The Underworld (Fallen Star 2)

Little Gemma, all big eyed and sad, nodded. Then she glanced around at the little hideout, taking one last look as if she knew she’d never return. “Okay.”

They climbed up the ladder, and I followed up after them. I stepped out from the behind the violet bush just in time to see Stephan waving his finger violently as he scolded Alex and me for wandering off. Then he marched them back through the trees, toward the castle. I didn’t follow. I didn’t want to see what happened next. I couldn’t watch my soul get ripped away. I couldn’t watch the little girl with the sad violet eyes be no more. So I sat down on the ground and shut my eyes, waiting to be yanked away.

Chapter 11

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. I was stuck. Yes, stuck. Stuck inside the vision. Not only did this have me worried, but it also made me furious because I wanted to get back to Nicholas and the Ira crystal ball so I could start training to save my mom.

But nope. Instead, I was tromping through the forest, leaves and twigs and grass crunching loudly beneath my angry steps as I charged for the castle. I could see the grey stone tower of it sticking up from above the trees, like an arrow pointing to the sky, and I kept my eyes on it as I shoved my way through the bushes, finally stepping out of the forest with an ungraceful stumble.

The sky had shifted a deathly grey and the wind had begun to howl, causing the waves of the lake to roar up against the shore and leaves to whip through the air. Thunder boomed in the distance, and I could almost feel the terror waiting for me inside the castle. 

With a loud breath I started up the hill, trying hard not to look at the lake, but it seemed to be calling me, taunting me with its whisper. I glanced over at it, and through the dark, murky water, I could make out faint white figures. Water Faeries. For a split second—and I mean, a split micro of a second—I actually contemplated going into the water, wondering if I did so, if the Water Faeries would take hold of me and drag me down to The Underworld where my mother was trapped.

But the idea that I would even consider this freaked me out just enough to jerk me back to reality, and I ran.

By the time I reached the front door of the castle, the air had gone ice-cold, and the clouds had started to rain down. I shivered in my wet clothes as I shoved the door open. Inside, the light was dusky, and the air wasn’t much warmer. Extending out on each side of me was a hallway, and in front of me was a marble stairway curving up to the second floor. Three options to choose from— three places I could go. But how was I supposed to choose, when I didn’t even know what I was looking for.

With a shaky breath, I preceded down the hallway to my right, my feet thudding against the rocky floor as I weaved my way further down it, feeling as though my feet were no longer in my control, as if my brain subconsciously knew where it was heading. I passed by doors, not bothering to check what was behind them, continuing to walk until the hallway hit a dead end. There was a set of heavy doors, and that was it. I knew without a doubt that this was where I was supposed to go.

With a trembling hand, I reached for the handle, but jerked back when thunder boomed from outside and scared the living daylights out of me. I took a breath, trying to calm my nerves, clicked the handle down and pushed open the door.

I’d seen this room before; instantly I was aware of that. There was a fireplace squaring the front wall, and a Persian rug spread across the stone floor. A single chair sat at the back of the room. This was the chair I hid behind in one of my visions; the one where I heard Demetrius and Stephan discussing how they had gotten rid of my mother and how they took care of me. There was no one in the room now, but I felt I needed to be here, because there was something I needed to see. But what?

Just as I thought it, a cold breeze whipped through my body and I gasped as I realized Stephan had walked right through me. My eyes widened. Holy crap. No one had ever walked through me in a vision. Yeah, I knew I was transparent to them and that I couldn’t touch them, but actually walking through me…and Stephan of all people…it gave me the chills.

Stephan strolled up to fireplace; the bright orange glow of the flames reflected in his dark eyes. I walked toward him slowly, my legs shaking more and more the closer I got.

I didn’t know what I was doing exactly, but I found myself staring at him—the man who’d taken away my life. His dark, soulless eyes, the scar on his left cheek, rough and jagged as if he’d been cut with a dull knife. When his gaze moved away from the fire and landed on me, I let out a gasp and quickly backed away.

His gaze did not move away from me. It locked on me like a target, making me tremble from head to toe. He can’t see you, I told myself. But then I remembered how, during the first time I had accidently slipped into a vision—the one that had taken me to this very room—Stephan had acted like he could sense I was there. I started to freak. What if he knew I was here?

The door creaked open behind me, and I jumped to the side as Sophia and a man with light hair and brown eyes walked into the room.  It was strange seeing Sophia fourteen years younger. She practically looked the same, though, except with fewer wrinkles. Her auburn hair was still done perfectly, and she was sporting the same 1950’s TV sitcom look; wearing a cream colored dress with high-heeled shoes that matched.

“Where’s the girl?” Stephan asked the man whose name I didn’t know.

“She’s coming,” the man replied, bowing his head as if Stephan was some kind of king or something. “Marco is bringing her.”

