54

G E O R G I E

✿

GEORGIE'S MEMORY, 8 SOLAR RIDES ALT

"Get up, girl!" Hades thundered as he stood in front of me and looked down at me.

I raised my hands protectively in front of my head. "No I do not want to!"

“I said, get up!” With that he lifted me up with his strength and pulled me to him.

I was hovering in front of him when the door to the torture room opened and three shadowy beings flew in.

Helloooo little Georgie!

Are you afraid of uuuuuns?

“I want you to connect with the shadows. You're old enough now not to die of agony,” Hades commanded, then pointed a bony, pale finger at the ceiling. “See that mirror up here? This is a gateway between the underworld and the upper, so it's like a portal except it bridges the spheres. The shadows have the ability to create and travel through portals without an requisite, such as a crystal. They should also be able to leave the underworld and go through this mirror, but unfortunately, thanks to my loving sisters, they couldn't because they created a protective barrier.” His head snapped towards me and his lips curled maliciously. “But you, little girl, you can cross the bridge. You carry black blood in you as well as Luna's power of healing, which she has blessed you with like all other healer werewolves. You yourself have parts of both worlds in you, so you will succeed in opening the gate.”

I looked at the large, round mirror above us.

Yeah, he's right. open it!

Let's get out, Georgie!

We want rough!

The shadows whispered and I ducked away from them and their voices in my head. They scared me. I just wanted to go back to Mommy and Daddy's cell.

"You hear them, don't you?" asked Hades, eyeing me closely. "Interesting. But your cause for concern is irrelevant. Shadows are there to serve their master. I usually tie them to people. They are masters at tormenting the souls of their victims to the point of death, driving them into their minds exactly what I command them to. But now they are safe. So girls, connect with them!”

I started to cry and shook my head. "No I do not want to."

Hades glared at me and yelled, “Use your black gift and connect! Or should I let mommy and daddy scream again?"

"No." I raised my hand and held it out to the shadows, crying. As soon as she dove into the black mist, I felt raw pain. "Aaaaah!" My body was on fire. I tried to pull my hand away. "It hurts! I do not want to any more! Mommy! Daddy!”

"If you stop, I'll kill your parents!"

Every part of me ached, like someone would take a knife and slash my entire length. I screamed like crazy.

“Now finally connect and use your powers!”

My palm glowed black and a black mist shot out. The three shadows and I bonded.

“And now, open the gate!”

We all looked up at the same time, then I channeled the darkness inside me through my hands and shot it at the glass in a jet. My vision blurred as the agony deepened behind my eyes and pulsed through me.

“It will be soon! Make an effort, girl!”

I drew all the mist and darkness from the shadows, channeled them through me, thinking I'd die from the pain. It was sheer agony. My hands trembled and the black jet wavered. "I do not want to any more!"

“Open the gate!”

For a second, a millimeter wide gap ran through the glass. Then I collapsed and the torn opening disappeared with me.

"A start," Hades murmured, then called, "Guards! Take the girl back to the cells and bring her back to me in a few days. I want to see her every week from now on.”

I yanked my hands off the sphere and wiped wet tears from my cheeks as I sank into the chair, exhausted. "Great, so I have dark powers. Just great.” I felt like the more I found out about myself, the worse it got.

In a flash, Malvera bent over the table and put her fingers on my temples. Then, before I could pull away, her voice was in my head. "I can't say it straight out, otherwise the guards would inform Reyna."

I nodded imperceptibly.

"Yes, you share the dark shadow forces within you, but Hades made you misuse them. You have the blood of the fiends, but also that of the moon goddess. You unite the opposites in you; Good and evil, light and dark, shadow and light. You should never use only your black powers to open the gate, you need both.”

Good and evil. light and shadow. I thought of all the lessons Arya had taught me. “You mean there has to be a balance. A cycle that closes. Opposites that keep the balance.”

Malvera nodded and looked at me intently. “You have the gift of opening portals. But there are also ways to close them and destroy them. Just as you can break the shackles of shadows.”

The chains on my handcuffs rattled as I gripped the armrests with my fingers in excitement. "You mean... if I release the shadows from their master's command, will I release Beau from his curse?"

"That's the way it is. And now again.' With that, Malvera sat down and summoned the sphere again. “Control the shadows. Free Beau. Open the gate.”

I read the unsaid words on her face and smiled.

And destroy it.

