“Come on,” Ty said. “Get your shoes on and let’s get Steig. Maybe Lara will want to come too.”
Turner disappeared into his room for a minute, before returning with his shoes on, and the three of them headed down the passageways once more towards Steig and Lara’s.
Ena decided not to ask questions, and for once in her life, just be along for the ride. She trusted Ty. She trusted Turner. Whatever they had planned was clearly something fun, since they were practically skipping down the passageway like little boys getting sweets on Yule.
Once they got to Steig and Lara’s door, Ty knocked, and Lara came to the door a few seconds later.
“Hey Lara, is Steig here?” Ty asked, looking behind her.
“Yeah, he’s here. Steig!” She turned around and called to her husband, who came to the door, looking just as confused as Turner had.
“What the fuck is going on?” he asked, eyes darting suspiciously between each of them.
“We’re going to the undercaves. Come on.”
Steig laughed, dark and amused. “Are you serious? How fucking old are we? I have four kids in here,” he said, gesturing behind him. “I can’t be running off with you idiots doingallucinaein the middle of the day.”
Allucinae? Now Ena was thoroughly intrigued. What in the Underworld wasallucinae?
“Alright, suit yourself. Lara?” Ty called over his shoulder to where Ena could see Lara hovering just behind the door. “What about you? You in?”
“Fuck it, yes,” she said, pushing the door open wider and popping back into view. “Just let me see if Trysh can watch the kids.”
Steig turned to his wife, lifting a dark brow at her. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah, why not? It’s been gloomy as fuck around here. I think we could all use something fun. Don’t you?” The look she gave Steig was one of pure seduction.
He grumbled something about her using that look on him before acquiescing to the peer pressure and dipping back inside to get ready. Meanwhile, Lara took off down the passageway to get Trysh, the older daemon who’d made her dress for theonatacelebration, and, apparently, frequently watched the kids for them.
By the time she returned, Ty and Turner had gotten Steig to fetch them several darkrock lanterns to carry with them, and the five of them took off to the Great Antre.
Ena had, so far, been to the forge on the lower levels, but not any deeper into the Underworld. She knew, theoretically, that under the forge was the hot springs that powered the aqueducts throughout the Underworld, and somewhere under that were the unexplored undercaves, but she didn’t know much about them.
Once they were past the busier areas closest to the Great Antre and they began the descent down the endless winding staircase that led to the lower levels and below, Ena finally had to ask.
“Okay, so are any of you going to tell me why in the Underworld we are going to the undercaves and what thisallucinaehas to do with it?” she asked the group.
Lara laughed in that intoxicating way of hers as she walked behind her on the steps. Only now did Ena realize why the joy of her laughter felt so special—it must be hergaudium. Even though her Power didn’t work on Ena, she could still sense an abundance of joy in her, just like she could sense Ty’s rage.
“The undercaves are essentially the uncharted parts of the Underworld,” Lara replied. “The caves we haven’t expanded into yet, and some of them are kept that way on purpose, because of theallucinae.”
“It’s those areas where the Trials are held—the rite of passage for those who turn twenty-seven to receive their Powers from Iblis. And theallucinaeis part of what makes the Trial so…harrowing,” Ty explained, picking up where Lara had left off. “It’s a hallucinogenic moss that grows on the cave walls, and even though we’re not purposefully given it, over time, the hallucinogens can seep into your exposed skin, and so, combined with the lack of food and water for days on end, the hallucinations usually occur during the Trials regardless.”
“But, under ordinary circumstances, when you’re not starved and dehydrated, it’s quite an enjoyable experience,” Turner chimed in from his spot at the back of the procession.
“Wait a second,” Ena said, speaking to Ty ahead of her on the stairs. “Aren’t the undercaves where you and Steig got lost as children?”
“Yes, we, uh…went a little too far and got lost, and, yes, theallucinaemay have played a role in that, even though we didn’t do it on purpose.”
Ena laughed. “So now we’re…what? Going down there to do it on purpose? Why?”
“Because it’s fun,” Lara called. “You remember fun, don’t you, Ena? It’s not all research and fucking my cousin.”
“Fucking your cousin is fun for me,” Ena retorted.
Lara’s laugh boomed behind her. “Okay, well, this is just a differentkindof fun. And it’s supposed to bring you closer to Iblis.”
“Really?” Ena asked, hesitation creeping in. Her knee-jerk reaction was that that wasn’t a good thing. What if she got out of control? Or accidentally caused too much chaos or discord?
