The following characters do not belong to me but the wonderful Kim Harrison.

- Thank you to all who have reviewed on the last few chapters and thank you all for continuing to read. Enjoy!

Chapter 14 – The Blood Tree

TPOV

There's a patrol car, from the IRS I presume, circulating the perimeter of the church. Yellow police tape cuts off the front doors entrance which is littered with tea light candles, stuffed toys and flowers. They did the same when she died last time. I wonder if she knew how many lives she actually made a difference to or if she just got caught up in the number of people who despised her for what she was. I'm to blame for most of that and the worst thing of all is I can't even remember the logic behind the why's of what I did. I'm a disgusting man, I don't deserve the love of this women but I can't help but think she was falling in love with me too. I cling onto that thought for it means if a soul as pure and white as hers can love me after seeing the very worst, then my soul cannot be too black. And if it is true when they say opposites attract, well then I guess I'm rather….fucked.

Someone's clicking their fingers. Right, forgot about Al. "Trenton, pull your head from your ass already this is a very important night. I need you at your best" He hits me in the back forcing my posture to straighten. I glare at him and even though it's dark I know he sees it.

"This is not a heist Al. We are merely going in to look through a wardrobe. The biggest surprise we will probably have is finding a pair a Rachael's shoes that actually look good"

"Ha! And he can make jokes too!" He smacks me in the back again causing me to stumble forward. "But yes, her shoes were….shudder worthy"

Jaw tensed I imagine blasting him across the street. It's nearly enough to make me smile. I don't particularly want to go in there, too much of her is around but then that part is also what will drag me into her home. Were standing in the street under one of Al's concealing curses, my idea not his. I wanted to come and scope out the dangers before heading in. Al wanted to blast his way in and kill anyone that got in the way. We argued, I won.

After he woke me earlier I quickly changed into black tight fitting clothes and soft soled shoes. At my waist is a pouch with ten sleepy charms and twelve curses but it's not all magic, strapped to my calf is a sharp serrated knife and a gun at the waist of my pants.

"Well, now that we've seen the two little men and their tin car, let's get out of here. Give me your hand."

I roughly place my hand in his, "Your idea would have had the police on us in seconds and me probably shot dead in the street as a murder suspect." Smiling and gripping my hand tighter than necessary he pulls me to him "Like I said. The perfect plan. Plus Elf targets is a wonderful game, who am I to stop them!"

And with that I feel his aura cover mine as we jump a line into Rachael's back garden and Its all I can do not to throw up. It's such an invasive process and one not helped by the greasiness of his aura. As soon as I feel soft grass beneath my feet I twist out of his grip and double over trying to keep down Quen's sandwich.

"Oh shut up. Your not so lilly white yourself mate." Still bent over I glare with watery eyes. "It's better than whatever you are though."

I just have enough time to brace myself when his foot fly's out to kick me in the chest. The breaths knocked out of me as my shoulder slams into the ground painfully. Rolling I spring up into a crouch and throw enough energy to force the demon to duck and lay flat to the ground. The curse misses him by a hairs breadth and slams into a grave stone behind where it shatters throwing chunks of dusty marble everywhere.

We both pause in the silence that follows remembering where we are, both staring with wide eye's at the destroyed grave stone. So much for trying to stay low. Still on the ground Al's now dusty head slowly turns to me and he's grinning.

"And you question my smut?" I'm very tempted to blast him again "Shut up. We need to get inside, someone will have seen that even if they didn't hear it."

Turning to the church I leave Al on the ground as I make my way to the back door but he just pops up there jumping a line again.

"Stop that!" I hiss "The IRS are crawling all over this place which means they're probably monitoring the usage of the line."

Rolling his eyes he flicks a hand at me "Please. Are you always this whiny? No wonder she continued to leave you behind." Ignoring that last comment I shoulder past him to the door but Al places a restricting hand on the doorknob.

