A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

somewhere in the pit of my stomach as Devon
whispered, “Her journey’s about to begin.”

Chapter 27

 
    As the pressure lifted off my feverish
neck, I descended deep into the lower fractions of my consciousness, surrounded
by darkness though my eyes were open, staring at a point in the distance.
    Something hit my head hard, and I stumbled
forward, almost tumbling to the ground. I scanned the area. There was no one
around. Who had hit me then? Where had the others disappeared? Why had Aidan
abandoned me, leaving me here to fend for myself?
    The cold air reeked of dirt and blood. Taking
one slow step at a time, I moved around, blind in the darkness. After a while, I
could feel a nameless presence pacing with me, breathing cold air in my face. I
shivered, but not from the cold. A sudden drop in temperature usually means one
thing—ghosts. I figured, now I’d have my encounter with Elvis. Behind me,
low murmurs erupted. Invisible hands tugged at my arms and shoulders as though
they wanted me to listen. I stopped mid-stride and focused on the soft voices
to discern what they had to say.
    “Amber, can you feel the power that is
present to guide you?” Silence. Then, “Her journey’s about to begin.”
    Someone was speaking to me, but who? My
bones felt heavy, my muscles ached. I lay down on the naked ground and propped my
palms under my head, closing my eyes to rest a little.

 
    ***

 
    When I woke up, my body no longer ached,
but darkness still lingered. My limbs felt frozen and numb under the thick
layers of clothes. I was supposed to do something, but I couldn’t recall my
purpose. Was I dying? Deidre had said I might. Aidan had warned me also. Was
this freezing sensation what death felt like? Where was the light a nd
people you loved supposedly greeting you? I could see no people or tunnel; in
fact, it was so dark I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my eyes.
    Stumbling forward, I swore I’d figure out a
way to haunt Aidan for this. I snorted, annoyed. Did the otherworld have a
ghost school where I could take Ghost Tricks 101? I’d sign up in a heartbeat. Not
a chance Aidan would ever sleep again. I’d wear a white flowing robe, wave my
arms, clank some chains and moan with all my might. Maybe I’d sing nonstop in
his ear, like Whoopi Goldberg did in Ghost .
Now, that’d drive him nuts. Since he never heard me sing he was in for a real treat because I was basically tone deaf
and couldn’t hit a note if my life depended on it .
    My feet lifting off the ground, I started
to float into the open space. Surprised, I peered up at the countless stars
glittering on a black canvas, and wondered where they came from. I felt the
entire universe stretched out in front of me. Yeah, I was certainly a ghost,
flying and all. Aidan’s doors would definitely not keep me out. Letting go, I could no longer feel my body. My mind fell
into perpetuity, drifting into the greatest sense of freedom and tranquility I’d
ever felt.
    Wings flapped around me as dark, formless
shapes gathered, murmuring words of wisdom in my ears. I knew they had assembled
to help me, to guide me to the right place. The book. Aidan wanted it. And then
I remembered the purpose of my visit.
    The winged beings barely touched my skin as
they lifted me up and carried me forward in their strong arms. Their
smell—burnt tires and sulfur—made my stomach clench, but I didn’t
mind as long as they led me where I was supposed to go.
    We flew past woods and mountains, valleys
and rivers. A setting sun appeared on the horizon. I lifted my gaze to the large,
deadly claws wrapped around my arms and legs, holding me in place. I realized
the formless shapes looked like tall, muscly humans, their skin black as coal, with
white wings and eyes dark as bottomless pits. Letting out a screech, they
pointed down and lowered me to the ground near a hole surrounded by stones.
    I stood and wiped a hand over my dusty
jeans. “Is the book here?”
    The tallest of the creatures hovered over me,
wings flapping as it nodded and let out a guttural sound. He was so beautiful
with perfect features, and yet so eerily inhuman, like a dark angel. I could
barely peel my eyes off him when the scent of burnt tires on a hot summer day
wafted past again, stronger than before. If they were angels, then surely not
from heaven.
    Holding my breath, I leaned over the edge
and peered inside, my mind starting to work slowly. How was I supposed to get
down there?
    I shot the