Lucille
Chapter
Three
Stifling heat pressed around me, determined to suck all the water from my body. Sweet, sulfuric fumes shoved up my nose. I clapped a hand to my mouth, holding back a gag as I made sense of the midnight forest with my purple-tinged vision. But nothing appeared familiar to me in this dream-walk.
The forest contained a multitude of skinny trees jutting from the ground like decrepit fingers. Their grooved bark glistened, catching the light from an ominous purple glow in the distance. Curious, I reached out and touched the shiny trunk, then hissed.
The groove sliced my finger. It hardly took any pressure at all.
Heavenly Hell. Where was I?
Voices sounded near the purple light, but I couldn’t make them out. I wove through the dangerous, dark trees. My soft steps sounded like stomps in the quiet forest. I cringed with every crunch. Every stumble. But I didn’t dare pull on my powers to light the way.
The sticky, hot air grew thicker the closer I moved toward the voices. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and my lungs begged for cooler air. Skirting a tree revealed the purple and black glow in the distance.
Was this the Immolation Circle?
A couple more steps and their words finally drifted to my ears.
“They’ll pay, my darling witch. We’ll make them all pay. It’s already begun.”
I didn’t recognize the masculine voice, nor could I see who it came from. They remained blocked by layers of razor-sharp trees.
“They won’t see us coming.”
I froze. The sweet conviction in her smug tone sounded familiar. But we killed Lilith. Unless this was a dream of the past.
Panning left and right, I searched the shadows before continuing.
I needed to see their faces. Creeping forward at a snail’s pace, I thought about every twitching muscle in my foot as I placed it down.
I made it two feet, barely making out a mane of black hair before a hand wrapped around my mouth and jerked me behind a tree.
“Dream-walking here was a very stupid decision on your part.”
Somehow I was pushed out of the dream and into the cavern of my mind, next to my glowing ball of power—and her.
She stood covered in her red-and-black cloak.
“So, you’re not Lilith,” I said, circling her as she mirrored my movements.
“Good guess. But no.”
“Then who the hell are you?”
She lifted her hand, analyzing her sharp, golden nails. “Let’s call me your guide.”
Her cocky confidence had my nostrils flaring.
“Guide? What kind of guide sends me to become a prisoner, then to be attacked by a witch!”
“You found your mom, didn’t you?”
A fierce pain shot through my chest. Purple and white light flared from my flickering ball of power. “Only for her to die!” I shot back. “You told me to remember. You wanted me to use Tsal-mawet. To go to the Tenebrous Kingdom. Why? Did you know she’d die? Did you know what Lilith would do to us?”
Her arm slowly extended, a single finger dipping into the darkness.
I frowned, sensing an odd pressure in my mind.
“Why indeed?” Her dagger-pointed nail struck, and I winced.
“Who are you?” I spat, clutching the physical manifestation of my head.
A haughty scoff slipped from her as she dropped her hand. “Let’s get a few facts straight. I’m a guide who has an agenda. I do and say certain things for my own purposes—ones I won’t be sharing with you. All you need to know is I’m here to push you in the right direction when needed.”
“Or you’re guiding me to my death.”
The cloaked female laughed.
I gritted my teeth, hating the noise.
Eventually, she cut it off and shook her head. “I don’t need you to trust me. Not yet. There are a few things you still need to learn before we get to that part.”
“Who the fuck are you?” I screamed, my temper short. All my emotions were.
Her cloak swished as she shrugged. “Someone who just saved your life.”
“How so?”
She hummed, mulling over the answer. “Unfortunately, that’s one of those questions I’m just not going to answer.”
“You haven’t answered any of them!”
“You’re right. You’d better get used to that,” she mused.
“But I’ll give you some parting advice before I jet.
Dark things are happening in Hell, and they’re only going to get worse.
So while you’re using most of your energy to mourn mommy dearest, why don’t you save a smidge to focus on her parting words. ”
I narrowed my eyes. “How—”
“It’s just a wonder what secrets someone can find if they know where to look,” she said proudly before blipping out of existence.
I wrenched awake, slamming my forehead into Alexei.
“Heavenly fucking Weaver,” he groaned, clutching his bleeding nose. “Normally, I’m not assaulted for waking a lady up.”
“Sorry…” I trailed off, my breath a white cloud as I peered around my room, my guide and her strange words completely forgotten.
A thin film of frost coated every surface, from the dark wooden floorboards to the red decorative pillows pushed to the far side of my bed, up the floral wallpaper and to the glossy ceiling.
