16. Chapter 15

We're finally on our way up Dread Mountain.

Aziel is carrying Uri and his dad's bones. The bag is tied to the harness along with his mask. Ever since the fight ended, Aziel has been different. Leaving The Graveyard took time. Aziel grieved. He sat in the same spot for hours before he finally stood. He left Scorder without saying goodbye. My werewolf put The Graveyard behind him and is more determined than ever to get home.

Especially to see Anwyll.

Aziel has been quiet and focused. The death of his father is weighing hard on him, accompanied by the knowledge he only has emotions now, and no memories of his dad. I can't imagine how hard that is. It's like crying over an empty space, missing what was there, but nothing ever was.

Aziel stops in his tracks. My gaze falls to his hand on his weapon, his fingers tightening around the handle. He growls surveying the area.

I stop beside him, spinning around to analyze the area around us. Twigs snap, echoing in the shadows of the living forest.

"What do you sense, Beloved?" I ask, twisting my daggers in my palms. I'm just dying to toss them and hope they land between someone's eyes.

"Yeah, what do you sense? Because I hear nothing."

"Bears don't have great hearing." Aziel twists his stance, staring into another portion of the forest.

"There's no need to be rude about it. It's not like I go around saying you smell like dog, which you don't, but I could. Kindness is free, Aziel," Iggy sasses.

Aziel doesn't reply. He stands there, eyeing Iggy, grunts, and gives his attention back to the night of the woods. "Someone is following us. I don't know who. I could be wrong, but I sense it."

"Always trust your instincts. They are never wrong. I feel it too," I say, scanning the abyss of the forest for movement. "I don't see anything."

"Let's keep going. We can't afford to lose any more time. The blood rain is in a few days along with the full moon. I already feel it, the need, for you."

"I do too," I admit in a low whisper. I haven't brought it up but ever since we left The Graveyard, I've had warmth in my stomach.

"I know." He inhales, growling. "I smell it."

"Well, I don't want to get caught up in that, so let's keep walking so I'm not a third wheel. Again," Iggy begins stomping ahead without a care in the world that he could get caught by something inhumane.

Aziel sneers at Iggy's back, stretches Uri behind his head, and lets Uri fly. The weapon made of bone cuts through the air. I gasp, thinking it is going to hit Iggy when it skims right by his head, thudding into the tree in front of him.

"You took off a piece of my hair! Cutting it a little close with that damn thing, don't you think?" Iggy picks up the small strand of hair from the ground. "It's not like I can glue it back! Damn it, Aziel."

"No, fucking enough with the sass, Iggy. You better be glad it wasn't your head." Aziel marches over to Iggy, yanking Uri from the tree where it is embedded. "Stop complaining. You didn't just kill your father and have no memory of him. You're only alive because of us. We keep you alive. We will be why you get out of here. I won't apologize for wanting my mate when it is my fucking instinct. Stay behind me, keep your fucking mouth shut, and maybe you'll survive if you listen to me and stop acting like a know-it-all brat."

"Aziel Monreaux!" I push between him and Iggy, noticing Iggy's eyes water. "That was unnecessary and rude. Iggy doesn't have a mate so imagine how he must feel having to be around us. Nothing about this is easy, for anyone. And coming down on him for your feelings that you are having a hard time being in control of isn't the way you treat friends."

"It's okay, Elouise. He is right. I'm just scared. I tend to get this way when I don't know what's going on. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Aziel sighs, running his paw hand down his face. "She's right. I'm the one who is sorry. I shouldn't have treated you that way."

"That's better. Now, we have a lot of ground to cover to get to the top of Dread Mountain. Do you know anything about where the avisseus lives up there?"

"No. For all I know, Death lied to me. Maybe the avisseus is a trap. I don't know. All I know is, there shouldn't be a lot getting in our way. Souls tend to ignore this part of Purgatory due to the weather. They don't want to risk being put out of their existence. It's dangerous. No one has ever made it to the top."

"Wait." Iggy stands in front of Aziel and me with his hands in the air. He stressfully runs his fingers through the strands until they stand up. I can see where Uri cut a piece too short as well.

