Page 57 of The Beyond
“How do we get through?” Selene asked.
But once again, the moment Lucas moved forward, the way parted. The dark shadows moved aside as if they were water.
Lucas started walking slowly ahead. The shadows closed around them, only parting for a few feet ahead of each step.
It seemed like hours later when a large structure appeared ahead.
“The gate,” Mia said, and Scott felt a shiver race through their joined bodies.
“Sorry,” Mia joked. “Still, it’s spooky as hell.”
“It is hell,” Lucas reminded her.
“Yeah, something to write home about,” Mia said dryly.
The closer they got, the clearer it became how large the gate was. Finally, they stood at the base of the massive structure. It looked nothing like Rodin’s sculpture depicting the gate, which he’d seen a picture of once.
It was almost a hundred stories high with two large black spikes on either side. Along each spike, snake-like creatures twisted and turned, opening and closing the gate as each shadow passed through.
It was far more beautiful than Scott would have imagined.
“Now what?” Mia asked.
Selene shifted and stood on their back when they came to the base of the gate. “Now I do my thing.”
“I call upon the Fates,” Selene said loudly. “So that they may answer a question.”
A banging sound echoed so intensely that Selene almost fell off them.
The gates shut and remained so for almost an entire minute.
“Did it work?” Mia asked.
Suddenly, the doors opened, and the shadows moved back as three women stepped forward.
Once they were outside, the gate shut silently behind them.
The women peered at Selene, standing high on the dog’s back.
The women were dressed in long black robes that clung to their bodies. He’d always imagined the Fates as old, hag-like creatures. Instead, beautiful fair-haired women of around twenty years old stood before them, each with different brightly colored eyes.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
“What trickery is this?” the yellow-eyed women asked, her voice echoing loudly across the space.
“They think they can deceive us,” the red-eyed one said as they all moved closer to them.
Selene felt the dog that was her three friends shift under her.
“Steady,” she heard Lucas say.
“An impressive feat. It is an impressive feat that they have made it this far,” the green-eyed one said, stepping forward. “I am Clotho. Spinner of life.”
“And I am Lachesis, dispenser of life.” The yellow-eyed woman stepped forward.
“I am Atropos, ender of life.” The red-eyed woman smiled as she stepped forward.
“What is it you want of us, child of darkness?” Clotho asked Selene. Selene turned her eyes to the woman.
