Guiding You Home
POV: Alexandra
I only remember getting home from the castle and laying down. I felt so exhausted that I closed my eyes. The scene in front of my eyes faded and I could smell ash. I sprung my eyes open and looked around my room. Everything had lost color, everything was different shades of grey. I didn’t understand what was going on but I knew that I had to go check on my family to see if they were okay. I ran out of my room and looked around the hall. Everything had the same shade of ash so I ran across the hall and knocked on the door. Jess didn’t answer so I was sure since this was an emergency, she wouldn’t mind if I walked in. On the bed was a figure wearing all black with a black veil on. The figure was clutching something to her chest and wailing. I walked up and placed a hand on the shoulder and felt the chill go up my arm. The figure wasn’t Jess but some woman, “Are you here to lead us? You are so powerful. Lead us.” She got up from the bed and held out the baby that was in her arms, “Bring me a soul for my baby, please.” I backed away from her knowing this was not a good place. I closed the door behind me and thankfully she did not pursue. I knew then that this was not really Blackwood but where was I? I heard a voice from the darkness, “Stay with us, Alexandra. We don’t want to lose you. I would be lost my entire life without you, little rose. Come home to us darling girl. We all need you. Hang in there while we find a way to bring you home.” My father’s voice would be the one to keep me grounded in a crisis. It motivated me to remain calm in this situation.
I looked around to see if I could find a way out and naturally thought the door would be best. I ran down the stairs and walked up to the door, turned the knob, and tried to pull. It wouldn’t budge and I could hear a man behind me, “What do you think you are doing?” I turned to find a hooded figure, “I’m trying to leave, I don’t belong here.” I heard him chuckle, “Oh but you DO belong here. Your soul is dying and you will live here when it does fully die. Your soul will be mine and once it is, you will be our Queen.” I shook my head, “I don’t want to be your Queen.” He folded his arms, “You don’t want to be now but once you become a nullite, you will take the throne gladly. You will lead us to our rightful place beyond purgatory. I just have to ensure you stay here for the next two days. On the eve of the full moon at the peak, your soul will fully die and you will be ours to rule us. No one can rescue you either so get that thought out of your head.” He grabbed me by the arm and the chill ran across my skin throughout my body as if I had touched death itself. He chuckled, “I am exactly who you think I am. This is my purpose despite what Lord Hades says.” He pulled me up the stairs to my room, shoved me in, and closed the door firmly shut. He spoke through the door before leaving, “Get comfy, Your Majesty because you’re staying in here until you turn into a nullite.”
Try as I might, I was not able to escape the room I was being held in. I even tried to see if I could smash a window to climb down and escape. This was not something I could do. I had pondered if the windows were made of some sort of transparent steel. Toward the end of the second day, I found myself giving up since I hadn’t heard my father speak to me through the fog. I thought perhaps whatever mental link I had with him was severed. I curled up into the bed and started to cry, wondering if my parents were okay. Despite whatever Lucien did, I found myself being sorry for him for having to marry someone he maybe didn’t love. Then I flashed back to that kiss and rethought that perhaps he did love Melody and didn’t know it. Suddenly I heard a voice whisper in my ear, “Can you hear me, Alexandra?” I opened my eyes to see a cloaked figure hovering above me, “Who are you?” I saw a finger lift to the person’s face though I couldn’t see it, I knew he was asking me to stay quiet. I nodded and whispered, “Are you a friend or foe?” He leaned over and patted my hand. The touch felt really familiar, “I am definitely a friend. I’m here to get you back to your loving parents. They are worried to death amongst many others.” He held out his hand, “I think it is safe to leave now. Come with me.” I put my hand in his and he guided me out to the hallway.
