Page 52 of Until the End of Ever (To the Cruel Gods #2)

KLEOS

" I f you need to go to theunderworld, I can help beyond babysitting duties," Cassius said, catching up with me, not even winded, although I was panting. "I've been there a time or two."

I looked around our gathered friends, frowning. This was the initial group who'd been with Lucian and me for thePerthro Root, and it felt right, but Cassius did have experience.

"It needs to be five of us," I stated,obsessively running the words around and around in my head.

Two by sea, five beyond death, and seven to rise as all the walls fall . A new goddess shall stand or descend by the grace of the one who judges all.

We'd all assumed it was gibberish and more or less dismissed it, but if we'd actually listened, Lucian and I would have just gone to Poseidon's temple and prayed to the god as soon as we'd gotten back from Delphi. I wasn't about to waste time now.

"By all means, you kids can travel," the patriarch replied. "But I'll open the way for you. Faster than researching it."

I briefly hugged the man, who froze, visibly confused.

He tilted his head, musing, "I don't think I dislike that."

"A Regis trait. You all secretly love hugs. Sorry, Theke," I said as several runes flew towards me. "Cassius is going to lead us, so I don't need the books."

I would have sworn the runes dipped a few inches lower in disappointment.

"Are we actually going to the Egyptian underworld?" Lucky checked, hopping onto the spot she'd occupied through the weekend. "I mean, no big. But why, exactly, are we doing that?"

"Because my new granddaughter is smart," Cassius replied smugly. "The magistrates will vote with the council against Lucian if they have an excuse to. This is Highvale, where unders are guilty until proven innocent."

"And this brings us to the Duat because?" Silver asked, not hesitating to take her place in the circle either.

Meanwhile, I kept looking through the busy, messy shelves, frowning as I muttered, "I could have sworn I saw it the other day."

"The Weighing of the Heart," Ronan guessed.

For Gideon and Silver's sake, he explained, "The underworlds all have their various ways of judging souls passing through.

In Hades, three kings render judgement. But in the Duat the souls are judged by an object: a scale, which weighs the souls against a feather of the goddess of justice, Ma'at. "

"Ahah!" I exclaimed, triumphant, recovering a large flask filled with golden seeds. I sensed a permanent charm glinting over them.

"What's that?"

"Evergold seeds," I replied, hurrying to take Lucian's place on the circle, to the north point. "Spelled to bloom in the underworld. Lucian told me he owed it to Osiris. It can't hurt to have a bribe."

"You ought to also bring gold,” Cassius said, checking his own back pocket, removing a shrunken bag the size of a single coin.

So, that was where Lucian took up that habit.

"Are we sure it's a good idea?" Gideon grumbled. "I mean, maybe Lucky should stay behind. She's?—"

" Nineteen ," Lucky interjected. "And if you think you can make me miss this, potentially fucking with Lucian's future? You're even stupider than you look, which is saying a lot, surfer boy."

"Hey!" Gideon protested. "I thought you liked me."

"Before you treated me like a fragile kid, I did."

“It’s not about your age. I was going to point out you trip over perfectly flat surfaces,” he argued.

While he had a point, I shook my head.

"We all need to go," I interrupted. "For Lucian. The prophecy was clear: five beyond death.” The fifth could have been Cassius, but I had a gut feeling that Lucky ought to be with us, just like she was there for my inheritance ritual. “And we'll all come back."

I couldn't promise that, but saying it out loud felt good.

"All right," Cassius said, standing outside the circle. "Each minute in the underworld counts for around three in this world, which means that if your father buys Lucian three full working days, you have just over one day. I will lead you right to the gates. The rest is up to you."