Hopefully, that grows back in quickly.

"No one, that you know of, has ever made it to the top? No stories have been told? No rumors? There's nothing we can go off here?"

"Just our will to live."

"Well, since my will to live is on the fucking floor, that's going to be difficult."

"You really aren't talking about your hair again, Iggy. I'll glue it back if you say it's that piece of fucking hair on the ground."

I look between the two men. Yes, men, as they stare each other down.

"I won't confirm or deny anything." Iggy stands tall-ish. He doesn't break eye contact with Aziel. He keeps his head tilted all the way back just to look at Aziel.

"You are…"

I cough, interrupting Aziel's mouth so he chooses his words better.

"You are something," Aziel mumbles, side-eyeing me while speaking to Iggy.

Iggy grins. "Thanks, I get that a lot."

I lift a finger to Aziel, warning him not to say another word because I know he wants to. I see it all over his face.

"Great." He gives a bitchy smile to Iggy, one that means nothing, with eyes narrowed.

God. I need this journey to be over with.

The dead leaves hanging on the slim branches rustle together as the wind picks up. Somehow, the sky becomes darker. Instead of being able to see like someone would walking alone at night, it's pitch black.

"I can't see anything," I whisper. "Aziel? Iggy?"

"Me either," Aziel sneers.

"Thank God I'm not the only one. I thought Aziel knocked me out with Uri and this was me seeing nothing but an empty void of death."

I snicker when Aziel lets out the biggest sigh ever. He does that a lot with Iggy and always will. Iggy and I will always be a package deal.

"Please tell me that is you holding my hand?" I ask, noticing my breath is a frozen cloud when I speak.

It's freezing.

"It's not me," Iggy says.

"It's not me either," Aziel snarls as a thousand wicked cackles fill the air. "Louie, I need you to step to me slowly. Follow my voice. Let go of the hand holding you."

I try to remain calm. My teeth begin to chatter from how cold the temperature is. My hand almost becomes frozen. I can't seem to move.

"I can't." I tug to try and get my hand free. "I can't move, Aziel. I thought you said creatures didn't come up the mountain?"

Lightning strikes, illuminating the area around us, and for a brief moment, all I see are hundreds of glowing skeletons. Its the one in front of me that scares me the most. It's hand is in mine but nothing else is happening.

"Dread walkers," Iggy informs us, sounding as if he is enthralled by their presence. "I've heard stories about them, but I didn't think they were real."

"You asked me about stories, and you didn't think to bring up the mountain had a fucking army of dead people?"

"They were a myth. I didn't think they existed."

"What can you tell us? Why is this one holding my hand?" The wind roars and the hold on my hand becomes tighter.

When the lightning cracks and breaks through the darkness, the skeleton that is in front of me begins to say something.

Aziel lifts Uri, but another dread walker snags his weapon. I'm only able to see as the lightning flashes.

"What can you tell us about them, Iggy?" I yell over the howl of the wind.

"They are rumored to be kind. They don't kill. I hear they only reveal themselves to those in need. The dread walkers become your army."

I hiss when my palm begins to burn. "Ah, fuck! It's hurting me." When the light illuminates the dark, I risk staring at the dread walker, its jaw is still moving but no sound is coming out.

"Let her go!" Aziel roars louder than the wind, louder than the lightning crashing all around us.

One of the dread walkers lifts its hand and aims it at Aziel, and a blue ball of electric light slams into Aziel's chest.

"Aziel!" I scream when I see him fly into the darkest part of the forest. "Aziel!" I cry for him before staring at the dread walker who has its hold on me. "You better not have hurt him. I will… find a way to kill you."

Another cackle sings.

My hand continues to burn to the point my knees buckle. I fall to the ground, shouting in pain, the fury of lightning and wind continue around us, faster, quicker, to the point where it becomes impossible to see the dread walkers.

And then everything stops.

The pitch black of the sky lifts, gifting us with good old regular darkness. The lightning ceases to exist. I glance down at my hand to see nothing is holding it.

"They're gone," Iggy states, helping me to my feet.

