Chapter Thirty-Eight Amaya

My head pounding, I opened my eyes, looking around. I was back in my room. Was it all just a horrible dream? I stood and walked over to my dresser, looking at my reflection, a dark bruise lined my neck. I touched it and flinched.

Frowning, I tried to remember what had happened. Cringing, I remembered being pushed from the platform and crying as I struggled to breathe slowly, suffocating. I vaguely recalled someone grabbing me and removing the bag and ropes from my neck and hands. I had never been so terrified. Who was it?

I struggled to remember what had happened, seeing glimpses in my memory, but the more I focused, the more they slipped away.

I looked  in the mirror again; I looked awful, grubby and dirty from being in the cell. I had a black eye and my lip was split. A dark bruise lined my neck.

My eyes zeroed in on a necklace that was around my neck. Feeling the power emanating from it, I picked up the gem from my neck to inspect it. The necklace had a red ruby on a simple gold chain. As I held the ruby, my hand tingled with the power the stone held. I looked closer at it and what looked like lava swirled inside the beautiful stone. The gem had its own aura and I could feel Sins in it as well.

The door opened and Sin walked in. “I’m glad you are awake; how do you feel?”

I held up the necklace. “Please keep that on. It protects you.”

“Protects' me from what?” I asked, my voice sounding hoarse, and it hurt to talk. “Where am I?” I asked, my voice cracking.

“You are in hell.”

“Am I dead?” I asked, tears brimmed my eyes.

Sin walked over to me and wiped my tears that fell away, “No, little flame, you are very much alive.”

“Oh, my gods… Abigail?”

“She’s safe. Her room is next to your.” He reassured me.

“You… saved us?”

“Of course. You are important to me.”

“Why didn’t you come sooner?” I accused him suddenly, angry that he hadn’t stopped it altogether.

“You didn’t summon me until just before you were pushed.” He replied, brushing my hair behind my ear. "I couldn't breakt he barrier until you did. It prevented me from entering and helping you.

"Summon you?”… I didn’t summon you." I replied, baking away from him.

“You said you needed me.” he smiled, “I heard you."

I narrowed my eyes, “how, did you hear me if you weren’t there?”

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “I placed a summoning stone in your shoulder when I first brought you to Salem.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Take it out now!” I crocked as I tried to yell. I was furious he had done tricked me like that.

He raised his hands placatingly, “I already have, you don’t need the stone to summon me anymore.”

“And why is that?” I bit out.

“Because you made a deal with me to save Abigail. We are now bound to each other, you to me by our deal, and I to you by your summon.”

“How did I make a deal with you when I was unconscious?”

“You were awake when I removed the ropes and you asked me to save Abigail, and I said I would if you made a deal with me. You made the deal.”

“Is that why you took me  there to begin with?” I tried to scream, “So you could trick me into being bound to you!”

“No, not just that?”

“What then, so you can trap me here, wherever here is? You forget that you ripped me out of my life, a life I worked very hard to make.”

“I’m sorry, but this is bigger than just us, little flame.” He coaxed, as he moved closer to me.

‘No, you leave me alone.”

“I had to; I have a debt I need to repay.”

“At the expense of my life, you asshole.” I screamed as the lights flickered and the room shook, my magic slipping out of control.

“You betrayed me, I cared about you even after you trapped me there and you almost let me die and for what, some debt?” I spat, grabbing one of my crystals from the nightstand, I chucked it at him.

“Hey, throw stuff all you want but not those, it’s disrespectful.” He scolded me when he caught it and set it down on the dresser.

“Disrespectful? You care about the respect of a crystal, but not of me.”

"I respect you." 

“Leave!” I shrieked as I picked up a chair and threw it.

“Okay, just summon me when you have calmed down and we can talk about this. I had a reason, I swear.” Sin rushed as he turned and left the room.

Agitated and angry, I paced the room, how dare he. “He has no right to justify his actions. Everything I had, I had worked very hard for and just like that him in his infinite wisdom decides he can uproot me drop me back in time with my mother that apparently had trusted him with my safety only for me to be brought back into danger by him years later just to trick me into summoning him and making a deal with him. I have every right to be pissed.” I spoke to myself, my throat aching with every word, but it felt good to vent.

“You are absolutely correct,” a woman agreed as she walked towards me. She was gorgeous, she was wearing a red halter top and floor length red and black skirt, her hair was braided over her shoulder framing her sharp features and her eyes which swirled pink and purple and were otherworldly.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I am Hellebore, also known as Lazarus’s mother.”

“You’re his mom? You look so young.”

“Thanks dear, that’s immortality for you. Anyway, I came by to see how you are feeling. Do you need anything?”

She presented herself as being friendly and kind, but alarm bells were going off in my head, warning me against her.

“I’m fine and I’m not in need of anything.” I replied.

She nodded, looking at me with a tight smile, “Let me know if you do. Hell can be difficult to get used to.”

“Thank you, Hellebore, I will.” 

I looked around the room realizing that everything here was an exact match as my apartment in 2022. Had he brought this all here for me?

After she left, I went to look behind the two doors that didn’t lead to the hallway one was an enormous walk-in closet that had a couch and coffee table inside, and the second was a large bathroom complete with standing shower and a large jacuzzi tub. I started running a bath excited, looking around, I realized my toiletries were already in here, so I left the room and gathered some clean clothes from the dresser, returning and locking the door.

As the bath ran, I filled my toothbrush with toothpaste and scrubbed my teeth, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. Satisfied my teeth were clean, I stripped and stepped into the bath, moaning at the feeling of the hot water as it licked my skin. I lathered my loofah with body wash and scrubbed the dirt from my skin before washing my hair three times to get all the dirt and grime out.

Feeling one hundred percent better, I exited the bath and wrapped a towel around my body than I dried my hair and braided it so it wouldn’t be in my face before getting dressed.

I was curious about this place; it hummed with energy and the place as a whole almost felt alive. Deciding that it was safe enough with Sin around, I stepped out into the hallway and with one look, my jaw dropped in disbelief.