We were going to round the corner to go down the stairs but we saw two figures in the foyer. He pulled me back against him. I smelled a familiar scent of lemons but I couldn’t remember which of my friends used a lemon cologne. It was definitely a man. He had his arms wrapped around me. We heard the voices below, “Is the ritual for our Queen ready? It is supposed to happen in fifteen minutes.” The other voice, a woman replied, “Yes, Lord Death. We have her crown and throne ready for her as well.” The man sighed, “It’s all coming together. Thanks be to that wretched woman and that silly man for breaking her heart. We never would have had this opportunity.” The man who held me against his chest tensed up at the mention of Lucien and Melody. I wondered if it was Lucien that was here to rescue me. I looked up to try and see his face but dark shadows concealed who exactly my rescuer was. Suddenly, something clouded my vision in my right eye. I whispered, “Something’s wrong with my eye.” He looked down at me and gasped, “Dammit, we need to get you out of here. Now.” He turned his head around the corner and pulled on me. We ran down the stairs and he grabbed the door and flung it open. We stepped out into the light and I felt a warmth that I knew was the power of love and the sun. My soul parents were helping to free me and I knew I was finally safe.
My eyes fluttered open to see my father peering down at me, “Thanks be to the Gods, she is awake.” He helped me up and I noticed Derek, Lucien, Blake, and Calypso on cots in a row in my room with what looked like a pink shield above them. Aphrodite and Apollo were hovering their arms over them which meant they had used their magic to help me out of that place. I felt a throb in my temple and I started to rub it, “What is going on here?” Aphrodite came over and touched my forehead. The warmth spread through my head and relieved me of the pain that came on. She smiled down at me, “So which one was the one to pull you awake? I bet it was a dream on loop and he brought you back to reality.” I shook my head, “It was a nightmare. I was told that if you guys hadn’t pulled me out of there that I would be the Queen of the nullites. I think that’s what he called it.” She furrowed her brow, “You said nullites? Who was it that you were talking to there?” I sighed, “I think I overheard him being called Lord Death.” She glanced over her shoulder at Apollo, “Did you hear that?” He furrowed his brow and nodded, “I’ll go talk to Hades when we return to the Heavenly Realm. This cannot be good. Either he’s going rogue or one of his subordinates is. I highly doubt it is the former.” I looked over at the men on the cots, “You really didn’t answer my question? What are you doing with those guys?” I pointed at the cots where all the men lay. She smiled, “In order for us to pull you from the state you were in, we needed to bring the men who love you most. Er, that wasn’t your father or brother that is. Which one was the one to pull you out?” I shrugged, “I couldn’t see his face. I only know that he seemed familiar. He got me out just in time too.” All the men were beginning to stir awake and each one smiled when they saw me.
Derek sprung up, ran over to me, and threw his arms around me, “Oh thank the Gods you are safe Alexandra.” I breathed him in to see if he had the scent of the one who rescued me, it was a peppery scent. I wrapped my arms weakly around him, “I’m just glad to see you again, it was a frightening experience.” Derek pulled away from me, “I don’t want to hog you though. The other guys showed up to help out too. You should embrace them too.” I nodded and looked at Blake who was over his shoulder, “I think you might be right and I have a feeling they wouldn’t want you monopolizing my time.” Blake stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me gently as if he would break me if he squeezed at me, “I am glad you are back where you belong. We were all worried about you. Don’t worry, my brother will answer your questions or I will make him.” I kissed him on the cheek, “Remember I told you, no committing treason.” He pulled away and smiled, “No promises. He probably deserves it.” Blake smelled over sage so it wasn’t likely him that took me out of there. Lucien came up to me and kneeled at the side of my bed, “I won’t hug you. I know you are disappointed and heartbroken. I want you to rest and then we can talk about it later if you wish.” He looked up at me pleadingly and I nodded, “I want to know so you can explain.” I heard my father scoff and mutter, “So he can lie to her like he did to me.” I looked over at him sitting on the bed and his arms were crossed across his chest. Lucien took my hand and kissed it, “I appreciate that. I will be waiting for you when you are ready to talk.” His scent will always be lavender and sandalwood so I knew it wasn’t him. Calypso stepped forward and also kneeled in front of me, “I don’t believe my station is as high as yours to be able to hug you, Your Highest Highness.” I shook my head and smiled, “You can hug me, Cal. I won’t bite.” He rose and wrapped his arms around me, “I was very worried about you.” I breathed his scent in and he smelled of chocolate. I was very confused as to who it was that rescued me since none of the men had the lemon scent on them. Who was it really that rescued me? I intended to find out once I got out of this bed.
