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The cavern was so enormous, I couldn’t see the entirety of it. Yes, there were some torches, but they did little to give us the full picture. What I could see, though, were tens of thousands of ghosts lounging around. Many were talking with one another or walking through the crowds. Some, though, were fading, their gazes fixed on a distant point.

Stheno sighed. “It’s too big to see the other side. How are we supposed to know which direction to go?” She threw a hand out, gesturing to the vastness of the cavern. “Sure. It’s good that the Hydra isn’t waiting for us, but this is going to take a week to get across.”

“I could ask someone,” I volunteered.

“Sure,” she replied. “The next time a bus goes by, we’ll flag it down and ask for directions.”

I stared at her and then she surveyed the cavern again. “Oh, shit.” She looked left and then right. “Is this Asphodel?”

“No idea,” I told her, “but it’s filled with thousands and thousands of the dead.”

She grabbed my shoulder and shoved me forward. “Go get us directions.”

Nodding, I searched for the friendliest-looking people. “Say something to me in Ancient Greek.”

“You’re starting to stink.”

“Yeah, well, unkind but fair.” I moved forward into the light of a torch and all the spirits near me turned their heads to stare. Unsettled, I cleared my throat and asked, “Does anyone know which direction I should go to find Megaera?” At their blank looks, I added, “She’s a Fury.”

They whispered amongst themselves while slowly moving away from me.

“If you could just point, that’d be great.” I stepped closer, which caused them to slide farther away.

Stheno said, “Just answer the question,” as she moved into the torchlight.

That did it. They screamed while stampeding in the opposite direction, their hands flying up to shield their eyes from her.

I turned to Stheno. “Really?”

The snakes around her head gave me a dirty look. “What?” She studied the huge, dark cavern. “What did they say?”

“They said, Ahhhhhhhhh! as they ran in the opposite direction, so thanks for that.”

She rolled her eye. “Like that’s my fault. Cowards,” she grumbled.

A naked Coco ran by and leapt into the air, becoming a ball of fire before taking wing in her dragon scales. She flew around the cavern while we watched. More ghosts cowered and ran.

Bracken walked up beside me, carrying Coco’s backpack. “She’s looking for a tunnel for us and then will be back to give us a ride. We’re hoping this takes a couple of days off the journey.”

I nodded. “Good call.”

I heard something low and rhythmic that had chills running down my spine. I couldn’t tell which direction it was coming from, but I was pretty sure it meant trouble. Peering into the dark, I saw flashes, reflections, I couldn’t make sense of.

When I heard what was unmistakably the sound of a sword against a shield—Perseus had made the same sound—I realized what it was I was seeing. A phalanx of soldiers was marching straight for us, torchlight reflecting off their swords. Some of the people fleeing Asphodel had probably gone to cry to the soldiers in Elysium. What a bunch of whiners!

“Coco!” I screamed. We needed a ride out now.

“What’s happening?” Bracken asked.

Scanning the cavern for Coco, I told them, “A shit ton of fully armed soldiers are headed straight for me. I may have been able to best Perseus, but I can’t take them all on.” I saw a dark shadow swoop low on the opposite side of the open space. “Coco! Now!”

Chapter 20.5

THE FERRYMAN’S REST, HOUR 54

Meanwhile, Alec strolled away from the others to take a walk along the cliff. That was what he’d told everyone, anyway. He actually wanted to make a phone call. After some shaky math, he decided it was early morning in San Francisco and he hoped to check in with Jade, the black panther shifter Russell, the Master of San Francisco, and Audrey, his second, had rescued from a rogue vampire. It was unclear who had originally trafficked her as a child, but judging by the cigarette burns and bites on her pelt, she had clearly lived an abused life.

Russell had brought her to Alec’s brother George, a zoo veterinarian. Jade, the panther, had been living with them for months now, and though George and Owen were incredibly kind and patient with her, she gravitated to Alec.