Page 19 of Until Death
Knowing where this is leading me, I nearly turn back. If it were not for Hazel, I would ... But thisisfor her.
And for her, forus, I will brave the very depths of hell.
I have no choice but to face what, ratherwho, lies at the end of this path.
The Moirai.
The guardians of fate itself.
Some call them Fate, while still others refuse to refer to them as anything at all. It is an age-old fear among mortals that speaking their names will draw them to you. That it will disturb the three old crones as they weave the threads of fate between their fingers.
One pluck from them is all it takes to alter an entire existence.
Or so they think.
Everything is always a bit more complicated than the mortal stories care to admit.
Still, there is no creature more powerful that dwells in all of the Underworld. Even Hades himself must bow to them, for they are the ones who allow him to govern over the rest.
I scowl at the thought of coming face-to-face with them again.
Yet, I still push on.
The Fates, being guardians of souls themselves, are among the few creatures I cannot outright kill …And one of the few who do not hide their hatred for me.
Few dare to cross them, and those who do, often do not live long to tell the tale. I, on the other hand, have spent my entire life crossing them. Each time I strike a deal with a mortal, delaying the inevitable for those foolish, or brave, enough to come to me, I have gone against them; twisting and tangling their carefully spun fates.
I have no doubt they will be less than pleased to see me.
As I continue down the narrow trail, my mind races with memories of the last time I encountered the Moirai. It was not a pleasant experience, to say the least. They demanded a price for their knowledge, one that I was not willing to pay.
But this time ... this time, I have no choice. I need answers, and they are the only ones here able to provide them.
The path quickly becomes a maze as it winds up a mountain, the pebbles growing brighter even as everything else grows darker. Offshoots begin to appear, leading off in various directions, the difference so subtle that any lesser-minded creature is likely to wander down one instead.
I send my own shadows ahead, searching out the way forward even as it tries to elude me. They do not wish for me to find them, but even they cannot stop me.
The weight of the Moirai's presence grows thick in the air, a foreboding aura that surrounds them like a heavy cloak, and I can feel sharp eyes watching my every step.
Some belong to those doomed to wander here, their curse for attempting to go against the Moirai. Others are creatures of the Fates themselves, their eyes and ears in the realms here and beyond.
As I draw closer to the summit, a tree, with barren branches twisting in every direction and an arched opening through its trunk, looms overhead. On the branches, just barely visible in the glow of the path, are perched three-eyed ravens, their heads cocked as they chatter to one another.
Their beady eyes glint in the dim light as they watch me move beneath the tree, doing my best to ignore their presence. It is impossible not to notice the way several of them take to the sky, disappearing into the inky blackness on their way to forewarn their mistresses of my approach.
Stepping out of the tree, the oppressing darkness finally breaks into the softer shadows of night, a sure sign that I am drawing close.
That, or they already know I am here and are hastening me into their presence.
My jaw hardens, as does my resolve, and I press onward toward the mountaintop. The path suddenly opens up onto a clearing where I find a simple dwelling that looks as if it has been cobbled together from the very rocks of the mountain. It teeters on the edge of a cliff as it overlooks the entirety of the Underworld, allowing the Fates an unhindered view into the lives of the gods that they manipulate with the weaving of their threads.
It is a far cry from the grandiose palaces of the gods, but it is perfect for the Moirai.
For all they truly crave is control.
My shadows swirl up around me as I approach the home, knowing the beings that lie within. The Moirai's power is not something to be taken lightly, and I feel a sense of unease as I consider the possibility of whatever it is they might demand of me.
But I have come too far to turn back now.
