many places in my time as Ruler of the Underworld. One of the most memorable being the island of blue trees. My hunt for a soul cheating death led me to asmall but beautiful island. Its sandy beaches gave way to a forest of fragrant trees all bursting with blue blossoms. A strong protective spell had been laid across its borders.
The man who resided there, an old fisherman, had discovered one of the many mysterious mirrors of the mortal world when he pulled it up from the sea in a fishing net. I’ve encountered six magic mirrors in my existence, with the most recent being here in Roseheart. Most are homes to entities, like Catreena’s, or curses, like Renard’s.
This mirror was unique in that it contained three wishes. The man’s first wish was to quit aging. His body had been overworked and he longed for a reprieve from the aches and pains that age continued to bestow upon him. The second was to stay hidden from the outside world. The protective barrier was locked in place. No one would be able to see the island, even if they were sailing right in front of it. He lived out several decades in peace, enjoying the beach and the blue-flowered trees.
But the man grew lonely. His many years in solitude became unbearable. A feeling I can strongly relate to. For his third and final wish, he wished for company.
Something mortals never quite seem to learn is the lesson in specificity when it comes to manifesting your desires. Magic is tricky. Your choice of words when making bargains with any kind of magical being is key. Opening himself up to company is what allowed me to seek him out. He did indeed remain hidden from the outside world. Which meant the magic could only grant him otherworldly company without contradicting his second wish. In a cruel twist of fate, I was the one summoned.
He had not aged a day since setting foot on that island, but not aging, and living forever, would have been two very different wishes.
It’s been close to a hundred years since I spirited him from that tiny island and ferried him below. An island still hidden from the outside world.
That is where Lenore will rest until her suffering has ended for good.
Taking her in my arms, the dagger still embedded in her chest, I fly. Sparkling seas coast past as we travel. My heart swells when I see our destination.
Brilliant blues appear on the horizon as the island comes into view. The flowering trees stand as beautiful as ever. This is the perfect final resting place. Gently laying Lenore on the beach, I summon six stone slabs from my domain. The pieces are carved from the obsidian mountainside. Using magic to seal them together, I create a sepulcher overlooking the sea.
My lovely, lost Lenore looks more peaceful than I’ve ever seen as I seal her inside.
I will return when she’s nothing but bones to ferry her skeleton to my domain. Until then, it is time to return to the Underworld. My beloved awaits me in her new home.
Epilogue
Harrow
Catreena’s golden bracelet sits on the arm of my throne, whispering. It isn’t hard and cold, but soft and pliant. The golden threads aren’t made of metal. What could they be? The need to know where it came from and how many more are out there eats away at my thoughts. There’s too much power in so small a trinket. I shudder to think how many others have used a bracelet of their own to cheat death. That type of excess time does something to humans. They all end up corrupted. Which means anyone sporting a golden bracelet of their own is up to nefarious acts and wicked deeds.
“That thing will drive you mad.” Lenore plops down on my lap, pulling my hand from the bracelet.
“Darling, I’m already mad. For you.”
She giggles as I plant a flurry of kisses across her cheek and neck. Her squirming body bumps into the bracelet, sending itspilling onto the floor. It whispers again, more loudly. We both stare down at it.
“What happened to her?” She doesn’t need to specify. I knew she would ask about Catreena eventually.
“I traded her for my freedom.”
“What does that mean?”
“When Cassius pulled you from the spell, I got trapped in the in-between. Negotiating a way out was my only choice. Drusinnia wanted another wing.”
Lenore gasps, her hands reaching for the tops of my wings. “That evil bitch.”
Her choice of words makes me grin. “She’ll never get these. But she did want something beautiful and uniquely powerful. So I offered her?—”
“Catreena,” Lenore finishes. “So she’s trapped in the in-between forever?”
I nod. “Torment for all eternity. Far worse than she would have had it here. Drusinnia makes my torturous techniques look like I’m coddling the damned.”
Lenore’s smile is devious. “Good.”
Most days I still can’t believe I have Lenore here with me. After I secured her in her sepulcher and headed back to the Underworld, I feared the worst. The flight home was spent thinking of ways I could help her remember me. I assumed she would have gone to a silver garden. The thought of her being as vacant as the others made my heart ache. I vowed to do whatever it took to help her remember me, us, and herself.
