Deidre's Death

Underground spring. She felt it again, a sense that this should mean more than it did.

"The souls just appeared," she murmured. "In lakes. With currents."

A gem bubbled to the top of the lake then dropped down, rejoining the rest of them beneath the surface. Deidre cocked her head to the side.

The Lake of Souls in her underworld was always still. What made it bubble? It was a sign that her power was weakening, just like the cracking of the sky in the underworld's dome. The demons had been able to enter her realm when the sky broke apart.

Cracking of the sky.

"Cora, I think I understand," she said. As her excitement grew, she spoke faster. "The dome cracked and the demons came through. What if the lake cracked, too, and the souls went the other way, out of the underworld and into the mortal realm?"

Cora stared at her then out at the lake.

"You're saying there are fifty cracks in the Lake of Souls?"

"The Lake of Souls is much larger than any lake on the mortal world. Maybe it cracked the plane between the two."

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know. Why not?" Deidre couldn't remember it ever happening before, but it almost made sense to her. "We have to see for sure."

"How?"

"Swimming."

Cora's eyes were on the lake. Deidre saw more than interest in them. She saw hope. Cora was loyal to Gabriel but wanted to go home, and right now, the only way there was through Darkyn. For the first time in her life, Deidre pitied the death dealers. They were caught in an impossible position: stay loyal to Gabriel and maybe never see the underworld again or deal with the Dark One to return home.

"Can you swim?" Cora asked.

"It can't be that hard." She trotted to the spot she'd identified from the tree as being where the currents appeared to originate from.

Cora rolled her eyes. She tugged off her weapons and stripped down to her bra and pants. Deidre was too cold to shed her clothing beyond her jacket but did take off her shoes. The cool mountain air made her shiver. She touched the water of the lake and groaned. It was colder than her marble floor!

Tying her hair back, she pulled off her socks, took a deep breath and dove into the frigid lake.

"Wait for -" Cora's words were swallowed by the shock of the cold water.