My tired body refused to cooperate as I forced myself to move. Hence, I trusted Zarek to lead me to safety. A stranger who used me to lure a vengeful ghost as he remained hidden. Deep down, my soul screamed not to trust the male. But I had no other choice than to trust him.

"I'm not a fighter. This world and this way of living are all new to me." My cry became a feeble whisper as I found the strength to take another step. 

Struggling to find the courage to continue, I peered at Zarek to gauge his mood. Determination garbed his gaze as he plowed forward while hauling me to safety. I also gathered regret from his tight lips and dodging eyes.

"We need to come up with a better plan. I can't just run and hope for the best." My voice quivered as I took another step.

"Agreed!" Zarek's simple response gave me the reassurance and strength to move forward. "Hang in there, Kayla! We're almost at a safe cove I use when around these parts."

My consciousness flickered between reality and oblivion. I felt my body giving up, but Zarek's tone offered me some much-needed anchor.

"Before ascending, my lover put a blessing on the place. It protected us from many dangers. But there's a downside." He tightened his arms around my waist when my legs threatened to buckle.

"Which is?!" The question slipped out of my mouth—a brief distraction from my whole-body discomfort.

"There's no long-term supplies. Besides, we cannot hide from the wraith forever. We need to recover and plan," Zarek said as he bent down and hauled me into his arms. He cradled me against his chest with surprising gentleness. "I need to patch you up. My boyfriend wrote a few spells in this notebook. I can use it to help you."

"My head seems like it'll explode at any moment." I snuggled against his chest as his steady breathing lulled my eyes shut. "I thought the notebook was yours. So you can wield magic?"

“No! Other than a spell here and there, I'm not skilled in the craft. My lover just started compiling a few useful spells for me to practice."

As I fought to keep my eyes open, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. The mind fog became thicker whenever a thought flickered to life. "You don't wield magic then? That explains a lot of things."

"Explains, what?!" His step faltered when voicing his question.

"Don't worry. Your spell worked. That's what matters," I said as I closed my eyes to clear the dancing stars in my vision.

"How did it work?! He flung you across the room like a rag doll." His hold tightened as his voice laced with concern.

I filled my lungs with plenty of air to drive away the darkness that threatened to consume me. "I could've cracked my skull open, but I must admit I'm about to pass out."

The male's brow furrowed in concentration as he headed down the cave's winding paths. "Kayla, I'm sorry I used you as bait." His steady footsteps held a steady tempo that matched my heartbeat. "With our limited options, you needed to distract the wraith. The spell I put on my blade bought us a few days."

The news of having a few days to rest soothed my beat-up body—the eye to the storm of my current predicament. A peaceful wave of relief washed over my mind as darkness crept into my field of vision. "It's ok! I understand your actions! But... help me out in the future. I'm not a fighter and will need you to train me."

"I'm here for you and will not leave you! We have some time to patch you up and concoct a plan. I promise to fight by your side." Zarek adjusted me in his arms as we reached a secluded area overlooking a slow-churning lava cascade. With his free hand, he searched for something on the wall.

The throbbing in my head became unbearable as I stared at my new surroundings. "This is the second time I hit my head hard in less than a week. I don't think I can take a third concussion."

Zarek let out a deep sigh of regret. "I understand! You’ll not get hurt next time, I promise." 

"I appreciate it!" I paused and took a much-needed breath to steady my spinning head before I continued. "It's strange! I can't remember anything about my family. Still, I know babies can swallow and breathe at the same time."

"Mmm, that's peculiar." Zarek's voice sounded distant as he continued searching the wall. I turned to glance as his finger stopped on a rough-looking carving. "Are you certain you have a family?"

"Fragments of my life are on that phone. Even though I can't remember them, a part of me wants to find the man and the woman in those videos." My words slurred as I focused my efforts on Zarek's actions.

"Family is important." Zarek's expression of impotence became contagious as my heart deflated with loss, along with his own. "I miss mine... Elysium plucked Pascal from this world as if they wanted to punish our happiness." The marking on his skin flickered between rose-red and green. Running his fingers over the thicket of his black-green hair, he opened his mouth but closed it immediately.

"Zarek, what's going on?"

"Nothing! Just..." His green eyes lost their joy for a minute before shaking his head and replacing his troubled countenance with a charming mask. "Aperi ianuam!"

As the stone door opened, the pressurized air rushed out with a whoosh. The odor of stale air wafted from the dark chamber straight into my nose, agitating my nausea.

"Conversus in lucem!" Zarek whispered as he walked into the muggy, hidden chamber. "Claude ostium!"

