Page 5

I turn forward and follow them as they manoeuvre through the tunnels. We pass the blood pit where the vampires linger, and they disappear when they see me. The next chamber holds the lake where the Loch Ness Monster resides, and I wave at the water as we cross the bridge. Others would have died, but he knows better. Besides, I sometimes toss my kills in there for him to eat.

The men around me are on edge, seeing the monsters. They don’t speak to each other, but their question is clear as the horned man looks at me. “Are you the reason they aren’t attacking?”

“Everyone knows better.” I shrug before grinning. “Only foolish men try to slaughter the devil, and they soon realise why others chose to serve rather than fight.”

My meaning is clear, but he simply turns around as we traverse another chamber. This one is empty and has been since the wolf who wished to end the world disappeared.

Suddenly, we are not alone. I feel the change in the air before it appears. I’ve trained myself to recognise every little detail around me to keep myself alive, especially those first few years, which were extremely hard. The bodies piled up wherever I went, exhausting me, until I was forever dripping blood.

“In trouble, Ferol?” The familiar lisp makes me grin as I grab the rock above me, vault over the two men, and land on the other side of them, smiling at Spike. His sharp teeth are visible under the fedora that hides the missing bone on his forehead. Once a proud unicorn, or so he told me, he was betrayed and his family was stolen. He simply wanted revenge, but after slaughtering an entire city thousands of years ago, his horn was carved off and he was tossed down here.

“Eh, just having a bit of fun,” I respond. “Thanks for sending them my way.”

“I know you needed it.” He looks at them then me. “Getting out?”

“Trying,” I reply, waiting to see if he will stop me. I wouldn’t call us friends, since he’d kill me if it pleased him or he needed to. How can anyone be friends in a situation like that? I suppose he’s as close as I can get, though. I hear the men behind me readying for a fight, but I ignore them.

“Go ahead, get your revenge and make them pay.” He bares his sharp teeth in an especially wide grin. “Feast for all of us.”

“You won’t try to stop or follow us?” one of the men asks.

“I belong here, boy. It’s all I know. There’s nothing out there for me. This”—he throws his arms wide—“is my kingdom. It’s better to live in hell than kneel in heaven.” He eyes me again. “May the blood flow free and plentiful, friend.” He tips his hat and disappears, though I feel him lingering.

“Goodbye, friend,” I murmur, knowing he hears me. I step back and bow my head. The hard-faced guy passes me with a glare, looking at his wrist again and a device where I see an arrow. Interesting.

“Don’t even think about it. You can cut my arm off, but this is linked to my magic, so without it, we won’t get out,” he says as he leads the way. I fall into step beside the pretty, amber-eyed man.

“I would cut your arm off just for fun, not for that.” I shrug as we pass under the bridge of bones and step out in the cathedral. Enchantingly beautiful and horrific like most things down here, the bridges are made of bones from the monsters that have perished and lead across a giant chasm. Bones dangle from the roof, creating a song as they tap together.

I put most of them there as a warning.

“This place just gets more interesting,” the glowing man remarks. I assume he is speaking to me, since they don’t appear to need words to communicate with one another. A mental connection? I saw it before when a mated werewolf couple was thrown down here. When the female was stolen from their nest, slaughtered, and skinned, the male went feral and killed the monsters who were responsible then himself. Before that, though, I saw them like this, not needing to speak to each other out loud.

Skipping across the bridge, I whistle, listening to it echo around, the bones seeming to sing to me. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” I point at the huge skeleton of a dragon. “He was particularly hard to kill. He ate people in a single bite. Took me two days to end him, and I almost lost all my limbs.”

“You displayed him here?” the scarred cowboy asks, eyeing me with something furious yet curious in his gaze.

“Most of these, actually, but it started before me. It’s a hall of victory, if you will, but also a way to remember them.”

He frowns. “But you killed them.”

“Out of necessity. It’s kill or be killed. It doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be remembered,” I tell him, my expression cold. “They had no choice but to be down here. That doesn’t mean they should be forgotten like the world wants. We refuse to play by those rules.”

He eyes me again before turning away, and I feel the glowing man move closer behind me, so I wait, interested to see what he will do. When we reach the bridge’s arch, he makes his move, sweeping my legs out. I tumble off the side but quickly catch myself on a sharp piece of bone, then he grabs my arm, holding me up one-handed. He’s stronger than I thought.

He crouches, one eye still glowing, and my hair floats around me. The others watch, as if speaking and acting through him, but it’s hard to tell.

“Say please,” he taunts, “and I’ll help you.”

The day I was thrown down here was the last time I ever said the word please. Instead, I let my hand slip through his and I plummet into the oblivion below. They might not be able to kill me, but they don’t have to help me either, and if I end up dead? Even better.

“Well, shit, that was easy.” I hear him chuckle out loud as I close my eyes, a genuine smile turning up my lips as I spread my arms. Flames burst to life as my body changes, and my descent slows then stops, my wings flapping as I open my eyes and rise. The bones blow in the strong wind until I near the bridge and watch as their eyes widen in shock.

I know what they see. I saw my reflection once.

I am a giant orange and red bird, my wingspan almost filling the chamber, and my tail feathers glow with flames. My red beak opens in a chuckle as I hover over them, letting them get a good look.

They call me a phoenix down here.