Dominions

Chapter 29: Judah

It was dim. 

That was the first thing Judah was able to comprehend wherever he was. Only fire torches gave enough light to vaguely see his surrounding. The hallway he was in was narrow. So narrow Judah believed that even walking side by side with another person in the hallway would be impossible. 

The stone flooring was rough and uneven. A red carpet was laid on the floor. The walls were lined with multiple red cloths on them. Each cloth has a picture of a grotesque heart on it. In the center of the heart, an arrow was embroidered into it. 

Judah had never seen this symbol before. 

His breath quickened as he cautiously walked down the hallway. He had no idea where he was, and he wasn't about to just get caught standing around and twiddling his thumbs. He suspected something magical was in the works. One second he was at the gymnasium watching Selena use a badass tornado to fight Ander and the next he was here. 

He walked to the edge of the hallway when he heard footsteps behind him. He paused and turned around slowly. Judah wasn't sure what he expected, but when he turned around he was face to face with a Harplie. Judah let out a scream and instantly threw a forcefield over himself, but to his surprise, the monster walked right past him and turned the corner. 

Judah felt his heart beating a mile a minute. He walked down the hallway and turned the corner down the same passage the Harplie went. It moved with great speed and walked directly to a door at the end of the corridor Judah stood in. Judah ran down the hall and caught up to the monster right as the door opened. 

A woman with light blue skin opened the door. She was wearing next to nothing and had a  red oval gem on her forehead. Her hair was the color of fire, and it was slicked back with a type of oil.  The Harplie saved no subtleties as he looked the woman up and down. She rolled her eyes, but still stepped aside for the Harplie to enter, and Judah followed closely behind. They entered a room that was more lit up than the hallway.

Various fire torches lit the room up. There was a giant wooden bed frame in the center with a plush feather mattress. Red bedding was spread all across it, and large feathery pillows were placed at the top of the bed. Across from the bed was a large antique mirror.

A dresser sat to the side of the bed, and a window was directly above the dresser. On the opposite side of the bed sat a small couch set and a small coffee table sat in the center between them. The Harplie walked straight into the sitting area and took a seat. It took its hood off and Judah was surprised to see a face on this one. 

This Harplie didn't look like any of the ones Judah had seen. This Harplie had no scales. His skin was pale, almost sickeningly so, and his features were sharp and mouse-like. He had rotting teeth that looked as if someone had taken a yellow highlighter and scribbled all around them. His eyes were a piercing blue, and his hair jet-black hair was matted and looked filthy. 

The woman tried to hide her disgust as she sat across from him on the other couch. She crossed her legs and leaned back against the cushion. "He isn't happy, Dullo," she raised her eyebrows and looked him up and down. "He isn't happy at all, you told us that the Harplies would end the threat the Dominions possessed. Instead, you managed to bring us exactly no powers. Yet, you had no problem taking our money." 

"Deidre," said Dullo with a sneer. An air of cockiness oozed from him."I'm not scared of you. Where is Gedeon? He's who summoned me here after all." 

Judah's heart stopped beating for a moment when he heard Gedeon's name. Was that where he was right now? Is this the castle where he resides? He felt a nervous feeling in his stomach and instantly began trying to leave. Maybe if he closed his eyes hard enough he would appear back in his body.