I looked up to find Nero and Stevie staring at me, their mouths hanging open.
Lucian had promptly sat down, staring at us and making a faint whining sound. He looked troubled by the fact that the crown hadn’t instantly made my flesh sizzle, but he also had a dazed look in his eyes, likely wondering how it had fallen off after so long. Had it been his gift from the old woman?
Or had it been the source of him losing himself?
But he was still a giant wolf, even though the crown had broken. What did it mean?
Nero arched an eyebrow, glancing at Stevie. The werewolf folded his arms, studying Lucian thoughtfully. Reverently, now that his legendary king wasn’t actively wanting to kill him.
I thought about my purpose for coming here—visiting the Underworld to rob Hades so I could get my soul back. How much time had passed us by? Not much, since my contact with Lucian had only lasted seconds, but we had spent time talking before that. I was on limited time to return to the witches. Limited time to stop Dracula from forming some kind of bond with Hades and breaking free of my castle.
Except now I had new information. Time had frozen upon touching Lucian—and Lucian had spent at least some time in the Underworld after eating his mushroom.
That’s when it hit me. Time. The old stories.
The passing of time was different in the Underworld—almost non-existent. Did that mean we were already in the Underworld? Was time frozen right now—like how Aphrodite had frozen it for Nero and me? She’d been the one to encourage me to go after Hades. I suppressed a shudder, shaking off the bizarre hope. And Selene had frozen time to speak with me as well. Did that mean…
The two women were working with Hades? If so, was that a good thing or a bad thing?
Maybe it was a setup. A trap.
22
I realized I was glaring at Nero, frowning thoughtfully. He slowly circled around me, making his way towards Lucian with a fascinated look on his face. A sad, heartfelt look of relief.
Nero had thought of this forgotten bridge the moment I mentioned needing to go see Hades. He obviously hadn’t known the truth about Lucian, but he had sure known about the bridge’s connection to the Underworld or he never would have brought me here. He’d even admitted to not understanding how it was possible that Stevie’s favor had coincided with my need. He’d called it serendipitous. He’d originally intended to take me out here with Stevie at a later date to witness the spirit wolf as a favor to Stevie.
But when I’d mentioned needing to go to the Underworld, Nero must have seen the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. To investigate Stevie’s rumored legend—since it happened to be on the same mountain where Nero had once sold his soul—and to help me find a way back into the Underworld.
The only way any of this was possible was if Nero really had eaten one of the mushrooms.
And he was apparently not allowed to talk about that with outsiders. I smiled at a sudden idea.
I turned around and walked past Lucian towards the edge of the cliff, scanning the ground. Nero watched me, suddenly tense and surprised. Because he didn’t know what had transpired between me and Lucian—that I had seen everything.
Lucian trotted after me on silent paws, even though his head hung higher than mine. Even if there was no old woman, I was hoping her mushrooms might still be here. I knew Nero had been discreetly searching the ground for them, pretending to be checking on his friend Lucian.
“Hey, Sorin. What are you doing?” Nero asked, sounding anxious.
“Probably not a great idea for you all to be standing on the edge of a cliff!” Stevie said from a safe distance away.
I glanced at Nero. “I’m hungry. Know where I can find any mushrooms?”
He stiffened, and his mouth fell open. “How…” he trailed off, not knowing what he could safely say without breaking his promise to the old woman.
I pointed at Lucian. “He met her as well. Who was she?”
His eyes flicked towards Lucian in stark surprise. “Oh, god. Is that why he’s like this? He met the creepy old lady, too?” he squealed. Then he groaned, realizing he’d given himself away.
“Was she a witch?” I asked, not bothering to gloat at his slip-up.
He shrugged defeatedly. “She had power, so she was something. But nothing more than other wizards or warlocks or vampires I’ve met. Less powerful than you.”
I grunted. “Given recent news about my father, that isn’t saying much.”
He nodded soberly. “Yeah. Good point.”
