There was a zap of electricity, and the fresh smell of ozone being released into the air. Every part of her body began to tingle the moment she’d thrust her hand through the opening, but after having waited for over a year for such an occurrence, she had to take this chance, no matter what may lay on the other side.
The depths of hell had been precisely what one might have guessed if they’d been privy to even one rough sermon from the pulpit of any branch or denomination of Christianity. She hadn’t had a moment of mercy since she found herself cast into fire and brimstone at the hand of that neophyte Huntress so many months ago, the same one who had destroyed her beloved and much of her family. At that moment, she had sworn should she ever have the opportunity to return, she would make her pay in every way possible.
Having spent so much time haunting the earth before her demise, she was no stranger to the possibility that escape was achievable, so she endured the agony of each day, always looking for a way out.
It had only been there a moment, and some distance away, but once she recognized a shift in the air and dancing blue lights, she’d propelled herself through the portal, finding herself seconds later lying face down in the sand, her clothing still emitting steam from the heat of damnation. She was dressed once again in her favorite white dress, her long red hair billowing around her as she pulled herself up off of the ground and had a look around.
The place was unfamiliar; desert landscape, but the beasts of the night had heard her. And as she looked into the shadows, figures formed, creatures with crimson eyes and spindly fingers shifted in her direction from near and far. They heard the battle cry within her soul, and they would unite to help her seek her vengeance.
No longer the ancient Vampire queen, she had returned, reborn, and now, she would stop at nothing to destroy those who had sent her to damnation, no matter what it took. Looking up at the stars above her in the night sky, she said aloud for all the world to hear, “I was once your queen. Now, I shall be your goddess. I shall reign for a thousand lifetimes. No one will escape the fear and chaos I shall bring in my wake. I am terror incarnate, and you shall call me Asteria!”
Cadence had hesitated at the prospect of being driven across the desert back to Reno by a man who had been dead for over half a year, but when Elliott insisted the bike would not be balanced correctly with him on the back of it (something she knew to be untrue) she had given in. Now, she could hardly believe she was holding the waist of the friend she’d thought only a week ago she’d never see again.
Without the IAC, it was difficult to give him directions as they roared along well above any reasonable speed limit, but once she’d pointed him back to the highway, he signaled that he knew how to get to Cale’s office, where they’d decided to spend the night. At this rate, they’d arrive well before midnight.
She’d let Cale know she was coming but hadn’t answered his question as to whether or not she was alone. She needed to let Aaron know what she had done first, so once she was certain Elliott was capable of driving and navigating to their destination, she made the call.
“What’s going on?” he asked, clearly agitated at having been disconnected so abruptly earlier.
Cadence had considered several options for breaking the news, but in the end, bluntness seemed to be the most practical. “I did it. He’s here.”
Aaron didn’t say anything for a very long time, but when he finally did it was simply, “Okay.”
Not knowing exactly sure what to make of that, Cadence leaned her head against Elliott’s back and continued on, as if “okay” really meant “okay.” She was sure that it meant something else, though exactly what that might be, she still wasn’t sure. “We are headed to Reno. I’ll let you know when we get there. He doesn’t have his IAC. Maybe I can borrow a cell phone, and he can call you.”
“All right.”
Again, she was certain things were not quite “all right.” She was tempted to remind him that they had agreed not to be mad at each other, but she got the distinct feeling that now was not the time for such a reminder, so she decided to terminate the IAC call and give him some time to process. “I’ll let you know when we get there.”
“Sounds good. Bye.”
“Bye,” she said, but she was pretty sure he hadn’t waited for her to respond before he disconnected. She absolutely hated it when Aaron was upset with her, especially when she wasn’t equally agitated at him, but Elliott’s reassuring pat on her hands where they lay clasped around his waist was enough to assure her she had done the right thing. Eventually, Aaron would get over it. She was fairly certain of that. He had to—didn’t he?
The next call she made went much better as she got Jamie and Christian on the IAC at the same time to let them know her venture had been successful. They were both ecstatic to know that Elliott would be back with them soon, and when she’d reminded them that Aaron was pissed, they assured her he would come around in a day or two. Cadence hoped it wouldn’t take too much longer; after all, if he was right, they would need to figure out quickly if anything else had come through the portal and work together to defeat it.
After assuring her friends that she’d be in touch soon, she turned her IAC completely off and tried to focus on the nightscape as it flew by around her. She had done something she didn’t think possible—again. There were always consequences to her actions, and while she knew this situation might be more serious than others in the past, she still felt confident that she had made the right decision.
