32. Aster
Chapter 32
Aster
I t’s much colder than it was the first time I was here. Wilder should’ve warned me how disorienting it is to visit this plane several times in one night, but he probably didn’t foresee that I’d have to rescue my boyfriend.
That thought is sobering.
My boyfriend.
My brain had no problem making that connection. I was aware of my feelings bubbling up when I stared into his eyes moments ago. The fear of losing him was untenable, and I wanted to tell him I love him. It’s been over a decade since I’ve uttered those words, and even then, it didn’t feel anything like it does when I look at Hudson. Maybe the love bond is relevant after all.
I shake the tension from my hands. Okay, I’ll process that later. Right now, I have a Horror to deal with if I have any chance of a future with Hudson.
“Where are you, asshole? Face me.”
A shiver runs down my spine when a low growling noise reaches me. The darkness is so opaque I can’t even see my hand in front of my face, much less anything else. I narrow my eyes in an attempt to focus or pick out a shape, but I’ve got nothing.
Then I hear the distant sound of Otto barking, and for some reason, I swing around toward the direction it’s coming from, finding myself face to face with a glowing, very pissed off Horror. It’s taken on its former human form, looking almost as alive as anyone, except for the eerie gray aura around it and the jet-black demonic eyes.
“You ruined everything. I’m gonna fucking kill you.”
It’s sentient, not at all like the pulsing blob it was before, but I can sense it’s weak. It looks so human and alive, until I spot the huge, gaping wound coming out the back of its skull.
“It’s time you go back where you belong, Horror.”
“My name is Chester, and all I have to say to that is, make me.”
“I’m going to. It’s my job.”
The Horror makes a strange choking noise that could be described as a scoff. “As if a mortal has any power against me.”
Oh shit. I have the upper hand. It doesn’t know what I am. It doesn’t know what I’m capable of. This is fucking badass.
“Maybe you should’ve spent a little more time in the Below before you escaped. You might have learned a few things. Maybe you would’ve found out about Soul Chasers.”
“What is that?”
“I’m that. I’m not mortal, Horror, and your name isn’t Chester. Not anymore. Chester is dead and the body has been burned to ashes, though I think a burial would’ve been more appropriate so your corpse would spend decades rotting away.”
“No. I can come back. All I need is a body I can steal. I’m still alive. Technically.”
“Nope. Just accessing your former memories and personality because you’re so evil your energy lingers. Not for much longer though. I’ll make sure of that.”
“No,” it says again with more force, shaking its head as if simply disagreeing with me will do something.
“I suppose I should thank you. If you weren’t so obsessed with Hudson, I never would have met him. Now I can show him how a real man loves. I can treat him the way he always should’ve been treated. You led him to me, Horror, and as much fun as it would be to keep you locked in the attic where you have to witness our love, you don’t deserve to look upon his face ever again.”
“Stop it. Hudson is mine. It’s you that’s never gonna see him again. I’m going to kill you and then I’ll scare the shit out of him and he’ll be all mine again.”
“Oh, I see. In life, you got off on fear and in death it makes you stronger.” I rub my knuckles. “Sorry, buddy, but you can’t kill me. You’re getting an express one-way ticket back to the Below.”
“I’ll just get out again, stupid human. You can’t contain me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Like I said, you should’ve found out about Soul Chasers before you made a break for it. It’s my literal purpose to stop you. You won’t get out, but if somehow you manage it, I’ll be there again. And again. And again. You’ll never be rid of me. You spent your life being a nightmare for other people. Now I’m yours.”
My words seem to strike a chord. The Horror narrows its eyes and even in the darkness I see the fury behind them.
“I did learn something before I escaped. Something you don’t know about the astral plane. You’re the vulnerable one here.”
Suddenly it’s on me, tackling me to the unseen ground beneath me. It grabs my chin, yanking my jaw open and sucking the air from my lungs. Its mouth is open unnaturally wide, revealing blackness and fire and the foulest stench.
It doesn’t take me long to understand what’s happening. If I don’t act now, the Horror will steal my soul and I won’t be able to keep Hudson safe. Probably something Wilder should’ve warned me about.
With all the strength I have, I wrap my arms around the mass on top of me, close my eyes, and with focused intention, I picture returning to my body and project us back to Hudson’s kitchen.
The sudden shift is jarring, and I almost release the damn thing as it shrieks and struggles in my grasp.
“Aster!” Hudson’s voice reaches me, as does Otto’s panicked barking, but I’m on a mission.
I get to my feet awkwardly as I keep my arms around this thing. It looks less human but has retained some of its features, grasping for Hudson over my shoulder. Hudson stays out of reach, clutching my dog as they both look on with terrified expressions.
