by Linsey Hall
“We spoke to a seer—Tiresias—who has told us we must go to Hades to find Hecate. The Stryx worship her, and she’ll know where they are.”
Jude nodded, her expression clearly impressed. “Tiresias. He’s quite well-known for the accuracy of his prophecies.”
“Exactly.” I turned to Ana. “You crossed the River Styx once. Do you know how to get into Hades?”
She shook her head. “No. I crossed the river in Dante’s Inferno. It flows from the Underworld to the Inferno—or maybe it’s the other way around. Anyway, I don’t know which way you should go on the river.”
“That’ll take too long, then,” Maximus said.
“Florian is looking for a proper entrance,” I said. “One that still works after all these years.”
“I actually know someone who might be able to help, though,” Ana said. “Nix, the FireSoul. I’ve heard she’s been to the Greek realm of the gods.”
“Really?” I didn’t know Nix as well as my sisters did, given the fact that they’d met the FireSouls while I was still in captivity.
“Let me call her.” Ana stood. “Be right back.”
She left the room, and I looked at Jude. “How’s it going at the gate to Tartarus?”
“Fine. No sign of the Stryx, and the Order of the Magica is working on solidifying the gate with magic.”
“The Order has informed you of the Titans’ growing dark magic?” Maximus asked.
She nodded. “They have. We’re working together to create a weakening spell that will stop their magic from expanding. It will debilitate them enough that we can deploy a binding spell. Once bound, they’ll be helpless, and we can throw them back into Tartarus.” Her expression turned serious. “If you can find them, we can stop them. We’re counting on you.”
“We’ll find them,” I said.
Maximus nodded. “Have you had any luck tracking the source of the dark magic?”
“We haven’t. And we don’t know how their power is growing, or what they intend to do with it all.” She looked disgusted with herself. “We assume it’s because they aren’t bound in Tartarus anymore, but we just don’t know.”
It was the million-dollar question that ate at me. What the heck were they planning with all that magic?
Ana sailed back into the room. “Speaking of getting into hell, I have our expert here.”
Nix entered behind her. She was a slender woman with dark hair and flashing green eyes. Her blue T-shirt was decorated with a cartoon cat, which was a nice contrast to the beat-up motorcycle boots she wore. The FireSoul was immensely powerful, though you wouldn’t have known it from looking at her. She lived in Magic’s Bend with Cass and Del, her two best friends and fellow FireSouls.
She grinned as she spotted me. “Rowan. Maximus. Good to see you.”
“Hey, Nix. Thanks for coming.”
Maximus nodded in greeting. They’d met each other at the end of the last battle, though only briefly.
She sat at the table, and her gaze met mine, suddenly turning serious. “So, you need to get into Hades?”
“We do. Do you know how?”
“I know how not to,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I assume you need to sneak in? That you don’t want to alert Hades or Persephone or any of the other gods? Because if you do, they might want to know why you are there. And that could become a problem for you.”
“Sneaking in is best. We don’t need any of the wrong gods slowing us down or taking issue with us being there.”
“Then you need to go in the normal way. Like a human would.” At my blank look, she leaned closer. “You need to be dead.”
“Wait, what?”
“Here’s the situation—there are several entrances to Hades. I used my dragon sense to get there, which meant I went in a weird way. But if you sneak in through a back way as a living person like I did, the gods are going to notice. Hades or Persephone, maybe even Hecate.”
“That’s who we’re going to find.”
“Hecate?” She winced. “Yeah, you’re going to want to sneak up on her, from what I’ve heard.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Okay, well, you don’t want the gods to know you’re there. Even if you are the Greek Dragon God. Maybe they wouldn’t have a problem with it, but maybe they would. It’s not a place for the living, and you would upset the natural balance.”
“Okay, so we need to find an entrance that leads us to the River Styx. We’ll pretend to be dead people—magically somehow, since I don’t want to die quite yet—and we’ll sneak in that way.”
“Yes. You’ll go through all the steps a human soul would go through, ending in judgement and your assignment to your afterlife realm. Once you’ve made it that far, you should have some relative freedom to sneak around and do what you need to do.”
“Okay, we can work with that.” I looked at Maximus, who nodded.
“Do you know of any entrances that are still open?” Maximus asked.
Nix shook her head. “I don’t know exactly how you should get to the River Styx. Tartarus is the only part of Hades that is actually underground, so you don’t want to enter that way.”
“The rest isn’t underground?” I frowned.
“No. Human interpretation puts them underground because the entrances are generally through caves and in lakes. They’re portals that make it look like you’re going underground. But in reality, they’re taking you to Annatlia, the magical realm of the Greek gods. It’s located roughly in southern Greece.”
“But what about Mount Olympus? Does only Zeus rule there?” I asked.
She nodded. “Exactly.”
Okay, this was starting to make sense. I’d learned a bit about the Greek gods and their realms, but it had been only what I’d managed to read in the last few weeks. Though I’d spoken to a couple of the gods, they hadn’t explained all this to me.
