Page 37

Clive nodded. “We tried every language we could think of. Between Vlad, Stheno, and myself, we know a great many languages. Even when Stheno spoke to Sam in an Ancient Greek dialect that hasn’t been spoken in over a thousand years, Sam understood and could respond.”

George shook his head in amazement.

“And Sam really met Artemis?” Owen asked. He threw his hands up in the air, turning to George. “How is this real life?”

Clive nodded again. “I saw the first goddess, the one at the airstrip, though I have no idea who she was. Artemis, I never saw. I know Sam came out here to the patio, but I didn’t see anyone with her.” He turned to Vlad, who shook his head.

“I kept an eye on her, since she’d walked out of the bar, but I assumed she just wanted some air.” Vlad glanced at Clive. “You were getting worked up.”

Clive tipped his head to the side, acknowledging his loss of control. “I never saw the other two, the twins, until they stood and walked to the bar.”

“Twins?” Alec asked.

Vlad nodded. “They were huge and identical. The only person who didn’t flinch when they appeared was Sam. I think these beings are making themselves visible to only her.”

“Who were they?” Alec asked again.

“Thanatos and Hypnos,” Vlad said. While Fyr pulled out his phone, Vlad continued, “I think they were there to make sure no one stopped the expedition from going. Clearly, the gods—or at least some of them—want Sam in the Underworld.”

“Death and Sleep,” Fyr said. “They’re the gods of death and sleep.”

Vlad nodded. “Clive was, at the time, refusing to let Sam go without him. When it seemed like she wasn’t going to be able to talk him into standing down, those two stood up. The first one, Death, was about to turn Clive to dust, when Sleep stepped in and instead made Clive go nighty-night.”

Owen looked between Fyr and George. “Did I miss something?” He turned back to Clive. “Why didn’t you go with them?”

Clive seemed to be struggling to answer, so Vlad continued explaining. “We’re too close to dead to enter the Underworld. Were Clive to go, Hades would claim him and he’d never be able to leave.”

Jaw clenched, Clive nodded.

“This is all very interesting, but it does nothing to explain why Coco is here.” Red lights flickered in Benvair’s gaze.

“I’m sorry, Auntie,” Fyr said. “That’s my fault.”

Her glare snapped to him, a crease forming between her brows. “Explain, please.”

He tucked a strand of his long blond hair behind his ear. “This is going to sound bad, but I didn’t think you’d notice she was gone this quickly.”

Smoke curled around her body, though she remained still, waiting.

“Since I’ve been living next door to Coco, we’ve been talking. Neither of us are good sleepers. We kind of got into this habit. If one of us can’t sleep, we turn on a lamp. If the other is awake and notices the light under the door, we knock.”

His gaze flicked to Alec and then went back to Benvair. “I know Alec was the one in that prison, but Coco has been trapped in a prison of her own. Every minute of every day since she was ten, guilt and self-loathing have been dragging her down.”

Alec’s hand went to his chest, unconsciously rubbing at the hurt.

“She questions herself,” Fyr continued, “questions every decision. She doesn’t trust herself because she allowed her brother to be stolen and did nothing.”

George rose suddenly, his chair falling backward. “That’s not what happened,” he growled. “She was mesmerized by a master vampire. We were children.”

Owen took George’s hand.

“I know that,” Fyr said. “Even she knows that, but it doesn’t change how she views herself.”

Owen picked up George’s chair and pulled him back to his seat. “You can know something intellectually, but if it doesn’t feel true, your heart never accepts it.”

Fyr nodded. “Yes. We talked about it. She knows that vampire controlled her, but she can’t help blaming herself for not being stronger, for not fighting harder for her brother.”

“That still doesn’t explain why she’s here,” Benvair said, though her voice was softer.