NIVIAN
NIVIAN SANK LIKE a stone being devoured by the river. She kicked, her legs and arms flailed about as she tried to push her way back up to the surface and break free of the weeds, but the more she moved, the more tangled she became. The cold moved in, numbing her body until it refused to obey her commands any longer.
Her lungs burned and she realized she had to draw breath soon… or die. A terrifying and familiar feeling swarmed through her. Nivian’s arms weakened as she continued to fight the pull of the current. Her hands gripped uselessly at the water. The light above faded as black spots danced before her eyes.
Her body started to give out, and she looked around for something, anything, to help fight a way up, but all that surrounded her was an endless darkness that continued to drag her down, down, down into its murky depths.
The sky above darkened and spots of light glittered, smiling down on her, not realizing she was minutes, even seconds away from failing.
Nivian stilled and her descent did as well.
She had been here before.
Stars flickered between the waves of water dancing before her eyes.
She could stay. She could stay here for however long the river wanted her, even through the burning in her lungs as she fought to not breathe.
The soft murmur of water moving was the only thing she could hear, the melodic sound lulled her as her strength continued to siphon away. The warm, orange glow faded to a dark, muted gray, growing darker and darker.
Her eyelids slid closed, heavy with the weight of exhaustion.
It’s exactly the same, she thought.
A single bubble escaped from her lips.
Then another.
And another.
A flurry of them as all the air left her lugs to block out the stars. Nivian let her eyes close, welcoming the darkness that gobbled up the night. All she had to do was wait. Wait for the hand to once again pull her out, to summon her to… She didn’t know. But it would come. He would come for her.
“Nivian…” a voice called to her from inside her mind, clear as if the two of them stood on land, only inches apart. A voice so familiar and yet, she couldn't place it.
Prying open her eyes, she saw a hand form through the shadows of murky water, reaching for her. Caspian. No… not Caspian. Kain?
Her awareness snapped back with startling force. The light above weren’t the stars in the night sky at all.
The Underworld.
The river Acheron would drag her to a half life of waiting. A half life that would doom the human realm and the Reaper realm alike.
Everything would be destroyed.
Nivian reached down and started pulling at the green, rope like plant that held her legs. She pried at the spiky leaves that clawed at her through her clothes as she inched her way out of their grasp.
A hand seized her upper arm. Nivian’s gaze shot up to meet the eyes of a shriveled thing, a skeleton with barely even enough skin to cover its elongated bones.
She stretched her legs apart, snapping the last of the restraints. She pulled and kicked her way toward the top, dragging the corpse beast with her.
She was so close, but her strength was giving out. Nivian stretched out her hand, searching for a salvation that did not exist.
Hallucinations appeared before her eyes. The shadow of a man, arm outstretched toward her. Even knowing it wasn’t real; she kicked one last time and reached for his hand.
Fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled. She soared upward, weightless.
Water poured off her as she found herself being lifted and pressed against a hard, male body. She tried to sit up but could only turn her head away as she coughed up the water in her lungs.
She glanced at her savior, waist deep in the water, then slowly up the sun darkened skin and into the ruby eyes of Prometheus.
“You make quite the spectacle trying to drown in shallow water,” he said, giving her a wide grin.
Nivian narrowed her eyes, not in the least bit amused at what she just experienced. She’d almost lost her second existence in the exact way she’d lost her first life.
“You know that’s not what happened,” she rasped.
He chuckled then sloshed to the shore. “I know.”
Prometheus sat her on the shore where she gave herself a brief moment just to lie in the dirt and regain her energy. He towered above her and waited patiently.
Weakened more than she’d like to admit, Nivian sat up and looked around. Ahead on the opposite shore, another river waited. She spun to look behind her to see only a large expanse of land stretch out and the City of the Dead in the far distance.
Her vision wavered with panic.
She would have to risk the river again. There was a chance she wouldn’t make it this time, she almost hadn’t made it at all.
Nivian jumped to her feet and closed the distance between her and Prometheus. She poked a finger into his chest, still covered in the fiery gold armor. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” she spat. “Now I have to cross the river again! All that time, wasted. And what if I don’t make it this time?” Nivian began to pace back and forth, tugging at her hair.
“You almost didn’t make it the first time,” he muttered under his breath, not in the least bit intimidated by her. He had his arms crossed, holding himself with a relaxed posture.
“Why would you do that?”
“I can put you back if you like.”
Nivian whirled on him. “You know that’s not what I meant. If you had to drag me to shore, couldn’t you at least put me on the right side of the river.”
