The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (21 page)

Koa opened her eyes. She watched, wide-eyed, as the Shadows froze in their deep bows. Even though they were completely still, Koa could tell that they were still staring at her. Their heads were all turned to her. There was silence in the cavern. Koa could hear her own heartbeat.

She was in awe that they were all bowing to Halston. Sometimes Koa tended to forget just how powerful Halston was. In the mortal world, he lived the life of a man. Yes, he was her leader, but even then she treated him as little more than her best friend.

She felt a wind, and thought something touched her.

With a squeak, Koa clutched Halston’s waist. His light stung her. Koa shrieked and pulled her arms away. Her arms were burnt. The sting of her burns cut to her bones. She groaned and held them, trying to suppress the pain.

Halston shot her a look of concern and nodded for her to take a step back. Koa should have listened.  She was stunned. She rubbed her burnt arm until it healed itself.

Her stomach bubbled with worry. She wanted to turn back.

There was so much doubt in her head that she began to forget why she had come. “Halston,” Koa called.              

Halston looked at her, forcing a smile. “You wanted this. I tried to warn you. But you never listen, do you?”             

Koa swallowed hard. She didn’t know what to say.             

“But I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” He stepped beside her and motioned for her to go ahead. He cleared his throat. “All right, we can make it through the first cavern to the Wilds if I keep my shield up.”

Koa looked uncertain. Her eyes scanned the hundreds of Shadows and back to Halston’s face.           

Koa frowned. “I am sorry.” She looked down the narrow path towards the faint light at the end of the dark tunnel. “For making you come back here.”

Halston shrugged. “It was bound to happen sometime. We’ve been preparing for years. We knew that one day…you’d seek out the truth.”

Koa looked at him. “We?”

Halston sighed. “There’s a lot that you don’t know.” He looked down the path. “Honestly, I wish you never had to find out the truth, but that’s just not an option. You’re the key to many things. There are a few of us, powerful creatures, who have been protecting you, and watching over you in secret. We’ve made plans, and now, it’s time to execute them.”

Koa thumbed the hilt of her sword. It comforted her, knowing that it was only a flick of a wrist away. She wasn’t comforted, however, to feel it pulsing in madness. There was evil all around. Her Lyrinian sword begged to be un-sheathed.

Koa nodded. “So, you always knew you’d have to let me come here someday?”

“I did.”

“And you made me beg you all of these years.”

Halston ran a hand through his hair. He pursed his lips and his brows furrowed. “Well, I had to…to make sure that you were ready.”

Koa forced a smile. “You sneaky bastard.”

Halston returned the smile. He seemed relieved by her reaction. “So, are you ready then?”

Koa cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. She took a deep breath and composed herself. There was a sudden surge of courage that she could only assume came from Halston’s reveal.

Although Shadows waited on either side of her, she felt a little more in control. She gave a nod to Halston and he stepped back. She walked ahead and felt the breeze catch her hair. It blew fiercely and she felt the sting on her cheeks as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She looked far down the path, towards the only exit. There waited another ring of terror. She said a silent prayer and looked back at Halston.

“I am.” She took another step forward.