"You think they would watch the line and not her door? Stupid Elf." Grabbing me again I don't have chance to prepare this time when he jumps us on the line again into the church. Pulling back I bang into something and hear what sounds like pots clatter to the floor. Breathing ragged I look around ready to kill him but he's nowhere to be seen.

"Damn you Al."

Regaining my equilibrium I take in my surroundings. Its dark in here but I can tell it's the kitchen from the counter behind that I banged into. Pots and pans litter the surface and there's still a lingering smell of herbs. I desperately want to run my fingers along the counter because I know she was here recently, her signatures everywhere from the mess to the once freshly baked cookies left on the side.

I nearly cry seeing that tray, knowing she had probably hoped to come home after her run and eat them with a tea, maybe before bed? But she never got to eat them and though she didn't go to bed, she certainly went to sleep…

Blinking quickly at the threat of tears I turn away from the heartbreaking sight and go in search of the demon. "Al?" I hiss into the quiet

.

Entering the hallway I turn right and carry on down , her bedroom's directly in front. Walking hesitantly I call out again "Al? are you in there?" The doors partially open so I continue on and slowly push the door open only to freeze.

Everything just as she left it. Clothes strewn across the floor, hanging from the bed post. Bed sheets still messy as though she'd just climbed out. I suddenly have to close my eyes when a memory of twisting in bed sheets with her comes to mind. Breathing out shakily I open them again and continue my perusal of the room. There's a half full cup of coffee on a night stand, walking over the scent of her perfumes hits me and I almost stagger to the floor. As I'm righting myself, just beneath the bed I see a forest green gauzy scarf, like something she would have tied in her hair. Knowing I shouldn't but not able to stop myself I reach down and cradle it in my hands. It's so soft. Bringing it to my face I inhale….Oh god but it still smells of her. A blend of red wood, woman and that unique scent that's Rachael.

"Ah, here you are. I've been looking in that other bitch's room for the past five minutes." Startled out of my own personnel hell I quickly shove the scarf into my waist pouch but I doubt he noticed, he's too busy looking at Rachael's room. There's a haunted look in his eyes when they fall on the cup of coffee and I can't help but think he has the same thoughts I did when I saw the cookies.

I watch as he mentally shakes himself and tries to laugh it off. "Well at least I know it's not just my place she messes up." Forcing I small chuckle I said "Tell me about it."

Lapsing into an uncomfortable silence Al suddenly looks up "That the Wardrobe?"

Also looking up I stare at the only one in the room. It's not much, just cheap manufactured wood with double doors."Yeah, I guess…"

Walking fully into the room with a look of determination he goes straight to the wardrobe and throws open the doors. It's full to bursting with clothes on uneven coat hangers and shoe's tumble from the bottom panel. Crouching down, Al bend's his head with eyes closed and places his hands forwards, palm's up to the ceiling as though feeling for something. His brow furrows then his face smooths out with raised eyebrows as though he's surprised.

Edgy and hating that I can't see what he does I grit "What? What do you feel?" Turning his head in my general direction eyes still closed he murmurs,

"I'm not sure…I've not felt this before but… It's has Newts signature….and something else's."

What? "You said something? Not a someone?"

Shaking his head in negation his brow furrows again "No. I mean something….I have never come across before….something not on either side of our lines….its old…very, very old….alive yet…..not?"

What the hell has Rachael got in that wardrobe?

Scared yet very intrigued my heart pounds as I walk closer to Al and crouch down next to him. I wave my hand over the area his hands are in but I feel only empty air. I go to move the shoes below but Al's hand snaps out and grips my wrist.

"Don't." His voice shakes. "Whatever it is down there it's recognized me…its feeling me out. I don't know what will happen if you disturb it." For the first time since I have met the demon he shows fear. No. Not fear. He's terrified. I can see it in the way his body trembles and his hands shake.

Gripping his shoulder, not in concern, but because if he can't cope what chance do I stand? "Al?" I give him a shake "Al? Look at me!"

