Of Fire And Shadow [completed]

Chapter 11

Lydia awoke in a cold, dark room, with her hands tied behind her back and a gag over her mouth to prevent her from screaming again. Tears began to stream down her face, leaving wet streaks trailing down her dust-covered cheeks. She struggled against her bonds, hoping one might come loose, but they only caused more pain as her wrists became sore.

She looked around her prison as best she could, but didn't see much more than the chair she was tied to and a dark wooden door with a small window in it, blocking her only exit. Her breathing became labored and she began to shake as she fought back panic, but eventually she calmed upon remembering her new strengthened connection to her other half. To Parrish.

She closed her eyes and did her best to extend her senses, calling out to him with her mind. She had no idea if it would work, but she had to hold out hope that he would come for her. That he would find her, and save her.

***

"There is no way for me to determine exactly where she is," Thanatos said, "but they said they were taking her to the shadow king."

"And where is he?" Stiles asked, slightly impatient.

"The grey area between life and death," Thanatos said.

"Like Bardo?" Scott asked, glancing over at Stiles. They'd had their fair share of unpleasant experiences with that and weren't eager to repeat them.

Thanatos nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "Yes and no. It is 'between worlds,' if you will, and a place only few can find and fewer can enter."

He looked to Parrish, who was staring down at his hands, deep in thought. He would do all he could to find Lydia and bring her home safe, no matter how many shadows he needed to fight. He needed her and she needed him.

When he closed his eyes for a minute, it was almost as though he could feel her presence. He knew she was out there, somewhere dark and cold, waiting for him to come find her. Almost as if she was calling him. He wanted to rush to her, to save her and bring her home, but he wasn't exactly sure how.

Parrish looked up when he felt everyone's eyes on him. "What?" he asked, thinking he missed something.

"You are the key to entering the place in which the banshee is being held," Thanatos said, "for unfortunately I am still too weak to be of much assistance."

"Just tell me what to do," Parrish said with obvious determination. He was ready to do whatever it took to get her back.

"Wait, wait," Stiles interjected. He gestured to Scott and himself. "What about us?"

"Yeah, she's our friend and it was our fault she was taken," Scott said. "We want to help."

Parrish looked at them, glad they were willing to do all they could to help. Lydia meant a lot to all of them; she was an integral part of their lives, and none of them knew what they would do if they couldn't get her back.

Thanatos looked at them thoughtfully. "I've never heard of it being done successfully, but hypothetically if the connection were strong enough, the hellhound could help you gain access and therefore get to her," he said. "But there would be great risk involved."

"There's always risks," Scott said. "And we are willing to take on those risks in order to find our friend."

"Well then," Thanatos said, noting that they weren't going to take no for an answer. "I won't be of much help while you're there, but this will show you to the entrance at least."

He held out his hand and in it was a small orange butterfly, just like the one Lydia had described when explaining how she brought Parrish back. The butterfly fluttered when Thanatos opened his fist, and rose slowly into the air. Flying past their faces, it went right out the window, disappearing into the black night.

Parrish got up and then looked back at Thanatos. "Thank you."

Thanatos nodded. "Be cautious. There is no telling what or who you may encounter, and you will need to be strong as well as in control. Remember your connection."

Parrish nodded and then gestured to Scott and Stiles to follow him. They walked out of the apartment building and then stopped short. They'd lost the butterfly already.

"Well, what now?" Stiles asked.

Glancing around, Parrish noticed a faint orange trail shimmering through the air. It zigzagged this way and that, and Parrish knew the butterfly had left it.

"I'll drive," he told Scott and Stiles, heading for his cruiser.

The boys looked at each other strangely, unable to see what he saw. "Umm, how do you know where to go?" Scott asked hesitantly.

Parrish shrugged. "I can feel it."

***

Lydia's eyes snapped open when she heard the faint murmur of voices from the other side of her cell door.

"You really think the hellhound will come for her, Your Majesty?"

Lydia tensed. They weren't just after her. They still wanted Parrish, and were using her as bait. She strained her ears to hear the rest of the conversation.

"Of course he will. They are, as humans would say, soulmates. Their connection prevents them from living apart."

"And what if the hellhound reaches her?"

"He will not get that far. Our trap will keep him occupied, as well as keep them separate so they cannot combine their powers to use against us."

A pair of keys jingled and the lock on the cell door clicked before the door swung open to reveal two dark shadow figures, one with a large obsidian crown on his head.

Lydia glared up at them, determined not to show any fear and give them the satisfaction of knowing how terrified she truly was.

The crowned shadow stepped forward, leaning down so as to be level with Lydia before giving her a sinister smirk.

"Hello Banshee. Not so powerful now, are you?"

Lydia didn't say anything, mostly because her mouth was still gagged. The king seemed amused that she couldn't answer, and continued to speak.

"Now, what makes you so special?" he asked. "What makes you the one who can rival me, the shadow king?"

Lydia continued to glare.

"No, you're nothing but a pathetic little girl, waiting for her savior to come rescue her. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're never getting out of here. When Cerberus comes to get you, he will meet his own doom, far from you, and then I will kill you too."

Lydia's heart was hammering wildly in her chest, but there was nothing she could do right now. The shadow king backed out the door, still smirking slightly, with his bodyguard following behind him. The door closed with a loud bang, the lock clicked into place, and the footsteps retreated down the hall.

Once she could no longer hear the footsteps, Lydia finally let the tears fall. She hung her head low in defeat, not knowing what to do. Parrish would come for her, she knew that much, but it would just lead to his death, and hers.

She stayed like that, thinking for a while, then shook her head and raised it, tears stopping for the moment. As her head cleared, she knew what she had to do, though she had no idea how.

Her only hope was to escape herself.