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“You don’t belong here, huh?” Shadow raised an eyebrow, and ran a hand through his dark locks. “Well, perhaps this will change your mind.”
A ripple of darkness gathered in his palms, until the gilded cover of the guest book gleamed in the sunlight. Zoe’s eyes widened as she studied its golden inscription, where a second name sat beside Shadow’s…
“That’s my name…”
“I meant it when I said this was your kingdom, too, Zoe.” Shadow broke into a smile. “The Underworld has chosen you as its Queen. And we can rebuild these lands together.”
“Shadow, I…”
“For so many years, I’ve ruled an empty kingdom. A place where lost souls pass through, before they move on to the afterlife. I thought I was content with that. To stay here, while others come and go. But the truth is... I was lonely. Until you came along.” Shadow softly caressed Zoe’s face, his touch as light as a cool breeze. “You haven’t just saved the Underworld, Zoe. You’ve saved me. And that’s why I want you to stay. Because I can’t rule this kingdom without you by my side.”
A single teardrop fell from Zoe’s eyes and onto the parchment of the guest book. She watched as her tears mixed with the ink, like fresh rain falling from the heavens. Her heart stirred, urging her to stay in this magical world, with the man who had changed her life. And yet, she knew that every minute she remained placed the Underworld in greater danger.
“Shadow, I...”
Zoe’s heart raced in her chest, until her ears filled with the drumming of the blood in her veins. She knew that she had to make her choice. A choice between returning to her world and saving the magic of these lands. Or a choice to stay, and risk everything, just to follow her heart.
“They’re here!”
Zoe drew a startled breath as Spooks’ cry of excitement cut through the air. She watched as the merry poltergeist sped towards them in a cloud of blue smoke, before her eyes widened as she followed his gaze. A plume of dust emerged on the horizon, followed by the rumble of vehicles.
“Oh, this is so exciting!” Spooks rubbed his hands with glee as dozens of vehicles approached the Underworld. “Miguel, start the music! Misty, bring the welcome drinks! Cerberus, start the conga line!”
A wave of nausea rushed through Zoe as the ghosts burst into a flurry of activity, until Shadow turned to her with a nervous smile.
“This is it, Zoe. The moment we’ve all been waiting for.” He gazed at the emerging beauty of the Underworld, his eyes glimmering with hope. “And it’s all thanks to you.”
Zoe watched in horror as the vehicles thundered towards the Underworld. As the silhouettes of the drilling machines emerged in the approaching sunset, she knew she was too late. Her two worlds were about to collide. And only one of them would survive.
20
The ground trembled. In the light of the setting sun, vast trucks sped across the desert, hauling machinery that bucked across the rocky landscape. Zoe gulped at the sight of the drilling machines, their large bodies and spindly metallic legs giving them the appearance of a horde of spiders, while the raucous voices of the workmen drifted through the air. It was as if the entirety of Chthonic Power Solutions had assembled, ready to wage war on the Underworld. And she knew she was too late to stop them.
“Wow, look at all these visitors!” Spooks cackled in delight, before he barked orders at the other specters. “Take your places everybody! This is the moment we’ve been waiting for!”
At once, the ghosts scrambled into position. The Phantom Fiestadores launched into a merry rendition of music, while Spooks blew up a series of balloons, twisting and turning them into increasingly elaborate animal shapes. Zoe cursed, knowing that the hapless ghosts were celebrating nothing more than their impending doom. And she had to buy them some time.
“Spooks, wait!” Zoe’s heart hammered in her chest as the vehicles approached. “You need to head back inside. All of you!”
Spooks spluttered in surprise, until his balloon deflated with all the gusto of an elephant with a flatulence problem. “But why would we do that?”
“Because…” Zoe scratched her head as she tried to summon any kind of plausible answer. “Because…”
Spooks glanced from Zoe, to the rapidly approaching vehicles. His eyes narrowed shrewdly, before he drew a startled breath.
“Wait a minute…” He returned his gaze to Zoe, and folded his arms. “I see what’s going on here.”
Zoe gulped. “You… you do?”
“Of course!” Spooks drew a breath, and pointed an accusatory finger at Zoe. “You think we should throw a surprise party for our guests!”
Zoe glanced at the mischievous poltergeist in bewilderment. “I… what?”
“Oh, I do love a surprise party! What could be more fun than leaping out on an unsuspecting victim, screaming at the top of our lungs, and giving them the fright of their life?” Spooks merrily clapped his hands, before he turned to the group of ghosts. “Change of plans, everyone. We’ll hide until the fleshie gives us the order. Oh, this will be frightfully delightful!”
Without another word, he clicked his fingers, until the ghosts disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and she stood alone once more. Zoe glanced at the motel as Spooks and the others excitedly watched her through the windows. She gazed at Shadow’s eyes, his inner light sparkling within the darkness. And she knew that she had to save him.
The crunch of tires against snow filled the air, until the trucks thundered over the bridge and entered the Underworld. Zoe braced herself as a cloud of dust engulfed her, until she caught nightmarish glimpses of Chthonic Power Solutions’ army. She shuddered at the sight of the drills, their spider-like bodies lined up beside each other, ready to spring into action. She choked on the acrid scent of the exhaust fumes that spilled out of the tank-sized trucks. And she felt her blood boil at the sneering smile that greeted her.