There was nowhere to hide any mushrooms on the edge of the cliff, but there was a long, flat stone, surrounded by fist sized rocks. My only hope was that the mushrooms would be growing beneath. I crouched down, placing my palm on the flat stone as I reached for one of the rocks.
Nero hissed and I leaned back. Because a single glowing mushroom had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, growing right out of the long flat rock. It had a midnight black stem and the deep purple crown had a single golden circle on the peak, reminding me of a halo. The underside was a shade of crimson that looked like illuminated blood, and the entire mushroom glowed with dark, infernal magic.
It was nothing like the mushroom from Lucian’s memory. Either of them.
Still, I let out a triumphant hoot. “I don’t see the creepy old broad, but maybe this mushroom still works!”
Stevie coughed from over our shoulders, looking as if he was trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the edge of the cliff. “I’ve always heard mushrooms are dangerous. Especially the glowing hellish ones.”
Would this different mushroom work? Would it take me to the Underworld like that cave in Greece where I had first traded away my soul to Hades? As if in response, I felt a faint tugging sensation deep within my chest. It thumped out of sync with my own heartbeat, almost like an echo.
Nero bent down, getting a closer look at the mushroom. He let out an uneasy breath. “Very different than the two I had to pick from.”
I glanced up and almost let out a shout to suddenly see the two familiar paths before us, exactly like Lucian’s memory. One leading up a spiraling staircase of stone and colored glass, and another leading down into darkness. Nero grimaced.
Stevie swore wildly, dancing back a couple steps. “What the fuck is going on here? Will one of you assholes fucking explain something out loud for once?” he demanded, almost hyperventilating. “I didn’t even touch the mushroom and I’m seeing shit!”
We ignored him.
Nero cast me a thoughtful look, shifting it to Lucian after a few moments, the question obvious. I kept my face blank, waiting. “Which path did Lucian pick? Hey—”
I plucked up the mushroom, following my instincts.
“Wait! Just hold on a damned minute, would you? There’s no creepy old lady to explain the rules! What if the paths mean something else than they did five hundred years ago?”
I glanced back at him, lifting the mushroom to my mouth to antagonize him. “The gods plan and the devil laughs.”
“That’s not how the saying goes!” he argued angrily, swiping at my hand. Lucian leaned close, snapping his jaws at Nero’s face—close enough to sever a few strands of his long hair. He backed off, letting out a shuddering breath. “Man plans and the gods laugh. That’s how it goes.”
I climbed to my feet. “Not anymore.” I broke the mushroom into thirds and held out my hand to Nero and Lucian.
Nero picked up one of the pieces and met my eyes. I nodded. He turned to point his stub at Stevie. “You still have a soul, you lucky bastard. We don’t. So, you’re stuck here on guard duty. Make sure you don’t listen to any creepy old ladies peddling shrooms. They’re bad for the soul.”
Stevie nodded nervously. “Right. Drugs are bad.”
Nero waved his stump angrily. “No. Drugs are great. It’s flirting with mouthy old women that will kill you.”
Stevie smirked faintly. “Amen.”
I tossed him my phone. “In case they call
while we’re gone.”
“I don’t have a car, so I would really appreciate it if at least Nero makes it back.”
I grinned, and Nero let out a slightly panicked laugh. He glanced up at Lucian, a genuine smile washing away his fears. “Just like old times, eh?”
Lucian growled unhappily.
“Yeah. Fuck you, too,” Nero grumbled. But I caught the hopeful smile that almost crossed his cheeks. When Lucian emitted a strange coughing noise that sounded like a laugh, Nero’s face brightened into a wide grin.
I was smiling, too.
I popped the mushroom into my mouth and bit down. It dissolved onto my tongue like powdered sugar, instantly making me salivate. Lucian snatched up the mushroom in my palm with his long tongue, and Nero threw his up into the air, catching it in his mouth.
I strode ahead down the dark path. Lucian and Nero followed in silence, all of us anxious for what would come next. Soon, the darkness was all-encompassing, and I could no longer see the cliff behind us.
Nothing happened.
