by Bree Despain
“You’re the king now,” I say, remembering that first conversation. “You’re the one who forced me into that chair. It made me forget . . . forget everything.” But why? More memories tumble into my brain, and I know the answer. I drop my gaze from his kingly attire to his feet. From underneath his black and gold sandals, two shadows stretch across the marble floor. “You’re working for the Keres,” I say. “You’ve been working for them all along. You manipulated everyone, the entire situation, so you would come out on top. You made yourself the king. And now you’re trying to get the Key so you can free all the Keres and destroy the Underlords . . . And from there . . .”
“And from there, take over the five realms,” he says. “Very good. This will be so much easier now that we’re all on the same page.”
“What will be easier?”
“Making you pay for Daphne’s betrayal.” He crouches over me and before I can react, he touches his hands to both of my shoulders. It feels as though his fingers are daggers stabbing into my flesh, but I know it’s the electricity. It spreads into my chest, and I can feel my heart rattling in my ribcage . . .
chapter fourteen
haden
“Where is she? Where the hell is Daphne?” Demi demands.
“Apt question considering the circumstances,” Lexie whispers to me behind her hand. I’m confused for a second before I get that she’s making a hell reference.
Daphne’s mom places her hands on her hips, and I can see the resemblance to her Amazon warrior ancestors. She glares at Joe.
Joe takes a step back. “I thought you were on your way back to Utah?”
“You think I’d get on some bus to another state when I haven’t heard a word from my daughter after a natural disaster? I sat up all night at the shelter trying to call her until my battery ran out. Had to borrow a charger from some kid this morning, and when I saw that I still hadn’t gotten a response from Daphne, I started calling you,” she says the word as if it were a slap in Joe’s face. “I would have been here sooner if it weren’t for that crazy mayor of yours. She wouldn’t let anyone leave the shelter even though the storm has been over for hours. I had to bribe a security guard and spend a week’s salary to get something called an Uber to give me a ride back into town now.” She narrows her eyes at all of us, taking in the whisk Joe still holds aloft in his hand, dripping egg yolk on his expensive-looking shoes. “And how exactly did you all get back here so quickly?”
Joe stares at her, wild-eyed. He opens and closes his mouth in a way that reminds me of a fish.
“We . . . um . . . never left . . .” Jonathan says.
Demi’s eyes widen as if she realizes for the first time that Jonathan is in the room. I imagine that in her rage, she had her sights set specifically on Joe. “And what are you doing here?” she asks. “Do you know how many times I’ve called to see what happened to you when we got split up after the play?”
“Spotty reception . . . at the hospital?” Jonathan offers.
“Hospital? Is Daphne . . .” She takes in his bandaged shoulder and arm sling, and her expression goes from anger to concern. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Jonathan nods. “Just a mild case of . . . getting struck by lightning.” He chuckles as if it were no big deal.
Demi’s mouth drops open in shock.
Jonathan raises his hand to reassure her he’s fine. “I’m okay, really. Just a flesh wound. I went looking for Daphne after the play and had a minor run-in with a small lightning bolt. Daphne and Joe took me to the hospital. They make you turn off your cell phones . . . so that’s why you couldn’t get a hold of any of us.”
“Uh . . . yeah. Hospital. No cell phone,” Joe says, and then goes back to looking like a gaping fish.
“I’m glad you’re okay, but I wish one of you had thought to pick up a courtesy phone and give me a call. I’ve been sick with worry,” Demi says. “Where is Daphne now? I want to see her.”
Joe and Jonathan exchange a look—as if each is silently trying to convince the other to answer the question. Jonathan shakes his head vehemently, letting Joe know it’s his responsibility. In turn, Joe looks like he’s about to have a panic attack.
Demi’s expression starts to narrow again.
“Camping,” Ethan says. He steps forward and offers his hand to Demi. “I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself properly out front. I’m Mr. Bowman, Daphne’s humanities teacher.” He pulls his hand back when Demi doesn’t take it. “We’re just headed out on a school camping trip.” He points at his duffle bag. “Daphne already left with an earlier group. You probably still can’t get her on her cell phone because the reception is lousy in the mountains.”