Wide black eye's shoot open and stare at me bewildered. "It…wants to meet us"

Flinching backwards I'm ashamed of the fear I feel from the uncertainly of all this. "It? So the something's now an 'It'!"

Al ignores me too enraptured by his internal conversion with 'It'. Suddenly very panicked that were way in over our heads here, adrenaline shoots through my system and I'm offered the option of fight or flight.

Flight wins.

Springing into action I start to bat away Al's hand's in the hopes to stop whatever connection he has with It but it's like hitting an immovable pillar. I start to punch his arms trying to weaken them.

"Al! Stop this! You need to let it go. We don't know what that is!... Al!"

He turns and glares at me with something akin to death in his eyes and I'm not entirely sure if that's him or whatever the hell he's talking to.

"Stop it Elf. You want her back?" He hisses.

Al, it's definitely Al… I think. "Of course I do but just…..slow down a moment...stop this!" I pull at his hands with all my strength and they start to move ever so slightly…..just. A. Little. More!

I'm suddenly flying back and crash into the base of Rachael's bed when he smacks me in the face. Blood gushes from my nose and splatters the floorboards. Stunned I bring a hand up to my nose and look at the blood it leaves on my fingers. Glancing upwards I see Al wearing a shocked expression and I know that it wasn't his own will that knocked me away but whatever he was talking to.

Something moving on the floor suddenly catches our attention and I look down to see the droplets of my blood start to merge together and spill in a line along the floor towards the wardrobe. Al scuttles backwards out the way, scared. But it doesn't touch the wardrobe at all but continues beneath the legs at the base where it disappears.

Its silent then and we both share a look that can only be described as 'Oh Fuck' .

And then the floor feels like it falls a couples inches beneath me as it shakes and every piece of dust and mess on the ground vibrates with the force of it. The wall's creek and we both look up, horrified as the trail of blood moves up the wall behind the wardrobe, defying gravity, where it splinters outwards forming patterns.

Now we both scuttle backwards, banging into furniture until we reach the other side of the room and as though in sync, shakily push ourselves upwards whilst gripping the wall behind trying to keep our balance as the floor continues to vibrate.

Never taking my eye's from the wall I watch as the patterns form into an intricate tree of blood with nine main branches and at the end of each branch is a delicate symbol of some sort. When it's fully formed the blood starts to pulse in a soft golden glow and….nothing happens. It just continues to pulse.

Not taking from eye's from the tree I turn my head to Al and shakily whisper "Ever seen something like that before?"

Shaking his head no, still looking at the wall he gruffly whispers "You? It look's Elven."

"No…..that's not Elven…"

"Maybe we sh…"

Suddenly the gold pulse flares up and becomes that bright I have to shield my eyes or risk becoming blinded. There's a high pitched whine in the air like sonic noise and just when I think my eardrums are bleeding the light disappears and then…silence.

Our heavy breaths are the only noise now. Hesitantly I move my arm from my eye' and squint into the now darkened room, a room that is no longer Rachael's bedroom but just a box that is so dark that the dimensions can't be seen. I can't even see Al but I can hear him.

"Trent?"

"Yeah. I'm still here." Where ever the hell here is.

"Right….right…what the fuck just happened?"

He's asking me? What…I never wanted to talk to the damned thing anyway and now look where we are! I go to tell him as much but just then a slither of light appears on what I presume is the ground and grows outwards to form what looks to be a rectangular hole. It's in the floor, illuminated from within. Like a stairway…..

I hear Al give a nervous tension filled laugh. "I don't know about you….….but I'm getting a little tired of lights just popping up"

Now that there's some light I can just make out his face that's half in shadow. "If we get out of this alive I'm going to kill you demon." My voice is cold like death.

Looking taken aback, he soon recovers and glares at me "You agreed to this little mission, let's not pretend that I dragged you down here."

"You said there might me a book in a wardrobe. Not some bloody big pulsing light that eats your blood and suck's you into a goddamn black hole!"

