4. Chapter 4
“Oh, it’s been decades since we’ve had a visitor! She’ll be just the thing we need to breathe some life into this place!”
“Have you forgotten she’s a mortal? The Underworld Motel is strictly for the undead!”
“Just because this is a motel for the undead doesn’t mean it has to be so lifeless. Besides, she could be the one to save us all!”
“That’s about as likely as you learning to follow the rules.”
“Oh, you spoil all our fun.”
“That’s because your idea of fun usually results in catastrophe. Have you forgotten about the time you held a fireworks display for the motel?”
“How was I supposed to know I had a crate of dynamite instead? Reading has never been my strong point…”
“And what about the time you stole the Stormchasers’ motorbike and took it for a ride to the bottom of the ocean?”
“Oh, Zed just needs to lighten up. I didn’t know that motorbikes and water don’t mix…”
“And don’t get me started on your ludicrous contraptions. The Spiderweb Slinger, the Scare-o-Matic, the Cactus Canon…”
“Oh, that was a fun one!”
“There’s nothing fun about finding cactus needles in my underwear. I knew I should have thrown you into Tartarus when I had the chance…”
Zoe stirred at the sounds of the raised voices. A dull throbbing reverberated through her skull as she tried to piece together the unexpected events of the evening. She remembered the sight of the ghosts, soaring through the air in a trail of smoke. Of the feeling of falling into the darkness, only to be caught by the hands of another. Hands that felt as cold as ice, that sent a deep shiver into her very core…
Zoe yelped as a wet tongue licked her cheek. She looked in surprise to see three pairs of doleful eyes gaze at her worriedly. She blinked, convinced her vision must be swimming, only for the strange sight to remain before her. Cerberus barked in greeting, before he leaped from the threadbare sofa on which she lay. Zoe watched in bewilderment as his three heads excitedly chased his tail, until the dog spun in a series of never-ending circles. She’d seen many things in her time. But a dog with three heads, that was made from the shadows… well that was certainly new.
“Oh, you’re awake!” A ghost floated into the room in a trail of green perfumed smoke, carrying a mug of steaming coffee and a tray of muffins. “You looked as though you’d had quite the shock. So, I thought a fresh batch of Boo-Berry Muffins might perk you up again in no time.”
“That’s…” Zoe looked at the food hesitantly. But as her stomach growled louder than Cerberus, she took the tray gladly. “Thank you, err…”
“The name’s Misty. Owner and proprietor of the Phantom Brew Saloon, and five times winner of the Phantasmal Flavor Fest.” The ghost broke into a warm smile and plonked herself beside Zoe. “Now eat up, before Cerberus helps himself to your food.”
She took a bite of the muffin, relishing the warmth of the fresh cake, and savored the rich taste of her coffee. It certainly beat the bland-tasting blends she picked up from gas stations on her never-ending work trips. As the rich coffee warmed and awakened her, she turned to the ghost with a smile.
“This is good. Really good.”
“It’s good to see some more color in your cheeks again. You looked as though you’d seen…” Misty glanced at her reflection in the mirror self-consciously, “... well, a ghost.”
“You can say that again. Although you’re not quite what I expected from a ghost.” Zoe’s brows furrowed as she recalled the memories of the evening. “And I certainly hadn’t heard of sombrero-wearing specters before…”
“Oh, so you met the Phantom Fiestadores? Those boys still take my breath away, even after all these years.” The ghost fanned herself as she swooned at the thought of the mariachi band. “I must say, it’s most unusual that you can see us though, sugar. You must have Persephone’s gift.”
“Persephone’s gift?”
“The original Queen of the Underworld herself. The main Underworld, mind you, not to be confused with our little establishment.” The ghost smiled warmly as she sat on the armrest of the sofa. “Every so often, she blesses a chosen few with her gift to communicate with those who have passed. Why, mortals like you are rarer than a snowstorm in a Texan Summer.”