So this was it. This was what I was supposed to see—my last day as a normal little girl. Well, normal except for the whole carrying-a-stars-power-in-me thing.

This was absurd. I didn’t want to see this.

I turned to leave, but the door opened again and Marco and Little Gemma walked in. My violet eyes were huge and I wondered from the terrified expression on my face, if when this had all taken place, I’d sensed something terrible was about to happen to me.

“Here she is,” Marco said, handing me over to Stephan.

Stephan stared down at me with what only could be described as the most sinister look I’ve ever seen. “Hello, Gemma. Are you ready to go?”

Little Gemma shook her head. “No.”

“Well too bad.” Stephan raised his eyes away from me and looked at Sophia. “Let’s get this taken care of.”

Seeing Marco and Sophia standing there, being a part of all of this had me shaking with anger. Yeah, I already knew they played a part in this, but seeing it…It was sending me into a fit of rage.

Stephan told Little Gemma to go sit down in the chair, and with great reluctance she obeyed. I wondered if I ever thought about running. I wondered if I had any idea of what was about to happen to me.

Sophia stood in front of me as she hesitantly reached for my head. Little Gemma recoiled, pressing herself back into the chair. She knew something bad was about to happen. I could tell—I could feel it in my own bones.

To my surprise, Sophia pulled back her hand. “Are you sure this has to be done?” She asked Stephan. “She’s just a little girl—Jocelyn’s little girl.”

“I understand that. But even before she disappeared, Jocelyn agreed that this must be done,” Stephan’s voice seemed to have a hypnotic effect on Sophia, like he had lulled her into a calming state of mind. “We have to do this to save the world. If Gemma keeps…” his eyes wandered over to Little Gemma who was listening intently. “Yes, we have to do this. Now get it done.”

Looking extremely upset, Sophia turned back to me, and put her hands on my head. “Just relax, Gemma. It will be over in a moment.”

Marco put his hand on Sophia’s shoulder, comforting her. And I—and I mean the real foreseer-traveling-me—stood gaping in horror at this scene. They didn’t know. Marco and Sophia hadn’t known what Stephan was really planning to do. They thought they had been doing the world good. All those horrible, torturous years of living with them, and their cold and distant behavior, had all been because of Stephan’s lies. I never thought I could hate someone so much. But, oh yeah, I did. The rage of prickles on my neck was letting me know that.

“Just a second,” Stephan said suddenly. He moved toward Little Gemma and grabbed hold of a thin chain hanging around her neck—my locket.

“Hey,” Little Gemma protested as Stephan yanked it off of her neck, snapping the chain. “My mom gave that to me.”

Stephan gave her a look that I’m sure had to have sent a shiver down her spine, because it sent one down my own. “You’ll get it back just as soon as Sophia is done.”

Liar.

Putting her hands back on my head, Sophia muttered something under her breath, and her hands started to glow a bright gold.  I gasped at the same time Little Gemma gasped, and I actually saw…I actually saw the life slip from her violet eyes, like a light switch had been flipped off.

Sophia pulled her hands away, the golden light fading from her hands. “There, it’s done.” She turned to Stephan. “Now what do we do.”

“Now you and Marco will take her to Afton, just like we talked about,” Stephan said, seeming pleased. Umm…How could they not be suspicious of him? “And you’ll make sure she stays this way. Understood?”

Sophia nodded. “Okay, then.”

As they all gathered to leave, I watched Little Gemma move robotically as Sophia guided her out of the room. I did not follow because I didn’t want to follow. I wanted to go back and forget this ever happened. But deep down I knew only one of these things was possible.

I closed my eyes and willed myself to leave this place. And before I knew it, I was being yanked back.

Chapter 12

My eyes shot open and the first thing I saw was a dark blue ceiling. Then Laylen’s worried faced appeared above me.

What just…happened?” He spoke slowly as if he was too terrified to speak.

I started to sit up, but he put his hand on my shoulder, pinning me down.  “Don’t sit up until we figure out why you passed out.”

“I didn’t pass out,” I told him. “I went into a vision.”

Laylen’s eyes widened just like I knew they would. “That’s what happens when you go into vision without a crystal—you just black out.”

I nodded, and then came the voice.

The most annoying voice ever.

“So you went into a vision?” Nicholas asked. “Without a crystal.”

“Ah, crap.” I didn’t even bother to say it in my head. I lifted Laylen’s hand off of my shoulder and sat up, dizzy and getting a total head rush. I blinked a few times while I waited for the room to stop spinning. “Did I hit my head?” I asked Laylen. “When I blacked out?”

Laylen shook his head. “No, I caught you before you did. You scared the crap out me, though. One minute you were talking, and then next you were falling out of the chair.”

“Nice,” I muttered.

“Nice for you,” Laylen teased. “But do you know how difficult it is to catch falling dead weight.”

I shook my head and got to my feet.