River of Shadows (Underworld Gods 1)

I swear to god, if I hear the word uprising one more time… I mean, what the hell is there to rise up against? The dead should be happy that they have a city to go to instead of the eternal suffering and chaos and whatever there was before. Then again, it’s usually those at the bottom that want to bring down those at the top. Perhaps some will choose eternal damnation so as long as everyone has to suffer equally. A better life isn’t always good enough if others have it even better.

There’s no more time to ponder it. We walk through the door and into the white crypt and I’m surprised to see there’s only a couple of people inside. Well, one God, and a big, winged unicorn.

Kalma is standing at the altar of bones with the crown of crimson in his hands, looking at us expectantly as we enter. Sarvi is on the other side of him, wedged between the creepy, eyeless statues, their candles eternally flickering.

“Where is Tuoni?” Kalma asks us.

“Uh, here with you?” Lovia says.

No, Sarvi says, then realizes no one understands it. The unicorn looks at me. He is supposed to come down last. Hanna, you are supposed to wait for him at the altar.

Oh, of course Death would make you wait for him. He has to be different, doesn’t he?

But even though I’m joking inside my head, I can’t ignore the kernel of unease in my stomach. That something is wrong. It doesn’t help that I’m standing in the creepiest place in all the land and I swear the snakes in the shadows are hissing at me, telling me to leave.

“He better show up,” Lovia says, taking me by the arm again as Raila picks up my train and we walk down the aisle. “It’s rude to keep a Goddess waiting.”

She gives me a reassuring smile as we get to the altar but even I see the uncertainty in her eyes.

I look over at Sarvi and the unicorn seems to shrug, albeit warily.

I then glance at Kalma and he does the same, eyes kind but on edge, and my attention is captured by the haunting beauty of the crimson crown in his hands. Up close, it’s horrible and beautiful all at once, the way the black bones and ruby gems mingle with each other like blood and darkness becoming one.

The more I stare at the crown, the more that it calls to me, in that throaty way that the Book of Runes was, and I can practically feel it hum with power. Then again, this whole crypt is like that. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that those statues aren’t statues at all, but actual people and Gods who are waiting for their chance to rise. I feel like if I stare at them long enough they’ll move.

I shake that feeling out of my head. It won’t do me any good, I’m already as spooked as it is.

A few minutes pass. Then a few more. The energy in the room hums louder and louder and finally I have to break the awkward silence.

“Don’t tell me he got cold feet,” I joke.

Kalma gives me a nervous smile.

Sarvi says nothing.

Lovia frowns.

Raila, well, who knows what’s going on under that veil. But she stays silent too.

I’m about to make another joke, anything to lighten the mood and dissolve my nerves that are out of control, when suddenly there’s a loud BOOM and the entire crypt shakes, pieces of the ceiling crashing down, nearly hitting the statues.

“What the fuck!” I cry out and Kalma reaches out to steady me.

I must find Death, Sarvi says, and the unicorn gallops out of the crypt, hoofbeats echoing against the walls, black mane and tail flying behind it.

“What was that?” I ask Lovia as the dust settles. “Do you get earthquakes here?”

She shakes her head. “Not that I’ve felt.”

“Not for a long time,” Kalma says gravely. “Come on, we need to get out of here. The crypt might not be safe.”

He puts the crown back on the altar and then takes me by the elbow, quickly leading me out of the crypt, with Lovia and Raila right behind me, carrying my train so I don’t get stuck on something.

We’re just past the wine cellar when there’s another BOOM and everything shakes again, bottles of vintage rolling off the shelves and crashing to the floor. Fuck, Death is going to be pissed about that.

“Bombs?” I ask as I’m ushered up the stairs. “How about bombs? Do you guys do bombs in this land?”

Kalma doesn’t say anything, though there’s fear in his eyes, something I never expected to see in the wizened old man.

“Are the Realms colliding? Are we under attack? Veils flopping over? Someone tell me what’s going on,” I tell them as we get to the main floor. “Hello?”