“Chanmi,” Lisa whispered, speaking for the first time. When Seolhyun nodded, she shot to her feet. “I want to go.”

Apollo arched a brow. “Two people sneaking into the Underworld trying to find one soul among millions is insane and dangerous. No one else can go.”

Lisa turned her wide, pleading eyes on Seolhyun. “I have to go then. It has to be me.”

“And that’s why it cannot be you,” Apollo said before Seolhyun could respond. “You will be focused on finding Chanmi instead of the mission at hand.”

Her hands curled into fists at her side. “How is that any different than Hyejeong? She’ll be focused on Seolhyun–”

Seolhyun slid a look, but Hyejeong had the same expression that Apollo did. There might be a lot of tears and pleading, but there would be no debate.

“And that’s what we need,” Apollo said, almost gently. For a moment, Seolhyun was almost convinced that he pitied her. Not in a bad way, but like he could sympathize with her, which would be amazing since Gods were really lacking in the empathy department. “There’s no guarantee that they will even find Chanmi, but either way, we need Seolhyun to come back out of the Underworld with the information we need. Alive.”

Some of the other Gods probably didn’t feel that way.

Apollo’s gaze settled on Hyejeong again. “You would give your life for her?”

Seolhyun didn’t like that question at all and she opened , but Hyejeong answered without hesitation. “Yes.”

The God nodded, looking at Heechul. “I know you would too, but Hyejeong would…”

Heechul looked less-than-pleased but nodded. “I know what you mean.”

A bitter taste crawled up the throat as Seolhyun’s heart turned over heavily. Going into the Underworld would be insanely dangerous, and the idea of Hyejeong risking her life scared the crap out of her, but as her gaze fell over the room, Seolhyun knew that out of everyone there she was the most skilled.

Realizing that she wouldn’t be able to change anyone’s mind, Lisa said nothing as she walked out of the room, head high. Plans were quickly made for their departure then. The group would stay behind, as was safest for them, and Hyejeong and Seolhyun would leave in the morning.

“There’s something else,” Seolhyun said to Apollo after the group scattered. Hyejeong remained behind, closing the door, seeming to know what Seolhyun intended to tell Apollo.

“I can’t wait to hear,” Apollo said dryly.

“I saw Jimin yesterday.”

Apollo’s brows slammed down as he opened his mouth, but no words came out. Maybe Seolhyun should have clarified. “What I mean is,” she said quickly, “kind of.”

“Kind of?”

She nodded. “She was able to pull me… inside my own head. It looked and felt real, and it was like I was dreaming… but I wasn’t.”

His eyebrows began to lift. “That makes no sense, Seolhyun.”

“She was talking with Rose and started to get a headache right before it happened, she fainted–”

“I didn’t faint,” Seolhyun grumbled, feeling her cheeks flush.

Hyejeong’s lip curved up on one side. “Okay. She was suddenly not walking or talking anymore. During that time, she saw Jimin. Apparently, she used Hermes to pull her in.”

“Hermes?” Apollo hissed, actually hissed like an angry lion. “That little, punk- .”

Seolhyun’s brows rose.

“I actually felt somewhat bad about stealing his helmet and melting it down.” Apollo sounded in a huff. “Hermes won’t be helping Jimin anymore.”

It was hard not to laugh when Apollo got all sore, but somehow Seolhyun managed. “By the way, when did you steal his helmet?”

Apollo shrugged. “A couple of days ago.”

“Do you think that’s why he might have helped Jimin?”

“Hmm…” His face screwed up. “Good point. Anyway, did Jimin tell you anything?”

“She didn’t really say anything important. I have this feeling she was really just testing it out, but if you can stop Hermes from helping, then it shouldn’t be a problem.”

A muscle flexed in Apollo’s jaw. “Can she transfer power in this state?”

“No. And she can’t read my thoughts.” Seolhyun leaned against the wall, smothering a yawn. “It seems more like an annoyance than anything else.”

“It’s more than an annoyance.” Hyejeong’s eyes flashed silver.

