LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . hoo

XV.

THE AMAZONS CONFISCATED their weapons and marched them down so many flights of stairs, Mia lost count.

Finally they emerged in a cavern so big it could have accommodated three of Mia's old high school, the distance between buildings and all. Stark fluorescent lights glowed along the rock ceiling. Conveyor belts wound through the room like water slides, carrying boxes in every direction. Aisles of metal shelves stretched out forever, stacked high with crates of merchandise. Cranes hummed and robotic arms whirred, folding cardboard boxes, packing shipments, and taking things on and off the belts. Some of the shelves were so tall they were only accessible by ladders and catwalks, which ran across the ceiling like theaters scaffolding. The only people Mia could see were some black-suited security women patrolling the catwalks, and some men in orange jumpsuits, like prison uniforms, driving forklifts through the aisles, delivering more pallets of boxes. The men wore iron collars around their necks.

"You keep slaves?" Hazel asked, outrage clear in her voice.

"The men?" Kinzie snorted. "They're not slaves. They just know their place. Now, move."

They walked so far, Mia's feet began to hurt. She didn't even think that was possible, after spending months walking everywhere with Nico, but walking around the entire city of Seattle plus the warehouse in heels? Not her finest moment. She thought they must surely be getting to the end of the warehouse when Kinzie opened a large set of double doors and led them into another cavern, just as big as the first.

"The Underworld isn't this big," Hazel complained, which definitely wasn't true, and she definitely knew that.

Kinzie smiled smugly. "You admire our base of operations? Yes, our distribution system is worldwide. It took many years and most of our fortune to build. Now, finally, we're turning a profit. The mortals don't realize they are funding the Amazon kingdom. Soon, we'll be richer than any mortal nation. Then — when the weak mortals depend on us for everything — the revolution will begin!"

Mia pouted. She's a rich mortal nation, and Amazon was probably richer than she was. That didn't mean that she had to like it.

"What are you going to do?" Frank grumbled. "Cancel free shipping?"

A guard slammed the hilt of her sword into his gut. Percy tried to help him, but two more guards pushed him back at sword point.

"You'll learn respect," Kinzie said. "It's males like you who have ruined the mortal world. The only harmonious society is one run by women. We are stronger, wiser—"

"More humble," Percy said. The guards tried to hit him, but Percy ducked.

"Stop it!" Mia ordered. Surprisingly, the guards listened. "Hylla is going to judge us, right?" she asked. "So take us to her. We're wasting time."

Kinzie nodded. "Perhaps you're right. We have more important problems. And time . . . time is definitely an issue."

"What do you mean?" Hazel asked.

A guard grunted. "We could take them straight to Otrera. Might win her favor that way."

"No!" Kinzie snarled. "I'd sooner wear an iron collar and drive a forklift. Hylla is queen."

"Until tonight," another guard muttered.

Kinzie gripped her sword. For a second Mia thought the Amazons might start fighting one another, but Kinzie seemed to get her anger under control. "Enough," she said. "Let's go." They crossed a lane of forklift traffic, navigated a maze of conveyor belts, and ducked under a row of robotic arms that were packing up boxes.

Most of the merchandise looked pretty ordinary: books, electronics, baby diapers. But against one wall sat a war chariot with a big bar code on the side. Hanging from the yoke was a sign that read: ONLY ONE LEFT IN STOCK. ORDER SOON! ( MORE ON THE WAY )