Page 6 of Chaos Unleashed

“So, in theory, if we were to want to take them out then the best time to do it is when they’ve travelled out of the Underworld?” I ask curiously.

Khaos’s eyes light with interest as he inclines his head, “Yes, in theory, that would be the case.”

“Good to know,” I smirk. “Right, let’s find Xerxes and see if he knows a way to get into the Underworld without alerting the Princes.”

“I heard my name?” Xerxes says, flapping into view, “Did everything go okay at the last stronghold? I was worried.”

“Well, fuck me,” Khaos says as he catches sight of the flying book, “Do you know how rare he is?”

Kill nods, “We’ve been informed he is one of the creatures that Farren has found and that has stayed with her.”

“One of them?” Khaos asks, intrigue in his eyes.

“We can explain while we travel,” Hades says, clearly impatient now. As he turns toward Xerxes, he swipes a hand through his hair and explains, “We need your help. Farren was taken to the Underworld, and for obvious reasons, we can’t just pop in; we need to be as careful as possible so they don’t know that we’re there; otherwise, our appearance could trigger them to kill Farren.”

He hasn’t put it like that before, and hearing him say it now sends a fresh wave of urgency and fear through me.

Xerxes’s pages move agitatedly, “This is not good; she should not be in a different realm, not yet. She’s not ready.”

“What does that mean?” Reaper asks, his arms folded over his chest and his eyebrows raised.

Everyone’s attention is on Xerxes, but mine is on Zev; when Xerxes first spoke, he had a slight frown on his face, but it’s suddenly cleared almost as if he’s remembered something, and now, if it’s even possible, he looks even more worried than he did before.

“We really don’t have the time,” Zev says, the urgency so strong in his voice that he has everyone tensing, “Xerxes, we need to know how to get in. Do you know of a door that isn’t likely to be guarded by any of the Princes’ followers and isn’t too far away from the castle where she is being held?”

“How do you know that she’s being held at the castle? How do you know that there is a castle?” Khaos asks.

“He’s the future head, Seer,” Hades tells him rather flippantly. "And the castle was mentioned earlier."

It’s apparent that he isn’t going to get any more information at the moment, so Khaos just keeps quiet while he watches us all closely. We’re definitely throwing a few things at him that he hadn’t expected.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t,” Xerxes starts, but before he can finish, his pages start flipping rapidly as they glow, “it appears a page has just been added.”

“What does it say?” Zev asks impatiently.

“It’s a map,” Mayhem replies as we all gather around the page where Xerxes has stopped and take a look.

“There’s nothing else on there, so I’m assuming that the glowing gate is where we’re supposed to get in?” Loki asks and then adds curiously, “Is it actually a gate, or is it just depicted as such for easy understanding?”

Hades’s lips tik up into a smile as he replies, “It’s not an actual gate. Fortunately for us, I do know where this is.”

“Let’s go then,” I say, desperately wanting to get going. “Is everyone armed? We’re undoubtedly going to need as many weapons as we can carry.”

“I can transport us all to the gate, but then I’m going to have to take you through one at a time when we get there,” Hades explains, looking slightly worried, “Xerxes says that the gate is safe for us to use, but there’s no guarantee that between us leaving here and getting there that it still will be.”

“I will go through first and check the other side. It will also help to have someone who knows the Underworld and their various customs and laws just in case we do come across someone while you’re moving people across,” Khaos offers.

“Good idea,” Mayhem starts and then adds, “although, I’d imagine that if the princes are as bad as you and Hades have said, then they have most likely changed the laws, and you need to be careful as well.”

“That’s a very good point; I dread to think what kind of archaic and harmful laws they have put in place in our absence,” Khaos replies.

“Is everyone ready?” Hades asks, getting us back on track. When everyone nods their heads, Hades simply smiles.

“Good luck,” Xerxes says.

One second, we’re in his home, and the next, we’re in the middle of a forest in some unknown location. To be quite honest, I don’t even know if we’re still in the Fae realm, and I don’t want to waste time asking.

“If you wouldn’t mind?” Khaos says, looking at Hades. I’m momentarily confused until Hades waves his hand, and a literal door appears only a few feet in front of us, embedded into one of the enormous surrounding trees.

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