I scan the floor for my circle and make a run for it, jumping over the border and bracing myself for whatever’s next. I have no idea how this works, so I’m trusting the handbook and what I’ve learned since this ordeal began.
The Horror loses its shit, shrieking and resisting, clawing my neck and face as we fall through darkness. We land with a thud in pitch blackness, but I immediately recognize where I’m at. This is the house. The hallway to the Below is illuminated, like those aisle runner lights on planes.
I’m aware of how much harder it is to move, how thick the air feels, like crawling through water and dragging a dead body with me. I guess no one said this would be an easy task.
There’s a tug in my chest, like a leash guiding me in the right direction, but with every step, my body feels heavier, making the journey slow and difficult.
I glance over my shoulder, shocked to see the shrinking mass in my clutches. The Horror is losing strength. Yes! I’m so close to ending this once and for all.
A door opens before me, the entry filled with a glowing red light, and the Horror makes one more attempt to flee, but I drag us both across the threshold, falling again through intense warmth. The smell of sulfur fills my nostrils, turning my stomach sour, but at the same time, giving me a sense of purpose and rightness.
I land gracefully on my feet, and when I get my bearings, I’m faced with a large cage and several glowing red beings gathered around it.
“CDA4963,” I pant.
The cage lights up with the Horror’s underworld name, and it shrieks again in my arms. It’s a struggle to contain it, but as the cage door swings open, I step forward and toss what’s left of the Horror inside.
The door slams shut, the bars sizzling red. The Horror shrinks from a man-sized grayish-black mass to a shriveled blob with a disgusting reddish-brown sludge swirling over it.
A red being steps forward, extending an arm, and the cage moves up and back, attaching to a stone wall lined with other cages filled with shriveled blobs inside. All the cages are lit up with underworld names just like this one. The Horror that was Chester releases a spine-jarring groan that I feel to my core, then the others join in, creating a symphony of angst and regret.
The red being turns to me, gazing at me with inhuman white orbs for eyes. “Eternal punishment,” it says in a high-pitched voice that twists my insides into a knot. “Thank you for your service, Chaser.”
I’m thrown back, sucked through the darkness to land hard on the floor. Some thanks. I struggle to my feet to see Farnsworth standing in front of me, an unusual—and obviously underused given the awkward angle of it—smile on his face. Abigail is beside him, the black figures flank him on either side, and the worker spirits are lined up behind them.
“You were successful, Aster,” Farnsworth says. “You captured the Horror and saved your target. Well done.”
“Well done,” the black figures chant before being joined by the next choir of spirits.
“Well done,” they all chant.
A sense of lightness and achievement washes over me. I did it. I got rid of the Horror.
“It’ll never get out, right?”
“Never,” Farnsworth says. “It will pay the worst price for its deeds and spend eternity in a cage, aware of its plight but powerless to fight against it.”
I nod. “Good.”
Farnsworth bows his head slightly. “You know now why you were chosen for this particular Horror?”
“I have an idea. Maybe you can tell me what you know.”
“It had to be you, Aster. Your death shifted the path of destiny for you and your target. The love you seek is within Hudson. The love he pined for is within you. You’re aware of the love bond, yes?”
“Yes. Do I just… ask him?”
“Your heart will guide you. Trust it.”
“I will.”
Abigail steps forward, reaching for my hand. I take hers, gazing down at her, surprised by the touch.
“Brave Chaser.”
“She speaks?”
Even Farnsworth appears surprised. “Rarely, and only to those she deems safe. Consider yourself one of the few worthy, Mr. Charboneau.”
“Thank you, Abigail. You can visit sometime and meet my dog, Otto.”
She nods happily, her pigtails bouncing.
“Go,” Farnsworth says. “Enjoy your mortal. You never know when the next assignment will come.”
“Thanks, Farnsworth.” I turn to walk toward a nonexistent door. “Oh, right. How do I?—”
Farnsworth flicks his wrist, and I’m falling again, but the landing this time is much softer. At least there’s that.
When I open my eyes, I’m on the floor in the living room. Hudson and Otto hover over me. Hudson smiles.
“You’re back.”
“Told you.” I cough, pulling myself upright slowly. “It’s over. The Horror, and Chester, are gone forever now.”
Hudson’s eyes turn glassy. “It’s really done?”
I nod, reaching out to cup his cheek. “It’s really done.”
He throws himself into my arms, almost knocking me over. Otto wiggles between us, barking and jumping up to lick my face.
“I have so much to tell you,” I whisper, holding Hudson tight. “But right now, I want this.”
I glance up to see the house spirits and Crash gathered behind the couch. They seem peaceful, like the stress of recent events has left them too, and a wave of ethereal acceptance washes over me before they dissipate before my eyes.
“What can I do for you?” Hudson whispers. “Coffee? Food?”
“Just this. It’s enough for now.”