Page 29 of Death and Desire

“Am I dreaming?” Violet looked at her fingers and noted waves of her auburn hair trailing around her hips. It was not often she wore it unbound, especially while she slept. The riotous knots proved too much to untangle otherwise. She gathered a handful of the heavy locks and twisted them over her shoulder. Resolve settled deep in her bones.

“I’m dead, aren’t I?” she asked the empty room.

“No.” A deep, familiar voice filled the void.

Khalid stepped from the shadows beyond the open balcony door, his scent drifting in with the breeze. She savored the aroma of floral spice, the deeper note of rich earth.

“Where am I?” Violet stood her ground as he approached, one measured step at a time.

He clasped his hands behind his back, regarding her with dark eyes. “The answer is not as simple as one would believe.”

“I tire of your vague responses.” Violet sighed in exasperation. “It’s a simple question. The answer must be equally simple.”

“You are in my home.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard.” Violet grinned, finally getting somewhere. “Your home in Cairo?”

Khalid shook his head. “In the world between.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Do you not remember what transpired?” Khalid cocked his head, his expression impassive but not unkind.

“I remember being on the boat...dancing with you...” Her face warmed at the memory. “You left...and someone grabbed me. I fell into the river and...”

Eyes wide, she pressed her hand to her heart once more. “I’m dead.”

Khalid’s soft chuckle made her jump. She’d never heard such a melodic sound before.

“You find this amusing?” She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.

“Not at all.” He sobered.

“Then tell me the truth.” She pinned him with her fiercest glare. “What happened on that boat? And where am I?”

“You were knocked overboard. Instead of chasing the culprit, I dove into the water after you.” The explanation seemed so...unpretentious.

“That explains nothing.” Violet pushed past him to the open balcony. “I’ll have to find answers another way.”

The moment she stepped onto the marble balcony, Violet’s heart ceased beating for three breaths. When it resumed, she gaped at the scene before her, her heart now thundering like a hundred horses racing across a meadow with a storm raging overhead.

A blood moon filled half of the cloudless night sky. Below, it was reflected in a black sea spanning far into the distance. Ghostly white ships glided across the surface, absorbing the red light shining overhead. Eerily beautiful and haunting in its splendor, the scene unfolded as she looked at the building she occupied.

From this angle, she saw only white sandstone reflecting the glow of the arterial moon. It sat on a precipice overlooking the vast, dark water below.

Violet sucked in several deep breaths, trying to make sense of it all. “Wha—?”

“This is the world between. My domain.” Khalid’s soft voice soothed her as much as it ruffled what little composure remained. “The Netherworld.”

Hands unsteady, Violet clenched them into the fabric of her gown, ignoring the feel of the luxurious fabric. She instinctively reached for the locket at her throat, clenching the gold in her fist. Relief filled her at the presence of her most treasured possession, its comforting weight in her palm grounding her in this unfamiliar place.

“You’ve kidnapped me?” She shook her head in disbelief. “My father was right to be wary.” She glared at him again. “How did you fool him into trusting you? Witchcraft? Hypnotism?”

Khalid’s unwavering stoicism remained as he narrowed his eyes. “I have not taken you anywhere against your will, little thief. I saved your life.”

“Yousavedme?” Violet scoffed. “Have you saved hundreds of women before me?”

“In all of my existence, I have savedno onebefore,” Khalid said. “Salvation is beyond my abilities.”

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