Instead of using a portal, we opt to walk the kids through the space. It’s not like they really need any more unexpected events right now. Xavier makes a couple of these large buggy–like things where we all gently place the newborns and babies that can’t walk in them, with each of us pushing a buggy. Then we get the children who can walk to follow us. I walk in front, while Levi and Xavier walk at the back of the group, and after about a minute, I realise a lot of the younger ones are getting distracted, and my brothers keep having to coax them into following the group. So, it’s the perfect excuse for me to be a bit of a show off as well. I use my magic to create coloured footprints that sparkle and shine as I walk and without even looking, I can hear several little gasps and giggles as they follow the pretty rainbow of footprints. We make it to Levi’s hotel, yep, that’s what I’m going to call it, and he quickly walks up beside me to show me a single door which he quickly turns into a sparkly rainbow colour. “Stop trying to one–up me,” I whisper, and he grins.
“Oh, I don’t even have to try.” He winks and opens the door, where the kids squeal and push past us to run inside. He’s literally made an entire room of soft play equipment. It’s three stories high with tunnels and slides. He’s got a ball pit and foam blocks, and a maze of climbing and crawling things.
“Gods dammit,” I whisper.
“Cool, right?” He says cockily.
“You literally had less than ten minutes. How did you even think of all this?”
He shrugs. “Don’t tell me you haven’t had dreams about what it’d be like to have our own pups.”
Yep. He’s got me there.
“Whoa, nice, Levi.” Xavier pats him on the shoulder as he pushes his buggy through.
I quickly count the babies we have, a total of thirty, and then make a soft, fluffy bouncer for each of them to the side of the room. The guys help me get each little pup into one, strapping them in safely and turning on little vibrations as they magically swing softly side to side.
“I might keep this room for any kids that have to come here.” Levi muses quietly as he puts down the last baby. “Maybe I’ll make an open room on the side with some cots and beds…a big movie screen.”
“And lights that look like stars,” I add. “That would be cool for any kid.”
“What happened to them, Xav?” Levi says, turning his attention to my brother, who looks sadly at the kids as they play.
“That’s what we’re going to figure out. I need to go speak with Noah. Are you good here?”
“Yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll get started on getting these guys sent off to the right place. They don’t deserve to be stuck any longer than they have been.” Levi says seriously.
“Oh, and Haiden.” Xavier turns to me. “I need to borrow someone from your waiting room.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Are you allowed to do that? There’s a process you know. I point to me and then Levi.”
“Fuck the process. We need to work out what Alpha Marcus is doing. Once Noah helps me to see a play–by–play of some events, then I’ll return the soul to the waiting room.”
“Okay, fine, fine. Just don’t lose it, okay? It’s enough of a mess as it is in there without having to track down a missing soul.”
“Yeah, got it.”
‘Come on, I’ll help you find who you’re looking for”
We portal back to the waiting room and I ask Xavier who exactly it is he’s looking for. Marius Malcome. He was literally here just before the kids. Everyone gets a magic stamp with a number and is sent to the back of the line until I get to speak with them. It took me way too long to stamp everyone who was already here, so I knew who needed to go next. Once I explain and take a soul to the motel, then their numbers change, so number one is always the next in line. Marius is literally right down the end of the line. I motion for Xavier to follow me, and for the second time today, I make the incredibly long walk down the hall with souls lined on either side, sitting patiently. Everyone looks up when we pass, most probably hopeful they’ll be pushed to the front of the line. When we finally get to the end, Marius looks up and sighs.
“I didn’t realise the waiting line to hell was so long.” He points up the hall.
1/2
Chapter 64
“It’s not specifically a one–way ticket to hell. You get processed from here with all the information you need to a hotel of sorts, from there you get evaluated on your life to see if you will go up or down.” I point in both directions. “Think of this as a sort of in–between place. Either way, we can talk about all of that when you get back.”
“Where am I going?” He pales slightly.
“With me,” Xavier says sternly.
“Why?”
“Because I need answers.”
“But I told you everything I know already!” His voice rises in a panic, and I decide to intervene. I don’t need all these souls to become distressed because of
this.
“Thank you for doing that, but I think Xavier here needs to have a look inside your mind to see if there are any details you may have missed. Anything that might help those kids. That’s what you were trying to do, right? You wanted to help them?”
“Yes.” He says quickly.
“Then help them. Go with Xavier and help them.”
He nods once, standing and following Xavier through a portal. Poor guy, whether he deserves it or not, he’s going to see what hell really looks like today.
This work, Goddess of the Underworld by Sheridan Hartin, is an exclusive intellectual property legally contracted with NovelSnack. Any reproduction, distribution, or upload outside NovelFlow, AnyStories, NovelaGo, and Readink is unauthorized and constitutes copyright infringement.
Chapter Comments
8
POST COMMENT NOW
