"I died today, two years ago," I whisper into Belen-cat's silky fur. He makes a very good pillow.

He continues to purr. Earlier the sensation and sound lulled me to sleep, but only for a little while. It must be in the middle of the night. War is quiet. The air in the mausoleum is heavy with the scent of oils from the sacred water from Belen's cairn. Outside I can see the stars shining overhead.

"I was taught that they were lovers," I whisper. "Are any of them in a bunch of three, I wonder?"

My stomach rumbles. It's been... nearly two weeks since I last ate? Alnue eyes me worriedly. He has been trying to feed me his special wine, but my stomach churns when I can't have my drinks fresh. I suppose I'm spoiled now.

I have trapped myself here without sustenance and my body is failing. My father is worried, but no longer tries to order me home. He and I both know that this city must die.

Prophecies and stories don't always tell the truth. Inanji has gone too far in her arrogant attempts to force love on who she wants, when she wants. Souls yearn to be free. Love can lie to you, lead you false, but grief cannot be fooled.

Inanji doesn't see what she does to souls. She doesn't feel that grief, see the loneliness and suffering. Or, maybe she does and doesn't care. Either way, she is shortsighted. She must know that she can't kill me and be rid of me that way, so she hoped that being rejected by my Fated males would make me so distraught that I would destroy myself.

I'm going to give that bitch exactly what she wants. I just hope that I have enough strength left in my body to take the city down with me. Let the Tasuri be washed away and if they survive this, then they will learn how misplaced their arrogance is.

I feel a tug on my left wrist. It's an interesting effect of the bond with my assassins. I can feel them moving about the city and the mountains above. I honestly have no idea how they are insuring that the noble Districts can't leave the city, but every so often they stop moving, then they start again. They seem to be making a very methodical progression across the very northern limits of the city. I wonder if the undead are building walls up there? But how?

My eyes drift closed, feeling heavy. I fight the yawn, not wanting to set off yet another round of sleep. I'm too afraid of being caught unaware by Inanji and Urto.

My Belen-cat suddenly becomes tense, before letting out a low growl that vibrates right through me. I sit up hurriedly, following the cat's line of sight to shadows near the doors.

"My Lady Princess," Enlil comes into the mausoleum on silent feet.

"Enlil?"

"I have news," he whispers. He hurries over to me, eagerness shining in his eyes. "Your family is gone, my Lady. I heard Lier tell the blond lady that the soldiers he sent to follow them lost their trail in the desert. They were heading north."

"North?" I'm shocked. The river is narrow in the north as it flows from the mountains. The river is formed from two twin rivers, the northern Euphrates and the southern Euphrates, and when they converge into one the water runs deep, fast, and treacherous. The fields are not flooded because the banks of the river are steeper, which makes growing food more difficult. The north is not as habitable as the south. What possible reason could my Basru have for leading my family north?

"I heard a rumor, lady," Enlil suddenly becomes grim. "That the Tomb Valley of the Forgotten has been desecrated."

I go cold. The Forgotten... they destroyed the tombs. Of course they did.

And with the tombs

Go the doors to the Underworld

"Well, that's fabulous. How, then will my daughter find her way to the Underworld if the Basru can't walk through the tombs?"

Perhaps someone will have to make a new path

"I could use less sarcasm, you know," I pout. I am hungry and tired and just because it's all my fault for sending my males to the Underworld and refusing to return myself doesn't mean my father has to be rude about it.

He heaves a godly sigh.

Be careful daughter

Have your escape planned

I bite my lip and look at Belen's open tomb. "I do," I tell him.

The sudden hissing, spitting screams of cats jerks my attention to the toilet room. Enlil is ahead of me one step, his sword drawn, clawed fingers clenching the pommel tightly.

Two shifted cats are fighting in the room. One is Belen-cat. The other must have come through the window. Belen-cat is clearly larger, his dark coat rippling over sinew that is pure power. One strong swipe of his clawed paw and the other cat goes flying into a wall.

Silence falls. Outside of the walls, I can hear someone grumble about tomcats and their fights. Hopefully that soldier doesn't come searching for the cats. War is starving, after all.

Belen-cat is stalking toward the other, his tail twitching in agitation.

