Nyx’s fangs flashed. “Try it, murderer.”
“Hey!” I said, wounded.
“Calm down,” Giguhl said. “If Sabina had wanted you dead, you’d already be a pile of ash. She had a chance last night and didn’t take it. Right, Red?”
Adam closed his eyes like he was praying for patience. “You’re not helping, Giguhl.”
Tristan’s eyes narrowed as the implication of the demon’s comment sank in. I rushed ahead to try and do some damage control. “That’s what I was going to tell you. Asclepius appeared in my dreams two nights ago. He figured out that I’ve located Nyx and wanted to know why she was still alive. I convinced him I still intended to go through with it.”
Nyx bared her fangs again and tensed.
“He gave me seventy-two hours to make good on my promise. But that was”—I looked at the clock on the wall—“almost forty-three hours ago.” Sighing, I braced myself. “He said if I didn’t prove I’d killed her by then, he’s going to tell Cain where we’re hiding out.”
“Godsdammit!” Tristan yelled.
My mouth snapped shut. It was the first time I’d heard my father curse.
“Sabina,” Rhea said, “you should have told us this yesterday.”
I threw up my hands. “I know! But I was worried if I did that Tristan would kick us out before I had a chance to convince him to help us stop Cain.”
“What makes you think he’s not going to do that now?” Nyx said with a raised brow.
“Because,” Rhea retorted, “you need Sabina as much as she needs you.”
Nyx snapped her mouth shut. Tristan stood with his arms crossed, glaring at all of us. Rhea’s words hung in the air like smoke.
“Look,” I said finally. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. But I’ve thought about it and realized we can still make this work. We just have to go into Irkalla earlier.”
Rhea shook her head. “Asclepius resides in the Liminal. If you try to get to Irkalla through the in-between, he’ll know you’re trying to screw him over.”
My stomach dipped. Shit, I hadn’t thought of that.
Tristan blew out a frustrated breath and sank into a chair. “We’re defeated before we even got a chance to begin.” He shot me an accusing look. “I knew I should have trusted my instincts about you.”
My chest tightened painfully. His words were like a dagger that hit too close to the mark.
“Actually,” Valva said, “the Liminal isn’t the only way into the Infernal Lands.”
We all swung our shocked gazes to the demon. “What do you mean?” Rhea asked.
Valva shrugged. “Some of the gods created back-door entrances so they wouldn’t have to deal with going through the Liminal.”
Hope bloomed in my chest, easing the ache of Tristan’s disappointment. “Where?”
“The closest one is in southern Italy. There’s a cave that used to belong to the Oracle Sybil. One of the goddesses has an entrance there.”
Tristan stood slowly. “So if we can convince the goddess to allow Sabina entrance—”
“We could avoid Asclepius altogether,” Rhea finished.
Valva nodded.
I looked at Valva. “Which goddess?”
“Hekate.”
I nearly swooned with relief. Because I was a Chthonic mage, Hekate was the goddess I called upon for aid most often. I’d never met her personally, but it had to be a good sign that she’d lent me her powers several times in the past.
“Good gods, it just might work,” Rhea said.
I looked at Adam, who smiled. “Miracle number three.”
Chapter 28
A kitchen was the last place I expected to spend my last night before rushing off to meet my fate. But once Rhea found out that I’d have to summon Hekate in the flesh in order to gain entrance to Irkalla, she’d announced that we had some baking to do.
She and I stood on either side of a large wooden island in the middle of the room. The wood was smooth and dark from years of use.
“Tell me why you suddenly got an urge to make baked goods?” I asked.
She opened the stainless-steel fridge and started gathering ingredients while she explained. “Summoning a god involves bribery. Remember how we used those honey cakes to sweeten Asclepius when we asked for help?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but can’t you just summon whatever we’ll need?”
She peeked her head from inside the fridge to shoot me a look. “Sabina, what was the first thing I taught you about magic?”
I pursed my lips. “That it should be used judiciously.”
She nodded. “Right. I also told you that taking the easy way out decreases the potency of the plea. You have to work for a god’s favor.”
“Okay, so we’re making honey cakes?”
She placed a bottle of milk, a few eggs, butter, a couple of lemons, and a container of ricotta on the butcher block. “No, we’re making cheesecake.” She turned and disappeared into the small pantry. When she continued, her voice was muffled. “In ancient times, the Greeks would leave offerings called Hekate Suppers at crossroads. They usually included things like fish, eggs, and garlic. But there was also a sacred cake called amphiphon that was ringed with candles, like our modern birthday cakes.”
“And this amphiphon was a cheesecake?”
“Of sorts.” She came back out carrying flower, cinnamon sticks, almonds, and a large jar of honey. “The recipe has been passed down through my family since all the women in my line were priestesses. We make them for every event sacred to Hekate.”
“Um, Rhea?” I said.
She was busy pulling out bowls and utensils. “Yes?”
“I’ve never really cooked before. Like ever.”
She waved a hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll walk you through it. It’s not so different from when I taught you potions in my workroom.”
I wiped my suddenly-moist hands on my jeans. “Okay, what’s first?”
She put me in charge of cracking eggs into a glass bowl while she measured out the dry ingredients. I managed to get more shell than yolk in the bowl on my first effort, but soon got the hang of it. We fell silent for a few moments as we worked.
In truth, it wasn’t so hard, this cooking stuff. But part of me wished I were with Adam. After the meeting with Tristan, we’d all split up. Adam and Nyx had headed into town to gather some supplies, Giguhl and Valva had been sent to scout for plants and herbs for amulets and potions, and Tristan went to fill Calyx and Horus in on the plan. We’d decided to send the vampire and the faery ahead to Lake Averno to scout the area. The next day, we’d join them at sundown to proceed with the summoning ritual.