“Well, it could be worse.”

“As in her doing something like that when you’re in the middle of a battle or in the Underworld?” Apollo asked.

“Well…”

“I’ve been thinking,” Hyejeong continued. “We know Hermes helped, but it has to be more than that or Jimin would have done this the moment you broke the connection. When you were on the concoction, she seemed to be able to reach you when it started to wear off, and when it wore off, you were exhausted. Maybe that has something to do with it; how tired you are.”

“Makes sense. I guess I just need to get my beauty sleep.”

Hyejeong looked unimpressed. “That’s the best theory I can come up with.”

“It does make sense.” Apollo stretched his head to the side, his striking face tense with annoyance. “You two are still connected, and even though you’ve shielded out the connection, she may be able to get to you when you’re weakened, with or without Hermes.”

“Like a crappy two-way radio,” Seolhyun muttered.

“Exactly. And especially if Hermes created a path to you.”

Seolhyun so did not like the sound of that.

Apollo smiled at Hyejeong then. “Needless to say, I think you know how important it is to stay close to Seolhyun.”

“Like you even have to point that out,” Hyejeong responded.

Apollo smirked. “The trip to the Underworld isn’t going to be easy. If this happens again, you may not believe Jimin can grasp any important information, but you need to be careful that you do not let on to what you are doing, especially your new mission.”

“I know,” Seolhyun said, staring at the worn chair next to the God. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know what Solaris was planning to do with the First, but she knew there was something. And maybe we’ll get lucky. Jimin may not be able to pull it off again.”

Neither of them looked convinced.

“Okay, back to the bigger problem at hand. The one I can sort of help you with.” Apollo strode over to the desk, finding a piece of paper and pen. “The Daejeon portal should place you beyond the entrance to the Underworld, at the beginning of Asphodel Meadows.” He paused, glanced over his shoulders. “Sometimes they are vacant. Other times they are not. Souls that you encounter there will be… relatively harmless.”

Seolhyun crept closer, peering over his shoulder. He was drawing a map. Seolhyun recognized ‘Ephti’. The rest she figured she’d recognize if she’d paid attention in class.

“There will be tunnels you will enter. You should be able to find a place to rest there for a few hours since the souls are unable to travel through them. Get there before night falls and stay there until the sky is golden. If you don’t make it there before night, you’ll find out why souls don’t travel there.”

Seolhyun waited for him to elaborate and when he didn’t, she exchanged a look with Hyejeong.

“You do not want to be roaming any part of the Underworld at night.” Apollo’s pen swept over the paper. “From there, you will cross into the Vale of Mourning.”

“Oh, that sounds fun,” Seolhyun said.

Apollo smirked. “You will eventually come to a crossroads. One way will lead you to Tartarus, and the other will lead you to the Elysium, this will be the Plain of Judgment. You’ll want to make yourself as invisible as possible.” He set the pen down and handed the map over to Hyejeong. “I can call in a favor and get word to Chanmi, have her meet you there. But from that point…”

“We’re on our own.” When Apollo nodded, Seolhyun bit on her lip. “Okay.”

“Wait,” Hyejeong said, eyes narrowing on the map. “Isn’t the Plain of Judgment near Hades’ Palace?”

“As I said, you two will want to make yourself as invisible as possible. I have it on good faith that Hades will be at Olympus, but he has many eyes guarding the palace.” Apollo’s folded his arms. “I need you both to understand that the Underworld will be dangerous. Chanmi could be anywhere, and it won’t be like the last time, when your arrival was noted. You will see things you cannot understand. Things that you will want to intervene in, but you won’t be able to.”

Seolhyun swallowed at the seriousness in his tone. “I understand.”

“Do you? You have shown very little impulse control in the past, Seolhyun. You will be unwelcome there. And it’s just not the Underworld.” His cold, steely gaze moved to Hyejeong. “The gates are well-protected.”

“We understand,” Hyejeong responded calmly.

