Hunter: Eclipse

Chapter 16

There are many things I could have done, waking up in a world of bright white light. Cry. Begged. Find the door to the other side and go through. Screamed. Get super pissed off about that stupid, irritating fae bitch getting the better of me, again.

Instead, I just sat and waited.

Who would come this time? Alistair, Reece - maybe some other long lost relative, the ultimate god of the gods, my grandparents, the other friends and people that I've lost.Maybe, just someone?

I never had to wait this long before.

"You are one of us now, child. It will take more than a mere cut to end your life." A woman softly said, a hand on my shoulder. "This is not your end."

I look up into one of the most beautiful faces I had ever seen. Her eyes were a deep brown and kind, her nose the right size and shape; her lips were full and pouty in that way you wish you could achieve in your selfies without the overdose of botox. I wanted to stare at her for as long as I could.

"Rise child, you are safe here." Her hand slid off my shoulder and was offered in front of me. Taking it, I felt completely calm, and as I stood before her, I decided she had to be an angel, like a real heavenly one. "Welcome."

"To where, exactly?"

"The Underworld." She smiled revealing a perfect set of teeth.

"And you are?" I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral. She bowed slightly, yet the look on her face told me I should know the answer. I did, I just didn't want this peaceful moment to end. "Hecate."

"Indeed. It is a pleasure to meet you, Elise Bunting."

"You know who I am?"

"Hard not to know the way word travels around this place." She shrugged. "Hades and his minions do not realise I can hear them from below. It's been quite a journey for you hasn't it."

The white fades away, and we're suddenly sitting in a small living room of a cabin. Trees fill pots around the window, drop down from shelves beside jars of herbs, sand, and tiny creatures. I see one full of moving mice and try not to stare for too long. In all, it's kind of cozy, if not a little damp and rundown. More plants sit in pots along the wall, on cupboards, everywhere. It's a bit, odd, but who am I to judge right now.

"So, this is hell?" I ask, trying not to further judge her decorating style as well as the ripped sofa and stained cushions.

"This is the Underworld."

"The difference?"

"No noisy, tortured neighbours keeping you up all night, or views of the centre of the earth. Better climate too." She smiled, setting down a tea set on the table, before motioning for me to take a seat.

As she passed each plant, they all seemed to follow her, reaching out leaves like limbs desperate to touch. I don't blame them, there was something magnetic about her energy as well as her beauty; a dangerous combination.

"Ah, right." I sit on a creaky wooden chair and watch her pour.

"I was raised in a house like this. It makes me feel calm," She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. "I feel your confusion, I can imagine how this must be for you."

"Well, you're kind of nice for a dead deity that I apparently just got myself sacrificed for. It's going to suck with whatever is next. Are we going to fight for the right to go back to my body or something?"

"Thank you." She sipped her tea, and for how strange this all was, I wasn't going to be touching anything she offered to me. "And that won't be necessary. I have no desire to return."