"Aziel." I hold my hand to my chest, heading in the direction they cast him into it. "Aziel! Aziel, where are you? Aziel!" I keep shouting, my panic rising by the second when he doesn't answer me. "Aziel," I shout his name as loud as I can, my own voice echoing to me.

"He isn't answering. Why isn't he answering? Iggy."

"Don't cry. Remember where we are. Keep it together, okay? Aziel would want you to."

I know Iggy is trying to be reassuring but it isn't helping. He is talking about my Beloved as if he is dead. He isn't. I can feel him in my soul. His heartbeat is strong, he is alive. I only need to find out where he is.

"Aziel! Please," I beg him to make any amount of noise.

Iggy and I stand on soggy dirt. Insects and worms begin to crawl on our shoes.

"Gross. Yuck. Now, I'm going to feel like they are crawling all over me." Iggy kicks them off.

I jump away. "Don't kick them to me!"

"I'm fine!" Aziel finally announces through the dark. "I need you to come to me."

Iggy and I don't move. Purgatory can mock anyone. This place will make you think you're heading straight toward your friend when really, it's a demon wanting to kill you.

"I'm not a fucking demon!" Aziel yells from the stomach of the forest. "I'm stuck in muddy water and something keeps biting me. It's freaking me the fuck out."

"It's him. I can hear the asshole in his tone."

I bark out a laugh, then wince when my hand continues to burn. "Let's go before he gets his tail bit off."

"Maybe that's what he needs," Iggy grumbles.

I slap him with my good hand while we hurry to Aziel.

"What? I can't thank karma?"

"You two are so annoying." I open my injured hand to see how bad the burn is on my palm. Words are branded into my skin.

"Woah." Iggy clutches my hand. "I can't read it though. It's too… blegh." He shivers, dropping my hand as if the burn is contagious. "Gross. I'm sorry." He covers his mouth and nose with his hands, folding them together in a praying position. "I'm sorry. I don't like when flesh is… fleshing." He points to my grotesque palm.

"I get the picture." I continue to try to read it, but I can't seem to figure out the words, so I decide to let it go. "Aziel!" I shout for him again, stepping over a fallen log with devil beetles all over it. They are bright red with black horns, and they even have little red tails. Apparently, their bite makes you feel like you're on fire.

"I'm over here." Aziel's voice is louder which means we are getting close.

We zig-zag our way through the maze of fallen trees.

"I think these trees that are on the ground are from Aziel zipping through the air like a fly." Iggy whistles, gesturing his finger in the air to mimic a fly.

I wince. "That had to hurt."

"About. Fucking. Time."

Iggy and I stop at the edge of a pond of some sort. It has a steep edge that reminds me of a crater and below, sitting off to the side, is Aziel.

He plucks something from his tail and throws it back in the water. "Can you two please come help me? I have these odd skeletal panda-like fish everywhere. They have a strong fucking grip." He plucks another, tossing it in the bright purple pond.

"Are they poisonous?" Iggy asks.

Aziel flicks another fish into the water, staring at Iggy like he's an idiot for asking that question. "I don't know. I hope fucking not. That would suck for me."

"It really would," Iggy agrees, then climbs down the crater. "Since you've been keeping me alive, the least I could do is help."

"Thank you."

I snicker when I hear how annoyed Aziel is.

Instead of climbing down, I jump, keeping my hand against my chest. I'm surprised the burns haven't begun healing yet. I'm worried the dread walkers did something horrible to me. What if this is the start of being one of them?

My boots sink into the mud, the squish reminding me of the soft ground near the cliffs where I first fell in love with Aziel.

"Little fuckers are everywhere," Aziel bitches, plucking another odd skeletal panda fish from his shoulder. "I swear to Fate, when I see those dread walkers again, I'm going to pluck all the bones from their stupid skeletal bodies."

Iggy squats next to Aziel. "If you can get close enough. They seem to have a lot of power. They hurt Elouise too." The bear shifter yanks one of the tiny fish from Aziel's nipple.

"They hurt you?" Aziel growls, rubbing his chest. "Ow, Iggy. You could warn a guy."

Iggy holds up the small aquatic vertebrates. "You're complaining about this little guy? It is the size of my pinky."

