I rubbed the bridge of my nose, squeezing it to combat the tension headache that had been growing for the past few hours. In my haste, I’d come here with nothing. No cell phone. No money. No light to negotiate the underground cave system on Earth’s side of the gate. Fuck. Would I even be able to take the sandals borrowed from Sharalynn with me, since they had been crafted in Hell? It seemed reasonably likely, since I could bring things with me from Earth. But in truth, I had no idea.
“Okay. This is really, really embarrassing,” I said, “but do you have a phone with you, and if so, can I borrow it? I’ll have to call Rans for a ride once I get back to the Moaning Cavern.” Assuming he’s taking my calls after this latest stunt.
“I do, Miss,” Edward said, “Though I daresay the battery will be drained by now. The batteries in the flashlight I brought may still work, though, and I suspect that will be useful to you as well.”
I nodded. “Thanks. Oddly enough, I already have practice when it comes to begging the use of an electrical outlet from the poor woman in the gift shop,” I told him wryly.
“Oh, you mean Alice?” Edward asked with a crooked smile. “Yes, she’s a sweet girl.”
A breath of laughter escaped me, despite everything. Then I sobered. “Tell me straight, though—will I be leaving you in the lurch by borrowing your phone? Or your flashlight, for that matter?”
“Not at all. By necessity,” Edward reminded me, “when I leave, it will be with Nigellus. He generally comes well prepared.”
Right. As a human, Edward would need Nigellus to physically get him through the gate. And once he did, Nigellus could whisk them directly from the inky depths of the cave to anywhere he wanted.
“Oh, good,” I said in relief. “Again, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’re doing, Edward. I never intended anything to happen like... what happened.”
I still couldn’t think about the awful scene from earlier without my head swimming and my stomach churning.
“Well, to be fair, neither did I,” Edward said, but he was smiling as he said it. “But life would be hopelessly boring if it always conformed to our expectations.”
My father’s hand hit the table, making me jump. “How can you joke about it?” he said harshly.
Edward crossed to him and patted his shoulder. “Eventually, one learns to find the comedy in tragedy, or else one has a rather miserable time of things, old chap. But you’re right—I shouldn’t make light.”
I squared my shoulders. It was time for me to leave. “If you’re sure you’ll be all right, then I’ll say goodbye to Sharalynn and go back to Earth,” I said.
“Yes, go,” Dad replied immediately. “Find a way to stay safe.”
A thread of warmth wove through my chest. “You, too,” I whispered.
“I’ll just go get you that phone and flashlight,” Edward told me.
* * *
After exchanging a brief round of farewells with Sharalynn, Li Wei, and Finn, I squared my shoulders and headed for the natural cave containing the portal between Hell and Earth. Unlike my previous stay, the guards eyed me warily as I passed by them with a sheepish wave and entered the dim space.
A moment later, I turned around as a thought hit me. “Um... sorry to ask, but would one of you mind coming with me, to make sure no other demons pop up while I’m going through? I’d prefer to avoid a repeat performance of last time, if I can. I’m guessing you’ve heard about the thing with Myrial...?”
One of the guards gestured me further inside and followed me, still looking less than pleased with my presence. That was all right, though. As long as neither of them tried to stop me, they could glare at me as much as they liked.
I gathered I had Nigellus to thank for the fact that I hadn’t been formally detained to answer Myrial’s complaint against me. I wondered if Myrial was here in Hell, or if she was on Earth somewhere. Neither possibility was reassuring—if she was here, she might go for Dad again if she could figure a way around the guards. And if she was on Earth, then she could go after Rans if she somehow managed to find him despite the warding.
With luck, that same warding would mean I wasn’t in danger of her showing up on the other side of the gate to try and grab me. There was a small but distinct possibility that Myrial would set up an ambush in the Moaning Cavern, knowing I would have immediately rushed to Hell to make sure my dad was all right.
She could be waiting on the other side for me right this moment, hoping that I’d do exactly what I was about to do. I couldn’t stay in Hell forever, though. Mostly, I was relying on my usual trick of acting unexpectedly. I figured Myrial would assume that I’d stay glued to Dad’s side for much longer than this, leaving Hell with Nigellus when the time came. But if I’d gambled wrong and she was waiting for me on Earth’s side of the barrier, my elegant battle plan consisted of charging right back through the gate, screaming to the guard for help.
Strategy, baby.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to psyche myself up for the arduous process of physically passing through the barrier. As a part-breed, I’d barely made it through the first time. Hopefully, it would be better this time, since I’d