“If Daphne is already in the mountains, then why are you convening in Joe’s house?” she asks, her expression becoming skeptical.
“Because . . .” I say. “Because . . . Joe volunteered to provide some snacks for the campers. We just stopped by to pick up the supplies. Isn’t that right, Joe?”
“Yesss, that’s right.” Joe nods. Without taking his eyes off of Demi’s glare, he picks up the box of waffle cones and grabs a can labeled “blue cheese stuffed kalamata olives” and hands them to me. “Here you go, kids. Have fun on that camping trip.”
“Thanks, Mr. Vince,” Lexie says, playing along. We all know that if Joe and Demi get into the truth while we’re all still here, we could very well miss our window for heading to the Skyrealm. That’s a fight that could last a century.
“Well, we had better get going,” Jonathan says, picking up Ethan’s duffle with his good arm. “We can get dinner on the road.”
He starts backing away to the exit.
Demi whirls on him. “Wait, you’re going on this camping trip?”
“Uh, yes. Joe wasn’t feeling well so I volunteered to take his place as a parent chaperone. That’s why I haven’t headed back to Ellis yet. I’m sorry, I thought I texted you all of this.”
Demi pulls a phone from her pocket. “Oh,” she says, looking unsure of herself for the first time as she taps at it. I remember Daphne mentioning that her mom wasn’t big on cell phones and technology because everything was within “shouting distance” in Ellis Fields. “I still haven’t figured out how to properly use this fancy phone Daphne sent me for Christmas. She said it would cut down on my long-distance bills . . . But I don’t know about this thing . . .” She looks up at Jonathan. “Wait, when did you guys have time to coordinate all this? And if you just got struck by lightning, why are you the one going camping?”
“Um, the doctor said that exercise and fresh air are the best medicine,” Jonathan offers.
“What?” Demi’s tone grows incredulous. “And why is the school going on a camping trip right after a natural disaster? Isn’t most of the town still at the evacuation shelter? And . . . And . . .”
We can all see the whole story unraveling, our chance to leave for the Skyrealm about to slip away.
“The trip was prepaid. No refunds. We’re bussing kids from the shelter. And now we had better be off,” Ethan says in his most authoritative teacher voice before she can ask any more questions. “I would offer to have you along, Ms. Raines, but there’s no more room in the car, and I am afraid you don’t have the proper footwear for hiking,” he says, indicating the thin sandals she wears. “And Lexie, why don’t you go get our other camper and help her out to the driveway?” He points up to the second floor.
Lexie nods and looks all too happy to extricate herself from this conversation as she heads off to collect Terresa from upstairs. Demi looks like she’s in shock and not quite sure how to respond.
“Sorry to run out on you, hon,” Jonathan says. “Joe will explain everything. And Haden, how about you go secure . . . I mean, see if our other parent volunteer is ready to go.”
“Other parent volunteer?” I ask.
“Your father. He’s coming with us, isn’t he?”
“Oh, yes, him.” A heaviness settles in my gut, and I worry I am about to get sick aga
in. Or perhaps that feeling is the dread I feel at being in my father’s presence once more, even if he is under a sleeping spell. I nod to Daphne’s mother. “It was nice to see you again, Ms. Raines. I will tell Daphne you called and make sure she calls you back as soon as she is able,” I say, hoping I’m not lying. I want more than anything for Daphne to be able to call her mother.
“But what about . . . What about . . . ?” Joe trails off like he doesn’t even know what he was going to say. He looks more than stricken over the idea of being abandoned alone with Daphne’s mom.
She, on the other hand, looks completely confused as everyone rushes out of the room.
“Thank you again for the supplies, Mr. Vince,” I say, tucking Joe’s contributions under my arm. I lean in close and whisper to him, “Give us a head start, and then tell her. If she’s anything like Daphne, she’ll be able to handle it better than you think.”
I feel absolutely guilty leaving Joe behind, but also absolutely relieved that I won’t have to see Demi’s face when she hears the truth about her daughter’s whereabouts.
