Page 8 of To Hell and Back
She still had dozens of questions, but before she could ask for more information from her godly hosts, she experienced that same perplexing sensation she had felt before. This time, it was way more intense, and the pressure continued to build until it became excruciating. The scream that tried to escape came out in a horrifying feline screech as her soul was forcibly expelled from the cat’s body.
Braxton surged to his feet. “Shit, if this is going to work, we need to send her back now. Brace yourself, Seneca. I don’t think this is going to be very pleasant.”
That turned out to be the understatement of the fucking century.
When the blast of powerful magic hit her full force, it completely stole her breath. Light engulfed her, only this time it felt like her entire essence was being scorched to ash. She had no body to burn, but the agony she felt was soul deep. The pain was all-consuming, like there was nothing else in the entire universe.
It seemed like it would last forever, then it suddenly stopped.
In the darkness that followed, she was left wondering if the magic had actually worked or if she had finally reached her end.
As consciousness faded, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in the distance. She was already dead, so she didn’t have much to worry about in that respect. Whether it be a new beginning that awaited her or a chance at rebirth, she was ready for whatever came next.
Chapter Three
Seneca woke gaspingfor breath as a loud crack of thunder rumbled in the distance.
Normally, she loved storms, but the sound had disturbed her enough to wake her. Sighing, she stared up at the familiar sight of the vaulted wooden ceiling of her bedroom in her parent’s home. What had once been a comforting sight was now a slightly depressive one.
Since she had the entire third floor to herself, it was a massive space, but that didn’t make it any less of a cage. The bedroom area was sectioned off from the rest of the room by an open bookshelf room divider instead of an actual wall. Her queen-sized bed was next to a small sitting area on one side of the room, while the other half had been converted into a workspace. There was a large desk and table where she worked on her various projects, and a telescope was set up in the corner for stargazing through the wide wall of windows.
She loved flooding the large space with the natural sunlight so there were only black lace curtains covering part of the wide windows. There was also a special window film on the top section of the glass that painted rainbows across the gray walls of her bedroom when the sunlight struck it.
Right now, the sky was overcast and gray, making it difficult to tell exactly what time it was. Although she had just woken up safely tucked under the dark purple comforter on her big, comfortable bed, she didn’t feel rested. She struggled to grasp the remnants of the strange dream she’d just experienced, but it faded away before she could make sense of it. The only thing that remained was a sense of urgency that left her feeling anxious and unsettled.
Her mind still clouded with fatigue, she decided to go back to sleep. She never had much to do anyway so she figured she could just stay in bed. If her aunt or uncle needed her, they would pound on her door until she woke up. Glancing over at the clock, she frowned when she saw her phone on the nightstand next to the bed.
That wasn’t right.
She hadn’t had access to her cell phone in months.
Reaching out, she grabbed the phone off the wireless charger on her nightstand. Blinking in surprise, she shot up to a sitting position on the bed and stared down at the display in disbelief. According to the date, it was her birthday, but not the one she expected it to be.
She had just turned twenty-one…again.
The haze that had been clouding her mind began to lift, and her heart began to race. Like a shock to the system, she realized the strange dream she’d just experienced had been real. As absolutely batshit crazy as it seemed, it had truly happened.
Fucking hell, she really died.
Now that she was able to think clearly, the last year of her previous life flooded back. All the grief, heartache, rage, and despair she had experienced hit her full force. It felt like a fresh wound to her heart, and the weight of it made it difficult to breathe.
However, none of that had happened in the current timeline.
Reminding herself of that left her feeling confused and disoriented. Her mind tried to adjust and separate the present reality from what had happened before her death, but it all still felt like a dream. Despite her forced excursion to the Hell Realm, she had managed to cheat death. And now, the gods had really sent her back into the past to the day that had started her downward spiral.
Being back was a blessing, but she still wasn’t sure why she had been given the opportunity to live again and seek vengeance against those who had wronged her. Surely, there were other souls more deserving of a second chance at life.
Whatever the reason, she was damn grateful for it.
Seneca had never been a vindictive person, but the dark desire for retribution was an aching need she couldn’t deny. She wanted revenge. Wanted glorious, blood-soaked vengeance for everything that had been done to her, but she couldn’t do it alone. She would need help, but she had to be careful about who she recruited to assist her.
She tried her best to replay everything that had happened in the Hell Realm since her survival literally depended on it. The gods hadn’t been particularly forthcoming about what she needed to do to remain in the current timeline, but they had made it clear she needed to be cautious about who she told about her situation. She also had to worry about what events she altered so she wouldn’t cause some sort of cataclysmic paradox.
Besides that, she had to keep in mind there could be repercussions for her actions, especially since those who had wronged her hadn’t technically done anything to her…yet. She couldn’t walk up to Whitley Dalkis and stab her in the chest, no matter how much the crazy witch deserved it.
Seneca would end up in prison if she did that, which would be a total waste of her second chance at life. Needless to say, she really didn’t want to die again either. Pushing those worries aside, she focused on the most pressing issue.
She needed to save the people she loved, starting with her parents.
