Page 70 of As Darkness Fall
It was actually quite a sight. We stopped at one of four entrances to the courtyard. Together, the entryways formed a cross at the corners. Tall, faceless buildings surrounded us on every side, each corner of the square courtyard leading back down one of the city's roads.
A path of wide stones led from each corner to the doors, where they formed a circular platform in the center of the courtyard. The doors themselves just stood there, like the centerpiece of some deranged sculpture.
“Please tell me this isn’t our entrance,” I said to Aaron, considering everything about the setup made me feel uncomfortable.
He shrugged. “This isn’t our entrance.”
I sagged with relief. “Good. I’ll be glad to leave this place, then. Where do we go?”
Aaron lifted a hand and pointed. “Through those doors.”
“But–” I protested weakly. “You just said…”
Aaron smiled. The first real smile I’d seen him give since he agreed to bring us through his realm. “What? You told me to say that this isn’t our entrance. So, I did. You never told me to tell the truth.”
I glared at him. “I hate you,” I said flatly and without heat. “You’re just doing this because you’re upset we got spotted.”
Aaron sobered immediately. His gaze turned from the doors, but he didn’t look behind us toward where the group had greeted us as I’d expected. Instead, he looked ahead, down the street at the far side of the courtyard from where we’d entered.
I followed his gaze. That street led into a different section of town, where the road rose higher and higher and the buildings grew larger, taller, and longer.
“We should go,” Aaron said, shaking himself so violently I moved a step away.
He led the way into the courtyard, followed by the rest of his team. Vir only paused for a moment, and then he, too, stepped onto the path, heading into the center. Where the doors waited for us.
They all paused there and, almost as one, looked back to where I was waiting at the very edge of the courtyard path.
“Fuck,” I spat and took a step out onto the path, trying to shove aside the growing discomfort in my stomach.
Did you think the trip into the Underworld and the Pits of Tartarus was going to be fun? This isn’t some amusement ride, Dani. Get your shit together and suck it up.
“You can’t be serious?” I said as I joined the group. “You want to just walk through these doors and into Tartarus?”
“Basically,” Aaron said.
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he repeated after me, nodding his head once.
“We’re taking the goddamned tourist entry,” I muttered.
Aaron cringed. “Watch your language.”
“Bloody realms are connected by high-speed travel,” I continued as if I hadn’t heard him.
“Well, what did you expect?” Aaron asked of me.
“I don’t know. More like how we got in here? Sneaking in?”
“Sneaking into Tartarus often has the undesirable effect of landing you right into one of the pits,” Aaron explained. “Trust me when I say you don’t want that. You don’t get out of those.”
“Fine,” I said. “But this? It just screams trap.”
“It’s an old entrance between our realms. Lightly used. Lightly guarded. We’ll be fine,” Aaron said, heading for the door.
“Wait!” I exclaimed, reaching out a hand for him, though he wasn’t within range anyway.
“What?” Aaron asked.
