Page 61 of As Darkness Fall
“Yes,” Aaron said, the terseness of his voice reflected in the slight gauntness of his cheeks. He was nervous. “Right now.”
“Oh,” I said, unsure of what else to say. I’d been expecting to wait another day, perhaps two, for our departure.
“It’s the best chance we’re going to get for some time,” Aaron said, already growing impatient. “I really don’t want to waste it, so if you could get moving, I would appreciate it.”
I wanted to snap at him, to tell him to cool it, but I didn’t. According to Vir, Aaron was crucial to getting us into position to enter the Underworld, and I didn’t want to risk pissing him off. Aaron already wanted to go it alone, and if I gave him too much shit, he might just set off without us.
Besides, I’d never seen him this uncomfortable before. It was probably good for him to be reminded that he wasn’t all-powerful.
“Okay, guess I gotta go,” I said to Jo. “Sorry for the delayed reunion. When I get back, we’ll talk some more.”
There was no “if I get back” in my statement. I couldn’t afford to show anything less than full confidence that all of us would be returning from our little trip down south. Ha.
I rushed to my room to put on the outfit Aaron had somehow procured for me. It didn’t fit quite as nicely as the clothes from Vir’s magic trunks in his temple back in Shuldar, but it was a close second. The soft leather bodysuit clung to my skin, leaving enough room for me to move around while also acting as a bit of padding in case of falls or something similar.
It wouldn’t do much against fire or claws, but if I got knocked to the ground, it should stop my skin from ripping open. Not to mention, it was one singular piece of leather from my ankles to my wrists to my neck, all done up with a zipper. Extremely easy to slip out of if I needed to shift.
I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling kind of badass.
Until I remembered what we were doing. Accepting that I was going to try to steal from the god who dealt out punishments to the souls of those who had died was a good way to sober up fast.
Silently, I left my room behind. Everyone else was already out, milling around the elevator, bags of gear hanging from their shoulders or strapped onto vests. I was the only one without any weapons. I felt silly, but what good would I be with a gun? I’d be just as likely to shoot one of my own teammates as someone else. Better that I stuck with the weapons my wolf had at her disposal. We had enough guns.
The team piled into the elevator, leaving Aaron, Vir, and me behind.
“You guys be careful, okay?” Jo said, giving us each a hug. “You just rescued me. I need to have a chance to at least buy you a pizza or something, okay? So, you get her parents, and you get your asses back here.”
Both Aaron and Vir shot looks at me. I could tell they were wondering what I had told Jo. After all, we weren’t going to get my parents. Not yet.
“We’ll be back,” I said. “Pinky promise.”
Jo’s smile was subdued, which fit the bill. All of us were a bit apprehensive. Aaron, more so. The elevator dinged as it returned, and with one last wave at Jo, we got on. My stomach lurched as we descended abruptly. Both men reached out to put a hand on my arm to steady me, moving like they were mirror opposites of each other.
I didn’t fight either of them off. Not this time. Their touch reassured me. I had two badass non-humans with me. Not to mention a team of others armed to the teeth. We could do this.
The doors opened, and I strode out with renewed confidence, heading for the vehicles, ready to get this show on the road and kick some ass. My lips pulled back in a silent snarl, and I rolled my neck, loosening the muscles.
We’re coming for you, Hades!
“Dani.”
I paused, turning to see that nobody else was following me. “What is it?”
“We’re not driving,” Dave supplied cheerfully. “You’re going the wrong way.”
Slowly, I looked back to the cars. Then back at the others. “We’re not driving.”
“Nope,” Fred said monotone.
“Right. I guess that whole highway to hell thingisa bit outdated, isn’t it?” I muttered, rejoining the group.
Fred snorted but didn’t acknowledge or deny my comment.
Aaron led us to the back of the underground parking lot, where Alexi pulled open a mesh gate surrounding some large equipment that looked like generators, and we all filed inside after him. He then locked the gate after us.
“Expecting company?” I asked.
“Hope not,” Aaron said, reaching down to pull a sewer grate free.
