Page 62 of As Darkness Fall
I didn’t have time to ask him what that meant before he casually stepped over the open area and dropped into the sewers below. The others followed one by one, except for Fred.
“Ladies first,” he said as Vir dropped into the darkness below, leaving just the two of us.
“Gee, thanks,” I said and followed the others, jumping into the opening.
I flexed my legs as I landed, shifter-enhanced muscles easily absorbing the ten-foot drop into a gentle stream of what I desperately hoped was water running through the sewer.
“Where are we going?” I asked as Fred climbed down the ladder, pulling the grate back into place after him.
“The entrance to my realm,” Aaron said, leading the way.
“A little light?” I whispered to Vir. “I need some to see by.”
Aaron growled unhappily as a soft blue glow gave me enough light to use my wolf sight to guide my steps.
“So, whatisyour realm?” I asked. “Do I get to find out now? I didn’t know vampires had their own realm.”
“The Realm of the Undead,” Dave supplied. “’Cause you know, we’re not dead.”
Aaron growled but didn’t correct Dave on his explanation.
“That makes sense, I guess,” I said, somewhat disappointed. I wasn’t surewhatI’d hoped for, but it certainly was something more wild than that. A simple Realm of the Undead was boring in name. I wondered if it was meant to be that way to entice the unwary.
We walked for a long time. Aaron leading with a purpose, driving us into the depths of the sewers, following a path only he could see. Only my long legs let me keep up with the fast-moving vampires without having to run.
“Why do we have to go through his realm?” I asked, directing my question at Vir since it seemed Aaron didn’t particularly want to talk about it. “Why can’t we go directly from Earth?”
“Because,” Vir explained, “the only way into the Underworld from Earth is death. Your soul travels there. The entrances are therefore monitored and patrolled. Guardians watch for the incoming souls and guide them in. If anyone else enters, it draws attention. Alotof attention, in our case, since you’re one of the living.”
“Okay,” I said, drawing the word out as I processed what he said. “Guard dogs. Bad. Got it. So, why his realm? Why do we need to go through it to get to the Underworld?”
“Because they are connected,” Aaron snapped, whirling on us, his eyes ablaze in the light of Vir’s magic. “Now, will you stop speaking of it? We don’t want to draw any undue attention to ourselves. This journey is already dangerous enough.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “Sorry. Got it.” I mimed zipping my lips shut.
Aaron rolled his eyes in the dim light and then continued onward.
Catching Vir’s eye, I mouthed a question at him.
What’s his problem?
Vir shook his head.Not now.
Frowning in irritation at the constant secrets, I pushed on ahead. They were here to help me get my parents back. I had to remember that instead of letting myself get frustrated at them.
I caught up to Aaron a few minutes later as he slowed his pace. He was muttering to himself.
“This is a terrible idea.”
“What is?” I asked, wondering where his confidence had gone. This was not the man who I’d met. Not the man who had willingly defied Lars and taunted the shifter Alpha. Something wasseriouslywrong with Aaron.
“All of it,” Aaron said hotly. “Going through my realm. Entering the very Pits of Tartarus themselves. It’s ludicrous.”
“We have no choice,” Vir said as he came up alongside me. “She’s coming with.”
I looked back and forth between the two of them. “I know I’m not some super-vampire or god, but I can keep up. I’m no weakling.”
“It’s not that,” Vir said. “It’s bringing a living being in with us. Ahumanliving being.”
