Chapter 5

"Shit.Fuck." I pumped my arms, running away as fast as I could. I didn't know how long or how far I'd run, but it felt like my feet would carry me forever across this land. The more I panicked, the more purple petals spilled from my hands. This place, this world, was horrible in a way that made me feel like I would die here, like at any moment it would all end and Rhode would never know what happened to me. If it was my time to go, it was my time to go, but I wanted the closure for my sister.

I paused, catching my breath, and the more petals that hit the ground the darker the ground became around me. One by one they fell, and with each touch to the dirt, blackness forked out around me. Tears prickled within my eyes. What the hell was happening to me? There was no doubt those two soldiers were going to commit some non-consensual assault on me and they got what they deserved, but vigilante punisher was not on my resume. Until my body took over and defended itself. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose.

"Okay, Okay, don't freak out," I whimpered, hoping that if I spoke to myself, I might find a way to calm down. "Don't freak out. You're just trapped in another world with some freaky shit happening. You can do this. Figure out how to get home to Rhode and Sephira."

Thinking of my two younger sisters brought a sense of purpose to me. I could freak out about being here all day long, but to get back to them, I had to get myself together. I sucked in another breath and shoved my hair out of my face. I swiped the sleeves of my jacket under my eyes and across my nose. "Okay, think. I need a plan."

I turned back toward the castle in the distance. I'd gotten farther away than I expected. The mountains seemed to loom closer than before. They were dark and barren, like shadows against the sky. I turned back toward the castle, which looked like my only option at this point, and I took a step toward it.

The ground cracked under my foot and the sound of rocks fracturing filled my ears. "Nooooo."

I froze as though I was standing on a frozen lake and the ice was about to break beneath my feet. The cracks spread farther out and little puffs of dust shot up from the ground around me. If I took off running again, would it hold my weight long enough to make progress? Or would it collapse where I stood? There was only one way to find out. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a step. The ground exploded below me, and chunks of slate shot up into the air as I plummeted down. A scream shot from my lips, and my stomach went up into my throat.

I reached out, trying to grab onto something, anything, to stop this free fall. Rough edges scratched at my hands and legs as I plummeted into darkness. I hit the ground with a hard thump. The pain vibrated up from my feet into my legs. Both of the heels on my boots snapped under the pressure and my bodysuit was shredded. Blood streamed down my legs. if I hadn't had my jacket on, my arms would also be cut to shit. I huddled there on the ground, just breathing for a moment. I felt like I'd been thrown into a blender, spun around, then shot out of it because someone forgot to put the top on. I wiggled my fingers and stretched my legs out. Aside from a few aches and pains, I didn't think I'd broken anything.

I leaned my head back against the wall and gazed up at the hole that I'd fallen through. It was at least thirty feet up. The walls were sharp and steep. There was no way I could climb back up and out. The cave around me was so dark I wouldn't know how to move in any direction. I curled my knees to my chest and held them there, trying not to lose my ever-loving mind. This was too much. It was all too much. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn't know how I was going to get back to Rhode or out of this fucked up world.

The sound of tiny scraping nails echoed down the tunnel and my heart leapt into my throat. I tried to press myself to the wall, hoping the next thing that came at me wasn't some kind of giant spider monster thing that wanted to eat me. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath. Death by digestion was not something I wanted to face. When I peeked up, a dark shadow moved in the distance, like some kind of animal moving on all fours. A dark cloud puffed out from it and drifted toward me.

As the cloud moved forward, the cave rumbled and dust rained down. When it came close to me, the cloud drifted around my sides as though it'd hit a dome over my head and rolled over it. Shards of rock tumbled toward me, but they too rolled away from me like they hit a wall. I glanced up, peering into the darkness of the caves. Reflective eyes peered back at me, and my stomach rolled. The hard-packed slate ground rolled toward me like a wave moving toward the shore. Just before it hit me again, it looked like it hit a bubble and fanned out around me, then smacked into the wall behind me. A whimper escaped my lips, and I huddled tighter to myself.

