Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,86

that echoed in our chests filled the darkness. She squawked and backed away.

The doors split and red light filtered through the crack between them as they pulled inward, stone grinding on stone. It wasn't a pleasant sound. The teeth in the back of my mouth started to ache in sympathy.

"Little WD-40 would clear that right up," Jimmy said, mesmerized as he watched them slowly grind open.

I finally had the courage to let go of the map. Uncharacteristically, the tattoos didn't dim when I pulled my hand away, either. At least the gate would remain open without me running around keeping one hand on Shea. As fun as that sounded, there was a time and place for everything.

"Let's go," I said with more determination than I felt and stepped through the gate and into hell.

The landscape was barren of everything except dust. Red rocks littered red sand beneath a red sky. Rivers, that had been apparent on the map, were trails of liquid fire leading northward.

"Which way do we go?" Jimmy scanned the horizon.

"Follow the river," I answered him.

"Which one?"

"Any of them. They all lead to where we're going."

"You're the navigator." He tested the trail with a foot with a shrug. "Seems safe enough. Just red dirt."

"Did anybody bring any water?" Mother passed me and followed Jimmy. It was going to be a long walk.

∞ ∞ ∞

It turned out to be longer than I'd imagined. We ended up camping for the night, even though the sky never changed from its brilliant red hue. We were exhausted from walking, and for the first time in my life, I agreed with my mother. We should have brought some water.

"Maybe we can shadow walk," I suggested after we were rested.

"I would think not." Shea looked around and dusted off his overcoat. Thankfully, the fiery realm was fiery only in appearance. The temperature was quite chilly actually. I didn't, however, wish to dip my hand in the burning fire of the river.

"Why? You don't think the shadow realm extends to Tartarus?"

"Look around, Lady. Do you see any shadows?"

I spun in a circle, looking for the shadow of myself that should have been there under the bright sky, but there was nothing. I wasn't half as creeped out being there as I was at that moment.

"Never mind. Good call." Another thought quickly nagged at my brain. "Fidget?" I called his name softly and looked at the sleeve of my sweater. A full minute passed before I accepted that he wasn't there. "Shit. I hope he's okay."

"I am sure he is. He was probably left in the mortal realm when we passed through."

"Are your tattoos still lit?"

He pulled his collar away from his flesh and I sighed in relief when it looked like he was hiding a blacklight under his shirt. "Yes."

"Good. If you notice them dimming, let me know."

"Why?"

"Because they're our ticket home, I think. Best to keep the lines of communication open."

"Wise."

We set out and continued our trek over the sloping hills. Two hours later, and the fiery mountain was finally visible in the distance.

"I feel like a hobbit," Jimmy murmured. "Nobody said Mordor was in Tartarus. Who has the ring?"

Dennis chuckled beside him.

"You doing okay?" Chief bumped my shoulder with his.

"Yep. How you doin'?"

"Thirsty as hell."

"I don't see how there can't be any water anywhere. How could anything survive here?"

"Look around. Do you see anything surviving?"

He had a good point. "Anybody have a bag or something waterproof?" I looked at the rest of the group.

"I have a pair of rubber gloves?" Dennis stepped closer and pulled a pair out of his jean's pocket. Leave it to the paramedic.

"You kinky fucking bastard." Jimmy slapped him on the back.

"I'd just left work. Bite me."

I stopped reaching for them. "They're not…used, are they?"

"No. I usually keep a pair in my pocket just in case."

"Well, you're the new boy scout. Sorry, Chief. You're fired."

"I can live with that."

I opened one of the gloves and stuck my finger inside, whispering, "Uisce," and praying that my spell would work. Slowly the glove filled with water and started expanding. "Okay, everybody drink some," I said and passed it around.

My mother took it first and punctured a hole in the middle finger with her nail before drinking some. "Ugh, it tastes like rubber."

"I don't know whether to make an 'udderly disgusting' joke or an 'I'm sure that's not the first time you've had that taste in your mouth' joke first." Nana cackled.

"Well, I'll be sure to make an 'I'm surprised you can't