By the time she finished ranting at him, she was panting, her fists clenched so tight her nails stung her palms as they dug into her skin.
Prometheus waited a beat then asked, “Are you quite finished now?”
“I—” she started, cut off when he held up a hand. Sparks danced in his molten eyes, telling her not to push her luck. He’d allowed her to lay into him once, out of shock or his own amusement, she didn’t know which.
“Do not worry about that.”
“Why not?” she asked suspiciously.
“Because, I’m here to help you.”
Nivian frowned. “Why would you help me?”
He didn’t respond.
“You’re betraying Hades, why?” she asked.
“No.” His eyes darkened into two burning coals. “Hades didn’t ask for your soul because he actually wanted it. He is bound to the rules of this realm as you are to yours. He is unable to help you through, even if he wished it otherwise. However, I am not of this realm, and therefore am not bound to the rules of this place.”
“But why help me?”
“Would you prefer I didn’t?” Prometheus raised his brows questioningly.
“No, it’s not that…” She rubbed her forehead. “I just don’t understand.”
“You were right when you mentioned the influx and eventual ceasing of souls into this realm. While the Underworld would not be affected, all others would, and I did not give humans fire and allow myself to be tortured every day for eternity just to sit back and watch them be destroyed.”
Nivian looked past him again and wrapped an arm around her middle, then gestured toward the river with her other. “What am I supposed to do now that you pulled me out? I still need to get to the other side and pass the other four.”
“The rivers are an impossible path for you.”
Nivian’s heart sank. Hades had tricked her. He’d allowed her through knowing he would end up with her soul no matter what. So how did Prometheus think he could help her?
“You are not yet among the dead, but if you continue on this path with as mortal as you are, then you will be soon enough.”
“Hades is cruel,” she growled under her breath and began pacing again.
Prometheus’s expression darkened and he took two long strides toward her so she was forced to tilt her head back uncomfortably to meet his gaze. “It is his duty to collect souls. He is bound to do so, no matter what he wishes. It is not his fault that you came so unprepared.”
Whether he was right or not, it didn’t change the fact that she was doomed.
She opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and snapped it shut.
Caspian was right, she thought. It is impossible.
She thought she’d been prepared, but in her anxiousness to find the entrance and bring Kain back, she hadn’t asked enough questions or demanded enough answers. Even if she had asked questions, the Moirai only spoke vaguely and only gave her enough information to guess.
Somewhere in the distance, a volcano erupted, sending a shower of sparks into the sky that looked like shooting stars.
The hidden lines of text and clues in the books were scarce, barely telling her anything.
No, being prepared was not something she could have been. Maybe if there was unlimited time and centuries for her to research and study and search. But it didn’t matter anymore. It was too late for her to start over.
Nivian stopped pacing and glanced at him over her shoulder. “So, what do I do now?” she asked softly. She held her hands palm up, then let them drop. Frustration getting the better of her.
“You must cross the valley of shadows, it will take you past the first four rivers.”
“Four? But what of the last one?”
“The river Lethe merges with the lake. If your Kain crosses into Elysium, then all will be for naught, and not even Hades himself could bring him back if he tore the Underworld apart with his own bare hands.”
Nivian swallowed hard. “Wha—” her voice caught and she coughed to clear her throat. “What happens if he does?”
“His soul will be forever cleansed and shapeless and everything that this Hunter ever was, will cease to be.”
“No!” Nivian cried. She looked at her hands, not realizing she’d grabbed him as he pried them off the chain wrapped around his chest.
“Come,” he said. “I will take you to the edge of the valley.”
Prometheus placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
The sound cleaved the air and Nivian clapped her palms over her ears, giving him a sidelong glance when she lowered her hands.
She waited for him to transport her, but he only stared off into the distant sky. After several minutes, a dark shape soared across the atmosphere. A loud screech echoed all around her as a giant eagle burst through a cloudbank and landed with a deep whomp that shook the ground.
Prometheus stepped up to the bird and stroked its massive beak and neck before mounting in a graceful leap. He reached down and held out his hand to her.
Nivian eyed the bird as it watched her every movement. She didn’t blame it for the untrusting look in it its eye, after all, she didn’t trust it much either. Nivian moved slowly, not wanting to spook the bird, then took his hand without hesitation.
He pulled her aboard the bird’s back. “You might want to hold on,” he said. He gave a sharp whistle and before she could process his words, the eagle took off with several powerful thrusts of its massive wings.
Nivian gripped the feathers under her to avoid falling off, eliciting an unpleasant screech from the bird.