B E A U

✿

I could still taste Akio's blood in my mouth, my broken ribs ached with every breath, and the pain coursing through my dislocated shoulder dulled my senses. Still, I could only think of one thing. "Where the hell is she?"

Reyna, standing with me, the three maids, and the two dozen guards in the entrance hall of the palace, ignored me and continued to attend to the garments the maids were showing her.

“Mm, no. It's too small.” Reyna studied the man's suit closely, then shook her head. 'Beau needs a bigger one. Also, I want the suit to be blue, after all, today is the New Year celebrations and everyone will be wearing colours.”

I snarled and cursed the iron shackles around my neck, wrists and ankles. "Answer me!"

'Of course, princess. How about this one?' said one of the maids, pulling out a new suit.

My wolf growled. "Reyna!"

Reyna nodded to the maid. "Yes, that looks better."

I exploded. "REYNA FUCKING SHIT, I WANNA KNOW WHERE SHE IS!"

Reyna calmly looked back at me over her shoulder. "Where is who?"

"You know shit as good as I do who this is about." My breath hitched with anger and I had to look away from her and at the windows across from me to keep from going completely insane. "Georgie."

"Georgie should have died for you."

Keep calm, Beau. "You can't be so stupid as to think I'd ever want anyone but that girl."

Reyna sighed and then finally turned completely to face me. “Don't worry, once Georgie has completed her deed tonight, your bond will be broken with her death. Then at the latest you will get over them.”

"If you so much as touch her-"

"Then what? do you want to kill me Bite me dead?” Reyna laughed smugly. “Honey, you're chained. You will do no such thing."

I automatically took a step toward them, but was immediately stopped by the chains the five guards were holding me back with. My jaw twitched. "I'll hunt you down. I'll rip open your chest with my hands, break your rib by rib and rip out your guts. I'm going to hurt you so much you'll beg me I was about to kill you."

Now the smile disappeared from Reyna's face and her purple eyes flashed. “Nice fantasies you have there. I hope for your sake that you think it over before our wedding night, darling."

I was so close to losing my mind and giving in to the raw violence that was dormant within me when I suddenly saw a black figure scurry past the front window. It was only for a split second, yet I thought it was-

A second figure scurried past, and this time there was no doubt who it was. My wolf bared his teeth with a smile.

While I had no fucking idea how Arrow and Rowtag were going to get me out of a room full of guards, I've never been happier to see these two shits.

I was already thinking of a way to distract Reyna and the guards so Arrow and Rowtag could sneak in when I saw them and my heart skipped a beat.

✿✿✿

G E O R G I E

I felt drained and weak. Again and again I went into the simulation, feeling the pain and the abysmal evil. And then, as the afternoon wore on and the sun slipped behind the mountain, Malvera said, "We're done."

"Will she be able to do the job?" asked the guard at the door.

"Yes."

The guards dragged me off the stool and I could hardly walk, I felt so weak. I padded the red carpet of hallways, descended the stairs, and barely realized we were crossing the foyer when I heard his voice.

"Georgie!"

My head snapped in his direction. Beau was standing across the hall, also chained and still wearing the same red, bloodstained clothing.

The guards roughly pulled me back, and my legs, shaking with exhaustion, buckled under me. My vision blurred and my temples throbbed hard.

Beau yelled and threw himself against the chains as he tried to get to me. "Don't touch her!"

His punch caught a guard, then he pulled on the chain and threw the nearest guard over to knock out him with an jawbone. Beau fought wildly and dirty, but too quickly the number of guards rushed in and beat him until he lay groaning on the floor, doubled.

I reached out and tried to shake off my own guards. The iron chains rattled. "No! You're hurting him!' My heart broke when Beau lifted his head and looked at me, never breaking eye contact as he was pounded.

"That's enough. He shall be docile, but don't spoil my husband's view too much!' commanded Reyna.

"Yes, princess!"

My body was jerked across the marble floor as the guards dragged me away, losing sight of Beau.

"What have you done to her? Why is she so weak?” I heard Beau's desperate voice.

"Take her down to the dungeon."

I tried to hold on to everything I could get my hands on. A flag column, a table leg, a flower vase, which immediately fell over and shattered into pieces.

My stomach clenched with fear. “No, please no more in the cell! I'll do anything, but please don't put me in the cell again!"

The cell door slammed and the familiar terror gripped me anew. I screamed until my vocal cords couldn't transmit a single sound to the outside.