Keen knowledge flared in the God’s eyes. “Be careful. Most who enter the Underworld do not leave, and those who do are irrevocably changed by what they experience.”

Apollo started to fade out as they stared at him, no doubt their expressions mirroring the seriousness of what he’d said. Just before his body was enveloped in shimmery blue dust, he said, “I’ll owe you two for this, and everything else.”

It was way too early to be up moving around, but here Seolhyun was, standing beside one of the Jeeps, glaring up at the morning sun.

Hyejeong was saying goodbye to her sister, and Seolhyun was trying to give them some space. They had a long drive ahead of them, about nine hours and nearly five hundred miles. A plane would’ve been quicker, but there was no way they were getting the weapon stash past Mortal security without using compulsion. And it would’ve been harder to explain why Hyejeong was painting runes in Titan blood inside a plane. With that and the talisman Apollo had given her, at least it should be a relatively uneventful road trip.

“Seolhyun?”

She turned at the sound of her uncle’s voice and headed toward where he stood just off the porch. “Hey.”

Heechul tried to smile, but it was forced. “I know you’ll be careful, but really, be careful. Okay?”

“I’m always careful.”

Heechul’s expression turned bland.

Unable to help herself, Seolhyun grinned. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

At the sound of Hyejeong’s approaching footsteps, he stepped back and pinned the Genuine with a dark look. “If anything happens to her, it’s your .”

Seolhyun’s mouth dropped. “Did you just cuss? I’ve never heard you cuss before. Wow.”

Instead of responding, Heechul hugged her. He let go quickly and looked away, swallowing hard. Within seconds, they’d said their goodbyes to the rest of the group.

***

Daejeon was… flat and grassy.

As far as the eye could see, was nothing more than flat Meadows with yellowish grass and tall reeds. In the distance, the horizon seemed to meet the land, a dark and ominous blue-gray as night neared, bleeding onto the brownish tall grass and white wildflowers.

Nervous energy hummed through both of them. Even with Apollo’s insight on the gates and the Underworld, neither of them really knew what they were going to face.

At dusk, the main street, which appeared to be the only street, was completely abandoned. None of the businesses were open. People didn’t stroll down the sidewalks. There was nothing.

“So creepy,” Seolhyun whispered.

“What?”

“There’s not a single soul on the street,” she shivered.

“Maybe they’re all in the cemetery.” When Seolhyun shot Hyejeong a look, she laughed. “Seolhyun, we’re about to go to the Underworld. A seemingly empty town can’t scare you that much.”

They came to a three-way stop and Hyejeong gestured a right. “You know, Jisoo was saying that there’s only like twenty people who live here and that it’s believed they aren’t from Earth,” Seolhyun said, glancing at her. “Do you think they’re Gods?”

“Could be. Maybe Daejeon is their summer home.”

Seolhyun took another look at the squat, ancient-looking houses. “Pretty odd vacation spot, but hey, the Gods are weird.”

“That they are.” Hyejeong leaned toward the steering wheel, eyes squinting. “There it is.”

Following her gaze, Seolhyun in a soft gasp. A dozen or so feet down the road, up on the right hand side, was Daejeon Cemetery. Not a gateway to hell, but one to the Underworld.

And in the fading sun and gathering darkness, it was creepy as hell.

“I hope no one tries to kick us out,” she murmured as Hyejeong coaxed the Jeep through the narrow entrance in the chain link fence. They were planning to leave the Jeep inside the cemetery. It wouldn’t be there very long; time in the Underworld moved differently. Hours there were half-seconds topside. Days would be minutes. Weeks would be hours.

“For some reason, I don’t think we’ll have a problem.” Hyejeong pulled the vehicle to the side and killed the engine. Off went the lights.

Staring at the tombstones, Seolhyun shuddered.

“Are you going to get out?” Hyejeong already had her door open.

“Do I have to?”

Hyejeong chuckled as she closed the door, disappearing around the back of the Jeep. Not wanting to reenact a scene from those horror movies, Seolhyun hopped out and quickly followed her. She found Hyejeong sliding her arms through the straps of the heavy backpack.

