“According to my visions, you are,” Odin answered for me.
“I don't fully understand this, but at the same time, it's as if my life has just started to make sense,” Toby said softly as he took my hand.
“You've met me at a very strange time in my life,” I said with a smile.
“Okay, Tyler Durden, are we good now?” Odin asked dryly.
“I'm sorry.” I went to Odin and took his hand. “We're good.”
“And it's also good that I took this hourglass from you,” Odin huffed as he hefted the hourglass aloft. “Your angel kiss may have broken it.”
“It won't happen again,” I vowed.
“I don't think you can make me that promise, Vervain,” Odin said gently. “But it's okay; I love you more than my pride.”
We both blinked as those words seemed to resonate with us. I knew that they were true for Odin, but it had been harder for someone else to embrace. I just couldn't hold onto the memory long enough to remember who had been so furious when he was in Odin's position... and Odin had been the interloper.
“Why do I suddenly have the image of a snarling wolf in my head?” Odin asked.
“It doesn't matter,” I said hurriedly. “Let's focus on this task, and hopefully everything else will fall into place.”
We hurried outside to find thousands of Greek gods gathered in the flower-speckled field in front of the palace. Hades waited before the army with Thor, his rebel gods, and Naye.
“Dear Gods,” I whispered.
“Indeed,” Odin said.
“I see what you mean about the dog,” Azrael noted as he wrinkled his nose in the direction of Cerberus; the three-headed, canine Guardian of the Underworld.
“Cerberus isn't that bad,” I said as I went forward. “It's the Centaurs who you have to watch out for; they're skittish and if you get too close to their hind ends, they'll kick you.”
The men followed me through the grass, and all of us gave the herd of horse-men a wide berth.
“There you are,” Hades declared as we walked up. “Are you ready?”
“We're ready,” Odin answered for all of us.
“It's time to march!” Hades shouted, and the Army of Gods came to attention.
We began to march down the Dividing Road; straight toward the mouth of Hell.
Chapter Twenty-Five
We made it down the Dividing Road and through the cave that held the entrance to Tartarus without incident. Nothing jumped out at us; it was a rather uneventful hike. We came to a cavern and at its far end was a portal set between two pillars. Somehow, I knew that the pillars were made of solid adamant—a substance that even gods couldn't break. There was an iron tower set beside the massive door, and a blood-soaked woman stood upon it; holding three snakes in one hand. She had really big hands; these were not small snakes.
“Welcome to Hell!” She proclaimed.
“I feel as if I've heard that before,” I muttered.
“Um, my dad's the Devil,” Azrael said as he lifted his hand. “So, thanks for the show, but it's kind of an old one for me.”
“What do you people want?” The woman huffed.
“We march on Nyx,” Hades declared. “Open the portal, Tisiphone.”
“Oh! Lord Hades; I didn't see you there!” Tisiphone jumped off her perch and opened the double doors with her free hand and bowed to Hades as he passed by. “Is there any help that I may offer?”
“We go to avenge the death of your queen,” Hades said. “You may join us if you wish.”
