by Linsey Hall
Breath held, I watched the servers.
The one on the left shrugged. “Strange.”
“Very,” said the other.
Huh, weird. I could understand ancient Greek. I’d been able to read it before, though, so I supposed it made sense.
They continued on their way, moving sedately down the hall, trays carefully balanced. When they entered the main serving room, we followed, moving quickly and quietly behind them.
The five of us stopped near the wall, waiting for them to serve the soup. I stared, breath held, as the two judges sipped at their spoons. The servers turned and went back to the kitchen, but I gave it a couple more minutes. Hopefully the judges wouldn’t go facedown in their dinner. That would definitely alert suspicion.
After a little while, their shoulders sagged, and the hum of their conversation slowed. It was working.
Maximus glanced at me, and I nodded, then gestured to Romeo, Poppy, and Eloise. They sprinted forward on silent feet. Romeo stood on his hind legs, his little arm stretched up toward the loose pocket in the judge’s robes.
Please let the key be there.
Romeo was too short, unable to get his hand all the way into the pocket. Eloise scooted under him, her sturdy badger form lifting him up just high enough that he could reach in.
I held my breath as he dug around, hoping the judge couldn’t feel him. The man twitched once, but didn’t look down. Or worse, move his hand toward his pocket.
When Romeo yanked a big golden key out of the judge’s pocket, I wanted to whoop with victory. Which I didn’t, obviously, because that would be dumb as hell.
The Menacing Menagerie raced back toward us, and I gestured for them to keep going. We’d meet at the bush where we’d hidden earlier.
With the key safely out of the room, it was time for me and Maximus to get to work.
Silently, we approached the judges. I headed for Aeacus, while he took Rhadamanthus. As I passed by the table, I studied the judges. Their eyelids drooped, and they moved their spoons like they were sloths.
Hmmm. Almost too much potion.
Dang.
I picked up the pace, sneaking behind Aeacus. He had grizzled white hair, and I gagged slightly at what I might have to use it for.
No time for that.
Being grossed out would only slow me down. I ignored it and used the tiny scissors to snip off a bit of hair, which I shoved into my pocket. I looked up to see Maximus finish the same job with Rhadamanthus.
Then we got the heck out of there, hurrying back down the hall and through the kitchens.
It was full dark by the time we made it outside, and the Menacing Menagerie were waiting for us.
I crouched behind the bushes and rubbed Romeo’s head. “Well done, guys.”
I gave Eloise and Poppy a quick pet, then took the key from Romeo.
“Smooth move with the scissors,” Maximus said. “Those guys never noticed a thing.”
I grinned. “Hopefully he won’t notice that missing key, either.”
“Let’s go before he does.”
We’re out of here, Romeo said. We’ll be back if we think you need us.
“Thanks, guys. Your timing was impeccable. No way we’d have pulled that off so smoothly without you.”
Romeo grinned and saluted, a little move that was becoming his signature. Poppy and Eloise grinned toothily. Then the three of them disappeared.
“As good as cat burglars, those three,” Maximus said.
“They learned from the best.” The thought of the Cats of Catastrophe made me smile. “Now let’s get to that mountain.”
We set off through the town, moving at a fast jog since no one could see us. Once we were visible again, we’d have to move sedately like everyone else to avoid eliciting suspicion.
When we ran through the square, it was just as busy as it had been, though no one seemed to be enjoying themselves. The old man was still there, but he didn’t look toward us. Instead, he smiled blissfully off into the distance.
We made it through the rest of the town while our invisibility potion still worked. The mountain loomed in the distance, looking creepy as hell with the lightning striking behind it. I wondered if Hades minded the symbol of Zeus’s power being present in his realm. Maybe he didn’t have a choice.
We kept to a quick jog as we ran across the field, away from the village. My skin began to tingle and warm as the invisibility potion disappeared. When it left entirely, I turned back to see how far we were from the village. The settlement was just a few twinkly lights in the distance. No one would see us.
“That feels better.” Maximus shook himself. He was still semitransparent from the death potion that we’d taken, but otherwise, he looked normal.
“No kidding.”
A moment later, my comms charm buzzed to life, and Ana’s voice echoed from it. “Rowan, are you there?”
“I’m here.”
“Awesome. Wasn’t sure if comms would work while you’re in the Underworld. We’re making good progress on the spells that will bind the Titans, but we need an update on your progress.”
“We’re close, I think. Nearly to Hecate’s realm.”
“Good. Because we need you to hurry. Things are getting worse. The dark magic is increasing so much that violence has broken out in the dark magic parts of the world. They were places that were already prone to it, so they’re falling first. But regular places are getting bad, too. The police radios in the human realm are going nuts.”
“Oh no.”
“Yeah. There’ve even been a few deaths in riots that are linked to the growth of dark magic.”
My heart plummeted. Deaths?
Shit. “We’re on it.”
“Great. If you can find them, we’ll be ready to take them out. But be safe, okay?”
“Will do. And you too. Love you.”
“Love you back.”