"Well—" Aziel scoffs, frowning. "—Maybe you have big pinkies because their bite is uncomfortable. Especially when there are hundreds on your body, Iggy!" My Beloved slowly raises his voice to make his point.

Iggy eyes widen before taking another fish from Aziel's body. "Okay, jeez. No need to get so testy. Are you always like this?"

"No."

"Yes." I roll my lips together to keep from smiling when we answer at the same time. "I mean, just a little, Beloved. You're a little ornery but that's okay. I love it." I kiss his cheek and use the moment to tug a fish from under his chin.

"Do you really think they are venomous?"

I bring the little creature to my nose and inhale, seeing if I can scent anything putrid. "I don't think so. I think they were shocked you crashed into their pond and defended themselves. They are kind of cute. You don't think so?" I put the fish side by side to my face and smile. "See? Not so scary."

"I guess they aren't so bad when they have someone as pretty as you next to them," Aziel charms, hissing when Iggy removes another from the werewolf's toe. "Iggy!"

"Stop being such a damn baby. My God. You carry a weapon made of bone, you were a fighter at The Graveyard, and you can't handle a tiny little fish that you could squish from probably narrowing your eyes at it. Stop it."

Aziel huffs, crossing his arms to pout. "Elouise, back to what Iggy said. Did the dread walkers hurt you?"

"Kind of?" I hold out my palm, showing him the burn marks. "It says something, but I can't figure it out. The skin is too puckered."

Aziel slips his hand under mine, keeping his hold soft and gentle to not hurt me. He brings it closer to his face, his thumb bending mine back to stretch out the words. I hiss.

"I'm sorry, My Light. I'm trying to see what it says." His brows raise. "No wonder you couldn't read it. This isn't a message for you. It's for me. It's written in a dead werewolf language. I learned some growing up, but I didn't get to finish my classes because I got cursed."

"What? What's it say?" I ask, looming over his shoulder to see if I can try reading it again.

"Last one," Iggy warns, tossing the last fish into the pond. "Maybe let's not go swimming again in that pond."

"Yes, Iggy, because I so badly wanted to swim in it the first time," Aziel's sarcasm is thick. He doesn't lose focus on my palm.

"Rawr." Iggy motions his hand in the air like he has claws.

"I think it says, "In a cave—" his finger follows the words "—You will find what you seek. Give the blood of the werewolf at the peak."

Once the message is read, I gasp when my skin begins to heal, the message disappearing.

"Woah." I flex my fingers and rub my palm to see if I'm pain-free. "It's gone."

"They really didn't want anyone else to see that message. I wonder why they helped us," Aziel says, finally getting to his feet. He brushes the dirt from his fur, flinging a fish we didn't see attached to his tail back into the water.

"Legend has it the dread walkers only appear when someone needs them, which isn't often. They protect the mountain, from what I've been told."

"Protect it from what?" I ask, snagging Uri from the mud to hand back to Aziel.

"From others who want to hurt the avisseus, if I had to make an educated guess," Aziel answers, tilting his head back to inhale. "We're going to want to go that way." He points a finger to the west.

"How do you know?"

Aziel jumps out of the crater pond, stretching his arm down for me to grab. "It doesn't smell like death like most of Purgatory does."

I snake my hand in his and he lifts me up. He knows I don't need the help. I can easily jump to the top myself. Truth be told, I love having him treat me so well. I love that he wants to help me even if he knows I have the ability to take care of myself.

Aziel wants to take care of me and after so many years of taking care of myself, I'm going to soak up his affection.

"What makes you think Dread Mountain is that way though?" Iggy runs up the side of the edge to join us. "I mean, we are still in Purgatory."

"Yeah, but creatures don't come here, like you said. You don't smell the difference? I'm assuming it's because the mountain is cleaner."

"Makes sense." Iggy places his hands on his hips and looks around. "It's still so eerie on this side of Purgatory. It's so quiet."

"Let's use it to our advantage. The quieter we are, the more we will be able to hear," Aziel states, shaking off his fur. Mud flies in all directions.