"Belen-cat, no!" I snap, trying to keep my voice to soft to be heard by the soldiers outside the window.

He listens, miraculously. Sitting back on his haunches, he starts to lick his side, grooming the ruffled fur. Mishu and Mushu start to pet him, helping him with his cat-bath.

I approach the stunned small cat cautiously. I'm only a few lengths away when I realize that I recognize this cat. As its eyes meet mine, I breathe out her name, "Tafia."

I push my sense of the bonds out towards the smaller cat. I need to know if Tafia is in there, or if she is gone and this is the shade of her cat, just like Belen-cat.

I see no bonds except for the familiar red-hot collar. This cat has consumed my blood. But then, where is Tafia? Is she still alive and either way, how did her cat suddenly return and drink my blood?

Tafia-cat sits up with a struggle, letting out a soft, spitting hiss towards Belen-cat. He ignores her, done with the smaller female now that he's put her in her place.

She limps to her feet, then hurries to my side and curls back up in a ball. The shade who attacked and almost killed me once is acting like a pet. I look at her collar, and pick up the leash. The connection fuses together. A simple deed. It's about time something went easily.

"Enlil?" I turn to the warrior.

"Yes, my Lady?"

"What are the undead doing?"

"They are nearly finished building the walls. Their army has swollen in size even though War beats them back and destroys high numbers each day."

"Because there is no end to the dead," I sigh. Didn't Lier call it a plague? Tafia-cat leans against my legs, purring up at me. I scratch her ears, once again wondering what happened to Tafia's soul.

"Enlil?"

"Yes, My Lady?"

"I must ask you to do something for me."

"Anything," he states promptly.

"Can you fetch water from my father's sacred pool in the Death temple? Enough to fill this cairn?" I walk out of the toilet room and show Enlil Belen's empty sarcophagus.

He nods, but looks uncertain. "I'm told the roof collapsed to the chamber, my Lady, after..."

I take a deep breath. I can try to do this without my water, but it centers me, calms me, lets me control the grief that I know is coming.

"Just try?" I whisper.

"Anything, My Lady." He responds.

"Be careful. It may burn your skin."

Enlil shocks me when he reaches out and runs his thumb along my cheek. Only then do I realize that I'm crying. "I'm fine, see?" he holds up his hand to show me.

My smile is wobbly. "Good."

"I will hurry, My Lady." He bows to me like the assassins did and before I can tell him that isn't necessary, he leaves.

I sit down next to the wall and do what I've been doing for the past day. Think. There are two central gates to this city along the main artery. I have two assassins. Enlil... he will fill the cairn, hopefully, and what will I have him do next? My cats are very pretty and fairly dangerous, but what cat ever obeys orders? My gargoyles will do what they can to help me, but I have to admit that I would sacrifice Enlil, Rasted, and Gired before putting my little beasties in danger.

Harku crawls into my arms as if he knows I'm thinking about them. I kiss his pebble-rough forehead between his eyes.

"I'm so tired."

Sleep beautiful daughter

I will awaken you when it's time

---

Time moves differently down here. It feels like my brother and I have been fighting and training for months, years even. It's probably been three days in the above. A hard lesson to learn, patience. As I watch my brother lift the boulder over his head, repeatedly, I have to agree with Nateos about one thing; Thane has learned more patience than I.

"You should be training, too. Instead of admiring my much better physique," Thane pants out.

I snort. "Your pretty baby skin, you mean?"

"Don't be jealous, Lios."

I just snort again. Taking a sip of water I stare into the cup morosely. I'm thirsty. A little while ago both Thelios and I felt Mara doing... something. Her power welled high enough to travel to the depths of the pits of the Underworld.

This place is a strange one. I realize that now that I've seen the above. I can feel the anticipation in Ersetu, the souls ready for something. Unfortunately, I can't tell if it's a war they are preparing for, or a celebration.

I'm bored. Even the demons that typically haunt this cavern are gone. All Thane and I do is train and fight with each other. I tried to remember the way to the library, but we are locked tight in the bowels of the pit.

Thane comes next to me with a groan of satisfaction, making sure to sprinkle his sweat on me as he does.

