Page 26 of The Other Side

“Why not?” I didn’t expect such a simple question. She moved closer, stepping onto the same step as me, stealing the breath from my lungs as she challenged me.

“Because—” My words halted as my mouth lingered across from hers. I had to fight the urge to kiss her, trembling with the need to taste her again. Iris gently parted her lips, beckoning me closer. I nearly fell under spell, her scent and warmth dissolving me, melting me to my rotten core. I wanted to touch her, to pull her close and show her all the wicked things I could do, but I couldn’t. Something wasn’t right.

There was a dark cloud hovering over her heart, so thick, I could smell it. I inhaled deeply as I closed my eyes.

I see.She was playing me—using me for some reason I did not know. The realization ripped the moment apart, setting it aflame.

“Who is playing who now?” I spoke into her mouth, pulling away as she watched me. I stepped backwards up another step, looking down at her. “I am no fool, witch. I know when things are being twisted in the shadows.” My fire flickered white. “Find someone else to play your game.”

“I’m not playing a game.”

“It pains me that you would come all this way to call upon me and exhaust yourself in the hopes of using your human body to trick me.” I scoffed. “Really, Iris-Marie, you’re better than that.” I tsked. “Such a pity. We could have had such a wonderful time together too.” I turned, quickly ascending the stairs. It hurt to know she had found my weakness and tried to use it against me. I may have wanted her, but not like this.

“Cypress, please.” She called after me, but I ignored her. “Cypress!”

“Go back to your glimpse and slither home! I am done being toyed with,” I growled.

I quickly rushed through the waterfall of hellfire back into the larger part of my cave, hoping she would not follow, that she would simply do as I said and leave me be.

Leave me to suffer in solitude.

With a heavy breath, I returned to my orchestra of shadows, drowning out my thoughts as I tried to forget her. My fingers moved along the fire-like strings, playing the same song as before as I hummed alongside the sound pretending to be unaffected by her, but all I could do was reminisce about the night we spent together. The night she thought was merely a dream.

If only she knew it was real. All of it.

IRIS-MARIE

My body quivered with conflicting emotions. I wanted to run back to my glimpse, to return home and do what I needed to drag Ozias from the heavens—anything but stand here and beg Cypress for a favor. But something had stopped me. I wasn’t sure if it was curiosity or some sickly need to feel wanted. Whatever it was, it made my feet move opposite from the glimpse and towards the stairs. Towards her.

What am I doing?

I raised my skirt, placing my bare foot upon the cold, stoney step to ascend to her throne of shadows. Anxiety and fear began to gather in my lungs, pressing me back towards my glimpse, but something deeper drew me forward. A strange force tugged at my heart, no—my soul, and beckoned me to the other side.

What madness has possessed me?

As I reached the top of the dais, I could hear the strangest melody drifting in the cold air. I could feel the menacing, intoxicating notes wrapping around my face as they led me closer to the waterfall of hellfire, luring me to pass through.

How do I cross?I thought to myself.

As I raised my hand to touch the flickering liquid, Cypress’ power from within appeared, her blue fire parting the waterfall for me.

Amazing.

If my very soul wasn’t dangling in the grasp of the goddess of death, or the pressure of murdering a fucking god was absent, I thought I might actually admire the Underworld. It was a beauty hidden from human eyes, a rare gem tucked deep in the shadows of the heavens, existing only to those who knew of it. The idea that few would ever see such a place saddened me. It was too beautiful to be hidden, much like Cypress herself. It was almost as if the Underworld was a reflection of her own existence.

I stepped through the waterfall, careful to keep my dress from dipping into the liquid as the music only grew. My eyes caught sight of her, moving in a rhythmic sway as she orchestrated the shadow-like harp, playing the unnaturally alluring sounds.

Who knew the goddess of death and keeper of souls was secretly a maestro of the shadows?

With as much stealth as humanly possible, I inched closer, lured deeper into the cave by her music. My body began to sway, finding the rhythm as the soundwaves entered my ears and took hold of me. The sweet song entered my body and lifted my arms, commanding my feet, controlling me as I became one with it. It possessed me, and I began to dance.

An unbelievable amount of lightness fell over me as I closed my eyes, smiling and dancing along to her symphony in a waltz I did not know but somehow felt in my bones. It wasn’t just asong, but a feeling, one that relieved me of all my pain, filling me with a sweet sadness I knew all too well. It was the feeling you experience when holding back all your emotions, swallowing them while you pretend to be strong, but in reality, you just want to simply hide away and surrender to it until, in a rare moment of solitude, you feel free. Free to release that pain, the sorrow, the heartache—all of it at once. Free to let it flow from your eyes as it pours from your heart and drowns you in the sweet relief of letting it all go. And as I opened my eyes, I did just that. I looked out into the underworld, meeting the eyes of the very thing that haunted me, and began to cry. Not tears of sorrow, but tears of relief. I even smiled, because for the first time in my life, I felt seen.

Cypress, her music still playing without her, joined me in my waltz. She slithered to my body, taking hold of it as we moved in a perfect unison as my tears soaked my cheeks. I couldn’t help but stare at her through my washed irises and truly admire her beauty. Her hellfire eyes were filled with an emotion I had only caught glimpses of before, the look you see when you gaze up at the heavens and admire their beauty while yearning to be a part of it.

“Can you ever forgive me for what I have done?” she asked sweetly, her pain drenched in a deeper sorrow. No, it wasn’t sorrow. It was regret. “I—I swear, I did not mean to do it. This—this beast inside me, it takes control and I—I cannot stop it.” Cypress spun me then, and I felt lightened and weightless, my heart fluttering as my torso returned to hers. My back pressed against her bare chest, our arms crossed as we moved, her mouth hovering over my ear. We were so close, so close that I could smell the intoxicating aroma of her godliness. “Please,” she quietly begged before spinning me out and back around.

“I want to forgive you. To trust you,” I whispered, her hand now wrapped around my waist as the other clasped my own.“But, after all you have done, how can I do that? How can I so easily forgive you?” Cypress forced me closer as I gasped. Her eyes bore down on me, gazing into my own. I had to remind myself to breathe.

---