Princess Of Darkness (Editing)

Fifteen: The World of The Living (Edited)

I cast around, taking in my surroundings, the difference between the Underworld and the Surface already evident. Even the earth felt different, as though the vibrations were heavier than in the Underworld, and i felt heabier, clumsier, lilenit took far more of my strength to simply exist.

Of course, the gateway I had chosen wouldn't have opened out into a lovely grassy park or garden or something equally pleasant. No, I stood at the end of a filthy alley way, the backs of dingy shops sprawled before me.

I had been in the Underworld for a little under two weeks, yet, it was far more fmiliar now that this. The blue sky made no sense to me, the cars speeding past were so loud, the cement walls and footpaths were so temporary.

This world was not mine.

I carefully took note of the landmarks to indicate where I can come from, ensuring I could find my way back to the gateway that lead me to the Underworld, wandering a short distance down the street. Which is where I saw the crow, perched up on the powerlines, the sunlight catching on it's tattered feathers, as though the oily black absorbed the light instead of reflecting it. It glared down at me like a formidable spectre, a bad omen, warning me to turn around and go home where it was safe.

I froze, staring up at it, at first thinking that Lucian had suspected my plan and sent Pitch to keep an eye on me. But, as the crow titled it's head, regarding me with such hatred and distaste, I noticed the ruby glint of it's blood red eye, and I knew it wasn't Pitch, sent to keep me safe. Lucian had no idea where I was, and I felt the deadly claws of fear begining to penetrate my heart, gripping me in it's talons.

I backed away from the bird, watching it warily as it stared, unblinking, and inched my way back towards the gateway I had come from, not daring to turn my back on the large bird.

What if it follows me? I thought worriedly, but, the crow made no move to attack, sitting stock sil and silent. The logical part of my brain took over at last, reminding me not to be stupid, it was just a bird. I was on edge because the Surface was so unfamiliar, and I was just trying to find something sinister to drive me back to the safety of the Underworld.

Which, perhaps wasn't such a bad idea, I decided. Time was rapidly ticking away, I had no idea how long I'd been, and, any second, I was expecting to see Tegan emerge and drag me back with her.

With a guttural caw, the crow opened it's wings and took to the skies, taking it's evil with it on the wind.

Without the crow watching my every move, I hurried back along the street and down the alley way I had come from. Once I'd reached the end, I saw jothing to indicate that there was a gateway, no whisper of magic, no intricately carved mirror, just dirty bricks before me.

Not to be deterred, I placed my palm flat on the wall and reached out with my own magic, relieved to feel the reassuring pool stirring at my core, eager to answer my beckoning.

Just as I'd hoped, no, prayed, it would, the empty wall shimmered, dissapearing altogether as a cloud of steam billowed around me, ushered away on the breeze to dissapear forever. Beyond the opening in the wall, the mist parted, revealing the steamy room with it's little river and waterfall, the ferns and moss growing all around the walls, and, without a moment's hesitation, I stepped through the gateway and back into the Underworld, breaking off the stream of magic I had been feeding the gateway, closing it firmly behind me.

"Where were you?" Tegan cried as I reappeared, the gateway now closed, the Surface out of sight once more. "I was just about to come after you!"

"I wasn't gone that long," I defended, though, honestly, I couldn't say for certain exactly how long it really had been.

"You were gone long enough," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I was starting to think you'd done a runner on me. How would I explain that to the Master?"