Zoe ran a hand through her hair in bewilderment. She’d spent so many years thinking she was nothing more than a small cog within a giant corporate machine. But now she was special? That seemed more bizarre to her than a world in which ghosts were real. She glanced through the window, and gazed at the neon sign of the motel as it flashed through the darkness.
“So, what exactly is this place?”
“Why, it’s the final stop for lost souls of course. A gathering place for spirits with unfinished business, where they can pass on to the other side. Once, we were the hottest destination in the afterlife!”
“So, this entire place is a home for spirits?”
Zoe shivered as an icy breeze swept through the room. The shadows stirred, until a gravelly voice reverberated from within them.
“Precisely. Which is why you don’t belong here.”
Zoe turned as the dark-haired stranger stepped from the shadows. With a click of his fingers, Cerberus emitted a low whine, and trotted obediently to his master’s side. A cold chill settled over the room, like frost on a wintry day, until Zoe’s breath turned to a cloud of fog. She met the stranger’s gaze, his eyes cold and unyielding.
“You could have told me your car broke down, mortal.”
The man’s voice was icy and authoritative. A voice that was used to issuing commands, and having them obeyed without question. Well, this motel might be his kingdom, but Zoe refused to be treated like one of his subjects.
“Well, I would have been able to tell you, if you hadn’t ordered your friends to scare me to death.”
The man sucked in his breath in surprise, while Misty gulped nervously. Something told Zoe that the King of the Underworld Motel wasn’t used to his subjects answering back. A look of fury flickered within his eyes, before he clicked his fingers once more.
“Spooks! Get here this instant!” A jingle of bells filled the room as the poltergeist stuck his head through a nearby bookcase. “How are you faring with your task?
“No need to fear, my lord! I’ve done exactly as you asked.” Spooks drifted through the wall, holding a wrench in one hand, and a sack of clanking metal contraptions in the other. “Behold, the fleshie mobile!”
Zoe watched in bewilderment as the ghost emptied the contents of the sack onto the floor. Dozens of metal parts clanked and rattled to the ground, followed by a pair of windshield wipers and her exhaust pipe. She turned to Spooks in horror as he flew through the air, clutching a round wheel as he careened across the room.
“Is that my steering wheel?”
“Oh, is that what this is for? I thought it was a trumpet!”
Spooks excitedly honked the steering wheel, cackling with delight as the room filled with the blasts of the car horn. But despite the jester’s joy, a murderous look crossed the raven-haired stranger’s face.
“I asked you to repair the mortal’s car. Not to take it apart!“ The man’s fury burned in his eyes. “Put it back together, this instant!”
“But I’m a poltergeist! My specialty is chaos and destruction, not fixing things…” Spooks flew across the room, sending books flying from their shelves. “Besides, it would take weeks to put the fleshie mobile back together again.”
Zoe shot up from the sofa in horror. “But I don’t have weeks! I have to be in Spring Valley by tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, fleshie.” But a mischievous gleam sparkled in the poltergeist’s eyes as he turned to Zoe. “Unless you’d like to travel by the cobweb catapult? I’ve been dying for a new crash test dummy!”
The raven-haired man turned to Spooks with another furious glare, cutting short the poltergeist’s cackle of delight. He sighed in exasperation, until the shadows brewed beside him like storm clouds.
“So, fixing the mortal’s car is out of the question…” He paced the room, before he turned to Misty. “When is the Spectral Speedway due to race through here?”
“Not for another ninety-three years, four months and twelve days.” Misty turned Zoe hopefully. “At which point they can take you to Spring Valley as quick as a flash!”
Zoe cursed. Something told her that Mr. Gravesend wouldn’t agree to that deadline extension. She glanced at the dark-haired stranger, sensing that he shared her irritation at the unfortunate turn of events, before she checked her phone.
“If I can get some phone signal, then I might be able to find a way to Spring Valley in the morning.” Zoe glanced at the night sky, knowing she could do little until sunrise. “But until then, it seems I’m stuck in this ghost-town.”