“Hold on to me,” Prometheus said.
Once Nivian managed to find her bearings, she moved her hands to his waist and held tightly.
The land below stretched out as far as she could see. The City of the Dead looked immense even from such a high up vantage point. Nivian watched the buildings glint as they flew along the outskirts, only taking her eyes off of it when the bird veered right.
The five wide rivers came into view, spiraling around the rest of the land. There were a dozen mountain ranges, each more vicious than the last. Tall, jagged peaks reached upward as if they were trying the shred the sky.
Nivian’s fingers tightened around Prometheus’s chains. They passed over range after range. Her heart sank as she watched the terrain transform into something more terrifying than she could have imagined.
Without warning, the eagle dove, making her stomach jump to her throat. Nivian squeezed her eyes shut. The bird landed hard, making her body jolt and teeth crack together. She didn’t waste time letting go and jumping off the beast.
That was not a ride she wanted to take again any time soon if she could help it.
Prometheus remained on his mount and looked down at her, then out to the valley she would have to traverse. She followed his gaze and sucked in a breath.
As a Reaper, she wouldn’t have worried about the journey. But after nearly drowning in the Acheron, her mortality was all too apparent.
Rivers of lava ran rampant, keeping her path anything but straight forward. The streams of molten rock sputtered and popped as they flowed down the sides of mountains and transformed into waterfalls of fire down the many fissures breaking up the valley, leading to… only Gaia knew where.
“Head straight through the valley.” Prometheus pointed to a dark area on the far side. “Once you set foot in the river Lethe, the memories you bargained away will be forfeit even if you turn back.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“It is my pleasure, little Reaper.” He smiled down, then looked out upon the valley once more. “There will be no happy end this way,” he warned with midnight in his voice.
“I have to try. If I give up now—if I don’t at least try—then there really will be no chance for a happy end.” She lifted her chin a fraction of an inch. “No matter how this turns out, at least then I’ll know I did everything in my power.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at one corner of his lips, but it faded quickly, replaced with a look of concern. “Surely there is another way to save the balance?”
She could almost taste the doubt in his words. Nivian bit down on the inside of her cheek. Not a single ounce of her wasn’t absolutely terrified at crossing the field of fire. There was no other way now besides going forward, and letting the fear get to her would only make it harder, if not impossible.
“Even if there were…” Nivian squared her shoulders. “I would still risk it.” She nodded, her words more for her than for the fire god. “For Kain… I would risk it.”
“What is it about that Hunter that you’d risk everything?” His hand stroked the bird’s feathered neck. A gesture he didn’t seem to realize he was doing.
“I love him. He’s worth everything and he would do the same for me.”
The bird squawked and danced in place, impatient with their talk. “Are you not enemies?” Prometheus asked, honest curiosity in his eyes.
“No, not any more.” Nivian smiled broadly at the fact that the man who held her heart was so much more than ordinary. “He changed that.”
“Then go and save your Hunter.” With that, the bird spread its massive wings and pushed off the ground, taking to the sky.
The second he was out of sight, Nivian walked down a burned path leading to the heart of the long, narrow valley. Though it was more of a maze of erupting peaks and trenches tied together by streams of lava than an actual valley. The scent of sulfur hung thick on the air.
Nivian skirted around the first chasm, avoiding molten rivers that were more like streams. The farther in she moved, the wider and more violent they became.
She flinched, ducking to cover her head with her arms as bright clouds of lava sprayed from the peaks like clockwork.
The weight of eyes pressing down on her became noticeable after a while. She felt like she was being watched. But not by any god or spirit. It was something far more sinister, dripping with ill intent.
Turning in a slow circle, she squinted and looked for any sign of movement. No one was with her, evil or otherwise.
It was all in her imagination.
She had always been the predator, the alpha, the one who stalked her prey… but now she felt as if she’d been laid bare. She was the one being hunted.
Nivian shivered despite the extreme heat. Had her marks felt the same as she did now in moments before she reaped them?
Nivian rolled her shoulders, forcing the tension out of her muscles. She was little more than halfway through. So long as she was careful with the path she chose, the less she worried about making it to the end.
The smell of burning hair mixed with acid moved in on thick, red clouds, making the air almost opaque and impossible to see beyond several yards.
An eerie rumble echoed from behind. The loose gravel at her feet rattled from the vibration that shook the ground, then moved up her legs and body. It surrounded her bones, slithered into her veins, and turned her blood to ice.
Nivian turned to look behind her, then ran.