I cut the comms and picked up the pace, my breath coming fast as I tried to keep up with Maximus. We reached the bottom of the mountain, and I looked upward. The slope was made of slick black stone that appeared slippery. I leaned down to touch it.
Cold.
Shit. Like really cold.
I shook my hand and looked at Maximus. “Black ice.”
He rubbed his face, a thoughtful expression creasing his brow. “I’ve got something for that.”
His magic flared briefly on the air, a lovely scent of cedar amidst the strangely smoky smell of the icy mountain. Gloves appeared in his hands, then the spikey things that went on the bottom of shoes, and finally two ice picks. He handed a set to me, and I took them gratefully.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
We set about putting on our cold weather gear, strapping the spikes to the bottoms of our shoes and tugging on the gloves.
Then we began to climb. It was awkward at first, and I slipped despite the spikes. Maximus didn’t, of course.
I glanced at him. “Have a lot of practice with this?”
“Some. Did a job in the Alps a few years ago.”
“Cool.” My foot slipped, but I was speedy with the pick, swinging it into the ice. It caught fast, and I pulled myself up.
I became steadier and quicker by the halfway point, finally getting into the swing of things. Pun intended. I grinned.
My heart thundered from exertion and my face warmed. I didn’t dare touch the unnaturally cold ice with my bare skin, no matter how hot I was getting.
“We’re nearing the top,” Maximus said a while later.
Panting, I looked up, spotting the peak. There was a huge gate, locked up tight against interlopers. I couldn’t see the guards, but they were probably there. A few yards away, there was a rock outcropping that would hide us from them.
I pointed to it. “Let’s change back there.”
Maximus nodded, and we climbed up toward it, finding a little nook with a semi-flat surface to stand on. I braced myself against Maximus and reached into my potion belt.
I looked up, surprised. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to become the judge?”
Our plan was to use my glamour potion to shift into the forms of the judges and stroll past the guards. That’s what the hairs were for.
“No, that’s fine.” His eyes met mine. The heat in his gaze made me warm. “Just want to look at you one last time before you grow a beard. Maybe steal a kiss.”
My interest piqued and my heart rate sped up. “Oh, really?”
“Really.”
“If it’s quick.” Though I didn’t want it to be quick, that was for sure. But this really wasn’t the place for any long-lasting canoodling.
Maximus leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. They were firm and soft at the same time, warm and amazing. I moaned, leaning into him.
He gave my bottom lip one quick nip—just enough to get my heart really going—then pulled back.
“See?” He raised his hands. “Quick, like I promised.”
“Too quick.” I grinned, reaching into my pocket. “Not just because it was a great kiss, but because now we have to eat one of these gross hairs.”
Maximus grimaced and nodded, reaching into his pocket for his own little cluster of hair. My stomach lurched slightly as I stared at it, but I shook it away.
Has to be done.
I grabbed the tiny vial of potion from my belt and handed it to Maximus. Then I took another and uncorked it, raising it to him. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” He popped the hair in his mouth, then threw back the potion.
I did the same, grimacing as I swallowed. Pain shot through my limbs as I shifted, and my jeans and leather jacket transformed into the robe that Aeacus had worn. There was something dangling between my legs, and it was weird.
I grimaced. Ew. Balls.
They were just dandy on men, but I’d never coveted a pair for myself, and now that I had them, it was definitely weird. I’d used this potion before, but I’d always transformed into a guy who wasn’t freeballing it, apparently. This was way more…obvious.
I turned my mind from the juvenile thoughts and studied Maximus, who suddenly looked like a grizzled old judge. “Gotta say, I prefer the original you.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and it was weird because I could almost see him beneath the facade. “Likewise. Ready to go?”
“Let’s get this over with. The potion won’t last more than thirty minutes, I don’t think. Hour at most.”
He nodded, and we began to climb. Once again, my heart rate started going and my thighs began to burn. Near the top, it began to level out, and we were able to chuck our equipment. I had a feeling that the judges didn’t use modern ice-climbing gear.
I tried to make my stride confident as I walked toward the gates, but my new masculine accessories made it weird. Maximus didn’t have any trouble with that, of course. It felt different to be a dude, though. I’d never had a ladylike walk, but I tried to give this one some extra testosterone.
The gates loomed ahead of us, carved of solid black wood with decorative elements that looked a lot like skulls, all piled on top of each other. Writing was carved over the gate, and I squinted at it, translating.
“Beware all who enter the domain of Hecate,” I read.
“Fantastic. Sounds like fun.”
“Judges!” The masculine voice sounded from the top of the gate, and I looked up.
A guard stood there, dressed in black metal armor with a feather sticking out of his helmet that looked like it’d come from a possessed demon ostrich.
Fancy.
I raised my hand in a half-hearted acknowledgment, pretending that I was very important and busy. That had to be how the judges acted normally, right?
Made sense to me, at least.
“Where is your carriage?” the guard shouted.
Carriage. So that’s how they got up here.
“Broken,” Maximus shouted up. “We decided to walk.”
“Walk?” The confusion was clear in the guard’s face. If I’d been able to see him clearly, he’d probably look like a golden retriever trying to understand English.
