More time passed. As Britney’s song ended, a tall witch approached us. ‘Hey! We’re doing a Beatles’ number. We need two more people for the chorus. Fancy joining in?’
Thane smiled disarmingly. ‘I’m not a Beatles’ fan.’
‘Everyone is a Beatles’ fan!’
I fixed the witch with my coldest death stare. She glanced at me, flinched andbacked away.
‘We’re trying not to draw attention to ourselves, Kit,’ Thane admonished.
I pulled a face. He was right, but the more seconds that passed, the more anxious I became. Usually I could dampen my emotions when I was on a job but that was impossible when my cats’ wellbeing was concerned.
The witch and her friends were halfway through ‘Hey Jude’when I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer. ‘Enough,’ I growled. Thane touched my elbow to let me know he was with me.
We skirted around the stage towards the back. The chorus was in full swing; although the tall witch spotted us, she hastily looked away. She was here to sing and drink and she wanted no part of what we were up to. Sensible lady.
The public part of Cold Tones was well-heeled and welcoming, and surprisingly the area behind the stage was much the same. I wasn’t interested in the décor, though, only my damned cat. My stomach lurched as I looked for She Without An Ear.Where was she? What had happened? What if…?
‘There,’ Thane said. ‘There’s her tail.’
I released a sigh of relief and darted over, taking care to avoid the wires and trip hazards. ‘What’s wrong?’ I hissed. ‘She Without An Ear? Are you alright?’
She raised her head and I caught a glimpse of feline guilt. I put my hands on my hips. ‘Is that aburger? We’ve been waiting and worrying because you decided to stop for a snack?’
She swallowed what was already in her mouth and turned to face us.
‘The kitchen is over there,’ Thane said drily. ‘She must have sneaked in and nabbed it.’
There was an angry shout from beyond the kitchen door. Ah. ‘At least tell me you found the entrance to the Understream,’ I said with barely disguised exasperation. We neededto vamoose – and quickly. The last thing we needed was an irate chef wielding a sharp knife.
She Without An Ear sniffed, padded over to a trapdoor, sat on top of it and stared at me.
‘You are a terrible scout,’ I told her as I scooped her up in my arms and placed her on my shoulders.
Thane lifted the trapdoor and peered down. ‘This looks about right.’
The kitchen door started to open. ‘Let’s go,’ I said hurriedly. ‘Now.’
Chapter
Twenty-Six
If the cook searching for his lost burger spotted us, he chose not to follow. The trapdoor thudded shut over our heads and didn’t re-open. I descended first with She Without An Ear still perched on my shoulder. Thane followed, barely a rung above me.
I already had an inkling that this entrance to the Understream was used far more than the clocktower trapdoor and I was proved right because it was far better maintained. I had both witchlight and the Wicker light powder in my backpack but I didn’t need either of them, not at the moment.
There were electric lights all the way down the long vertical tunnel and the sturdy ladder had anti-slip treads on each rung. An elaborate pulley system next to the ladder was likely used for transporting goods from both above and below. I caught a whiff of magic, indicating that it was powered by enchantments and used regularly.
It was an easy descent and we reached the foot of the ladder within minutes. I wished Penelope had been at the bottom castigating us for taking so long, but I quashed that particularwave of sadness before it overwhelmed me. There would be time for grieving later.
Only one door led away from the ladder, which made life easier. Thane, whose hearing was far more acute than mine, pressed his ear against it. ‘I can hear music but it sounds muffled,’ he said. ‘I think the way is clear.’
She Without An Ear chirruped. ‘No,’ I said firmly. ‘This time we’re going together. No more snack delays.’ She gave a tiny grumble in reply.
Very slowly and carefully, Thane twisted the doorknob and opened the door.
As I’d visited The Den, the vampires’ drinking spot, I thought I knew what to expect but last time I’d entered through the front door. This entrance was very different.
‘I’m not imagining things, am I?’ Thane squinted at the flashing neon-green sign that proudly proclaimedWelcome to the Underworld! Beneath it was a fancy carved door that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a cheesy Halloween film set.