Even running headlong into the Skyrealm, to infiltrate its most safeguarded prison, seems like the highly preferable option.
chapter fifteen
daphne
Three sets of glinting eyes close in on me in the darkness. I try singing to ward them off, but I know it won’t work even before it doesn’t. I may be deeper in the cave, but I am still somewhere on the royal grounds. The eyes move closer. The sound of growling fills my ears. I grab something from the pile and chuck it as hard as I can at one of the pairs of eyes. I miss, but now the beasts are provoked. With a snarl, they charge. I grab the cracked wagon wheel from the pile and pull it on top of me like a shield. A second later, a great weight lands on the wheel. One of the beasts—no, all of them—are on top of it. I push against the wheel, trying to keep their clawing paws and snapping mouths away from me. One paw rakes my shoulder. Claws tear my flesh and I scream.
It echoes through the cavern, bouncing off the walls. But I know there’s no magic to it like when I screamed at the Keres who had attacked my father. I still have no power. The beasts are undeterred. I hear the wagon wheel cracking, giving way under the beasts’ weight. I hold it up with one shoulder and grab something else—the statue—from the pile and start frantically trying to beat the beasts back. I get in one good blow. Slamming the base of the figurine between one of the pairs of glowing eyes. I watch as the eyes fade to black. The other beasts screech. A moment later, a paw swipes the figurine from my hand, raking my wrist. I feel blood spurt from the wound, snaking down my arm. I’m bleeding much too quickly.
One of the beasts kicks against the wheel. I feel it finally snap, my only barrier falling away. I hunt for another weapon but only come up with the fedora.
One of the beasts snaps it from my grasp.
“Don’t you dare!” I say, and let my hand fly, knocking the hat from its jaws.
The beast snarls at me. It’s the noise of an animal that’s not just hungry, but angry.
I’m done for.
Then a bright light fills the cavern. I close my eyes against it, raising my arm to fend off another attack, but instead all that follows is a flash of heat and two great squealing screams. Then a fainter pair of whimpers.
I open my eyes and find not three beasts, but one, lying dead or at least dying on the ground in front of me. It’s a large animal whose body resembles a rat, except it’s as large as wolf—and, you know, has three heads.
A hellrat?
Now I know why Haden’s hellcat, Brimstone, can hulk out to the size of a panther on steroids. She’d have to if this is what their average rat looks like. It twitches, prostrate, a flaming torch protruding from its back.
In the light of the flickering deathtorch, I see Shady standing over the three-headed beast.
“Kore!” he moans at me. “I told you to stay. Tooo dangerous!”
“You’re the one who left me alone in a cave with that thing,” I shout back, even though it’s an awfully ungrateful thing to say to someone who has saved my life for a third time now.
“Hellrats will not crossss water,” he says. “You would have been ssssafe if yooou stayed.”
“Well, you could have mentioned that before.”
“That was whaaat ‘stay here, toooo dangerous’ was supposed to mean!”
I smirk. Maybe it is just my mind playing tricks on me—like that guy in Castaway who made friends with a volleyball—but it seems to me that Shady is starting to show a personality.
Shady grabs the beast by the legs and drags it away. He comes back a few moments later with the torch (not seeming to mind the blood dripping from the end of it) in one hand and a bundle of some sort under his other arm. He uses a couple of objects from the junk pile to prop up the torch and then places his bundle on the ground.
“You are bleeding,” he says. He kneels next to me and pulls something from the bundle. A red cloak that reminds me of what one of the chariot drivers had been wearing. Shady tears the cloak into strips and wraps one tightly around my bleeding wrist. Then he uses another to bind my shoulder. I notice he turns his face from me as he works, as if either the sight or smell of my blood is bothersome to him.
Please don’t mean it makes him hungry.
“You can see?” I ask. “And smell?”
I hope that’s not an offensive thing to ask someone without facial features—other than a mouth, that is.
“I see without eyes,” he says without giving any other clarification.