By the time she closed the Jeep and hit the security system (who in the hell was going to steal the car here by the way?), the cemetery had been plunged into dark shadows. Thick, dark-as-oil clouds blocked the moon, but Seolhyun’s eyes adjusted quickly and she almost wished they hadn’t.

ing out of the swaying weeds and overgrown grass were fewer than a hundred gravestones. Scattered among the newer tombstones were ancient ones whose inscriptions had faded long ago. Some were square, and a few were old crosses that tipped heavily to one side or another.

The pathway was nothing more than a dirt track about a foot wide, and Seolhyun was almost a hundred percent positive she was strolling on unmarked graves. “Gods, I hate cemeteries.”

Hyejeong placed a hand on her back. “Dead people can’t hurt you.”

“Unless they’re zombies.”

“I doubt there are any zombies around here.”

Seolhyun huffed, hitting the button on the sickle blade. It extended, one end forming a sharp point, the other a nasty, reaper-looking scythe. “One can never be too safe.”

Hyejeong shook her head, but kept on treacking up the narrow path. Eventually the walkway faded, overgrown by brush weeds and itchy grass that clung to Seolhyun’s cargos. A prickly feeling skated across her neck and down her spine as they neared the foundation of the church.

Seolhyun wanted to look behind her, but she seriously expected to find a mojo of brain-eating zombies standing there. She edged around one lonely-looking tombstone and stepped beside Hyejeong. They were no more than a foot away from the crushed stone.

Hyejeong straightened the straps on the bag as she tilted her head to the side. “So, you see anything–?”

Suddenly, the wind stopped. Like, completely.

An unnatural stillness permeated the air, raising the tiny hairs at the nape of Seolhyun’s neck. Under the black sweatshirt, tiny bumps stole across her flesh. A stale, musky scent seeped in from nowhere. She let out a ragged breath and a small, frothy white cloud formed.

“Okay,” she whispered, tightening her hold on the blade. “Not normal.”

Hyejeong’s breath lingered in the air, too. Holding a hand between them, she nodded toward the thick stand of trees crowding the remains of the church. Two darker shadows stood a few feet in, almost indistinguishable among the fallen leaves.

Seolhyun’s muscles tensed. Guards? Ghosts? She wasn’t sure which was worse.

“Showtime,” Hyejeong said, silently slipping off the backpack.

Seolhyun nodded. “Yeps.”

The two figures drifted forward. They were hooded and shapeless, and Seolhyun realized that their feet (if they had feet, which was up in the air) didn’t touch the ground. Their dark-red robes trailed an inch above the grass.

Slowly, their arms rose and the material slipped back. A weird creaking noise followed the motion. Slender, pale-white fingers reached for the hoods, drawing them back.

Oh… oh, wow.

Under the hoods were nothing but bones. Pale white bones and empty, vast blackness where eye sockets and nostrils would’ve been. The mouths… the jaws hinged on loose joints, so the mouths gaped open. There was no skin, no meat or hair. They were skeletons… floating, freaking skeletons.

Not as frightening or dangerous as zombies, but still, they were creepy.

Seolhyun stared at them, wanting to look away but unable. It was eerie… their eyes were eerie. They were just holes, but the longer she stared at them, something… something moved deep inside them, teeny, tiny dots of flickering light.

Her fingers loosened around the sickle blade. “I could just… blast them with Ether.”

“Your idea has been noted and discarded.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Using Ether tires you out, right?” Hyejeong said evenly, keeping her eyes on the things. “Why not use it for something other than a bag of bones?”

“Okay. Good point.”

Those bags of bones reached into their robes at the same moment.

Seolhyun arched a brow. “I hope they don’t flash us. I really don’t want to see a skeleton–”

And then they withdrew two thick and shiny handles. Wondering if they were going to chuck the handles at them, Seolhyun admitted she was quite disappointed by the guards. No wonder Mortals had discovered the gateway when all that stood between them and the portal were two walking Halloween decorations.