With a guttural scream, she felt her body get seized by an unseen force and catapult her ahead.

~~~

Koa was still screaming when she was dropped onto hard packed dirt. Halston was leaning over her. He let his shield down so that he could touch her.

Koa looked up, breathless, and in hysterics. “What was that?” Koa shouted. Her entire body felt cold. She was shaking.

Halston gave her a sheepish look. He helped her to her feet. “I apologize. I forgot to warn you about the Jem.”

Koa gave him a perplexed look as she rubbed the gooseflesh from her arms. “What the hell is a Jem?”

Halston cleared his throat. He held her across the waist and turned her around.

Koa paled. They were in a mountainous valley where dim lights were scattered about the ground, like tiny, circular, electric disks planted in the dirt. She swallowed hard. Before her stood a tall creature.

She assumed that it was female, only because of the bone structure of its face. But its glowing eyes stared at her from beneath the hood of its dark cloak. It held a rod with a jagged point at the top. It was red and dripped with blood. Koa gulped.

She spoke out of the side of her mouth, whispering, yet keeping her eyes locked on the creature before her. “What is that?”

Halston nodded to the creature. “A Jem. Guardians of the rings here in the Netherworld.”

Koa was too afraid to move, least of all nod. “What does it want?” Her eyes were stuck on the Jem’s eyes. They glowed from the inside outward, as if tiny light bulbs were placed in the sockets instead of eyeballs. Koa couldn’t break her gaze.

Halston let her go and she clung to his arm. She wouldn’t let go of his shirt, even when he tugged at it. “Let go,” he told her gently. “It’s ok.”

Koa was hesitant, but she pulled her arm away and gripped her sword.

Halston turned his shield back on and the Jem took off its hood. The Jem had short yellow hair that matched the glow of her eyes. The wild tresses changed colors as it stood in the path of Halston’s shield.

Koa was surprised to find this creature beautiful, even though it wasn’t human, or any creature she’d ever seen.

The Jem closed its eyes in bliss and Koa watched it grow younger and younger. The wrinkles smoothed out in her face and her hair grew longer and longer. When the Jem opened her eyes, she smiled. Her eyes still glowed, but now they glowed blue. Her hair was now blue as well.

Halston nodded to the Jem and she bowed. Koa blinked and the Jem vanished.

“Halston.”

Halston sighed. “What?”

“You’re a terrible guide.”

Halston chuckled and Koa frowned up at him. “What just happened? Where are we now?”

“Well, like I said, Jems are guardians of the rings, they make sure unauthorized nephilim don’t make it into the Netherworld, and that nothing leaves without permission. You, are half Netherworld vamp, and heir to the Northern dominance’s throne. Not only that, but my presence with you cancels all doubt. I outrank everyone in the Netherworld because I am a pure angel.”

Koa sat down. She was very tired. She didn’t even know how long or how far that Jem had taken her. “I see.” She looked up. “What happened with its face and hair?”

“I blessed her.”

Koa shook her head. “I’m too tired to even try to make sense of what you just said.” She rubbed her temples and groaned. She could barely see straight.

Halston let his shield dim. “Let’s get off the road, so that no one sneaks up on us.” He noted the look on her face. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep watch while you sleep, but we need to get to higher ground.”

Koa grumbled and came to her feet. She didn’t know why she was so tired, but she could barely keep her eyes open now.

“You still haven’t told me where we are.” She walked along the path, beside Halston.

“The Valley of the Jem. You’ll probably see many of them, but don’t worry. My presence will keep them away.”

Koa sucked her teeth. “Of course it will.”

He chuckled again. “Yes, you must be tired, we’ve been traveling for nearly
34
hours now.”

Koa stopped. “You’re joking!”

He shook his head, with a smug grin. At least he had his humor back, but Koa’s patience was growing thin. “Jems move fast. I move even faster.”

“I don’t remember a thing.”

Halston shrugged and continued on. “Excellent. Now, let’s go.”

Koa shivered at the cold and frowned. If she had known it was going to be so cold, she would have brought a jacket. She clutched her arms and scampered ahead. She followed Halston along the rocky path that led to a small opening in the mountain. The rocks and stones shimmered beneath the light of his shield. The gray stone went from dull to the brilliance of diamonds.

Sleep overtook her before she could fight it.

K
oa woke when a brisk wind blew her hair into her eyes. She rolled over and felt Halston’s angelic shield warm her face. It was nice, like a warm fire. She yawned and sat up. She felt sore all over. She grimaced and rubbed her shoulder. She’d been sleeping with a rock underneath her.

Halston heard her and glanced over his shoulder. “Everything all right?”

Koa nodded and rubbed her eyes. She brushed her bangs from her lashes and scooted closer to him.

“Can you let your shield down for a second?”

Halston gave her a look. “Would you like to be snatched away again?”

Koa sighed. She shook her head and warmed her hands as close to his shield as she could. “No. Not really.”

Halston gave her a side grin. “It’s kind of nice to see you need me.”

Koa couldn’t help it. She returned the grin. She couldn’t deny the power such a simple gesture had on her, even when she was angry, even when she was afraid.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” she teased.

He lifted a brow. “I protect you more than you know, Koa.”

Koa met his gaze. “Do you now?”

Halston nodded, gave her an odd look that made his grin fade, and looked away. Koa didn’t like that look. She was left with questions that she was too afraid to ask. She followed his gaze to the Valley of the Jem. She tensed. She didn’t realize that she could actually see them gliding along the road, with their pikes, searching, patrolling.

Their feet didn’t seem to touch the black pathway that was lit with those odd, circular bulbs. Koa leaned forward, nearly over the edge of the cliff as she watched them. The Valley of the Jem actually had trees. They were black, and charred, but trees nonetheless. She could even catch a faint glimmer of a river. Koa squinted in the darkness. She’d never imagined that the Netherworld was such an odd depiction of the human world. It was a darker version, but it obviously mocked the human world.