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“My magic is back.”

“Good. Thanks. No, don’t look. Just give us a minute.” I peer down at Khaosti. He seems okay. Back to normal. Though normal has never been a good word to describe Khaos. “Are you okay?” I say softly.

He considers his answer, which is worrying. “I think so,” he says. “For now at least.”

“What happened? You went a little weird. I thought I might have broken something.”

He smirks at that. “No. Nothing broken.”

“Is it the magic?”

“I think so.”

“Can it help us?”

“I don’t know. I have no clue what it does or how to use it. But I think there’s more. I think—”

Another rock hits me on the back and I scowl. “We’re coming already.” I look at Khaos and shrug. “We should go. We can talk later. See if we can work out what’s going on.”

I make to get up, but he loops a hand around my neck and draws me closer. We kiss and I don’t ever want to stop.

“Ugh!” Grimlet mutters from behind me. “I shouldn’t have looked.”

We both freeze. Then I feel a rumble in Khaosti’s chest. He’s laughing? It’s unheard of. I think the world must be about to end. I twist around, and Grimlet is crouched in the center of thecell, wings over his eyes. I look back at Khaos. “I think we better get up.”

He nods. But I don’t want to leave him. I know this is the last time we will be together like this. I sigh and push myself up, hunt for my clothing, and pull it on. Khaos is buttoning his shirt as I twist my hair into a quick plait and dig in my pockets for something to tie it with. Finally, I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.

“You can look now,” I say to Grimlet.

He lowers his wings and gives us both a disgusted glare. “Where?”

I look around the cell. There’s only one answer. We’re going to have to go out into the corridor. There’s no point in just going into the next cell. So I point at the wall to the right of the door.

Grimlet grumbles to himself but shuffles over to stand close to the wall. He raises his hand and there’s a creak and a groan and a Grimlet size hole appears.

He looks at me. I wave towards Khaosti and raise a brow. Grimlet scowls but goes back to work. He’s drooping by the time there’s a hole Khaos can squeeze through. I pick him up and give him a cuddle. “You did great. Now, who’s going first?” I ask.

“I will.” Khaos is already down on the floor and wriggling toward the hole. He’s got a great ass. I watch as he puts his outstretched arms through first, then his head disappears. Then his shoulders stick. And it looks like we aren’t going anywhere. I give a quick prayer, to anyone who might be listening, that no one comes by at this point. Then he sort of levers himself with his toes, wriggles his massive shoulders, and they’re through. A few seconds later, the rest of him follows.

“Come on. It’s all clear,” he says from the other side. I put Grimlet down beside the hole and usher him through, then I’m easing myself into the gap. It’s easy this time as Khaos has widened the way for me.

On the other side, I stand up and brush myself down. Grimlet tugs at my pant leg, and I pick him up and place him on my shoulder where he clings onto my braid.

I stand for a moment, trying to decide which way to head. Left or right? The place looked huge from the outside. “How are we supposed to find her?” I ask.

We don’t want to bump into Lucifer until one, we’ve gotten this collar off me, and two, we have taken the pendant from Hecate.

Grimlet points to the left. “Wicked, evil sorceress lives that way.”

It’s the way we came when they brought us from the great hall. And I peer around each corner we come to. But the place is quiet. I have no clue what time it is. Does Hell ever sleep? “Why’s it so quiet?” I ask.

“Only the devil and My Lady and the evil wicked sorceress live here,” Grimlet replies.

We’re close to the great hall when there’s a movement up ahead and I stop abruptly. Khaos bumps into me and Grimlet ends up swinging from my braid.

“Ouch,” I mutter, placing him back on my shoulder.

It’s Zeryth and she’s heading away from us toward the great hall. We stand frozen in place until she flings open the door and disappears inside.