Page 4 (2/2)

"This way" He motioned toward this side’s crack with a tilt of his chin

"All right And Geryon? Thank you For everything" Usually she whisked herself to Lucifer’s palace without ever opening the gate, too afraid of this Not today She couldn’t For she could not whisk Geryon Or anyone else, for that matter The ability extended only to herself

"You are welcome"

As she passed, she waved one hand over the now-closed slit Because there was no longer a guardian stationed out front, the extra fortification would be needed--despite the fact that providing it weakened her, forcing her to leave a piece of herself behind

As fragments of her power adhered to the stones, she was careful to maintain distance from them Supposedly Geryon was the only one who could touch the handles of the gate without consequence Well, besides Hades and Lucifer Anyone else, the stones heaped untold pain and horror upon

She had never dared test the supposition

A thought occurred to her, and she tilted her head, studying her coate, ould open the stones to allow damned souls inside?

Perhaps Lucifer had already appointed another Guardian Perhaps? She chuckled without huuarded, even if he had known Kadence would refortify it

The knowledge that Geryon would not be the man she saw every day…saddened her For when the as safe--she would not allow herself to believe she would fail in this mission--Geryon could leave, but she would be stuck here

Do not think about that now She would cry If she cried, her vision would blur and if her vision blurred, she would have trouble knohere to place her hands Her still sweating hands

She glanced around The air was smokier here, she noticed, hotter So hot, in fact, that the sheen of sweat spread up her aran trickling down her te a panic

"I a over her and positioning hiain The scent of decadent, powerful ent odor of decay "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she whispered, but gods, what had she gotten herself into?

CHAPTER SIX

"MOVE WITH ME," Geryon told Kadence "Can you do that?"

"Yes Of course" Could she? Maintaining a fir, ever conscious of the see her should she lose her balance--but farher in, keeping her steady "Perhaps the wall is not as daoddess can hope"

How she yearned to rub against hi to him if only for ahiht and causing hie on which she had just placed her foot, and she yelped

"Do not show your fear in any way," he said "The demons and the flames feed on it, will try to increase it"

"They are alive? The flaods How had she not known? "I did not iine the climb would be difficult I wish I could flash us"

"Flash?"

"The ability to ht"

"You have this ability?"

"Yes"

"And you can go anywhere?"

"Anywhere I have already been To flash soht for a moment "Have you been to the bottom of this cavern?"

"No" He had to wonder why she, one of the keepers of Hell, had not physically visited every inch She had thought herself so clever, h to watch But she realized her mistake now

"Then I ask that you do not try to flash You e the distance and end up in a spot without a ledge"

Or underground, but she did not tell him that

"That is a handy power to possess I envy you"

Poor ates of Hell for countless lifetimes "If you could flash to anywhere in the world, where would you go?" Once they’d destroyed the de to escape, perhaps she would take him there She would not be able to re his happiness could fuel her fantasies for years to cooddess, therefore I will not answer your question"