Something that looked like a glowing string slithered toward me. Blue lights ran along its stomach and sides. When it scurried closer, I froze, praying it wouldn't bite me. I didn't know the animals in this world or what would attack me next. The lights got even closer, and when it stopped, it stood there under the thin beam of light coming through where I'd fallen. It was a tiny creature that looked like a mix of a ferret and lizard. Fur ran from the top of its head down its back and all around the fluffy tail. Its head was shaped like a ferret, with bright, curious eyes and cute little ears popping from the top of its fuzzy head. It had scales from its mouth and down the front of its neck. The fur was a mix of cream and red like a fox and felt sleek and smooth against my hand. Its forked tongue darted out, and that's when I noticed the scales running along its sides and down its stomach. Lines of neon scales glowed on its sides and across its neck. It was cute . . . too cute.

"Are you, like, a venom ferret snake thing? Are you gonna try to kill me like the rest of the crap in this world?"

It made a little cooing sound that sounded like half purr and half chirp. It darted back and forth in front of me, moving with its tiny ferret-like legs. When its head bobbed up and down and it met my eye with its dark and curious eyes, the knots in my stomach eased just a fraction. "You don't look like you'd kill me."

Again, it made that little cooing sound and ran its smooth furry body against my leg like a cat greeting its owner. I tentatively lifted my hand and let it run under my finger, lifting its head to meet my palm. It arched its back like a cat needing to be pet. This close, its body was long and sleek like a ferret with the stealth of a lizard. It scurried up onto my legs and sat there on my knee just staring.

I tickled under its chin, and it lifted its head as though enjoying it. "But what do we call you? Ferris?"

It tilted its head, almost shaking it.

"Tanya?"

Again, the shake.

"Morris."

It looked appalled . . . if a ferret could look appalled.

"Okay, okay. I've got it. Monty!"

It gave me a little coo and rubbed on my legs. "Monty it is."

I finally got a pet and Rho wasn't here to see it, yet I found comfort in running my fingers over its soft fur and smooth scales. I didn't know how long I sat there just petting Monty, but it was long enough for my heart to stop racing and for my thoughts to clear. My breathing slowed. This was the power of having some kind of pet around. People and pets were just meant to be together. I started to rise to my feet and my little friend climbed up my jacket to perch itself on my shoulder. I tossed my hair over my other shoulder to give him space.

"You there!" a voice growled and echoed down the cave, and I jumped.

Purple petals flew from my hands and rained down on the both of us. I tried to hold my hand over my little lizard friend, but more petals fell from my hands and drifted over the ferret-lizard. I almost screamed with fear that I'd killed it, but all my petals did were turn his fur purple and make the little neon lights running down his belly glow a brighter purple. He cooed and snuggled in next to my neck. For some reason, my magic hadn't killed Monty. I sucked in a deep breath of relief and blew it out. When it came to the soldiers who were about to sexually assault me, I could easily justify their deaths in my mind. But if I killed my little friend, it'd weigh on my conscience for eternity. I reached up and patted the top of his head.

When the sound of tumbling rocks came from a few feet away, my eyes shot up toward the voice calling out to me, and I froze. There before me was another one of those soldiers that I'd run into before. His helmet covered most of his face, but his body was just as big as the others, and his mouth turned down into a sneer as he approached me.

"No! Stay back." I held my hands up and those petals fell from my palms to the ground around me. The dirt turned black at my feet with tiny cracks running through it.

"Here now. Come over here." He crooked his finger at me, and I shook my head.

"You don't want me to go over there."

"You'll listen to me or you'll regret it, little girl." He took another step toward me.

"No, little boy. If you want to keep your life, I'd suggest you stay over there. Or even better, turn around and show me the way out of this hellhole." I waved him away.

He glared at me and moved too close. He reached out and wrapped his hand around my forearm, pinching my skin. He pulled me from the wall of the cave and yanked me toward him, then farther into the cave. I yanked back on my arm, trying to free it, but his grip was like a vise around my arm.

"What clan do you belong with?" he barked out.

"Clan?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

He stopped and spun toward me. "Yes, clan. Where do you belong?"

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"We've got a court jester in our midst. It's clear you're a demon, but your intelligence has yet to be determined." He growled and turned away again, dragging me deeper into the underground.

"I think you're going the wrong way. I need to go up and out."

"You need to do what I say you'll do wench." His grip tightened and my little ferret-lizard friend hissed in his direction.

"What are you doing with a ferinx?" He started to reach for my friend on my shoulder, and I batted his hand away with my free arm.

