Page 67 of Half Dead

I started toward the entrance and felt the tug of Kane’s hand. “I’m sorry,” he said.

I turned to face him. “Don’t.”

“If you hadn’t met me…”

“If I hadn’t met you, I’d still be hiding in the shadows, living half a life. No matter how this plays out, you never need to apologize to me for showing me what’s possible. For giving me hope.”

“Bravo,” Lucifer said, clapping. “Eight out of ten for high drama. More of this, please.”

Ignoring him, I released Kane’s hand and walked toward the crossroads. It seemed strange to feel such apprehension at the very place that was under my protection, but I couldn’t deny that fear had taken root. It burrowed under my skin and crawled through my veins. There was no point in wearing a mask of bravado; as long as I didn’t let the fear dictate my actions, it couldn’t hurt me. It was a feeling and nothing more.

Shadows crisscrossed the tunnel like a trellis, although there was still sufficient light to illuminate my path. I saw darkened archways, entrances to other realms, but no actual doors. Soft light spilled from another archway and my heart skipped a hopeful beat until I realized there was no door. Finally, I found it—a black door marked with the symbol of a half sun and half moon. My fingers spread across the hard surface; I wondered whether one of the Tien-Wang had crafted this door eons ago. I quickly pushed the thought aside. This wasn’t the time for Lorelei’s musings.

This was showtime.

I folded my fingers into a fist and gave the door one hard knock. “I am Melinoe, daughter of Hades and Persephone. Goddess of death and darkness. Bringer of madness.”

The words offered me little comfort. This was Lucifer’s domain, not mine. My influence would be limited.

But not nonexistent.

I clung to that knowledge like a barnacle to a whale. Asmuch as I preferred to avoid my goddess status, I couldn’t right now. For Kane’s sake as well as my own, I had to step out of the shadows and fully into the light.

The door clicked open. Drawing a deep breath, I slipped inside. Unfortunately, for my inner goddess, there was no light available to step into. My heartbeat accelerated, and I practiced a technique recommended by West to calm myself. I felt mildly ridiculous sticking my finger in my ear and tugging down on the lobe, but at least nobody could see me in this swath of darkness.

“If you’re trying to dislocate your ear, you’ll have to pull harder.” His voice was a raspy near whisper, as though it had been eroded by the elements over time.

I froze. “Who’s there?”

“They call me Kumbhakara.”

The name wasn’t familiar. “I’m Lorelei. Some people call me Melinoe.”

“Why two names? Is that typical of your species?”

I sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“I have ten hours left to listen.”

The word ‘left’ caught my attention. “Then what happens?”

“I sleep for six months and wake up for a day. That is my schedule. I assume that is the reason you are here, is it not?”

I highly doubted Lucifer sent me in here to keep an aging monster company during his brief hours of wakefulness. There had to be more to this.

“It seems you have the advantage,” I said. “You can see me, but I can’t see you.” A goddess of darkness shouldn’t have this problem, one clue that I was outside my comfort zone, although—let’s be honest—most places that exceeded the border of the Castle were outside my comfort zone.

A soft glow flickered and expanded until it was large enough to reveal my companion. Coarse reddish-brown haircovered a large body, about twenty feet in length, a sinuous blend of muscle and menace. The hair bristled along his spine like the quills of a porcupine. He rested on his front, propped up by large paws and muscular hind legs that hinted at untold strength and speed.

Slaythismonster? Good luck to me.

“You’re surprisingly buff considering your sleep schedule,” I said. “People would kill for your metabolism.”

“Come closer, little one.”

I took half a step. Two slits graced the sides of an elongated head, giving it almost a dragon-like appearance, apart from the hair.

“I expected someone with more meat on their bones,” he said. “A pity. I will require at least two of you if I am to sleep for another six months and survive.”

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