Lucian grumbled a warning, obviously troubled by this fact. In Lucian’s memory, it had taken him to the Underworld after only a few steps. In Lucian’s memory, there had been two mushrooms—a choice.
But we weren’t looking for a choice this time. We were here to reclaim our property.
We kept walking, and my shoulders began to hitch up at every gust of wind. I heard what sounded like the rattle of bones and hisses of steam from the darkness surrounding us.
“You guys feel anything yet?” Nero asked. “Because I didn’t walk this far last time.”
I shrugged. “No.”
Nero frowned. “The first time I ate the mushroom, I was willingly trading my soul to gain entrance and claim my wish.”
I nodded. “I know.”
He slowly turned to look at me and his face was pale and gaunt. “We don’t have souls this time, Sorin. What are we going to pay with—”
The ground dropped out below us and we were suddenly falling.
Lucian let out a howl.
Nero let out an imaginative string of curses.
I was laughing.
“I missed my brothers!” I shouted between laughs, my voice echoing up through darkness to a tiny prick of light. Then that disappeared and we continued to fall.
And laugh. And curse. And howl.
23
We landed in a pile atop Lucian—thankfully, or he might have crushed us. He wasn’t a pleasant pillow, because he bucked us off with a pissed-off snarl and snapping teeth.
Nero and I managed to back away a safe distance, holding up our arms. Lucian shook his head, snapping out of his instinctive reactions—fighting back his inner monster.
Rather than standing before Cerberus, we were in a long, winding tunnel of damp, black rock.
“Is that…elevator music?” Nero demanded incredulously.
Indeed, a simple, annoyingly upbeat tune seemed to be playing from hidden speakers somewhere in the ceiling. I glanced behind and then ahead of us, wary of an attack.
But the only other sign of existence was that damning jingle. It was already grating on me.
I pulled Nero aside. “Are you now free to talk since we all ate the mushroom?” I asked, scanning our dark surroundings, “and since we obviously arrived in the Underworld?”
Nero nodded distractedly, glaring up at the ceiling as if intending to blow out the unseen speakers with magic. “Yes. I don’t feel any pressure on my heart anymore. It was hurting like hell when you kept pestering me with your questions, by the way. Asshole.”
I winced. “Sorry.” I pointed at Lucian. “Other than giving up your soul for immortality, what else happened? If his gift was to become a powerful beast but to wear a crown that locked away his humanity,” I breathed, “what happened to you? What did you ask for?”
Nero swallowed audibly. “I learned the art of necromancy,” he said. “In hopes that I could use it to bring you back to life.” His words struck me in the heart, and I lost my breath. He averted his gaze, looking embarrassed. “Except Dracula found me the moment I returned from the Underworld,” he whispered. “I woke up in Greece to the sound of a collar closing around my neck.” He glanced at Lucian with a wince. “Not unlike his crown, now that I think of it.”
I stared at him incredulously. “Greece? But you entered here in New York.” He shrugged. “And how did Dracula know where you were?”
“Great questions, Sorin. No answers.” He scratched at his neck as if he could still feel the collar. “Dracula was already aware of my newfound knowledge of necromancy. He wanted me to use it to bring Lucian back to life, since everyone—including me—thought he was dead.” He saw the baffled look on my face. “If he could control Lucian, he could control every werewolf in the world.”
I gasped, backing up a step. “No…is that true?”
He nodded solemnly, glancing at Lucian—who was bobbing his head slightly to the sound of the beat, not seeming aware he was doing so. “An instant army that would have opened the gates to the Americas for him. Someone told Dracula what I’d learned, and the list of snitches is small. The mysterious old bitch and Hades.”
Lucian seemed to understand our conversation, glancing back at us from over his shoulder with a meaningful look. Almost as if…corroborating Nero’s words. The equivalent of a nod that Nero’s story was right, and that it was why he’d chosen to make the deal. Why he’d chosen to become a beast—to stop Dracula.
I gritted my teeth, staring out at the gloomy cavern.
“You really didn’t know about Lucian when you took me to the mountain?” I whispered.