Turning to me he gets in my face. Good. I can turn fear into anger. "It's not my fault Newt hid a fucking…..whatever this is! In Rachael's room! I only wanted to get her back and this seemed like our best shot! It's not like you had a better plan is it now?"

He has me there but my stubborn mind is trying to find faults in his logic. "I told you to take a step back but you wouldn't stop talking to that thing and now were here where ever here is!"

Clenching his jaw he places hands at his hips leaning towards me and grits "It wouldn't let. Me. Stop. I had no choice but to talk to it. I didn't hit you up there, you tried to grab me and the thing didn't like it."

"Yeah and now were down here with it. Congratulations Al! You found Newt's secret wardrobe!"

I turn away running hands through my hair trying to hide my fear and not knowing what to do. God…what if I don't get out….I'll never see my girls again…..Quen…..

Whirling around when I hear feet moving behind me I see Al standing over the lit stairway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Not looking at me but continuing to stare down into the opening he answers "Looking."

Jaw clenched I grit my teeth taking deep breaths through my nostrils. "Looking for what?"

He doesn't answer but takes a deep breath, nods to himself once then makes his way round to the top of the stone steps.

Panicked I run forwards "What are doing, we can't go down there! For all we know this could be Newt's personnel prison and forgive me if I'm mistaken but not a few minutes ago you were just saying you had not a clue what was down here!"

Turning to me I see a set decision and determination in his eyes "Or…It could be the only way to bring Rachael back. What do you want more Trent, to hide and run back now never knowing? Or continue down these stairs with me now and find some answers? Your choice, but either way I am going down these stairs, with or without you."

And with that he turns away and walks down into the light leaving me to stand there in indecision. If I go down there I might never come back and that reality terrifies me. I would never see or hold my children again, never again would I laugh with Quen and I would never see my race grow and become healthy. But if I turn back now I will never hold Rachael again, never hear her laugh again and never watch her grow healthy and whole like she was meant to. In that moment then and there I realise something. Although I love my children and they are my absolute world…they can't save me like she can. Of course their love heals my black soul day by day but soon they will grow and flee the nest and I will be left, alone, to wither and become black once more. But with her…she will stay with me, she will keep me whole and clean, make me the man I want to be.

It is with this realisation and to my absolute shame that I would leave my loved ones, that I realize I cannot, will not live in a world where she doesn't exist. And so I must go down these steps because it is all I have left. Should the worst happen I know Quen will take care of things.

May the Goddess forgive me but I start to descend into the light.

The first thing I notice is the scent of honey. Opening my eyes from the blinding light I find Al standing next to me wearing an unreadable expression. Staring ahead I see that were standing In a long hall of cream stone that holds intricate golden torches to light the way. At the end I can make out more stone but nothing more. Taking a deep breath I walk forwards with a pounding heart.

I hear Al fall into step and feel better that I'm not alone even if it is him at my back. The sound of rushing water reaches my sensitive ears while the scent of honey grows stronger. Continuing on we reach the end of the hall and come face to face with what lies ahead.

For a moment I have no words for I cannot fully comprehend what I'm seeing, Al must struggle too for he is silent.

Were standing on a platform that looks out into a wide, deep circular chamber made also of the same cream stone and the walls are also lined with torches but there's a much larger one at the ceiling. Looking more closely I realize it's not actually a torch but a huge orange and gold ball of fire, held by nothing as though it just levitates at the ceiling like a living entity. But that's not the main feature. From our standing level there are nine golden and crystal thrones evenly lining the outer edges of the chamber where water cascades down behind and within each throne is a marble being.

From here they look to be humanoid of origin but at a closer glance there are subtle changes, their eyes too slanted and large, their cheek bones too prominent yet beautifully sculptured and their lips are a work of art in their lushness but would be too big for a human. Each one can be seen to wear a robe but in there too are slight changes showing a distinction between male and female. And above each throne is one of the symbols that could be seen attached to each limb of the blood tree. There is no mistaking that these are…..not people….but something of a great importance. The airs thick with power….their power.