“Seolhyun,” Hyejeong murmured.

Seolhyun’s chin jerked up, just as sparks flew from the handles, bright and intense in the darkness. Fire spread rapidly, fiery red and powerful, each forming a shape of a long, deadly blade.

“What the…?” Her eyes widened.

They flew at them, bones rattling and knocking in a gruesome chorus. Hyejeong ducked under the first burning blade. Pivoting around cleanly, she planted a foot in the back of one skeleton.

The other lurched toward Seolhyun, swiping the blade so close to her neck that she felt the heat. Darting to the side, she swung the sickle in a wide arc. The deadly sharp blade sliced through the robe and bone.

In a flash of light, the sword fizzled out and the bones collapsed into a smoldering heap. Taking a step back, Seolhyun caught the sight of the same thing happening with Hyejeong’s opponent. The fire-sword disappeared, and then nothing remained but bone and wisps of smoke.

She waited for them to get back up and do something, maybe even an entertaining dance, but nothing.

Lowering the sickle, Seolhyun frowned. “That was way, way too easy.”

Hyejeong stalked toward her, eyes darting over the landscape. “You’re telling me. Stay close, because I have a feeling they were just meant to distract us.”

A low growl rippled through the silent cemetery, and Seolhyun stomach dropped all the way to her toes. Together, Hyejeong and she turned. She didn’t know who reacted first. Whether it was Hyejeong’s explosive curse or her groan, it didn’t matter.

Crouched in the ruined remains of the church was one big, mean, ticked-off-looking hellhound.

Stone crumbled under meaty paws the size of Hyejeong’s hands. Claws, as sharp as the blades they held, gleamed like moonlight. The body was huge, but the heads… those were three of the biggest, ugliest things Seolhyun had ever seen. It was like taking a mutant rat and mixing it with a pitbull. And the teeth… they belonged in a shark’s mouth; white, wet and very, very sharp. Drool foamed under pink gums and dripped onto the ground, where the soil burned as if splashed with acid.

Six ghoulish yellow eyes settled on them.

“Damn,” Seolhyun muttered, falling into a crouch. “Don’t cut the heads off. It’s the hearts that we need to hit.”

“Got it.” Hyejeong flipped the dagger in her hand, like a total badass.

“Show-off.”

Hyejeong smirked. “Wonder what this one is called?”

The hellhound’s ears twitched as the massive body lowered, preparing for attack. Seolhyun slid her hand to the middle of the blade, feeling her heart pound and the adrenaline kick her system into overdrive. In the pit of her stomach, the cord started to unravel.

She swallowed. “Let’s call this one… Jju Jju.”

Three mouths opened in a growl that sent a cold chill down her spine, and a wave of hot breath smacked into them.

“I guess it doesn’t like the name,” Seolhyun said again, moving slowly to the right.

Hyejeong’s body tensed. “Here, Jju Jju…’’ One head snapped in her direction. “That’s a good Jju Jju.”

Seolhyun slipped around the ancient cross, creeping up on the hellhound from the right. The middle and left head focused on her, snapping and growling.

Hyejeong clucked her tongue. “Come on, Jju Jju, I’m pretty tasty.”

Seolhyun almost laughed, but the damn thing lurched forward, landing between them. The ground shook from the impact. Behind them, a few tombstones shuddered loose and toppled over. For a brief moment, it looked like Jju Jju was coming straight for Seolhyun, but at the last second, it lunged at Hyejeong.

Caught off-guard, Hyejeong stumbled back a step, her foot snagging on a fragment of stone. Seolhyun spun toward them, throwing out her free hand. There was a spark, a strong scent of burnt air, and then a ball of fire shot forward, more violet then red, unnatural and consuming. It smacked into the belly of the hellhound.

Jju Jju reared back, shaking his three heads, about as affected if a bee had stung its paw.

Well, apparently the Fire element didn’t hurt it. Good to know.

