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Dave pushed through the swinging kitchen door and came behind the bar to pour himself a tumbler full of cinnamon schnapps. “If that’s the case,” Dave said, because there were no secrets around supernaturals with sensitive hearing, “then who’s her boss?”

“Hades,” Stheno answered. “The Furies are Hades’ personal guard, his enforcers. And you,” she grumbled, glaring at me, “want to walk into the realm of the god who didn’t want you saved from your aunt’s murder plot.”

Chapter 2

I’M A MASTER OF THE AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS

Stheno stood to leave but I held up a hand. “Wait. One last question. Who’s Pythia?”

She gave me one long blink and then gestured into the bookstore. “Did you read about her?”

“No.” I shook my head, tapping my phone awake to show the text to Clive. “Meg finally responded. She wrote that Pythia said I was the one they’ve been waiting three thousand years for, and I need to haul ass already.” My gaze bounced, looking for anyone who would reassure me that was Meg being hyperbolic.

Stheno blew out a breath and reached for my phone. She studied the messages a moment and then slid it back to me. “Pythia is the Oracle of Delphi. Last I heard, she’d disappeared a couple thousand years ago. People were upset, searching for her, and then they weren’t.” She rubbed her forehead. “Maybe they realized she was in the Underworld and stopped worrying.” She shrugged. “I’ve never had a reason to consult an oracle, so I didn’t much care.”

She checked her watch. “I don’t have time to deal with this right now.” She stared at me, her expression unreadable. “I’ll think about it, but don’t get your hopes up. I have no desire to go back there ever again.”

When she left, Vlad went with her, along with my hopes of getting through this trip unscathed.

“Let me make a few phone calls,” Clive said before giving me a kiss and heading back to my apartment for privacy.

Fyr walked back in and dropped the bar towel he hangs off his jeans into the laundry basket under the bar before sidling up beside me. “If you want, I can talk to Stheno tonight.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s okay. She has every right to say no.” I plopped back down onto my stool. “I can’t say no to Meg, though. It wouldn’t be right. She’s shown up for me time and time again. I can’t leave her hanging when she’s asking for help.”

Leaning on the back counter, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the window at the waves crashing against the glass. “Listen, this could be a horrible idea, but maybe ask Coco if she’d be willing to go with you.”

I swung around to stare at him. “Coco?” I hadn’t expected that suggestion. Coco’s a dragon shifter. Owen lived with her brother George. I liked her, though I didn’t know her well, certainly not well enough to ask her to go on a suicide mission.

He scratched one beefy shoulder. “I’m living in George’s old apartment above the Drake family jewelry store. Coco has the other apartment, so we spend a lot of time together.” He ran a hand down his face. “Look. This isn’t for me to talk about. I just think Coco would benefit from being the one in the thick of it, away from her gran’s expectations and all the guilt she feels over Alec. I don’t know. Maybe it’s stupid. Maybe she’ll say no.” He scratched his cheek. “Or maybe she’ll go do some stupid crazy dangerous thing and shake off the weight hanging around her neck.”

He blew out a breath. “I wish I could tell you I’d go, but I don’t know if I could handle it. I don’t do well with being underground after being imprisoned in that fucking vampire’s dungeon for so long. I don’t know how I’d react. I’d been worried I wouldn’t be able to work here, but the window wall changes everything. I’m not trapped in the dark.”

Reaching out, I ran a hand down his arm. “I’d never ask. You’ve been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, and you did it as a child. You’re in your healing era now.”

His lips curled up at that. “You’re good people, Sam. Call her. Don’t. You decide.” He passed behind me toward the stairs. “I better get going. My next shift starts soon.” He paused on the first step. “I can watch Fergus for you again.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

As I listened to his footsteps disappear up the stairs, I considered asking Coco.

Dave came back out with a plate of cookies for me, Fergus on his heels. My Irish Wolfhound loved hanging out in the kitchen while Dave cooked, just in case any ingredients hit the floor. Dave took up the spot Fyr had just vacated, even mirroring his stance with arms over his chest. “I don’t know anything about the Greek gods and goddesses. I’m really hoping Stheno changes her mind, but if she doesn’t, I’ll go.”

Fergus leaned into me as I took a bite of a chocolate chip cookie and hummed my appreciation for the cookie and the offer. “Bracken already asked if he could go with me, so I won’t be all alone.”

Dave grunted his approval. “Good. He’s powerful but unassuming with it. You won’t have to worry about him offending any of the gods. That seems to be a recurring issue in the myths.”

I swallowed the last of the cookie and washed it down with a sip of my tea. “Do you know anything about the Underworld?”

He shook his head. “Completely different belief system. Hell is a Christian concept. The Underworld, though, isn’t a punishment. All the dead go there.” He stared out the window in thought. “The Elysian Fields are for warriors who died in battle or mothers in childbirth. It’s where the best go.” A line formed between his eyebrows. “Then all the regular people go to…Asphodel. The ones who deserve punishment after death go to Tartarus.” He rubbed his forehead. “I think there’s one more for people who are in mourning. Shit. I can’t remember what that one is called.

“Ask Bracken. He’ll know. But like Stheno said earlier, what we know is what humans wrote down in books. We have no idea if what we’ve been told is the truth.” He patted me on the back. “Give her a little time to think about it. She’s not as cold as she wants people to believe, and she cares about you.”

His phone beeped. “I need to get those pies out. Eat your cookies.” He went back to the kitchen, and I collected the empty glasses off the table that had left while we’d been talking.

I wanted the cookies, but my stomach was feeling a little iffy. Clive wouldn’t be able to go with me. I’d be entering the Underworld with Bracken—who seemed to be a lovely man, but he wasn’t Clive.

The last couple got up, and I waved goodbye as they left before clearing off their table as well. I checked the time. Normally, we’d stay open for another couple of hours, but it was a rare quiet night and I wanted to go home. I started putting the chairs up on the tables so I could clean the floors and begin the closing procedures.