"Stop," I mumble.

He just grins. It fades when I don't take the opportunity to punch or kick him.

"What's wrong, Lios?" he asks me.

"I hate being trapped here. Mara is in above. Poppy is in the above. I've fucked up by letting Inanji control me, yank me around by the balls. And now I can't fix my mistakes."

He sighs and sits next to me. "We'll have our chance to fix this, Lios. We need to stay sharp, to keep in fighting shape. Nateos didn't spare your life and put us here together so that we would just languish for eternity."

"How do you know that, Thane?" I ask him. He sounds so certain, but how can anyone know the truth of what a god plans?

"Because, Mara loves you. Nateos loves her. It's pretty simple."

"She can fall in love with someone else," I point out. Fuck, she did fall in love with Thane, after she loved me. Who's to say it won't happen again?

"She still loves you, little brother," he says quietly. "She used to call for you in her sleep. You were never replaced in her heart."

"Yes I was. By you."

He shakes his head. "She doesn't love me. I don't deserve her love and I don't have it."

I disagree, but what can I say to reassure him? "What are you going to do?"

"Anything for her. Everything to make her happy. Whatever it takes."

"Me too," I say quietly.

"Well, isn't that nice. Finally. Took you two long enough. Brothers should act as brothers."

We both look up, startled at the sudden appearance of Patriarch Rimon's shade. Or Nateos, I can't tell if this is a shifter soul or the god.

Thane stands as do I. It's then that I notice that the old male is taller and broader than us both. It's Nateos.

"May we leave this place?" Thane asks respectfully

His bushy, grey eyebrow rises. "And go where, young Thane?"

"To Mara and Poppy," I answer bluntly for us both.

Something passes over his eyes. "The tombs of the Forgotten have been destroyed. All of the doors are broken. How do you intend on leaving the Underworld?"

I open my mouth to reply, but I'm shocked. Broken? I knew that they were. Fuck. I didn't know that those were the ways back and forth.

"All of them?" my brother asks seriously.

"Every one. Inanji knew what she was doing."

"I'm such a fucking coward," I breathe. I pound my fist into my thigh hard enough to hurt. "I was right there and did nothing to stop them!"

"Lios-"

"No!" I cut Thane off. "Fuck me. Fuck me! I was right there and hid like a fucking coward!"

"You were drugged and wounded, young male," Nateos interrupts my self-flagellation. "But you see the issue. I cannot send more warriors to my daughter. She is on her own. She sent her Basru from her side and-"

"What?" Thane interrupts him, sounding like he's being strangled. "Why? Why would she do that?"

"Because, Lier has fallen into Inanji's bed and she intends on destroying Tmari and the gods' playthings. She sent them to guard my granddaughter and my living postites. She is sacrificing herself and you two have not a single plan to help her!" He is roaring by the end of his rant. The visage of old age falls away, piece by piece revealing the god underneath the disguise. Strong, dark, and incandescent with rage stemming from his own impotency, the Lord of the Underworld towers over us.

"Let us free," Thane chokes out. "We will find a way."

"How, you stupid child?" the god seethes. "My daughter's fate hangs in the balance and-"

"Let us into the Arena," I blurt out. "We will fight our way to the top."

"We?" the god quirks an eyebrow.

"Together," Thane confirms. "We fight until War himself must challenge us."

Nateos tilts his head back and starts to laugh. My brother and I shift on our feet, uncomfortable with the dark humor in his mocking tone.

"That is your plan? To fight together until you can take power from Urto himself? Ah, my sister was correct. She told me you two would become true brothers. Took you long enough," he states a little meanly.

"We will become gods, Lord Nateos," Thane continues. The laughter stops. "That is what you want for your daughter, true? Gods for her Fated lovers. And we will be able to move in and out of this realm at will. Once we are gods."

"Gods," Nateos says quietly. He nods. "At long last, you two finally understand. I will bring you to the arena. Let not one challenger leave walking, understand? These are not demons you will be fighting, but the greatest warriors of Tasuri lineage to ever walk the above."

"We will cripple them all," Thane swears for us both.

"So be it. Hurry, children."

"I hate that he calls us children," I mutter to Thane as well quickly strap on our weapons.

