Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(51)
Finally, I reached the last nightgown and discovered it was actually a handkerchief. The laughter and tears that followed were erratic, but the irony of finding exactly what I was comparing the lingerie to was hilarious. I brushed the evidence of humor away from my eyes and lifted the black silk hankie. It revealed a large, jeweled vial.
Kali's voice took on a husky tone, as she raised her eyebrow. "Surprised that I didn't just get you lingerie?"
She plucked the vial from the box and turned it full circle to reveal the intimate touches of sapphires, diamonds, and painted glass. The silver filigree caught my breath with its perfection.
She took the cap of it and handed it to me. "Smell it."
Dumbfounded, I stared at her. "It's perfume made from plant extracts and a few ... secret ingredients."
Her secretive grin shook me from my reverie. Lifting the vial to my nose, I took a cautious sniff. It was intoxicating. The scent was pure ecstasy, with hints of devotion, nostalgia, and hints of carefree daydreams. It wasn't the embodiment of floral scents, but the liveliness of unadulterated emotion.
Kali placed the cap back on. "Just be careful when you use it. Men go crazy for it."
I nodded absently. I was still immersed in the aroma. "Huh?"
"Think of it as a love potion. It draws men to you, and when you're wearing it you can pretty much get your way with everything.”
My visit with Kali was short but sweet. She didn't want me to be late to my initiation and rushed through the proceedings. She told me that her Hellhound name was Vixen and ushered me along until we stood in the library beside the common room.
Confused, I searched the room for other occupants, but found none. "Aren't we supposed to meet the others?"
Kali bit her lip, examining the books on the far wall. "We are." Grasping a leather-bound tome with gold etchings along its spine, she tilted it towards us.
When the book was triggered, I could hear corroded mechanisms churning on the other side of the wall. I cringed when it sputtered, died down, and began again. Obviously, it was rarely used and beginning to short circuit.
Kali pulled aside a plum-colored runner, revealing a section of the floor that was receding. Through the opening, I could make out a circular staircase wrapped around a pillar. I wasn't sure I wanted to discover where it led, especially with shadows consuming all corners.
"Please tell me that you don't expect me to go down there?" I pleaded.
Kali shook her head with amusement and peered into the depths. A draft gave life to her dress; its skirt coiled about her legs, hugging them as a small child would when frightened.
"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks, and I’ll protect you if you're afraid of the dark." She looked up, smirking at me, and grabbed two lanterns from an end table. I wondered why I hadn't noticed them before, but quickly abolished that thought. I had more important things to concern myself with.
Kali disappeared down the staircase with only her lantern for a guide. I grabbed mine from the floor beside the opening and steeled myself. Part of me wanted to run to my domain and go through the threshold to find sanctuary in my friends. However, I knew it would be childish, and I would be breaking my deal with Death.
The staircase seemed sturdy despite its decrepit appearance. Grasping the railing with all my strength, I followed Kali to the underworld. It was a slow descent, but I reached the bottom to find her waiting for me.
"You okay?" she asked with a concerned tilt to her eyebrows.
"Yeah, just please tell me there aren't more stairs."
Kali held her lantern away from the staircase towards an incredible corridor. Muted lights hung from a cathedral ceiling, while the floor and walls curved as one, like the ribs of a large whale. When I drew closer, I was pleased to find that they were made of wood that swept across the floor. Though the architecture was visionary, it wasn't practical with the jutting logs making our steps precarious.
Kali walked ahead through the whale-bone corridor and turned right. This section was less deadly with flat floors and plastered walls with carvings on them. The bookworm in me wanted to examine the art and learn its story, but responsible Willow could never be late.
At the end were two enormous doors out of the dark ages. They belonged in the castle from Frankenstein or a museum. Any place would have been better than here, giving me the willies and making me reconsider our entire endeavor.
The handles were statuesque heads protruding with eternal screams engraved across their faces. The door was solid iron, embellished with carvings of souls frozen in terror, trying to claw their way out. I stood back, waiting for Kali to take the initiative.
Once the doors had been eradicated from my path, we saw what Kali called the temple. The horror of it would be imprinted on my mind for the rest of my life, which, now that I was a Hellhound, would be endless.
I walked through the threshold into a room that could only be called a temple. It was in the shape of a polygon; the only exit was the doors behind me. The room would have been pitch black if not for the circle of lit candles on the cement floor.
Death stood at the head of the circle, Echo at his right hand, and Scrye at his left. Whisper was on the other side of Scrye; Vixen had taken her spot next to Echo, and Poison stood opposite Death. It felt strange to think of them in their Hellhound names. I had grown too used to their human ones, Echo as Aria, Scrye at Calla, Whisper as Bay, Vixen as Kali, and Poison as Ivy.