“If we’re going to cross the River Styx with Charon, we need ancient Greek coins to pay him,” Maximus said. “I could conjure replicas, but they wouldn’t have the patina of age, so I’m not sure they’d work.”
“Where the heck will we get those?” I asked.
“I have a contact at the Museum of Magical History in Magic’s Bend,” Nix said. “If I explain what it’s for, he may let you have two.”
“Oh, thank fates.” I really didn’t want to go robbing any ancient sites to get the coins I needed. Not that I’d know how to find one anyway. “So the next thing we need is a potion that can make us appear to be dead so we don’t set off the alarm when we enter.”
Jude nodded. “I think Hedy can help with that.”
A little thrill of excitement surged through me. This sounded like a very cool potion, and I wanted to watch Hedy make it.
“I’ve found something!” Florian’s voice echoed from the back of the stacks.
I turned to see him hurrying out with a large book in his hand. He rushed to the table and set it down, pointing to an old pen and ink illustration. “There. You need to go through the bottomless Alcyonian Lake at Lerna. That’s how you’ll get into Hades.”
“Well done,” Jude said.
Florian beamed.
I looked at Maximus. “Looks like we’re going to hell.”
After Nix explained a bit more about Hades and what to expect, she headed to Magic’s Bend to try to get us a couple of ancient Greek coins.
I went to my apartment to take the fastest shower in the history of time. All clean, I hopped out and scrubbed myself dry, then hurried into the bedroom. I leaned over the spiral stairs that led down to the living room and shouted to Maximus, “Your turn!”
His footsteps were silent on the stairs up, but he appeared quickly. I tugged my towel closer around me, heating under his quick but appreciative gaze.
“That way.” I pointed to the little bathroom.
“When I’m done, I’ll get the scuba equipment we need to get to the bottom of the lake and meet you at Hedy�
�s workshop.”
“It’s a date.”
“I wish.” His gaze didn’t travel any lower over my barely clothed form, but it did heat.
I blushed and turned away, waving my hand. “Go on. We need to get a move on.”
While he showered, I tugged on clean clothes. It was now nearly midnight, and we were about to start off on another long adventure. Hopefully Hedy would have a pep-up potion of some kind.
I strapped my fully loaded potions belt around my waist, then grabbed a slim backpack that I loaded full of potion bombs. As I hurried down the stairs and into the living room, I looked over at the kitchen.
Romeo, Poppy, and Eloise sat on the counter. A normal person might think it was gross to have animals on their kitchen counter, but I never cooked in there. Every square inch that wasn’t covered by the Menacing Menagerie was littered with potions equipment.
Going somewhere good? Romeo asked.
“Hell.”
Ohhhh.
Eloise’s eyes brightened.
“Lots of fights in hell, Eloise.” I grinned at her, knowing the badger’s love for a good battle.
She nodded, excited.
We’ll be there if you need us.
Poppy nodded as if she agreed with Romeo, the little flower bobbing on her head. The possum always wore a flower behind her ear, and today, it was a tiny pink rose.
“Thanks, guys.”
I left them to do whatever the heck it was they were doing and hurried down the hall and through the castle. I’d been here less than a year, and I still couldn’t believe it was my home. The huge, ancient structure was as comforting as it was magical, and I loved it.
The night was dark and crisp as I stepped out onto the main lawn and headed for Hedy’s workshop at the edge. The round tower sat off on its own, just in case one of Hedy’s experiments went wrong.
And by wrong, I meant boom.
Golden light glittered in the windows, and smoke billowed from the chimney. I knocked on the heavy wooden door, drawing in the scent of roses that bloomed there even in the winter. Some kind of magic of Hedy’s, I was sure.
“Come in!” Her voice echoed through the door.
I pushed it open, stepping into a potion-maker’s wonderland. The round space was cluttered with tables, which were covered with hundreds of bottles of ingredients and dozens of little tools and bowls. A cauldron bubbled over the hearth, spewing out a glittery white smoke that smelled of lavender and honey. Three miniature cauldrons sat on a table on the left side of the room, each emitting a colorful smoke. Drying herbs hung from the rafters, hundreds of types.
I grinned at Hedy, who wore a flowy dress made of spangly silver fabric. Her lavender hair hung loose down her back, full of tangles and herbs. Normally, it was smooth and shiny.
She turned, revealing that she, too, was carrying an impressive set of luggage beneath her eyes.
“Tired?” I asked.
“Always, these days.” She shook her head. “But it’s fine. Until we’ve stopped the Stryx, it’s worth it.”
I nodded and stepped toward her. “What can I do to help?”
“Here.” Hedy handed me a silver spoon that sparked with imbued magic. “You can stir. And be careful to go at a three-quarters speed with a fluttering wrist flick.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
No matter how good I became with my magic, I’d always love potions. Mastering potions had given me confidence and strength when I’d needed it most, and I’d be forever grateful.
Hedy and I worked together in silence, making something called the draught of living death. By the time it was done, my wrist was sore but my heart was full.
Hedy poured the potion into two little glass vials and handed them to me. The rest of the potion went into a third vial that she set on the table. “That should do it. Drink it right before you enter Hades. You’ll still be alive, but it will appear to others as if you are just a soul. Don’t let anyone touch you, though. It’s just an illusion. You won’t actually be as transparent and incorporeal as you look.”
