Page 46 of The Road to Hell

Lily slipped her arm through Eliza’s and offered her an encouraging smile. “Come on, it’ll be over before you know it. An hour isn’t terrible. I promise, it’ll pass quickly.”

“Such a filthy liar you are,” Eliza muttered. Still, she kept moving, though she was definitely struggling.

The siren wasn’t cut out for Hell—or perhaps we were just pushing her too hard. She was hardly weak, and she’d proven herself useful and effective in a fight. Perhaps she just needed more time to adjust to her new surroundings.

The hour stretched on with Eliza slowing with every passing minute. Lily continuously encouraged her, with Vol piping in every opportunity he found. But it didn’t seem to help. Eliza’s breathing eventually turned shallow, her face slick with sweat and grime. Lily remained at her side, her grip on the siren’s arm tightening whenever she stumbled.

“Almost there,” I said, breaking the silence. My focus locked on Eliza, watching for any sign she couldn’t go on.

Eliza gave a breathless laugh. “It better be. I’m not above collapsing dramatically to make a point.”

Another stretch of rough terrain, another hill to climb. Then, finally, the cavern came into view. Half-hidden by a blackened rock formation, it looked like nothing more than a gash in the side of the cliff.

I gestured ahead. “There.”

Eliza stumbled on a loose rock. Lily caught her elbow with practiced ease, steadying her before she could hit the ground.

“Oh, thank Satan’s sweaty armpit,” Eliza mumbled, dragging herself toward the entrance with a renewed sense of purpose.

Lily and I shared a bemused glance, but didn’t comment on her odd turn of phrase.

Together, the five of us entered the cave.

Inside, the air was noticeably cooler—still hot, but without the suffocating heat that clung to everything outside. The cavern walls loomed above us, the dark stone pocked and cracked from centuries of heat and pressure. The acrid scent of sulphur hit immediately, coating the back of my throat. But after hours of choking on ash and dust, I barely noticed.

Eliza sank down onto a flat rock with a groan, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I take back everything I said. This place is a palace. I could live here. Even if it smells like rotten farts.”

Lily snorted, shaking her head. She set Purrgy’s carrier down and unlatched it, letting the cat stretch and wander the cavern. Vol darted off after him, skittering up a nearby ledge to scout the area. His beady eyes glinted in the dim light as he scanned the space.

“Vol,” Lily said. “Don’t let Purrgy wander too far. And don’t let him leave the cave.”

For once, the imp didn’t argue—maybe he sensed we all needed a break.

We needed more than that. We needed sustenance. Dropping my pack, I pulled out the canteens and ration bars, and handed them out. “Eat and hydrate. Slowly.” I shot a pointed look at Eliza, who had already unscrewed her cap like she planned to guzzle down the entire thing. “Sip. Not chug. You’ll regret it otherwise.”

She rolled her eyes but obeyed, taking small sips, her face relaxing with each one.

The cavern was larger than I remembered, but then again, it’d been at least ten years since I’d been here. The back opened into a series of shallow pools, their surfaces reflecting the dim light in broken, shimmering patterns. Vapor vents along the walls kept the air humid and warm, a stark contrast to the dry heat outside.

Purrgy hopped onto a nearby rock, his tail flicking as he peered down at his reflection in one of the pools. After a second of contemplation, he batted at it, sending ripples across the surface. Satisfied with his small disruption, he wandered farther, exploring deeper into the cavern. If my memory served me correctly, the cave entrance we’d come in was the only one, so there wasn’t any other exit.

“This is the best you’ll get,” I said to Eliza, nodding toward the pools. “The liquid’s warm, and it’ll remove the worst of the grime. If it doesn’t burn to touch, then I’d say your safe to walk in. But remember not to drink it. It’s full of minerals, and other things, that might kill you. Hard to say. No one alive ever comes to Hell, so I have no idea how you’ll react to any of it. We’re in new territory here.”

Eliza carefully dipped a fingertip into the liquid. When it didn’t burn or devour her flesh, she straightened and shucked her clothing. She dipped a toe in. Then a foot. Eventually, she stood waist-deep in the pool. I might have recommended she leave her undergarments on—whoknewwhat swam in there—but she didn’t seem concerned, so I let her be.

She gave a relieved sigh. “Honestly, this might be the best thing that’s happened to me all day.”

Lily, shaking her head at Eliza’s antics, removed the tunic I’d acquired for her in Fellmoor, and stripped down to her tank top. Then she crouched beside the pool and cupped the warm liquid in her hands. She ran it over her face, wiping away layers of ash and grime with quick, efficient movements. She didn’t seem to share Eliza’s enthusiasm, but she worked quickly, washing the worst of Hell’s filth from her skin.

My gaze skimmed over her scars again. Every time I saw them, I wanted to murder her father. Maybe this time I’d get lucky.

Lily turned and caught me staring. She arched a brow. “What?”

“Nothing,” I said, turning my attention back to the entrance, scanning for movement. I didn’t love being on ground level. Made it easier for hellspawn to sneak up on us. But I couldn’t think of any other caves nearby. So this was it. Our only option.

I turned back to Eliza and Lily, only to find Eliza shoulder-deep in the larger pool. She leaned back to wash her hair, and I immediately averted my gaze. Maybe she was perfectly fine with strutting around naked, but I had no interest in seeing anyone else nude, except for Lily—who appeared to be laughing at me right now.

She snickered, then dipped her hands back into the liquid, the drops sliding over her fingers as she rubbed her wet hands over her arms before moving on to her own hair. Her movements were steady, almost clinical, scrubbing away the remnants of Fellmoor and everything else clinging to us.

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