"Just hurry, Lios. This is our chance."

Anticipation thrums through me as we jog out of the pit, at last. The tunnel we pass through stinks of demons and decay, but whoever was making that stench doesn't appear to slow us down.

We come to the rise, into the dim light of the Underworld's lack of sun. The unearthly glow of the land provides the light, neverending and unchanging. The city of Ersetu stretches out on the Plains of the Dead below us, the black and red palace of Irkalla hovering ominously above it all.

"Hurry," The Lord of the Underworld snaps. Long gone is the elderly Patriarch. All that remains is a male showing the purity of the greatest of Tasuri warriors. Horns curl from the top of his dark head. Paler skin than most is tinged the slightest green. Mara's dark eyes snap furiously in a face hewn from granite. Wings stretch from his back, dark black blocking out our view as he starts to rush down a steep stone staircase cut into the cliff face.

"If I had my wings," I mutter. Fuck. If I had my wings then I could fly down with the god and my brother.

Thane claps me on the back, shoving me a little further down the staircase. "Afraid of heights?"

"No," I snap back. I'm not. I just want to go faster. Get to the arena faster. Get back to my family faster.

"Sure about that?" he pushes past me, feet nimbly racing down the staircase.

I take up the challenge immediately, tripping Thane as I run past him. I chuckle as I hear him curse. He comes back at me, kicking me in the back of my knees before I can move out of his way. I stumble, falling into a boulder lining the staircase.

"Sorry," Thane gasps with mock horror. "Are you alright, little brother?"

"Asshole," I mutter. I stand straight again, practically falling in my haste to reach the bottom before my brother does.

I tackle him only a few stairs from the bottom, making sure my knee hits his gut hard enough to push the air from his lungs.

"Fucker," he wheezes out.

"Children," the god thunders.

We both look up guiltily. We are at the bottom. A few lengths from us is a bridge wrought of bone and dust, blackened from ash as the waters of the Crone River flow underneath.

"This is the gate of the Warrior. The closest of seven to the Arena. If you two are finished acting like toddlers, we may proceed."

We both stand up, chastened by the hard look on the gods' face.

"You will walk to the gate of the Arena and hand the doorkeeper this. It is up to you to convince him to allow you two to fight together. If you tell him that you will take on all challengers he may be persuaded to allow you entry. Once inside, the ringmaster will set up your first fight. Good luck to you."

The god hands us a gold coin. Thane takes it, running his thumb over its surface.

The god disappears into the crowd approaching the gate.

"Fuck, this is it, brother," Thane says quietly.

We start walking towards the gate. Other souls move out of our way as they see us coming.

"What if we can't fight together?" I mumble.

"Listen to me, Lios. You are a Tasuri, the champion of the Underworld, a son of the First House and a Lord in your own right. We are both Captains in the above and here. This gatekeeper will be intrigued. Act as though we belong in the Arena, together. Give him no real choice to refuse our entry."

"You do the talking," I tell him, panicking a little as the high grey walls of the Arena loom in front of us. In contrast to the starkly smooth walls, the gate we are approaching is small, the doorway low enough that both Thane and I will have to duck to enter.

"Champion Thelios, are you here to enter the contests?" an oily voice that oozes greed greets me. A goblin is the gatekeeper. Green skin, covered in boils frame a set of glowing yellow eyes. Sharply pointed teeth snap at us in a macabre grin.

It fades as Thane stares him down, muscles rippling, face set and hard. I match my brother's stance, remembering what he told me. I am the Champion of the Underworld. I've been to the Arena before.

"There are two of you?" the goblin squeaks.

Thane raises an eyebrow over grey eyes as cold as frost. The goblin's eyes dart back and forth to us, a cold sheen of sweat forming on his brow. He begins to shiver, nerves overcoming him. Just as he looks ready to faint, Thane speaks.

"Thane, Captain of the Basru and Thelios, Captain of the Recondites. We wish to fight in the Arena," he says, sounding bored.

"Captains," the goblin breathes. His nervousness disappears as he rubs his hands together. "Yes, yes, come in, Captains. You have sponsors? Coins? Who shall be first?" he beckons us to pass by him.