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“Just go to sleep already,” Stheno called over.

I startled awake at her voice and turned to the other two, who were blinking their eyes slowly as well. Coco scooted farther back into the corner and lay down, using her pack as a pillow. I moved in beside her, pulling my axe out of my sheath and holding it as I rolled onto my side, Coco at my back. Bracken settled down in front of us. If anything attacked, he’d be hit first.

“Now that we’re down here,” Coco murmured. “I’m getting creeped out. Do they have rodents in the Underworld?”

“Jeez.” My eyes blinked open again. “Now I’ll never get to sleep.”

Bracken’s fingers twitched. “We have a protective bubble around us. I’ll dim the lights so we can sleep.”

I reached out and patted his broad shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Not at all,” he said. “Try to get some rest.”

And before I knew it, I dropped off.

A scream tore me from dreams of Clive, and I came up swinging my axe. Bracken held out a hand to steady me. He brightened his lights and I looked back at Coco, who was staring up in horror.

When I looked up, I almost screamed myself.

Dozens—hundreds?—of scorpions were crawling all over the bubble Bracken had created.

“Shut up,” Stheno grumbled in her sleep.

“We have a problem,” I told her.

“Don’t care. Shut up.” She rolled over, so she was facing a sleeping Minotaur.

More scorpions filled the empty spaces on the bubble, their tails in the air, ready to strike.

“What do we do?” I whispered.

Bracken scratched his stubbled cheek. “I could throw spells. My concern is a spell crossing the protective barrier might pop it and then we’d be covered in angry scorpions.”

“Then don’t do that,” Coco hissed, her voice pitched higher than normal.

Shit. “Stheno! We’re covered in scorpions over here. A little help, please.”

Mio growled and then heavy footsteps pounded on the ground. His clawed, furry hand swept over the bubble, snatching up a pile of scorpions before tossing them in his mouth. I tried not to get icked out by the sound of crunching scorpion carapaces, but it wasn’t easy.

Handful after handful, he snacked on our unwanted visitors. When it looked like he was done, Coco pointed to a dark corner where a few had scuttled. Mio belched and then dove for the last ones. Patting his stomach, he lurched back across the cave and fell into bed, wrapping an arm around Stheno.

Coco, Bracken, and I all shared a look. Were we staying here or getting the hell out? I knew my vote.

Chapter 13.5

THE FERRYMAN’S REST, HOUR 20

Meanwhile, Clive awoke in a panic. He tried to find Sam in his head. She wasn’t there, and a pit opened up inside him. Chest tight, he raced up the storeroom stairs and found the barroom empty but for Vlad at the table by the window and the barman reading a book.

“How long have they been gone?” he asked.

Vlad checked his watch. “About twenty hours.” He studied Clive a moment. “I wasn’t sure how long you’d be out. I was concerned the god of sleep thumping you might turn this into a Sleeping Beauty situation.”

“Where did they go?” Clive tried to keep the panic out of his voice.

Vlad sighed. “You know you can’t follow them, so what difference does it make?”

Clive breathed in deeply, found her scent, and tore out of the bar. At the cliff’s edge, he caught the sour tang of her fear. Looking over the edge, he saw the long, narrow steps and his heart broke for his wife. She was terrified of heights, but she’d forced herself to go down regardless.