Destined to the Hellhound: BEAST

Chapter 34

With no strength left in my body, I collapse to the ground just outside of the grove.

"You should eat something." She tries to offer me another piece of onion, but I don't move to take it. This is the first time I've really had a moment to look at him. He's so completely still that it sends panic coursing through me. Is he actually dead?

For the second time, I press my hand against his chest, feeling for any signs of life.

"Wake up, Cerberus," I press a kiss to his lips. "You have to wake up right now. I need you."

After a moment of silence, Kayasera sinks to the ground beside me. "So much for true loves kiss, huh?"

Narrowing my eyes at her, I wonder if I have a little bit of strength left somewhere to beat the shit out of her.

"Sorry," she cringes.

Wrapping my arm around him, holding his chest tightly, my body starts to shut down. My muscles ache everywhere, and my foot is cut open, but my chest hurts more than anything. I find myself squeezing tighter, willing him to open his eyes. He looks the same, he smells the same, but the spark is missing, the warmth.

I feel myself slipping into sleep, but I don't want to go. I want to sit with him, watching for even the slightest sign of change.

"Little bird," his voice hits my body like a soothing balm. I'm instantly relaxed. "You came and got me."

"Of course, I did!"

"You need to get me to Hades. He will help you."

It occurs to me that I can't see anything. Whether my eyes are opened or closed, it's pitch black around me.

"Is this a dream?" Fear grips my heart.

"No, it's a shared fantasy. I'm here, and so are you."

"When I wake up, you won't be awake?"

"No," I feel the faint graze of his fingers across my cheek, but it's a phantom touch, it's not really there. It's like a narrowly missed connection, he's right there, just not close enough to touch.

"Please, wake up." I beg, my voice breaking and warm tears sliding down my cheeks.

"I would if I could. It will be over soon, you just need to be strong for a little while longer. I promise you, I will wake up, and we will get our revenge."

Nodding my head, I search, desperate for the warmth that he usually engulfs me in. It's not here. Because he's not really here. I'm just clutching his lifeless body.

"Don't cry, Robin." The sadness in his voice makes me cry harder. "Listen to me; as soon as I can, I will hold you and I won't let go. Right now, you need to wake up."

"No," I cling to him.

"Yes." The feeling of his closeness starts to fade. I chase it, but it's faster than I am, and it leaves me no matter how badly I want him to stay.

Blinking my eyes open, it's still dark, but I hear something. Something that I shouldn't hear this far into the Moving Forest. Voices.

Kayasera is already sitting up, her head turned toward the noise. She jumps up and creeps forward, stopping suddenly and crouching down. She motions for me to come.

"Look," she points through the trees. "It's four, maybe five."

Squinting, I can see a single silhouette against the darkness.

"Hurry, we have to hide him!" I turn to run, but it's too late. The sound of their steps is so close that we won't be able to drag him anywhere before they're right on top of us. "Fuck!" I panic, crawling over his body.

"Robin," High Alwen's voice sends a chill down my spine. "I'm impressed; not only did you survive all this time, but you managed to get him out of the cave."

"I won't let you hurt him." I stand, my battered, aching body so pumped full of adrenaline that I don't even feel the pain.

He laughs, stepping out into the small clearing with three men behind him. I recognize them, highly trained protectors of the crown.

"You're outnumbered here. Just let us deal with this." He steps forward, his hands up, to pacify me into thinking I'm safe.

"I'm taking him back to The Underworld." I roll my shoulders back.

Clearly, they do not feel threatened. All of them stifle their laughter while drawing their weapons.

Behind them, I see the slightly red glow of eyes.

"I need help. Please," I beg. "Help me get him out of here. Help me protect him and get him to the edge of the forest."

"You really have lost your mind!" High Alwen isn't laughing anymore, he actually looks at me with pity in his eyes. "We are not here to help you."

"I wasn't talking to you." I point behind him.

In a whirlwind of movement, six little does, tiny and adorable, bare their teeth as they approach the men. Drawing their weapons, the roots of the trees sprout up out of the ground, catching them.

A vine comes down, lifting Cerberus off the ground, cradling him like a child as it moves him through the forest. Taking to the air, I follow behind, no longer worried about the forest hurting me.

Turning back, I meet Kayasera's eyes, and we share a nod before she disappears into the trees. The trees and vines bring us to the stone archway, the place where this all began.

"Thank you! Thank you! I don't know how to possibly repay you, but if I ever can, I will!"

Dragging him out of the forest, the orange light of sunrise hits my face for the first time in days. Closing my eyes for a single second, just long enough to get my barrings, I take a breath. We made it out.

Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I cling to him and force myself up. We're barely off the ground, if he put his legs down, his feet would drag. As we get closer to The Underworld, my resolution only grows.

"I swear, when you wake up, you're going to massage every muscle in my body with your tongue," I growl, begging him to wake up.

When I see the wall in the distance, I push myself, flying as hard as I can.

"Open the gate!" I scream as I start to dip down toward the ground. The gates fly open, and several beasts spill out into the desert.

His feet drag against the sand as I struggle.

"Robin!" The Seilenos burst out, running toward.

Maron grabs Cerberus from my grasp, laying his lifeless body over his back. Leneus plucks me out of the air, placing me on his back.

"Let me carry you," he offers and I don't have the strength to protest.

They rush inside the gates, galloping at full speed to Hades' house.

"Everything is going to be alright now."

"Thank you," I whimper, clinging to him.

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