I don't say anything because I don't want to worry Aziel. I pretend to smooth out his holster, double-checking to see if the bag that holds his dad's bones is still there, along with his skull.

Whew.

They are.

"Then, let's go. The more time we waste standing here, the more time we lose before the blood rain."

Aziel is the first one to take a step in the direction we need to go in. I follow him, staying by his side in quick strides since his steps are so large. Iggy is beside me and he is constantly darting his head in all directions to be aware of our surroundings.

I hand him a dagger, clutching the blade with the handle pointed in his direction.

"What's this for?"

"I want you to have a weapon to protect yourself. I don't want anything to happen to you. You need to protect yourself. Just in case Aziel and I can't. We don't know what we will walk into."

"It should be easy to get to the top if no creatures will bother us. That's only if it's true." Aziel slips his fingers into mine, taking my hand as we walk side by side. He lowers his voice, "I still feel like we are being followed. My instincts tell me we are."

"I feel it too," Iggy says, glancing over his shoulder. "But I can't see anyone."

"Me either." Aziel takes a peek to the left. "All we can do is stay on alert. To do that, it's best if from here on out, we don't speak, and if we need to, just tap the person's shoulder. We walk side by side. Always. So we can see one another. No one falls behind. No one walks ahead. Okay? We make it out together."

"Together." I squeeze his hand, wanting him to know I agree.

"Like you could get rid of me." Iggy slips his arm through mine.

"I love you, Louie."

I peer up at Aziel, giving him a soft smile, one filled with warmth. "I love you too."

"I can't wait to finally have a future with you. It's all I've ever wanted. I'll do anything to make sure we have it." Thunder booms in his chest. "Anything."

"Anything," I repeat, wanting him to know I'll sacrifice myself if it means he will get one more second of breath.

As we continue on our journey, nothing suggests we are heading in the right direction. Everything looks the same. From the leaves on the ground to the slim talons of the trees hanging over us, I can't tell if we are going in circles or actually making progress with our journey.

I tilt my head back to look at the sky. The red is brighter against the night, filling with the blood of the ones who have died on the other side.

We really are running out of time. The last thing I want is for us to be stuck here forever, especially if Aziel is waiting to get back to his body. I start daydreaming about life with his pack. I wonder what they are like. Will they like me?

What if they don't? Will Aziel still want me?

I scoff to my inner voice. Of course he will. We've loved each other for far too long to let anyone get in the way of our future.

A future. A real chance at happiness with the werewolf I've needed more than I've needed blood to survive. I smile to myself, imagining myself pregnant with his children. Will there only be one? Two? I know werewolves usually always have more than one child.

What will their names be?

It will feel so good lying in bed with him, wrapped in his safety, knowing we won't have to fight for our existence. We will be able to exist without any strings attached.

Oh my God, we will be able to feel the warmth of the sun on our skin. Maybe we can just lay out in the front yard, have the blades of grass under us, the sun beaming down onto us. We'd be quiet, I think. There would be no need to say anything because everything that needed to be said, was said here in Purgatory.

The birds would sing us a song as we soaked up the sun. Bees would buzz to the nearby flowers, flowers that smelled like fresh rain, and then when the wind rustles, the branches would just sway to cast cooling shadows onto our overheated bodies.

A butterfly would land on my fingers, reminding me of life instead of death. Oh, and the sky! How could I forget? I hope it's so blue with clouds in the sky that look like various shapes or animals. Aziel and I could try to guess them.

And then, I'd roll over onto him, disrupting his peace, and kiss him. I'd want to kiss him for hours, getting lost in the feel of his tongue, losing myself with every glide our lips take together. We'd kiss without worry and without the haunting realization, that death could happen at any second. We'd kiss without thinking it was goodbye because we would no longer be wandering souls but bodies that had finally met.

We'd undress each other, not wanting to break the kiss, but we'd want body-to-body contact. Under the sun with a bright blue sky, he'd slide into me, fucking me on the grass we were just appreciating. He'd knot me, stretch me, make me gasp, beg, scream his name to the sky, and groan.

I want that life. I want the one in the sun with Aziel. I no longer want to live in the dark where our souls are lost. We don't deserve to be forgotten when we have barely had a chance to live.

