* * *
We made our way if you can believe it, further into the depths of Hell. The path twisting and winding as we descended. The air: getting hotter and hotter as we neared its center. I could feel my skin drying out with each step. Not to mention my mouth. I felt like I’d just been sucking on a cotton ball for the past hour.
“Hey, you think you could kick up that wind storm again,” Havoc panted as she fanned herself with . . . a fifty-dollar bill?
“Hey! Did you take that from my bag?”
“Like you need it here,” she called over her shoulder.
I frowned. “You couldn’t have used a one or a five?”
She snorted: “As if that would have worked as good. It isn’t worth as much.”
I rolled my eyes. Conversations with Havoc could be extremely painful at times. Pixie logic made me want to scream!
Distant shrieks of pain echoed through the darkness. I found myself gripping onto Antonio’s forearm. He pulled me from Roland and wound his arm around me protectively. Even in this extreme heat, Antonio managed to smell amazing.
“Damned souls,” Havoc breathed. “You’d think I’d be used to their screaming by now.” She held her chest for a moment then walked on.
Roland was close behind her. Despite my protests, he’d insisted that he walk ahead of me. It was kind of . . . sweet.
“Ow!” I narrowed my eyes at Antonio. He’d purposely elbowed me.
“What is it?” Roland turned to shine a flashlight I’d given him at me, nailing me right in the eye.
“Hey!” I shielded my face with my hands.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” He stepped closer for a better look
“Nothing,” I squinted. “Get that light away. And keep moving!” I pushed past him, avoiding his stare. I didn’t need the flashlight to see anyway. Why didn’t I need a flashlight to see? What was happening to me? And why were my eyes red again?
“Were getting closer,” Havoc warned. “I wish Chaos was here.”
“Call me cautious, but do we really want someone named Chaos helping us?” I cringed at the thought. Havoc was bad enough.
From my lips to Satan’s ears, our worst nightmare—well maybe not the worst, but definitely a contender—Chaos appeared.
“You wished my lady?” A little man with a trimmed red beard stood before us. He looked every bit as filthy as Havoc did the first time I’d seen her. He wore little pants, and a tailored coat, both black with ash and dirt. He smiled at Havoc. “Nice outfit!”
She beamed while twirling around for him.
“Your boyfriend’s a Leprechaun?” I whispered as close to her as I could.
“I’m not a bloody Leprechaun, Mageian!” He barked “Mageian” like he’d just said something foul.
Antonio stepped beside me, ready to swat the little beast if need be.
“Sorry. It must be the knickers,” I snorted, trying to suppress a laugh. “And the beard. If you only had a hat—”
“Alright! I get the point.” He cut me a look that screamed shut-up or else.
“Everyone . . . this is Chaos.” Havoc stood beside her kind-of-man with pride. “Isn’t he scrumptious?”
“Yeah, ‘scrumptious.’” Roland eyed Chaos carefully.
“What are you all doing down here?” Chaos grimaced. “It’s dreadfully hot.”
“We’re going to try to rescue the Child of Light’s father,” Havoc admitted casually.
“We’re?” Chaos questioned. “As in, you’re helping them?”
“Well, I . . .” Havoc paused, her eyes dropping a little.
“We’ve traded for her help,” Antonio piped in quickly. “It wasn’t a cheap trade either!” He added, studying the disapproving look on Chaos’ face.
“That’s an understatement,” I added dryly, eyeballing the small fortune Havoc had conned off me. The little brat had so much bling she gave off her own light!
“Well that’s different!” Chaos exclaimed obviously approving of our “arrangement” now.
Havoc gave Antonio a thankful nod.
“So this is the Child of Light, huh?” Chaos spoke to Havoc while eyeing me up and down. Sizing me up and down was more like it. As if he could take me.
Careful Evie, Antonio warned, taking a step closer to me. He is a demon above all else.
I knew that. But I didn’t like the way he was talking about me: Like I wasn’t even here. “Uh, the Child of Light has a name,” I interrupted. “I’m Evie.”