The door closed as soon as he issued the command. He headed to a far corner of the room and placed me on a makeshift straw bed. The musty straws and unwashed sheets enveloped me in an unwanted embrace. Although grateful for a safe place to sleep. The demon moved around the small room, looking into the stacked crates.

"You said you wouldn't risk your life for me. Why did you save me?" The pain of failure seething within my heart drove me to ask. I wished for a straightforward answer, nothing more. "You had the chance to leave. To be safe. Why?"

Zarek halted his search. His eyes seemed withdrawn and distant. "Defendat nos!" He recited while placing a hand over what used to be the opening to the alcove. "You remind me of Pascal when he first arrived. Similar to you, he drifted across the land with no help. I found him on the verge of his second death. In this world, dying is bad. Your soul gets punished and can't reincarnate until you serve your sentence. You can turn into a vengeful ghost like the one following you."

Dying... a second time?! I don't think I died when I came here, but... I'll ask him about it later. I need to learn more about his motivations. 

As I closed my eyes to take a calming breath, I chose it wasn't worth pursuing any clarification on the subject for now. "I'm trying to stay awake for a while. If I pass out, I can slip into a coma. Can you tell me more about Pasca?"

Zarek's eyes lit with great intensity after I mentioned Pascal's name. "What do you want to know?" 

I detected some hesitation in his voice, so I decided not to be pushy. "Well, that's up to you. But can you check my head? I know how to treat all sorts of injuries... I think." My misty mind became consumed with bits and pieces of medical information—a list of symptoms and treatments. "While checking my head for wounds, can you talk about Pascal?"

"Alright?!" As Zarek moved closer, his skin patterns changed to undescribable, hypnotic colors, reflecting his emotions.

The male was easy to read. His expressions revealed everything. "And please, keep me immersed in the conversation. I must stay conscious for a bit." The warning slipped through my lips as I tried to swallow a sudden wave of nausea.

Zarek moved to the cot and sat beside me as he brushed a stray hair from my face. "Sure!" His simple response provided me with great reassurance. "Like I mentioned before, Pascal was about to die a second time when I found him. The idiot..." A light giggle escaped his mouth, making me smile at the gesture. "The idiot thought wandering around Hades without a map was a good idea."

"Well... at least I had a map. So I wasn't a complete lost cause." An errant chuckle escaped from me despite the throbbing in my head.

Zarek's booming laugh echoed through the room. "You sure looked like you were dying, though. Pascal is an interesting man. He thought the best of people and constantly got us in trouble. When he ascended, he left a void behind. I miss him a lot." He moved closer and eased my head one way and then another. "Does your neck hurt?"

A steady inhale gave me focus as my neck muscles complained. Every single part of my body shrieked in pain—now that my adrenaline worked its way out of my system. "It's stiff! Can you check my eyes? I'm still seeing spots." Zarek prodded my scalp as he checked my eyes.

Faced with incredible discomfort, I exhaled, trying to remain calm and not complain. The unbearable pain cramped my stomach, making me queasy. My sight pulsated in and out of focus as I tried not to scream.

"Your eyes look ok, but you have a nasty bump. Let me see what I can do." The male pulled the same book from earlier and flipped through the pages.

My eyes fluttered close as the ache faded away. "I take it that was Pascal's notebook?" I opened my eyes as my vision cleared. Instantly, my full attention landed on my companion to assess his reaction.

"Yes, and no! He wrote it for me. He's a talented enchanter and wrote a few spells for me to learn. They're not powerful, but they are handy. Like the spell I just found..." Zarek's voice drawled as he immersed himself in his reading.

As I battled with a sudden bout of nausea, the male studied the page, mumbling its content.

"You mentioned we can't stay here long..." I needed to know how long I got to recover.

"We got about a week. After dealing with the wraith, you'll work to restock this place." The demon answered without looking away from his book and continued his research. 

Seeing him read lulled me into a state of serenity. My eyes flitted closed as my mind drifted into oblivion.

"Yes! I found it!" Zarek shouted a few minutes later, jarring awake. "This will help with the swelling and the head injury." He placed his hands under my head and forehead before closing his eyes. "Relax and close your eyes. Sana quod afflictionem!"

A warm electric current ran through my entire body, sending a shockwave of adrenaline. My body mended rapidly, leaving behind tiny pinpricks of delicious pain. My mind fog cleared, and my nausea disappeared, leaving starvation in its wake. "Fuck! I feel super hungry."

The demon's booming laugh filled the room as he doubled over to grab his midsection. "Well! I take it you are doing great, but..." He moved closer to sniff at me. "You need a bath first. Lucky for you, there's a hot spring in this cave."

"Yass, bitch! I want the damn bath. I can't stand this stench."