The snapping of fingers yanks me from my trance. I blink away the haze, staring at Aziel. His claw slips under my chin, his bright golden eyes swirling.

"Where did you go?" he asks, his hand sliding across my cheek.

I lean into his touch. "Somewhere really beautiful," I whisper.

"I can't wait to hear about it," he says, kissing my lips. "But we are here and it's time to climb, so when we make it to the top, maybe you can tell me about it."

"Maybe or maybe I'll keep my dream to myself."

"Then how am I supposed to make it come true if I don't know about it?"

"Ugh, God. Can you two stop? We are finally at the damn mountain. Focus." Iggy snaps, slipping his arm between us to disrupt our flirting. "You can do it. Whenever we get out of here, you can get lost in each other's eyes and forget the damn year for all I care. Focus. Please."

Our eyes slide to him.

"Thank you. See? Now, I don't know if you have noticed but the welcome sign isn't welcoming." Iggy points to the entrance.

"How is there a trail when no one comes up here?"

Aziel sets Uri on his shoulder. "Maybe that's why we don't hear stories. No one ever lives to tell the tales. Over the years, perhaps they made the trail."

"That's not reassuring at all." Iggy takes a step back.

"It's made of igneous rock," Aziel notices, flatting his palm against the ground. "I think this is a volcano."

Iggy leans forward. "I'm sorry, what?"

"A volcano. It makes sense why I saw so much of it. What if this isn't any volcano? What if it's the entrance to Hell? Wouldn't that make sense?"

"It would because it would be easier for creatures to go from Hell to Purgatory if they want," I say.

I step in front of the welcome sign, keeping the handle of the dagger tight in my hand just in case.

The sign itself is made up of skulls. Dozens of them. If we didn't need to find the avisseus, I'd want to turn around.

"Ready?" Aziel steps onto the worn dirt that makes the trail and holds out his hand for me to take.

"Ready." And I clutch his hand as he tugs me forward.

I look up to try to see the top of Dread Mountain. I can't. The top gets lost in the heavy onyx clouds. Lightning veins between each of them, sparking with heat. It's ominous and wary.

"I still feel like someone is watching us, but I can't tell if it's paranoia now. Maybe it's always been paranoia. If someone meant harm, the dread walkers would have stopped whoever was following us, right?" Aziel waits for an answer from me.

"That makes sense," Iggy says.

I kick a rock while walking, not liking how quiet it is. I'm so used to battle, to war, to blood and screams. Everything about this has been too easy.

"Unless they don't mean harm," I toss in my own thoughts. "I don't know. I still feel them lurking and while they might not mean the mountain harm, that doesn't mean they don't mean us harm."

"Way to be a complete buzzkill, Elouise. You could have let me have some hope."

"Hope? You want hope on Dread Mountain? In Purgatory?"

He narrows his eyes at me. "Well, when you say it like that hope doesn't make a lot of sense."

Lightning hits the tree in front of us, splintering it in half, and the heat, the power of it have us flying back.

"Are you two okay?" Aziel gasps, spitting out dirt he inhaled.

"I'm fine." I lift my arm, showing Iggy and Aziel where I got seared by the lightning. I immediately heal. My skin pulls together, the blood reverts into my veins, and in my next breath, the wound is gone. "Iggy?"

"I think I might have pissed myself but other than that, I'm alive. As alive I can be in Purgatory." He stands, dusting off his jeans.

Aziel helps me up, only for another crack of lightning to hit close to us again. This time in the middle of the trail. I glance up, noticing the clouds swirling with electric current.

Another round of lightning shoots down, followed by another, and another. The strikes land all around us, the loud cracking causing my ears to ring. The hot bolts keep coming from the swirling clouds up above.

"Guys…" I slap Aziel and Iggy wherever I can reach, then point to the sky. "That can't be normal, right?"

Lightning begins to swirl in a circle, creating a vortex, and the wind shear changes. The rope of lightning is able to form now, twisting down to the ground.

The noise is unlike anything I've ever heard. Constant loud rumbles and snaps whip across the sky as the lightning tornado begins to move.

And it's coming right towards us.