At the bottom of each throne, stone steps protrude following the curvature of the room and work their way down as though in a coliseum fashion where they meet a floor made of the same stone but here lies an alter. It protrudes from the middle of a large basinal depression within the floor and I can't help but imagine water once filling it. Just a little in front of the basin is another smaller depression with a single tiny hole in the centre where carvings of swooping vines spread out to line the inner curves of the depression.

"Well that's something you don't see every day." I jump completely forgetting I'm not alone but there's something majestic about this place, it pulls you in.

Nodding but still gazing at the room I said "You can say that again."

A hand grabs my shoulder and I flinch but its only Al "Look there. That just appeared" He points an arm in the direction of the alter and I'm taken aback when I see what looks like a large Ivory book lying near the edge. Where the hell did that come from? I glance up sharply to the thrones but the beings are still there, still staring forwards with hands turned palm side down on their thighs.

Al moves from behind me and very gingerly places one foot on the first row of steps leading down. I stop breathing and wait for something, anything to happen…but it doesn't come. Smiling triumphantly Al climbs down the steps and I follow once I'm satisfied there's no danger. Let Al be the guinea pig.

Reaching the depression where the alter is, I can estimate that it's at least one meter deep which would place the alter level with the water if it were filled. Walking around the basin I can't see how we would get the book without climbing down into it.

"How do we get the book? It's too risky to…"

Al leaps over the basins gap which is at least three meters wide and lands on the alter like a large green velvet cat. We both freeze when the alter shakes on its platform and I look up to the thrones expecting them to smite us down for our disrespect. But again…..nothing happens. It's as though whatever this place used to be has gone dormant.

Looking around Al stands up and laughs out loud as though he's the king of the world and wipes sweat from his face.

"You fool!" I hiss. "What would you have done had that alter fallen beneath you? They may look just like stone up there but I'm not willing to risk the wrath of…..whatever they are!" I fling my hands upwards to emphasis the last.

Walking steadily to the book so as not to uneven the platform he said " I would have ran like the devil himself were chasing me and you are right, they are not stone, I spoke to them remember?"

That freezes my blood cold in my veins. It's one thing to stand in this room thinking their stone but to actually have conformation that they are living…probably watching us right now…it is enough to scare even myself away.

Al now has the book and sits down crossed legged on the platform with it in his lap. I watch fascinated with held breath as he opens the first page with shaky hands…again there's no smiting and I release my long held breath.

His face is one of wonder and shock when he looks down into the book and it makes him look like the young man he pretends to be.

"What is it? What does it say?

My hearts beating so hard I think I might pass out….could this be it?...Please Goddess let this be it.

"Come here Elf and have a look" He's smiling, that's got to mean something.

The platform toppled with just his weight, would it hold mine too? Mentally I tell myself to get a grip, so far all I've done is complain and show fear while Al run's around heading into things without a second thought. How am I to bring her back if I can't even do this?

Walking backwards about seven paces I take a deep, calming breath and train my eyes on the spot just next to Al who sits just off centre and to one side….…and then I run, reach the lip of the basin and jump stretching my front leg out as far as it will reach…..and then impact. I land on the balls of my feet, crouched and the blood rushing in my ears.

Glancing up again I see the beings have still not moved and feel reassured that I'm forgiven. Shifting over to Al I peer down into the book only to find I'm disappointed. It is just that…merely a book with words written in a language I do not understand though it looks beautiful and figures that mimic sacrificial depictions. Al however is enraptured and I watch as his eye's skim over the pages so I know he can read it. I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of hope. This is it…..I know it is.

Not being able to take the suspense anymore my voice comes out hoarse when I ask "What does it say Al? Does it tell us how to bring her back?

Smiling like I have never seen him do before he looks up at me with bright eyes set in the determination of a man who has a long yet exciting mission.

"Even better…..It tells us how to get to the After Life."