Nero shook his head. “When Stevie told me the legend, I’d hoped to see his ghost, or maybe find his tomb. When he told me where this sacred spot was—that it was the same place I’d sold my soul and couldn’t tell anyone about—I almost had a heart attack. Then you come asking for a way to the Underworld.” He met my eyes. “Serendipity.”
I nodded uneasily. “Or the perfect trap.”
Nero sighed. “I considered that as well.”
“Why didn’t you ever go to the mountain by yourself? To verify Stevie’s legend?”
Nero shot me a horrified look. “You think I would have dared go there without you? We are brothers, Sorin. If Stevie’s story had any truth to it, I had to have you there at my side,” he growled. “I’ll admit that the temptation was high. Especially when I didn’t dare say anything to get your hopes up. Just waiting for you to finally come help with Stevie’s pesky little favor.” He was smiling crookedly.
I smiled back, squeezing his arm. “Thank you.”
Lucian watched us, wagging his tail happily. I smiled sadly, wondering if the man would ever come back or if this was as good as we were going to get.
“Come on,” I said, motioning for them to follow me. I walked down the large stone tunnel, spotting a bend up ahead. The ambient sound—not the maddening music—of the Underworld seemed louder there.
I reached the corner and peered out. I froze, pulling back just as silently. I took a calming breath, not acknowledging the inquisitive look on Nero’s face.
Rather than waiting for me to speak, Nero walked out into the open and froze. I walked up beside him and faced the exit of our tunnel, unsheathing my claws. Lucian loped beside me, lifting his hackles as he snarled at our first obstacle in the vast cavern before us. The area beyond was so immense that it reminded me of walking out of a cave under a night sky.
Except the ceiling thousands of feet above us was made of rock, with huge, building sized, spiky pillars pointing down at the ground, ready to fall at a moment’s notice.
I glared at the colossal three-headed dog guarding the familiar gates to the entrance of the Underworld. His fur was sleek and black, and even though he was sitting down on his haunches, he was easily three-stories tall. Cerberus. The eyes all glowed with bright fire, and each head was locked onto us—the only living people in the Underworld. Trespassers.
“H
e…well, he looks a lot bigger than I remember,” Nero admitted, licking his lips. “What’s the game plan?”
I narrowed my eyes at the guardian. “We’re going to tickle his tummy, punch an old woman in the mouth, and then get our souls back,” I muttered. Lucian growled his approval.
“Oh. Is that all?” Nero asked grimly, but I could tell he was ready to cut loose.
I thought about it. “I’m probably going to punch my uncle in the mouth, too.”
I approached Cerberus, brandishing my claws. Lucian drifted ahead and to the left, growling audibly. I angled my path to the right.
I glanced back to see Nero walking directly towards Cerberus, and his body was bathed in black and purple flames. “Stand there and look imposing.”
He shook his head with a malevolent smile. “Nah. I think I’ll swing first this time. I’ve heard that’s the smartest thing to do on your first day in the prison yard.” He lifted one arm over and behind his head, murmuring a spell under his breath. Unseen wind abruptly screamed through the cavern and slammed into his wrist, forming a black ball of flame around his hand. I stared, transfixed. It was as if he was summoning all the malcontent souls of the Underworld to do his bidding. “They really fucked up when they let a necromancer sneak back into the Underworld,” Nero said, cackling over the sounds screaming souls. “It’s like a buffet table of power,” he shouted, his voice growing deeper and more powerful. His eyes dimmed to black fire, and the black flames moved from his arm to surround his body and then suddenly wreathed around his head like a crown.
He flung his hand towards Cerberus, and the cavern screamed and blazed with necromantic flame.
The fire roared, hot enough to vaporize the guardian to the Underworld. Halfway there, it struck an unseen, transparent wall, splashing across its surface like paint. The massive dog panted happily, staring at us through the smear of obsidian flame as it flickered and ultimately burned itself out. It looked like nothing separated us from the dog. A hellish, glass barrier of some kind? I shifted my attention back and forth, ready for an ambush. “What the hell—”
Devil’s Blood: Shade of Devil Book 3 Page 15