Even the tips of Rune’s fur sparkled in the dim moonlight, attempting to pierce the frosted windowpanes.
I pulled my icy comforter up to my chin, shivered, and turned to Alexei. His face said it all.
“It’s time,” I whispered, feeling like the cold grip of my father’s power reached down and gripped my heart.
Alexei nodded, one hand holding his nose, the other holding out a black bag. “Change into this, and we’ll go.”
I didn’t even notice he had something in his arms. Besides the blood oozing down his lips, I hadn’t noticed anything about him.
I completely missed the expertly crafted velvet suit he wore.
I wasn’t sure how—whether my grief only allowed me to focus on one thing or the meaning behind my frozen bedroom drained my ability to care.
But I shouldn’t have missed his glowing embroidery.
The silver feathers gleamed as if lit from within, shedding light on the midnight-blue velvet.
“It’s the Celestrus they crush up and soak the thread in. Your dress will have it too,” he said softly.
I stopped staring long enough to nod. He placed the dress bag on my bed and left to wait in the sitting area.
Rising was difficult. Cement replaced my bones, and icy mud oozed through my veins, urging me to curl into a ball and stay put.
Every step was an insurmountable feat I had to force myself to conquer.
Slowly, I entered my closet, unzipped the bag, and stepped into the heavy, long-sleeve dress.
Midnight velvet hugged my breasts to my upper thighs, then slowly widened.
A thin gauze covered my neck down to the sweetheart line of my chest. The dress’s cut was stunning, but the details made it exquisite.
Silver beads speckled the velvet, clustering close to my wrists and shoulders and creating a galaxy of stars across the bodice.
The glowing embroidery swirled around my cleavage, wrapped at my waist, and descended my thighs.
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Otherworldly. Those were the words I’d use to describe this dress.
Haunted. Agonized. Unfit. Those were the words I’d use to describe the person wearing the dress.
It seemed wrong to wear something that should belong to some celestial queen to a funeral. It seemed wrong to dress up at all. At least the coloring was dark, but I could do without the glow.
That was a lie.
I grazed my hands along the star-like beads and bit my lip.
It wasn’t the glow or the color or even the dress.
It was the memories the sparkling beading dredged up.
It was my mother taking me out after a winter storm and making snow angels beneath the stars, giggling and enjoying our small slice of life.
It was her praying and cursing to the night sky as if it both answered and shunned her.
That was what this dress reminded me of.
And as much as it pained me and weakened my knees, maybe it was the best way to honor her—wearing the stars we wished to.
I scratched behind Rune’s ears, giving my reflection one last look. Then I walked out to Alexei, forgoing the effort to brush my hair. I only had so much energy.
He gave my dress an appreciative nod, then gestured to a pair of matching gossamer heels. Never in my life had I worn a pair of heels. I was almost tempted to go barefoot. No one would be able to see my feet beneath all this fabric.
“If you would rather go in a pair of boots, by all means.”
I slowly raised my gaze, meeting Alexei’s gentle expression.
He quirked a small smile. “Or if you’d rather go in a sweatshirt and leggings, I’ll be right behind you. Bet I could find something in Oliver’s closet.”
Oliver.
He was going to miss my mother’s funeral. I wouldn’t have my best friend by my side at the hardest time in my life. My eyes stung, and I looked away.
“Aww, Hells. I’m sorry, beautiful.” Alexei tugged me into his arms. “I shouldn’t have brought him up.”
Rune butted my hand, whimpering. I rubbed her soft shadow fluff, soaking in her comfort. “It’s okay,” I mumbled. But nothing felt okay.
Alexei pulled back. “Oh no. I’m not taking any of that bullshit.
As Oliver’s temporary stand-in, I know he’d want you to let it all out.
” He squeezed my shoulders. “I don’t want to hear you say it’s okay, I’m okay, I’m sorry, or any other statement meant to comfort us while disregarding yourself.
Today, you get to be utterly selfish. Okay? ”
“And tomorrow?” I asked, lifting my lip in what I hoped was a half-smile and not some deranged, grieving grimace.
“That depends on whether or not you make me wear leggings tonight.” He smirked.
I huffed. Not a laugh. Not a scoff. But a breathy, short noise that stemmed from a minuscule lightness that landed on my chest before fluttering away.
“As much as I’d love to see everyone’s reaction to that sight, Oliver would never forgive me if he missed that,” I replied, holding Alexei’s arm as I wiggled into the heels.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait till he wakes up then.”
I side-eyed him. “I’m holding you to that.”