The stranger’s eyes narrowed with displeasure. “It would seem so.”
The pair glared at each other, fueled by their mutual irritation. An uncomfortable silence fell over the chamber, while the very building itself seemed to hold its breath as the pair maintained their battle of wills. The air crackled with tension, as Zoe narrowed her eyes, and fixed the stranger with a glare that rivaled his own.
“Well, this is wonderful news! It looks like the fleshie will stay!” Spooks cackled as he swooped between the pair, and honked the car horn once more. “Boys? Start the music!”
At once, the mariachi band burst into the room with a hearty cheer, until the chamber filled with their lively music. Zoe watched in bewilderment as Cerberus began chasing his tail once more, while Spooks accompanied the band with the shrill blasts from her car horn. But despite the scene of merriment, the shadows boiled and brewed as the dark-haired man glowered in fury.
“Fine. The mortal can stay.” The man’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. “Just don’t make the mistake of getting attached. People don’t tend to stay for long in the Underworld.”
“Oh, let’s not ruin the mood, my Lord. It’s been years since we’ve had a guest, and I intend to make the most of every minute.” Misty dusted her hands on her apron, before she fixed Zoe with a reassuring smile. “I’ll get your room fixed for you in no time, sugar. I’m assuming you won’t mind vacating your chambers, sire?”
“You want to put the mortal in my bedroom?“ The dark-haired stranger spluttered in shock. “Absolutely not. We’ve an entire motel of guest bedrooms for her to stay in.”
“You’d have the mortal sleep with the spiders and the cobwebs? Heavens no!” Misty puffed out her impressive cleavage and fixed Shadow with a stern look. “In case you hadn’t noticed, our guest rooms have seen better days. And you’re the only one around here with a sprung mattress and fitted sheets…”
“But it’s my room. It’s my bed. My sheets.”
“But you’re a ghost! You don’t even sleep! No, no, no. You might be the King around here, but I know best when it comes to hospitality.” Misty clapped her hands, as if the matter was decided, and turned to Zoe warmly. “We’ll get you settled in and shown to your new room, sugar. And don’t let Shadow’s mood dampen your spirits.”
Shadow. So that was the dark-haired stranger’s name. Zoe glanced from his obsidian silk shirt that seemed to flutter in an invisible breeze, to his onyx eyes that radiated with an otherworldly power. And from his glowering look, he certainly didn’t seem thrilled at the prospect of sharing his quarters with her.
“I could find somewhere else to sleep, if it’s a problem…”
Shadow’s eyes narrowed. But as Cerberus barked in admonishment, he groaned in defeat.
“Fine. The mortal can stay in my chambers. But you’re not to touch anything, not to interfere with anything. And under no circumstances are you to take anything from this kingdom.” He fixed Zoe with a cold glare, before he clicked his fingers. “Now come, Cerberus.”
Zoe watched as the giant dog trotted obediently beside his master, and the pair retreated into the shadows. But as they began to disappear into the gloom, she drew a breath, and asked the one question that lingered in her mind.
“If this is your kingdom, then who exactly are you?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I run this establishment.” Shadow kept his back to her, while his voice reverberated through the darkness. “I’m the King of the Underworld.”
Zoe’s chest tightened as realization dawned on her.
“Hades?”
A shiver of fear crept down Zoe’s spine. But despite her alarm, the stranger laughed cooly, and shook his head.
“Relax, mortal. I’m not Hades.” Zoe sighed in relief as the stranger turned and held her gaze. “I’m his grandson.”
A flicker of a smile crept across the man’s lips, before he disappeared into the shadows. Zoe gulped as an empty space remained where he had once stood, and ran a hand through her hair in bewilderment. So much for tonight going as planned. She was lost in a ghost town in the middle of nowhere. And she was about to spend the night in the bed of the King of the Underworld.