“Yes, walk.” Maximus made his voice hard.
I strode toward the door, digging the key out of my pocket. We definitely needed to get away from the curious and dumb guard.
The lock was a heavy metal affair that quickly swallowed the key. I cranked it right, and magic sparked around the lock.
Please open.
Finally, it snicked.
I removed the key and stepped back as the gate began to rise, magic hauling it upward. There wasn’t a single rope or pulley that I could see, but the thing rose all the same.
Maximus joined me, and as the gate lifted, dark magic rolled out of Hecate’s realm. It reeked of dead bodies and crawled across my skin like bugs.
Holy fates, what are we walking into?
9
Hecate’s realm spread out before us, and I blinked.
Was that a road made of lava?
Holy fates, it was.
It wound down the mountain, a bright red path that bubbled and swirled. I could only tell it was a road because a black carriage sat upon it, pulled by two skeletal horses. They were nothing but bleached white bones with fire for eyes, and they stomped their hooves impatiently, clearly waiting.
For us?
The area on either side of the road was covered in sharp black glass. Obsidian.
Maximus nodded toward it. “No way we can walk on that.”
“No.” I looked up at the guard, who watched us expectantly.
If the judges normally brought a carriage up here, would they get in this one?
Yes. Because Elysium wasn’t the kind of place to have demon skeleton horses that could walk on lava. It was more of a real horse and happy afterlife sort of place. I’d bet money that the judges left their Elysium ride on that side of the gate and hopped onto the hell carriage on this side.
“Let’s get in,” I said.
Maximus started forward, walking only on the section of flat ground that wouldn’t tear our shoes and feet to pieces.
The horses sidled closer to the flat ground, and he climbed up into the carriage without touching the lava.
I followed, the heat from below billowing up to warm my legs. Sweat broke out on my back at the idea of falling into the molten rock, and I made sure to get a good grip on the carriage. Maximus reached for me, drawing back when he saw that I had it. Probably didn’t want to give the guard a show.
Once I was settled, I murmured, “How the hell do we drive this thing?”
Fortunately, the horses picked up the pace right away, knowing just where to go. They clomped away over the lava, their hooves sending up little sprays of it.
How the hell were they walking on it without being swallowed up and burned? And the carriage?
I’d seen a lot of cool magic in my day, but this topped it.
“Could this be more over the top?” Maximus asked.
I surveyed the jagged black glass and the lava river, my gaze landing on the horses’ skulls. “No. Or yeah, maybe. But only if Satan were the butler.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
I grinned. “Me neither.”
The heat from below was making me sweat, though I had a feeling it wasn’t quite as hot as normal lava.
We were halfway down the mountain when I saw the city in the distance. The buildings were all black, blending so perfectly with the night that it was almost difficult to see them. A full moon glowed overhead, and I got the feeling that it was always full here. Maybe always night, too.
After all, Hecate was a goddess of night and the moon. Different from Artemis in a big way, though.
The buildings of the city rose high into the sky, ancient structures made of black marble that had sat here for thousands of years. A fiery river passed in front of the city. At first I thought it was also made of lava, but the flames flickered high
.
“The Phlegethon,” Maximus said. “One of the five rivers in hell, and the one that leads to Tartarus.”
I swallowed hard. “Perfect, I love being close to those monsters.”
Oh fates, I hoped we wouldn’t run into any Titans. The ones on earth were enough to deal with.
We were still at least a mile from the city when I began to hear the baying of hounds. I shivered.
“They don’t sound happy,” Maximus said.
“No, they sound pissed.” I imagined Cerberus.
Please don’t be a bunch of Cerberuses.
I’d seen those dogs in the symbol of Hecate though. They must be a big deal to her. The carriage rolled ever forward, and my skin began to prickle as we neared. The dark magic that had nearly bowled me over earlier hit me even harder.
“Ugh, Hecate has some ugly magic,” I muttered.
Maximus grimaced. “Smells like rotten flesh.”
I didn’t ask how he knew what that smelled like. I knew. Enough time with the wounded at the Colosseum and he probably had a real good idea.
The gate to the city was smaller than the one at the top of the mountain, but it was still an impressive affair. It was built of dark black wood and decorated with iron spikes that looked suspiciously rusty. Almost like blood coated them.
I shuddered. Would my key work on that? Because I really didn’t want to climb that gate.
Movement at the top caught my eye. Two guards stood there, each dressed identically to the first ones we’d seen on the mountaintop. They, too, wore demon ostrich feathers, a fancy topping to their deadly armor and weapons.
I raised my hand in a half-hearted “I’m here” greeting that I figured busy, important people favored.
The guards seemed to like it, because the gates to the city rolled open.
“Nicely done,” Maximus said.
“I think I’m getting used to this.” Except I had to look like an old man to get these privileges, and that really wasn’t worth it.
The horses carried us through the gates and onto a black cobblestone road that twisted between the tall stone buildings. The buildings were constructed with dozens of columns, each with flaming black rose vines twining around the marble.