“I’ll just come back and haunt you every chance I get,” Phoebe challenged her with a steely expression.
“In your pink cop uniform? Ohhh, I’m shaking with fear already,” Carmen countered sarcastically.
“You guys really shouldn’t joke about that,” Willow chided. “If the legends about the Drake house are true, you’ll be eating your words.”
“I personally think the doc just went crazy and decided to slaughter his whole family.
Probably cooked up the hearts and ate them himself,” Carmen theorized.
“Eww! Don’t say that!” Phoebe shrunk back in revulsion while Carmen smiled in triumph.
“Make no mistake,” warned a deep, foreboding voice behind us. “Demons are very real.”
“Ever heard of a doorbell?” Carmen scowled, “You can’t just go jumping out of the shadows anytime you feel like it.”
“But it’s so much more fun,” Finn smirked at her and then easily met my gaze. He leaned against the doorframe with inherent confidence. He was dressed in jeans and a gray t-shirt, while his handsome face was eerily shaded with the living room light at his back, “Plus I brought something I think you guys will be very interested in…” he teased cryptically. My tortured heart proceeded to hurdle up in my throat.
“The map?” I choked; my voice coming out an octave higher than I intended.
“The map,” he confirmed smugly. Willow gasped and a silence fell over our small balcony.
All at once everyone bounded into the living room with renewed exhilaration.
“I’ll get markers!”
“I’ll get a notebook!”
“I’ll get the pixie sticks!” The stampede halted long enough for us to give Willow a curious glance.
“I always eat candy when I study,” she explained and shrugged her shoulders.
We posted up at the coffee table like a pack of kids waiting for ice cream, eager to catch a glimpse of an actual map of the Underworld. Finn produced a large unassuming piece of paper rolled up and secured with a rubber band. Either The Sons have incredible preservation techniques or this was a printed version.
“Shouldn’t it be…older?” I scratched my head.
“I was only able to bring a copy of it…,” he justified with a slight grin. “The actual map is thousands of years old, not to mention it’s housed in a remote, undisclosed location; unknown to most descendents.” The gleam in his eye told me he wasn’t including himself in the ‘most’ category. I could only imagine the kind of information he was privy to. I wondered what it must be like to be Finn Morrison, Future Prime and hottest guy on earth. Being that sexy must come with immense responsibility and pressure. Oh, and the whole future-Prime-thing must be hard too. I giggled at my own thoughts; consequently attracting odd looks from my roommates.
Finn, apparently used to my random outbursts, carefully unrolled the map; spreading it out on the table and securing its unruly corners with Phoebe’s teal and white tile coasters. A blanket of stillness cloaked the room as we gazed upon the most impressive map we had ever seen.
Although it was simply a photocopy, it was clear just how ancient the original map had been.
The hand drawn creatures and places had been created with the artistry and perfection of DaVinci.
The normal lines that sectioned off specific parts of the Underworld were layered with exquisite sketches of each important landmark. Scribbled notes and headings covered the extent of the paper, but they were written in a language I didn’t recognize.
Carmen looked up at Finn with uncertainty, “Please tell me you know whatever language that is?”
“Of course,” he confirmed, flashing an exceptionally charming smile in my direction that stopped my world for a millisecond. Didn’t he know how dangerous that smile was? There are only so many things that could stop time. His smile ranked up there with the time warp continuum.
“Uh, he’s been to the Underworld, remember?” Phoebe retorted, stunned by Carmen’s failure to see the obvious.
“Well that doesn’t mean he knows what all these crazy symbols are supposed to be,” Carmen incited defensively.
“He doesn’t need symbols when he’s been there and seen the real thing.”
“Well he’s not going, so what’s in his head isn’t going to help us!” Carmen threw back at her.
“I believe that’s what your notebook is for,” Finn inserted; chuckling at their heated debate over his legitimacy. Carmen crossed her arms at him and a smug grin spread across Phoebe’s face as Finn continued. “What Stasia needs to concentrate on are the major landmarks, the path leading to the river, and most importantly, the passageway leading back to this realm.”
I inspected the map once more and began to feel a numbness crawl up my fingers and into my arm. I couldn’t do this. The farthest place I’d ever been to was the High Society of Atlanta with its embellished etiquette and society rules. I’d never even been to a foreign country. Now I would be travelling to a different realm? By myself, no less. At that little jewel of self reassurance, my entire body succumbed to the numbness and a determined panic scratched its way into my heart. It wrapped its prickly fingers around me and stifled my ability to breathe. I stood deliberately and walked back out onto the balcony in a debilitated stupor. The light wind coming off of the ocean swirled around my face and I tried to take several deep breaths. The roar of the dark waves gradually filled me with a peace like nothing else could…well, almost nothing else.
“You can do this, Pasha.” Finn’s sure voice caressed my ears as he stepped behind me and wrapped his warm, steady arms around my shaking body. He leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek, and then stared out at the ocean with unwavering certainty.
“What if I can’t?” His unwavering confidence in me continued to leave me flabbergasted.
“What if you can?” he disputed my doubt with amusement.
“What if I let everyone down?”
“What if the ocean dries up and sharks become the new higher intelligence?” he speculated; his tone serious and reflective. The panic in my throat turned to slight hysteria as a bubble of laughter fought its way out. Finding a chink in my armor, he kept going.
“What if my hair falls out and I grow a head of spaghetti instead?” he questioned me; still deeply thoughtful.
“I’d grab some Ragu, parmesan cheese, and a fork,” I giggled. He laughed and turned me around to face him. His dark features softened as his earnest gaze captured my undivided attention.
“What if you are the strongest person I know and I’m certain you don’t have it in you to fail?”
he grinned at me. His comforting words soothed me and I felt the panic dissipate into only a slight ripple of anxiety.
“I wish I could be as confident in me as you are.”
“Which is exactly why you will succeed. Modesty is an important virtue that always leads to courage. This won’t be the first time you’ll rise above adversity and come out stronger. You have no idea how amazing you are, Anastasia.” He gave me another hug as I breathed him in. “Let’s go inside and give you the weapon you’ll be concealing on your journey.”
“Weapon?” I questioned; perplexed. A kickass cat woman suit with hidden ninja stars and exploding diamond earrings popped in to my mind. He smiled wickedly at my question.
“Knowledge.”
Chapter 17
“It’s like the map in the Legend of Zelda game!” Phoebe squealed. She was met by our vacant stares as she glanced around. “You know the Wii game? Twilight Princess? Except Stasia isn’t Link, I guess she’d be considered the princess, who’s actually Zelda…” She trailed off in deep thought.