Page 44 of The Jaguar's Flower

“Fine, you got me.” The demon frowned. “But through here, you can find out about your past. It’s not that bad, actually.”

The mention of his past intrigued Mac. He nodded and grabbed Asmodeus’ hand as they walked into the black void. Asmodeus called it a portal, but Mac wasn’t sure what that meant.

Once they entered, the small space expanded for what seemed like miles. Every column held different tints of blues and purples. No natural light illuminated the area, but the dim glow remained. Sulfur and brimstone permeated every surface. The stench prevented the fairies from traveling near it.

“What is this place?” Mac asked.

“Ever heard of the primordial soup?” Asmodeus answered but noticed Mac’s confusion. “Of course, you haven’t. You’ve been living under a rock your whole life.” He sighed as he walked into the massive corridor. “Many believe the primordial soup to be mystical and mythical. It created all life as we know it. The perfect balance to create life. This is Sarus’ sacred pool.”

Mac compared the primordial soup to a petri dish. He never cared to understand more than what the doctors placed in the dish for experiments.

“Sarus’ soup, then?” Mac asked. They came to an abrupt stop, and the jaguar watched the man. The demon reeked of fear, which made him curious. “If he is creation and no harm can come to us, then why do you smell terrified?”

Asmodeus glanced at him and laughed. “I’m afraid because the soup can change everything if you are not careful.” The demon sighed as his eyes wandered around the area.

As soon as the demon said the words, the columns trembled around them. Asmodeus cursed under his breath. He whistled and sang the songs of Vy’Taria. The columns stopped, and he kept to the song as he led Mac through the corridor. It wasn’t until they entered a large, open space did the songs stop.

“What language did you speak?” Mac asked as they moved closer to a black pool where bioluminescent dripped from the ceiling. With every drop that landed in the pool, Mac watched blue, glowing ripples until they faded into blackness. The sounds of the water almost calmed him until a sense of doom surrounded him.

“The old languages of Vy’Taria,” Asmodeus informed. “It’s the first world where gods co-existed and magic flourished. Now it’s a wasteland.”

“I do not understand what you’re saying.” Mac turned to him. “For all I know, you are pulling my leg and lying. That will cause your death.”

Asmodeus scoffed. “You are so daft and testy. I swear if it weren’t for the fact that your head is damaged like a dropped melon.” The demon didn’t bother to finish the words. Sometimes, it was best to leave things alone. Or when he didn’t want to deal with the situation anymore. “Look, Maccy, you and I will never see eye-to-eye. That’s fine. I’m fine with that. It’s good for the soul. But you got to understand one thing about me.”

“You are lazy and obnoxious?”

“Yes.” Asmodeus smiled. “And I usually nap around this time before I get up and go annoy Sari! The man needs it, especially since he’s all pissy about some other bullshit. I think he stuck his dick into something. We don’t know who could be the daddy since the goddess was definitely a whore. Oh! That reminds me of the one time he did that with the Celtic goddess. What was her name?”

The more Asmodeus talked about Sarus, Mac wanted no part of it. He didn’t need to know more about the man except that he was the father of Violet. In return, the primordial proved to be a terrible father, no matter what the demon said.

Mac gazed at the pool once more. The jaguar ignored the demon as he continued to ramble. When he heard Asmodeus say to enter the water, only a small part of the jaguar hesitated. Mac walked into the black murkiness until he heard Asmodeus scream.

“I said don’t enter the water!”

Mac didn’t speak as his eyes stared into the black void. He glimpsed his reflection. If Asmodeus said anything else, Mac did not hear it. The only noise the jaguar heard became white noise.

“Shit, shit, shit! I’m dead!” Asmodeus watched as hands reached out to grab Mac’s body. Several limbs encased the shifter, which prevented Asmodeus from saving him. The demon knew there was nothing he could do. “Mac! Mac, if you can hear me! You got to remember who you are! Buddy? Pal? Kitty kitty! Fuck!”

He gasped as Mac sank into the black pool and disappeared. When Asmodeus scanned the area, he realized he couldn’t leave to get help. The only way to leave the primordial soup was the same way in. If two people came inside, two people needed to leave. It all worked as a balance to ensure nothing inside the soup escaped. Some creations were best left inside this place, and that terrified him the most.

“Who will come out of the soup?” The demon swallowed in fear as he walked around the pool to wait for Mac to return. “Please, let it be Mac! Return, Mac. Please.” If Mac didn’t return in 48 hours, neither would return to Sarus and Violet. They would lose Mac and Asmodeus forever if the soup reclaimed them.

Chapter thirty

“Youdon’tgiveashit. Let us leave, and you can return to caring for the fairies as you want.”

Violet’s words replayed in Sarus’ mind. As he stood in the garden, the primordial wondered how he could rectify the situation. It became obvious his daughter despised him because of the fairies. His mind went to the past, and his heart tightened from the emotions. He didn’t expect his daughter to understand. Even when he wished to tell her the truth, he wouldn’t be heard in many places in his realm.

His fingers touched one of the roses in the garden. The iridescent colors sparkled in the faux sunlight in his realm. Once he let go, he noticed one of the other roses wilted. Sarus reached for the fallen petals until he felt a familiar presence. “You are here?”

As soon as Violet crossed into the garden, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. It wasn’t the same as when she was with Mac. She always preferred to be surrounded by nature if she wasn’t in a lab. It finally made sense why she was so drawn to it, even if she was a klutz.

The sound of Sarus’ voice drew her attention away from the colorful flowers. “It’s okay, I’ll leave.” She wasn’t supposed to be distracted by all the plants. The whole reason she separated from Mac was to find a way home. “Go back to whatever it is you do here.”

The coldness in her tone only made him chuckle. “You remind me of myself.” It seemed to irk her, but he only chuckled more. When he touched the petals, his smile faded when the rose crumbled. He shut his eyes momentarily as he felt the loss of the soul.

“You came to the garden for a reason. Feel free to ask your question, and I’ll answer it.” When he pointed to the willow tree, his dark gaze met hers. “Any question, it can be answered there.” He turned his focus back to the plants and noticed a few other roses crumble. The primordial hid the pain as he tended to the roses.

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