Discord walked faster and faster, and I scurried like a baby pig running from the slaughterhouse. That simply would not do.
“Hold on. This dress is impossible.” I stopped beneath a gnarled, leafless tree and leaned a hand against it to steady myself as I reached into my boot and retrieved the steak knife I’d swiped from Lucifer’s table. Jabbing the blade into the fabric at mid-thigh, I sawed and ripped until my dress went from maxi to mini. It wasn’t pretty, but at least I could take a normal step now.
Discord furrowed his brow as I returned the knife to my boot and dropped the dress scraps near the trunk. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or appalled that you had the nerve to steal from Lucifer.”
“You’ll have time to clutch your pearls when we find Hecate.” I jogged to catch up. No more scurrying for this bad bitch. “We need a place to hide and a plan. Weapons would be good too. Where’s the bag you took from me?”
He glanced sideways at me and kept walking. “It’s hidden.”
“Good. Take me there. I can put on some sensible clothes and arm myself. Then we can discuss how to save ourselves from this predicament.”
He stopped abruptly. “You are the reason we’re in this predicament. You’re in no position to bark orders.”
I put a hand on my hip. “And you are?”
He grunted, fisting his hands and continuing his trek. “This is my realm. I’m familiar with the landscape and the laws. Are you?”
I ground my teeth, racking my brain for an argument. “Okay, that’s a fair point. But I would feel more comfortable if I had my weapons, some pants, and my grimoire. Will you please take me to where you hid my stuff?”
“Where else did you think we were going?”
“I don’t know because you don’t tell me anything.” I glared at him, he glared back at me, and we both continued on in silence, crossing a footbridge over the palace moat and venturing into a forest of thorny trees.
Skeletal trunks curved like crooked spines, their branches stretching upward and outward at broken angles like arms before thinning into long, bony fingers that reached for each other yearningly across the canopy.
The deeper we ventured into the woods, the weightier all my burdens became. The arbor thickened, the leafless branches growing denser above us until the shards of dappled orange light dancing across the ground extinguished and the atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.
My chest tightened, my throat thickening as pressure built in the backs of my eyes. I choked on a sob, trying to stop the tears from falling, but the sense of hopeless anguish came on too quickly for me to fight it off.
What had my life come to? Seriously, look at me. There I was in Hell, traipsing through the Swamp of Sadness with The Demon Formally Known as Prince and playing a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek with the local hunters who wanted my skull so they could become second in command to the devil himself.
What. The. Actual. Eff?
Another sob rolled up from my throat. I covered my mouth, but I couldn’t stop it. My chest heaved, and I gave in to the sorrow, allowing it to wash over me, to drag me under. I couldn’t walk. Couldn’t move. Nothingness consumed me. I’d gotten myself into the pickle of all pickles, and there was nothing left for me to do but drown in the brine.
Discord growled beside me, as if the sound could ward off the overwhelming despair. “The forest is affecting you.”
“It’s okay. You go find Hecate. I’ll just lie down right here.” I bent, reaching for the ground.
“Do that, and Lucifer will turn your skull into a goblet.” He clutched my hand. “We have to keep moving.”
I tried to tug from his grasp, but he held me tighter, pulling me to his chest. It wasn’t a hug. He was a demon for Hecate’s sake, so I knew he was only holding me to keep me from falling to the ground, but he was warm and firm, and the embrace turned my waterworks up to full power. “Why…delay the…inevitable?” I asked between sobs.
“I have no intention of going down without a fight, and I know you don’t either.” He scooped me into his arms and carried me. “This forest was grown from the bones of desperate souls, those willing to pay any price to end their suffering or that of a loved one.”
“How awful.” I sobbed even harder and buried my face in his shoulder. “Why would anyone want to grow a forest out of that?”
“For exactly this reason.” He adjusted his grip to lift me over a fallen log. “Anyone attempting to approach the palace from the north would have to pass through the Forest of Suffering Souls. As you’ve learned, it’s virtually impenetrable. Most who’ve attempted it have lain down and died.”
I lifted my head to see his face. Not a single tear wet his cheek. “Why can you get through it?”
“I’m one of the most powerful demons in the realm, and until today, I was Lucifer’s faithful servant. My fealty, combined with my magic, granted me immunity.”
“Oh.” I cast my gaze to the rocky ground and hiccup-sobbed at the sight of skeletons strewn about. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pressed my face against his shoulder and cried even more.
“Those who perished here planned to infiltrate the palace. To usurp Lucifer and steal his throne.” He turned away from the carnage. “But that was a long, long time ago.”
This forest had to be the most goddess-awful place I had ever been. As Discord carried me through it, stepping over logs and roots and who knew how many scattered bones, I honestly didn’t care if we ever made it out. Everything seemed pointless. Hopeless. Futile beyond measure.