He moves to my knee next. After wrapping it in strips of cloth, he takes two thin pieces of wood from his bundle and places them on either side of my leg like splints. The wood is painted black with flecks of gold. Next he grabs a couple of lengths of leather that look like they were cut from a horse’s reins. He uses them to strap the splints against my thigh and calf, supporting my injured knee.
“This is all stuff from the chariot crash?” I ask, noticing in his bundle what looks like a breastplate and helmet that must have belonged to one of the guards. “You went back there?”
Shady nods and finishes tying off one of the straps.
“Was he dead?” I ask, pointing at the soldier’s helmet.
Shady nods again. “Him and one other. Torn apart by Shades.”
“The other, was he a guard or a noble?”
Shady cocks his head to the side as if he doesn’t understand the question.
“Was he dressed in black and gold?” I ask, thinking of Garrick. It’s a callous thought, but if Garrick didn’t survive the attack, then that might mean I was free of the binding spell and could leave the Underrealm without him.
I hold my breath until Shady shakes his head. “No.”
“Oh,” I say, not sure if I am relieved or not. An ill feeling creeps into my stomach. I can’t believe I was hoping for someone else’s death in exchange for my freedom. Is this place changing me? “You collect things?” I ask, gesturing at the pile.
Shady nods. He almost seems excited that I’ve asked about his collection.
“This hat,” I say, lifting the fedora. There’s a tear in the back of the brim from where the hellrat had tried to steal it. “When did you find it?”
“Few days ago.”
I gasp. This hat has to be Tobin’s. It even has the same periwinkle ribbon around the base. “Where? Was it with someone? Was there a boy . . . ?” I hesitate. “Was there a body?”
Shady is still for a moment. I hold my breath again. Finally he says, “No boy. No body.”
I let out my breath, not sure if his words should make me more or less hopeful about Tobin’s condition.
“There wasss a boat.”
“A boat? You found this at a shipwreck, right?”
He nods.
This time I am hopeful. “Was there anything else there? Like a big golden staff with two prongs?” I say, trying to describe the Key of Hades. Maybe Shady found that too. Maybe the thing I had been looking for w
as right here in his hoarder’s heap! “It’s vitally important.”
“Did not see staff.”
I hang my head.
“Could have been, though. I fished hhhhat from water from my raft. Staff could have been in the boat. I could nnnnot get closer. Shades can nnnnot tread on Elysium shore.”
I nod. My guide from Elysium had told me we were safe from Shades on its shores. That was after she had led me back to the shipwreck to look for Tobin and the Key. Both had been missing then, and from the sound of it, they had been gone when Shady happened upon it as well.
“I am sorry I could not assist youuu in this, Kore.”
“It’s okay. And you can call me Daphne.” I pick at the bandage wrapped around my knee, feeling crippled more by doubt than my injuries. Tears start to well in the corners of my eyes. “There’s probably nothing you could have done anyway. The Key is probably lost forever. It’s probably at the bottom of the River of Woe with my best friend and that old man.”
“Old man?”
I wipe at my eyes. “Charon. I think that’s his name. The boatman. We found him unconscious at the docks near Persephone’s Gate. There was a pack of Shades coming and I didn’t want him to get eaten—no offense—so we took him with us. I couldn’t find him after the crash. I can only assume he drowned.”
“Charon cannot drown,” Shady says. He’s finished with my bandages and has started adding objects from his bundle to his pile. I can see now in the light of the torch that the heap is at least twelve feet high, and who knows how deep. “He hasss one of those.” Shady pats his clavicle. I’m not sure what he’s referring to, but before I can ask, he goes on. “It protects him from water. So he can do his job forever.”
“Charon can’t drown?”
The women of Elysium had told me I was alone when they found me. Tobin had disappeared, and Garrick had survived the crash and wandered off on his own. If the Key had still been there, Garrick would have taken it. I had assumed the old man had drowned—having been unconscious when the boat threw us out—but what if he’d been the first to recover? What if he took the Key? What if all I had to do to find it was find him? “Do you know Charon? Do you know where I can find him?” I try to stand but it’s nearly impossible on my own, the way my leg is tied straight with the splint. “Can you take me to him?”