Chaos leaned in close to Havoc. “She’s a loud one, isn’t she?”
“How rude!” I glared at the little beast. He was just as annoying as Havoc, maybe more! How could she look at him like that? Like he was her next drink of water!
“Oh, Chaos isn’t rude. He speaks only the truth,” Havoc assured. How dare she? I was not loud!
“Well, it’s been swell meeting you and all, but my dad is waiting to be rescued.” I huffed forward. Havoc could stay if she wished. How could she let Chaos insult me like that! We’d just saved her lousy reputation for crap sake!
“Evie wait!” Roland called from behind. “What’s the plan?”
“Plan?” I kept up the pace. I didn’t have a plan. The whole point to this “little adventure,” as Havoc so callously referred to it as, was to rescue my dad. Now that the moment had arrived, I had to admit that I didn’t have a clue how I was going to achieve it.
“We’ll send Havoc in first,” Antonio spoke up from beside me. I hadn’t even realized he’d caught up to us. “She’s the only one who can move about without raising suspicion.”
I hated the thought of having to owe Havoc anything more, but Antonio was right.
“Oh yes, I’ll do it!” Havoc called out, clapping her hands excitedly. “For a trade,” I could hear the greed in her voice once more. As if I didn’t know what she was after. She hadn’t quite lived up to her part of the bargain during the pixie attack, so no ring for her—my loophole!
I stopped walking and turned to face her. “Fine, but the information first.” I wiggled my finger, acknowledging the “trade” she’d had in mind.
“I’ll just be a minute.” She pinkie waved at me and disappeared.
“I guess we just wait then?” Roland sighed, leaned his back against the wall, and slid down until he was sitting on the ground. He looked beyond exhausted. He reached up and took my hand, pulling me down beside him.
“We wait.” I sighed in agreement.
We waited and waited for what seemed like hours. If Havoc wasn’t back soon—
You’ll continue to sit here and wait, that’s what you’ll do.
I glanced at Antonio who sat a few feet away and frowned. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d tackle me to the ground if I so much as made a move to explore.
“Hey!” Roland yelled. “Who did that?”
“Who did—? Ow! Very funny, Roland!” I picked a dirt clod out of my hair and lobbed it at him. “I’m not in a playing mood.”
“It wasn’t me! Umph!” A giant clump of earth, the size of a dinner plate, landed on Roland’s head, ricocheted off him and smacked me in the cheek.
“OW!” Dirt was raining down on our heads. I made the mistake and looked up—with my mouth open. I would be spitting dirt out of my mouth from now until the day I died—which may not be that far off.
“It’s a cave in!” Antonio dove toward me, grabbing me up in his arms.
“Hey!” Roland snapped. He reached out for me but Antonio was too quick. He was already moving through the tunnel, searching for an opening.
We dodged bits of earth and rock as we made our way out. Roland was close behind, choking on the dust from the debris.
“What caused that?” I coughed, trying to catch my breath. We now stood, hunched over, gasping in what appeared to be another cavern. Antonio’s hand was on my back, rubbing it softly.
“That would be me.” We all looked down at Chaos. He shrugged, mildly repentant. “I’m afraid when I stay in one place too lo
ng . . . things start to fall apart around me.” He shrugged again.
Another bit of need-to-know information Havoc left out. I growled mentally.
“Hey! Why’d you guys move?”
I spun around. Havoc was at my heels.
“Did you see my dad?” I knelt down beside her. “Is he alright?”
“Yes, Child of Light, your father’s alive.”
I jumped up excitedly, my eyes searching for Antonio. Where the hell was he? “Antonio?”
I looked back at Havoc. Her smile faded, her eyes holding the truth.
“Where is he Havoc?” My voice cracked. I looked back toward the tunnel. He’d made it through. He’d been dragging me. So where was he?
“They have him,” She admitted.
“What?” My eyes searched our surroundings again, hoping I’d missed Antonio somehow. “How?”
She pointed to a fiery pit that had spontaneously opened before our eyes. “He . . . is waiting for you.”