Chapters:

Prologue

Prologue

Red, acrid sand stretched out for miles in all directions, leading to a long, low range of reddish hills in the distance. The plants had a red-black tone, with black leaves and thorns. The sun above gave off a bright red glare. Everything, everywhere, was bathed in carmine.

Damon and Arianna Hunt rested beneath the fronds of a tall stand of plants, perspiring in the heat. Arianna had already stripped out of her leather tunic and skirt, wearing a white undergown that seemed pink in the light. Damon maintained use of his black armor with a dull, red stone pulsing on the front panel.

"I always wondered what the Netherworld was like," he mused, wishing bitter thoughts on Anabeth Caerhart and her mad plan to Bind his magic powers. The plan that had worked. Not only had she Bound his powers but banished him to the Netherworld! He would never take her for granted again. And there would be an again, he was sure of it.

"Well, forgive me for being petty, but you can wonder about this godforsaken place all you like. How in the Three Realms do we leave?" Arianna’s temper was rising swiftly with the heat.

"My guess? Magic," replied Damon.

"Well neither of us have any of that now, do we," she said, petulantly. "We’re both stuck here like a bunch of nobodies!"

Damon raised a hand to his eyes and stared off into the distance. Even if Arianna wasn’t thinking, he certainly was. The Netherworld was home to all manner of demons, beasts and devils that would happily take a man’s soul, or a woman’s, if the bargain were right. He knew it was foolish to think they would last out here without protection but neither of the elementals that deposited them had been inclined to stay or help. Granted, neither Damon nor Arianna were of their affinity of Fire anyway. "Blasted girl," was all Damon said.

"Her? I cannot believe you’re thinking about her," whined Arianna, pushing blonde strands of hair back and away from her face constantly. The fetid breezes sweeping through blew about her wispy, blonde locks. "We’re stuck in this bleeding hell realm and all you can think about is... her."

"Oh do shut up, Ari," he said with a scowl, not sparing her even a glance. "We’re stuck here but I swear to it I will leave you, Consort bond or not."

He heard her splutter behind him, but the words never materialized. She quieted and waited for him to say something. When he turned, she glared daggers at him with her hands crossed over her chest.

"There are plenty of things that live in this realm we do not want to run into. If you do not follow my lead, I will find the nearest sulfur pit and throw you in, so help me. What we need is a cave and those mountains in the distance are about the best we can expect right now. Neither of us has magic but we’re both in decent shape. We can make it, hopefully before nightfall. I’m going to need you to be pliant and agreeable. Can you manage that?"

She stared at the dull stone glowing red on the chest plate of his body armor and nodded.

"Very well then. Gather as many leaves as you can from these plants so we can make you some shoes, then put your blasted clothes back on before you burn to death. Better to sweat, right now, while you’re getting accustomed to the air here. And Arianna?"

She looked him in the eyes, now, her own smoldering with hatred.

"Lock it down tight. You got us into this mess in the first place and it’s my turn to get us out. Don’t mistake me being driven for not caring. You are my universe, but I don’t know when we’ll ever have time for that again."

"Yes, my lord," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He sighed, turning back to the horizon where the hills were. If they were extremely lucky, they wouldn’t encounter any of the Netherworld’s larger denizens. They would need to eat, however, so he hoped for something small like a rotobat or a loupcat. Either way, it was going to be a long, arduous trip and with Arianna’s constant pouting, it was looking to be a dismal one as well. "My lady," he turned, "I have failed you and I am sorry." He paused, seeing her eyes widen just slightly, then continued. "I will get us out of this, mark my words. This is nothing that cannot be undone," he finished, quoting her own words back at her from that long-ago day in the Council’s Judgment Hall when they had first been banished to the Overworld.

"See to it and you shall be rewarded with riches untold, Consort mine. You are not my enemy, nor will you ever be," she spoke, breathing heavily as she gathered the leaves, "But our collective enemies will know our wrath and we will strike at them from all sides." She threw the leaves down in a pile with a loud huff.

"Good that we’re on the same page, at least," he said, attempting a smile and failing. His heart wasn’t in it. Rage was the key to success. Better to stick with that.

Next Chapter: Chapter 1