Chapter 378

“No, I can see her,” I whisper to Daphne, frowning at her, wondering what magic pumps through her veins that allows her to see the Goddess. “Just…not everyone can.”

I look around to see that everyone has gathered around us, everyone’s faces drawn as Cora summarizes the Goddess’s words for those who cannot hear. Roger’s face breaks my heart – the worry and the agony on it. I tear my eyes away, unable to think about what he could possibly be experiencing with Jesse gone.

I don’t miss the way that dad slides his arm around Rafe’s shoulders, wanting him close, even as he tucks his own worry for Juniper away somewhere deep.

“Yes, Ariel can go to the Land of Darkness,” the Goddess sighs, gesturing towards me once Cora has finished filling everyone in. “Which, I must emphasize, is different from the Underworld, where Juniper has been taken. Same planet but…” she shrugs as if it’s complicated. “Different realms.”

I cry out a little at the confirmation that Junie is really gone. “We have to help her,” I say, frantic, turning towards my mom, who pushes to my side and takes my hand, shaking her head.

“There’s nothing we can do,” she whispers to me. “June – oh, Ariel, Juniper acted like a real idiot –“

My eyes go wide because mom never, ever insults her children.

“She made a deal,” the Goddess intones, drawing my eyes back to her. “With my horrible stepson, the God of Death. She is wound up in a complicated Game now but,” she shrugs, “I have sent her aid. You need to trust the girl to find her own way out.”

“Aid?” I ask, desperate for any good news. “What kind of aid?”

But the Goddess waves away the question, moving on. “My grandson,” she says, “I am much more concerned about. I have had no contact for or about him – this seems…entirely unplanned.” She sighs, worried, dropping her head. “All we know is that he is there, in the Land of Darkness, with his mate.”

Daphne gasps, slapping a hand to her mouth, and we all turn towards her, grief in every set of eyes.

“Oh, Daphne…” I whisper, my heart breaking for my friend as Cora whispers the Goddess’s words to the rest of our family.

“Jesse’s only hope now,” the Goddess says, looking at Daphne like she’s very sorry for her grief, “is that the love grows strong between him and his mate. Strong enough that he can convince her to save him.”

Daphne stares at the Goddess in shocked silence. Until all of a sudden she breaks, and falls to her knees, and begins to sob, the little shadow kitten still clutched in one hand.

Jesse shouts in fear and outrage, shoving the dark figure away from him and stumbling back a few steps.

“Ow!” the figure gasps, stumbling too and raising a hand to her chest where Jesse shoved, frowning at him. “That hurt!”

The shadows begin to pull away from her, revealing a very small, very real girl beneath them. Jesse just gapes at her for a moment – this very tiny person – even smaller than Ariel, with her riot of waist-length black curls and her full lips pulled into an angry frown.

But in a blink Jesse is spinning away, turning, moving hastily beyond that realization, trying to take in where the fuck they are –

But it’s –

They’re not even in the Castle anymore – not even in the same…world.

“Where…where am I?” Jesse whispers, shock hitting him like a brick, making his shoulders tremble as he looks over the barren expanse of hills under a dark, starless sky. He blinks hard when he sees the three moons hanging heavy over him.

“You’re in the Land of Darkness,” the girl says, sounding absurdly…perky.

Jesse blinks again and spins back towards her, his mouth open, just…gaping.

Because the shadows are gone now, and he can…see all of her. And she’s just a girl – not some insane shadow ghoul with empty dark eye sockets and a pit for a mouth.

And she’s…happy. His face twists in confusion as he tries to understand her expression, the smile pasted on her face like some sort of deranged…cheerleader.

Her expression falls a little bit. “What?” she asks, looking around. “You don’t like it?”

“I don’t…like it?” he repeats, shocked and completely not understanding anything. Anything at all.

“It’s great here,” she says, frowning at Jesse, defensive. “You’d better like it.”

“Who are you!?” Jesse shouts at the girl, advancing towards her one step.

“Don’t you take that tone with me, Jesse Sinclair,” she growls, taking a step towards him in turn and snapping a hand up to point a finger in his face. “You have to be nice to me. Everyone says so.”