"It just appeared." I leaned away from him and yanked at my arm. "Let go or lose the arm."

"You dare threaten me?" He shook me and I kicked my leg out, connecting with the back of his knee. His leg gave out and he loosened his grip enough for me to jerk free. I staggered back a step as he recovered his balance.

"It's not a threat, it's a fact." I didn't want to hurt him . . . but I would if I had to defend myself.

He reached for Monty, my little ferinx, and he hissed at him and gave a high-pitched growl. "Give it here."

"He doesn't want to go with you." I ducked away when he reached for my Monty once again.

His arm shot out and he cracked me across my cheek with the back of his hand. Pain exploded across the side of my face as my head snapped around. I squeezed my eyes shut while I opened and closed my mouth, trying to work the pain from my jaw. I cupped my jaw and rubbed at my cheek.

"Mother fucker."

I turned back toward him and threw my arm out and my fist connected with his throat. He tried to draw in a sharp breath but ended up choking. His hands curled into fists, and he hauled his arm back. Rocks flew from the ground and gathered around his hand. He threw his hand forward, ready to strike at my face. I tilted my head to the side, and it barely missed me. When his fist came too close to my cheek, those rocks fell to the ground and he ended up striking the cave wall right next to my face.

He pulled back and shook his hand out. "Wretch!"

He hovered over me about to strike out once more, and I threw my hands up. Petals exploded from my palms and shot right into his face. Purple lines forked out over his skin like thin plant roots. Like the others, his lips turned black and blood ran like tears from his eyes and nose. He dropped to his knees and fell forward onto his face. I backed away before he could touch my boots. His body convulsed at my feet and gurgling sounds came from deep in his throat.

The ferinx chirped at my side, like he was cheering for the soldier's death. When he finally stopped twitching, I stepped over him and started walking farther into the cave. My hands shook as I walked, and I fought to keep my breaths steady and even. A panic attack was in order, but I didn't have time to have one. The Ferinx rubbed against my cheek as though it sensed my tension. I kept walking trying to forget the trail of bodies I'd left in my wake. My only hope was to get out of this world and pretend like it never happened, like this was some kind of bad dream I couldn't wake from.

Neon-blue lights glimmered in the distance, and I squinted my eyes, willing them to adjust to the darkness. They moved and fluttered with a delicate grace that reminded me of butterflies back home, except these were translucent like jellyfish. Glowing neon lights highlighted the shape of their wings and bodies. Long, glowing legs and antennas hung from them, yet with each beat of their wings, the neon lights moved. They flew around in little clusters that seemed to hover in the same place. The closer I got, the more they looked like they were held in tiny glass jars. When I reached them, they all sat on rocks that looked like shelves around the cave. I paused, staring at the blue, green, purple, and pink coloring.

"Hello there."

I jumped and turned toward an older man standing in the corner. He held both his hands up as though to show me he meant no harm.

"I'm Linford," he said.

He was about five foot eight with a head of white hair and a matching gray beard. His arms were on the thin side, but his stomach poked out just enough to make him have the perfect dad-bod. His eyes were glazed over like he had cataracts, and his retinas were the size of pinpoints. I was surprised he could see me at all.

"I'm Morgana." I didn't move or take a step forward to meet him.

"Pleased to meet you." He motioned to the soldier I'd left back in the tunnel. "An enemy of yours?"

When I said nothing, he motioned to my face. "He earned what he got, I see."

"Can you see me?" I found it hard to believe this old man with milky eyes could see two feet in front of him.

He chuckled. "My vision never falters this deep underground."

"Night vision." My brow furrowed. "Why are you down here?"

"I live here." He held up the glass lantern full of those illuminated butterflies.

"Where exactly is here?" This was the first person I'd met that spoke to me like I was a human being and not a piece of meat to be shoved around.

"You're in Terrea, of course."

"Of course," I muttered. I tried not to panic or lose my mind. I was indeed in another world, and somehow that hot asshole from the hotel in Vegas had brought me here. I needed to get back. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I didn't want to think this could be happening, but I couldn't deny it now. I was lost. The only thing I could do now was try to get back.

"You're in a bit of trouble," he said, as if it was a fact.

"Yes."

"Right, then follow me." He turned and started to walk away.

Left with no other choice, I followed behind him in the hopes that somehow, someway this old man would be able to get me the hell out of here.