Page 74 of Grave Mistakes
Crux sees and chuckles at me. “Ready?”
“To walk down a bajillion, endless, steep, rocky steps with no railing and straight into the heart of Hell? Sure, why not?” I snark as I walk over.
“Here,” Crux says, grabbing my hand and placing it on the back of his jeans. “Hold onto me right here and don’t let go. I’ll catch you if you fall.”
I dig my fingers into his waistband. “Can we not talk about falling, please?” I reply as we start walking down the first steps.
“Good thinking.”
“This place is huge,” I remark as Echo and Iceman take up the rear, all of us heading down single file.
“Very,” Iceman says behind me.
My eyes keep darting over to the edge, but the height and the creepy shadowed lighting is not a good combination, so I train my eyes to focus on the steps instead, doing my best to ensure I don’t slip.
“Okay, so what’s the plan again?” I ask, suddenly needing a distraction from the feel of our descent into never-ending nothingness and the sound of my scythe clunking with each step down I take.
Jerif groans and Iceman snorts at my annoying question.
“Fine,” I concede. “So you guys said we’re starting at Tres and working our way up to the First Ring, Unus, right? But wouldn’t it be faster to start at Unus and work our way down?” I ask. Apparently, climbing down into Hell brings out my inner tactician.
“If these idiots had their heads on straight, that’s exactly what we’d be doing,” Jerif grumps, and confusion seeps through me.
“Uh okay…” I voice, not sure how to react to his declaration.
“We voted and you lost, Jerif. Get over it,” Crux counters defensively.
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Jerif snarls back over his shoulder. “You’re wasting time wanting to show off, and we can’t afford that shit right now. We need to figure out what she is and then get back to induct her. Not wave at the family like you’re some kind of hero before returning to the Vestibule.”
If I hadn’t been holding onto Crux’s pants, I would have stopped mid-step and probably created a pile up on the stairs of doom for Echo and Iceman behind me.Family?The word swirls around my mind. It’s familiar, and yet, so foreign in the context of Hell and demons.
How did I not think about their lives and existence outside of being Hellgate Guardians? Logically, I didn’t think they were hatched from pure mayhem and temptation, but I haven’t given a second’s thought to their backstories and lives.
Damn, I’m selfish.
I’m instantly consumed with questions about who they are and where they come from. What are their families like? How long have they been guarding the Gate? Do they have girlfriends? That last question takes me by surprise, but I don’t examine it too closely, mostly because I really do want to know everything.
“Oh, please. If your mom knew what we were doing, she would insist on seeing you too and would probably bring you a fucking packed lunch, so shut it. Maybe I’ll give her a little call and let her know what her baby boy is up to...” Echo threatens.
“Don’t you dare,” Jerif growls out menacingly.
“Echo, quit antagonizing Jerif. Jerif, stop pretending like you don’t talk to your parents every day and wouldn’t like to see them. Crux, we all know you voted the way you did because youdowant to show off, so let’s not make-believe otherwise,” Iceman states smoothly and clearly over the bickering.
“What vote?” I chime in, too curious to stop myself.
“Rafferty and Jerif voted to get in and out as fast as possible,” Echo tells me, his tone seductive. “You should remember that’s how they like to do things in the future,” he adds with a smirk that I can hear rather than see.
Flames flicker to life low in my stomach, but I pull out a fire extinguisher and smother them as quickly as possible.
“Echo and I voted to start with the other Rings first,” Crux tells me over his shoulder.
“Yeah, because you paid him off or something. Echo doesn’t have anyone to show off to. We all know this bullshit plan is all you, Crux,” Jerif accuses.
Everyone grows quiet. The statement about Echo not having anyone circles awkwardly around us. Tension rolls off of Crux’s back, and I feel Echo stiffen behind me. Jerif just lanced a serious nerve, and the threads connecting the demons all around me suddenly feel volatile and brittle. What a dick move.
“So what do you do in the event of a tie?” I ask woodenly, in an effort to quell the silent agitation.
“We asked Strut to vote,” Iceman answers.