Then Jju Jju powered off the ground, launching into the air. There was only a second, if that, before it came crashing down on Seolhyun. She hit the ground, inwardly cringing because she was sure she was atop a grave, and rolled, shoving the pointed end of the sickle up.

She hit the gut, missing the heart by a mile.

“Dammit.” Pulling the blade free, she scrambled back. Jju Jju’s claws dug into the earth between her spread legs, twisting around so fast it left her head spinning. She jerked back, but the hellhound was huge. Rotten breath blew Seolhyun’s hair back. Acid drool dripped, splattering off her shoulder. Clothing burned, and red-hot pain seared her skin. Panic was an icy wind in her veins.

Hyejeong’s hoarse shout of her name was warning enough.

Screw this.

Tapping into the cord, Seolhyun felt it come alive, sparking into a low, steady hum that rushed through her. Marks of the Elpis bled through her skin, churning into glyphs. Something flared in the hellhound’s eyes, as if it could see the marks and understood them for what they were.

Jju Jju snarled. All three heads snapped down on Seolhyun with precision and deadliness. ing her hand up, her fingers dug into the matted, coarse hair. Supreme power rushed down her arm. Blue light crackled.

Without any warning, Jju Jju’s heads whipped back in a yelp. The big body tensed, and then shuddered. It flopped to the side, legs twitching. The sharp end of the sickle jutted out from its chest, coated in slick darkness. A moment later, Jju Jju was nothing more than a pile of shimmery, blue dust.

Stunned, Seolhyun looked up as Ether settled back into the cord, unused.

Hyejeong stood above her, legs widespread and shoulders back, dark hair falling in messy disarray, eyes the color of steel and just as hard. Natural power, trained power that came from years of dedication of a Linus, radiated from her. She was a tall, looming force to be reckoned with, and here Seolhyun was, the Elpis, laid flat out on her rear while Hyejeong stood.

She was a warrior, and Seolhyun was awed.

Hyejeong extended her arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she croaked, placing a hand in hers. Hyejeong carefully hauled Seolhyun to her feet. “Thank you.”

“Don’t–”

Clasping the sides of Hyejeong’s face, Seolhyun kissed her. Long. Deep. Hard. When she pulled back, she sighed. “Just say you’re welcome. It isn’t hard. Say it.”

For the longest moment, Hyejeong said nothing and then, “You’re welcome.”

Seolhyun’s lips split into a wide smile. “That wasn’t hard, was it?”

Hyejeong’s gaze drifted over her face and then lower. She in a sharp breath. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing.” Seolhyun dodged the hand that reached for her shoulder. The burn had already dulled. “I’m fine. It’s just doggy’s drool. Don’t come too close, I smell like wet hellhound. I’m really–”

“Honey.”

The nickname… the sound of the voice… Seolhyun recognized it in her heart and soul. It couldn’t be, but it was. Her breath stalled in her lungs. Her legs felt suddenly weak as she turned from a shell-shocked Hyejeong. Her heart already knew the source of that wonderful, soft, and beautiful voice.

She stumbled back a step, suddenly swamped in emotion that tightened her chest and stole her breath. Confusion followed as she shook her head in a daze. Tears sprung to her eyes. Her chest cracked wide open, because this couldn’t be real.

“Mom?”

The woman didn’t look like Seolhyun remembered.

When she’d seen her last, she had been a Demon, with black holes where her eyes should’ve been and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, set in skin so pale and translucent that inky veins had shown through.

The fact Seolhyun couldn’t recall how beautiful she’d been horrified her, but she…

She was beautiful now.

Dark brown hair fell past her shoulders, framing her oval face. Her skin was slightly darker than hers, more olive in nature. She looked like her, but better, more refined and beautiful. Her eyes were a bright, emerald-gem color, just like her brother’s. Even in the darkness, Seolhyun could see them, was drawn to the warmth in them.

She staggered a step forward, pulling free of Hyejeong’s grasp. “Mom?”

“Baby,” Helena said, and a little of Seolhyun’s world shattered in response to her voice. “You shouldn’t be here. You can’t be here.”

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