I took the vials. “Fantastic, thanks.”
“It will only last about twelve hours, so be quick.”
“We will.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black stone, then pressed it into my palm. “That is a very rare transport charm that will get you out of Hades when you’re done with your mission. One of a kind and hard as hell to make. Use it only if you need it.”
“Thank you.” I stuck it in the pocket of my jeans, which were so tight that the stone wouldn’t go anywhere without my permission.
“Oh, and here.” She turned and picked up two more vials. “Magical caffeine. Given that it’s after midnight and you have a full day’s work ahead of you, I think you need it.”
“I do. Thank you.”
“Use it wisely,” she said. “You can’t take too much. It’ll send your system into overdrive. So this is pretty much it.”
“Okay.” Now was as good a time as any.
Hedy and I left her workshop. As soon as we stepped out onto the lawn, I spotted Maximus and Nix. They approached from the castle. Maximus was carrying a big bag over one shoulder and a strange, torpedo-like thing in the other hand. The little machine was roughly four feet long and had a propeller at one end. Cool.
Nix raised her hand in the air. “Got your coins!”
They stopped in front of me, and she handed me a heavy gold coin.
I studied it, impressed by the age and importance of it. I looked up at her. “Are you sure the museum doesn’t mind?”
“They don’t make a habit of handing out artifacts, but considering that the original purpose of this coin was to be given to Charon to cross into Hades, they are making an exception.”
“And it will possibly save the world,” Maximus added.
Nix grinned. “That too. Both compelling reasons.”
“Well, then.” I looked at Maximus. “Ready to get dead?”
Chapter Six
Because we were trying to save on transport charms, the friendly transport mage named Emily took us to Lerna, a region in Greece famous for its swamps.
As soon as we arrived, the scent of wet vegetation hit me. The moon shined brightly on Lake Alcyonian in front of us.
I looked at Emily. “Thanks.”
She smiled, her dark hair gleaming in the light. “No problem. Be safe.”
“You too.”
She disappeared back to the Protectorate, and I turned to Maximus, who was setting the bag on the ground, along with the small torpedo-shaped thing that was apparently an underwater scooter that would help us get to the bottom of the lake.
“One thing I should mention about this lake….” I said.
“The Hydra.”
“Yep.” This was where Heracles had come to fight the famous Lernaean Hydra. “But Heracles killed it. So hopefully there aren’t any more.”
Maximus studied the calm surface of the lake, his gaze intense. “It’s said that the lake is bottomless and that anyone who attempts to cross it will be sucked down.” He shrugged. “Good news for us, since that’s the direction we’re headed.”
I patted the underwater scooter. “Maybe we won’t even need this thing.”
“It’ll be useful.” Maximus picked it up like it weighed nothing, though it had to be at least fifty pounds. It was about four feet long, with a propeller on one end and handles for us to hang on to. “I like to control my own destiny.”
After years as a warrior slave, I couldn’t blame him.
I patted the coin that was shoved into my jeans’ pocket. Then I pulled the two vials from my other pocket and handed one to Maximus. “Ready?”
He nodded and took the vial, then uncorked it quickly. We both drank the potion. I shuddered at the taste of dust as magic sparked down my limbs.
Maximus’s skin began to turn pale. So pale that it became transparent, and he looked like a shadow of himself. I reached out, surprised when my hand didn’
t drift right through his chest. Hedy had told me we wouldn’t be incorporeal, but damned if he didn’t look like a ghost.
“Do I look weird, too?” I asked.
“Like a ghost.”
“Perfect.” I held out my hand for the scuba equipment we’d brought.
Maximus bent to the bag at his feet and removed one of the small tanks that was hooked up to a shoulder harness with a clip at the front. I strapped it on so the tank sat on my back and the straps buckled in front of me. It was far more minimalist than the scuba equipment I’d seen on TV. I picked up the mouthpiece and took an experimental breath. The air was cold and metallic, but it did the job.
“Remember,” Maximus said. “Don’t hold your breath.”
“Or my lungs will explode. Yeah, yeah.”
“Not exactly, but close enough.”
“I didn’t realize you liked scuba diving.”
He shrugged. “For most of my life, I never dreamed a person would actually get into the ocean and submerge willingly. Almost no one could even swim back then.” He bent again and pulled a mask out of the bag, then handed it to me.
I put it on, feeling like a total nerd.
Maximus put on his equipment quickly and efficiently, seeming comfortable. “This kit is so small we’ll only have about fifteen minutes’ worth of air. A lot less if we end up very deep.”
I nodded.
“If your ears start to bother you from the pressure, squeeze your nose, then blow. It’ll help.”
“Got it.” Now I just wanted to get this over with. I waded into the water, shuddering at the cold. Even though it was a famous beach destination, Greece was chilly in the winter.
Maximus followed, carrying the scooter. As soon as we were up to our chins, he stuck the thing into the water and turned it on. A light attached to the front flared to life, shining a bright beam through the dark water.
