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Arriving at the cave, I wonder if I should’ve let Kai know we were leaving. Not that we’ll be gone long. The hills are a lush green, patterned with thickets of moss, and the cave opening is wide enough to drive a car through, the end nowhere in sight.
“I’ve changed my mind. We should go inside.”
Asmo quickly shakes his head no, stepping back to put distance between the mouth of the cave and him. “No thanks. I prefer to stay in one piece.”
My head falls back as my eyes circle to the hell flame and back to Asmo. “Really? The king was brave enough and he was a total fuck twat. Yet you’re not going to have the nerve to go in there? You’ve faced much worse in your lifetime. I’m sure of it.”
Holding the crystal like a basketball, wedging it between my bent arm and my body, I head into the dark cavern. The rocky surface is jet back, like the obsidian stone on the castle in Hell Hold. This must be close to the mines they took it from. Wedged between the cracks are glowing crystals, small but vibrant, channeling every shade on the spectrum.
“Alice!” Asmo yells in a hushed tone, making my name sound harsher somehow. “Alice! Stop.”
“If I’m going to be a queen, I can’t be afraid of the dark.” Flicking my hand, I light it on fire, letting the faint hue of the flames cascade through the tunnel. “Are you coming?”
“Yes.” I jump at the sound of his voice coming from right behind me. “But I don’t like this.”
“We don’t need to go far, but there’s nothing menacing about being out there and I’d prefer no one get their hands on this. Wouldn’t you?” I nod to where his cuff used to be.
“Point taken, but I think this is deep enough.” His eyes scour the rocky surface, as if he’s looking for some invisible threat.
“Boo!” I whisper close to him and he spazzes, arms flailing in all directions as his wicked slits for eyes land on me.
“Why?” One word, yet it holds all his attitude.
“Because you’re being what we call a pussy on Earth. You said it yourself that the king spreadrumors.”
“I’m being cautious. You don’t survive in a realm of monsters by traveling into creepy tunnels, Mouse.”
“Fair enough, but we’re two of the most powerful creatures in all of Hell. It’ll be okay.”
Lifting my hand, I brush it against the wall of the cave, sending dark powder swirling through the air. Asmo swats it away. Using my magic, I split a section of the wall, just enough to set the crystal inside, then close it.
“Blade, please?” I say, holding out my hand. Asmo huffs before placing a dagger into it. After a quick examination, I press my index finger to the tip, drawing a single drop of blood and using it to create an X over the stone.
“That’s it?” he asks, staring at the magic threads I’ve woven.
“Yes. If it’s tampered with, I’ll know.”
I skim my hand over the wall again, dislodging more dust, and feeling the rigid edge of a symbol, before I can think much about it, it glows, then others do as well, illuminating the cave in a bright white light and leaving us a breadcrumb trail deeper into the cave.
“What the fuck is that?” Asmo growls. “What did you do?” He throws his arm out in front of me, turning toward the tunnel.
“How should I know? All I did was touch it. Barely. But I know these… They’re–” Asmo cuts me off.
“Enochian.” He doesn’t move, but his eyes flick from symbol to symbol.
“Yes. Can you read them?” I ask, following the spiral the symbols make through the cave.
“Yes…” He turns, starting with the first one my finger touched. “This isn’t where it starts, but I’ll do my best.‘Only the divine, the blessed, and the promised may enter. Only the golden king, or the darkest daughter, may close. To Elysium…’That’s about as far as I can read from here.”
I nudge him forward. “Keep going. Elysium. That’s what the lesser gods called Heaven, yes?” He nods, telling me I’m right.
“To Elysium, from the bowels of Tartarus, one may seek, pending judgment by Cerberus, the gate he’ll keep.”
“It’s a gate…” I stare in awe. “A door between realms.”
“As it seems. I’m sure it will be sealed, though. God did cut off the underworld before building Earth. Why would he keep an active gate? Maybe the King was trying to open it.”
