“That was—”

The woman is gone. Whoever she is—whatever she is—she has disappeared.

“What in the world was that?”

The creature grunts.

I glare at it, like this is all its fault. I’m not sure that it isn’t, but I have a feeling the woman was here for me. She wanted to see me, to test me maybe.

Seriously, after everything that’s been going on, I’m at the end of my rope.

Without another word, I turn and sink my fangs into the creature. When it’s gone back to the abyss, I retrieve my discarded gym bag and continue on my way home. What else could go sideways in my world? I only hope that’s it for tonight.

CHAPTER 17

GRETCHEN

The worst thing about the abyss is the dark. The smell is a close second, what with it being the home of all monsterkind, but the suffocating darkness is worse. It’s like a massive, endless cavern carved from black rock. What little light there is gets sucked into the nearest surface. If not for the eerie green glow of the lights—for lack of a better word—hanging from above, the entire place would be in pitch darkness.

This is exactly how I would picture Hades, only I imagine the underworld with more fire and sulfur.

The rocky surfaces are shiny—smooth like glass—and they look wet to the touch. They’re bone dry.

Everything here is dry except for the black river that cuts through the center of the cavern. I haven’t gotten desperate enough to drink from it. Yet. But if I don’t find Nick and get out of here soon, I’ll have no choice. My mouth already feels like sandpaper.

When I first came through the portal, I had an expectation of what I’d find on the other side. The several seconds I spent flying through the swirling tunnel gave me the chance to form a mental picture—and to ask myself why I’d just done such a stupid thing, but it was a pointless question by then. I pictured myself flying out into a sea of monsters, a crowd of creatures already shredding Nick to tiny little pieces and eager to do the same to me. Eager to get a part of me so they could claim their bounty and earn their freedom.

I didn’t expect to be dumped into an empty corner of a vast space, with not another creature in sight. I landed, yanked my daggers from my boots, and braced myself for the onslaught that never came.

I have no idea how long I’ve been here—hours, days, longer?—because there is no sun to mark the passage of time. My phone got fried on the way through and I can’t get it to power up. I’ve never worn a watch in my life, but now I wish I did.

At first I stayed in my empty corner, certain that hordes of angry, bounty-hunting monsters would be descending on me at any moment. When they didn’t come, I realized how stupid I was being. I came through the portal to rescue Nick. Sitting around on my butt waiting to be attacked was not going to accomplish anything.

Finally, I decided I couldn’t sit still waiting. I walked forward to the river, looked up- and downstream, and tried to make an educated guess. The whole bleak mess looked the same in both directions. I chose downstream, figuring that, if this river behaved like those in the real world, it would grow larger and more full of life the farther it went.

I’ve been walking downstream ever since.

The flashlight on my keychain isn’t the most powerful light source in the world, but it does the job to keep me from tripping over a rock and tumbling headfirst into the river. The light is dimming, though, and I’m not sure how much longer it will—

Even as I have that thought, the flashlight dims even more, burns bright for a second, and then goes out completely.

“Great.”

I close my eyes, trying to adjust to the near black so I’ll be able to see as well as possible in the faint green glow. When I open them, I can barely make out the ground beneath my feet. I start walking, slower than before, making my way downstream. Questioning myself with every step.

“What were you thinking?” I ask myself aloud. “Diving into the freaking monster abyss after a boy you barely know.”

I stumble over an extrarough patch and barely catch myself before I pitch face-first to the ground. I kick at the rock, like that will make a difference.

“And why?” I ask myself. “Because he’s cute? Because he likes you?”

Because he kissed me? I can’t even ask that question out loud, despite the bleak solitude around me. The memory is too strong.

I lift my hand to my mouth, brushing my fingertips over my lips. I swear I can still feel the kiss.

But no, that’s not why I dived in after him. I need him. I need his help to get Ursula and Sthenno back. I need his help to figure out the world of mythology. Without Ursula, I’m lost, and he’s a lifeline.

At the same time, I realize I’ve left my sisters alone and unprotected. I have to believe they can take care of themselves, of each other. At least until I can get back to their sides.

Walking along the rough path, lost in thought, I sense the presence more than see it. A slightly different shadow in the black-on-black world.

Instinct takes over and I drop into a crouch. There is nothing to duck behind for cover—not that that would help, because I can’t get a solid location on the whatever that just showed up. The first creature I’ve encountered since my arrival.

A shadow passes between me and the green light at my two o’clock. I spin, about to make a leap, when a pair of hands clamps over my shoulder. Another pair wraps around my waist.

“Mmmm, human,” the thing behind me says.