“Did you bring me here!?”

“Yes!” she says, snapping her hands to her waist as that smile comes back to her face, looking immensely proud. “You’re welco-“

“Take me back!” he shouts, storming close and grabbing her shoulders, giving her a shake. “Right fucking now!”

“No!” she shouts in return, a scowl taking her tiny features. “I’m never taking you back there! Not to that whore –“

Jesse gasps and then shoves the girl away from him. “Don’t you ever call Daphne that ever again!”

“She is a whore!” the girl shouts, leaning towards him with her fists at her sides once she regains her footing from his shove. “A stupid, ugly whore who was willing to take your mark when she wasn’t even your mate – which is illegal and a sin and –“

Jesse just stares at this tiny person like she’s insane. “It’s not illegal you complete idiot, and Daphne is my mate –“

“No,” the girl growls, stepping close again and sneering up into his face. “I am your mate, Jesse Sinclair. Not that stupid whore that you used to warm your bed. Me.”

He blanches as he stares down at her. But even as he tries to deny it, his wolf gives him a nudge within his soul, a soft and whining one, glancing back at the girl again and again.

Because Jesse’s wolf…he knows.

That it’s right. That this tiny, insane girl is…

“My mate?” Jesse whispers, staring down at her.

“Yes,” she says, a smile blooming again on her face, so wide and pretty that it shocks him. She steps close and reaches up, winding her arms around his neck. “And we’re going to be so happy. We’re going to live here, in the Darkness, and we’re going to have eighteen pups, and we’re going dedicate them all to Darkness and teach them all about the Shadows, and –“

Jesse stumbles away, grabbing her arms and shoving them from his neck, staring hard at this…girl. This creature.

“But…Daphne…” He turns to his wolf again, who howls, completely confused. Because both are undeniable – it’s not like what he had heard before, that once you meet your mate all other girls pale in comparison. Daphne – his wolf still wants her, longs for her. But he also turns back towards this strange, tiny person, and…and wants her too…

“Don’t say that filthy name ever again,” the girl snaps, raising her chin and pointing a finger at his face. “I forbid it.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Jesse mumbles, looking over his…his mate. This tiny, insane person who is so…undeniably his mate.

“Oh,” she says, her face breaking into that ridiculous, unreal smile again as she snaps her hands to her hips, almost like she’s posing for him. “I’m Midnight!”

His mouth falls open a bit because…he’s mated to a girl named…Midnight?

“That’s not a real name,” Jesse says, standing straight and crossing his arms.

“Yes it is!” The defensiveness with which she immediately responds lets him know he’s right.

He narrows his eyes. “No. It’s not. Tell me your real name.”

She snarls, vicious, and storms towards him, some of that dark energy again radiating off of her, shadows beginning to swirl. “That is my real name, Jesse Sinclair.”

“How the fuck do you know my name?”

“Because I’ve been following you,” she hisses, standing close and staring up into his face, daring him to defy her.

Jesse groans, turning away from his mate and covering his face with his hands, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. Because it’s all so…bizarre. How the fuck did he even get here – to this other world? With this…girl!?

“Hey, you’re supposed to love me!” the girl snaps, livid. “I wish you would get over your surprise and get started on that instead!”

Jesse spins to stare at her, appalled. “You kidnap me,” he spits out, his energy matching her own, “from my girlfriend’s bed, you scratch her face, and drag me here to this fucking wasteland, and now you demand that I love you!?”

“You have to!” she says, pouting, actually stomping her foot. God, what, is she a child!? Suddenly he stands straight, freaked out that she might be – she’s tiny – but no, one glance over her curving form demonstrates that though she’s very small she’s…definitely grown.

“Midnight,” Jesse snaps, feeling ridiculous to even say the name as he holds out a placating hand towards her. “I do not love you. I don’t want to be here. Just – take me back!”

His heart starts to pound in his chest as he realizes that he’s actually been kidnapped from his world – that he left Daphne alone and bleeding – that there’s a battle that he’s supposed to be at tonight –

And he’s here. With this girl. Trapped.

He spins in a circle, desperate for some way out. But not only is there no way out, there’s just…nothing. Absolutely nothing.