“Choose another favor,” he snarls. “This one’s impossible.”
I raise my hands and summon my igni. Instantly, hundreds of tiny white lightning bolts swim up and down my arms. “No one tells the Great Scala what’s possible. I’ll use my igni to break into Hell, and Nefer’s prison block.”
Nefer straightens her stance. “And I would welcome you with open arms.”
A snarl curls along Anubis’s muzzle. “Use your igni, and you’ll call every demon to you. They know igni bring evil souls for them to feast on. It’s like ringing a dinner bell. You’ll bring all of Hell down on her head.”
“No, I’ll have a chance at saving my son.”
“What about my wishes?” cries Nefer. “I say bring Hell to my door. At least, it will give me a warrior’s death.”
Anubis lets out another long howl, and his face returns to its typical handsome shape. He paces the ground for a long minute, and then stops. “You’re both resolved to do this thing?”
“Yes,” say Nefer and I together.
“Then, I will help you. At least, I can give you a little more time before you both fail and are thrown into the torture pits.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, asshole.” I crack my neck from side to side, my mind snapping into warrior mode. I have a mission now, and I always feel better with a plan.
“I believe in you, Great Scala.”
“Thank you, Nefer. Now, let’s go through this one last time. There are four steps we need to go through. First, I break into Hell with Kiya. Second, Anubis sends me to Nefer’s prison cell, where I break her out. Third, I go to the secret passageway and my own personal hell. And fourth, once that trial is over, I can enter Armageddon’s throne room. Am I missing anything?”
Anubis shakes his head. “Only that this plan is impossible.”
“It’s mostly impossible, Anubis. That’s all I have right now, so I’m going with it.”
Nefer rubs her forehead, her eyes lost in thought. “To get to the Walls of Hell, you need to reach the Plains of Fire. The walls are hidden in there. How will you leave your own realm?”
“I have a ghoul buddy who can portal me there. Once I wake up from this dreamscape, I’ll grab my stuff and go straight to the Plains. I should be able to break into Hell within an hour or two.”
“Be careful,” warns Nefer. “The Plains are home to all sorts of foul creatures.”
My stomach twists with anxiety. Isn’t it bad enough I have to make it through Hell on my lonesome? Now, I have to pass through some evil-infested Plains of Fire, too? I force my face to stay carefully neutral.
Don’t let them see how worried you are, Myla.
“I’ll be fine. My ghoul buddy is a warrior.”
“You won’t ask anyone else?” Nefer eyes me carefully. “Your husband’s warrior skills are known throughout the after-realms.”
“He’ll never agree to this. He wants to plan for war.” My eyes sting with held-back tears. “Besides, if I don’t come back and the armies do free Maxon, at least my son will have one of us.”
Nefer nods slowly. “I wish we had more time to plan.”
“Me, too.”
Kiya leaps down from Nefer’s shoulder, clambers across the ground, and quickly nestles into my arms. His little heart beats fast as hummingbird wings against my chest.
I can’t help but smile at the creature in my arms. “You have something to say?”
Kiya chitters another line of noises. I can’t tell what he’s saying, but the tone is sweet and encouraging. I can use all the support I can get, right now. “Thank you, Kiya.”
The little monkey perches on my shoulder, where I guess he’ll stay for the duration. He waves enthusiastically to Nefer. I do the same. “We’ll see you soon.”
Nefer’s eyes bead with tears. “Yes, I know I’ll see both of you.”
Anubis shoots me a frustrated glare. Obviously he thinks I’ll get killed before I even reach the Walls of Hell. I want to kick him in the head for being such a downer, but I stop myself. He’s agreed to help me, which is more than I thought he’d do.
I better get while the getting’s good.
As I close my eyes to end the dreamscape, I realize a sobering thought. This is, without a doubt, the craziest thing I’ve ever done.
And that’s really saying something.
Chapter Fifteen
I tiptoe through a darkened passageway in Arx Hall, on my way to the palace transfer station to Purgatory. Walker has an art studio near my parent’s place. He’s usually there this time of day. With any luck, I’ll catch him and talk him into taking me to the Plains of Fire.
Kiya sits silently on my shoulder, his tiny hands gripping my hair and ear. At last, I reach the transfer Platform, a large round disc set into the marble floor. As I step onto the circle, the floor lights up.
My breath catches. The brightness reveals that I’m not alone in the hallway.
Lincoln is here.
“When were you going to tell me?” He wears jeans, a white t-shirt, and a desolated look on his face.