The Underworld Crown (Series)

Chapter 26

Alek and I trekked our way back to the tent and Calista. The soft breeze continued to taunt us, making the fabric of my pants cling to my calves. Ahead of me, Alek held his crossbow at the ready, although neither of us knew exactly what he might have to shoot at.

The wind itself was hardly a threat – it was the fact that it was so unexpected that made us wonder what else could happen. What did it mean if, after centuries of a windless Hell, you could suddenly feel a breeze?

The walk back felt a lot longer than I remembered. Now that I was paranoid about the weather, I was terrified wraiths or some other Underworld creatures would come jumping out at us. When we turned a corner and came face to face with our propped-up tent, I exhaled with relief.

"We're going to have to sleep in shifts," he said. "Just to make sure nothing gets the jump on us."

"You don't want to keep moving?"

He shook his head. "If there's wind, I doubt it's just in this one spot. It would probably follow us wherever we go. It's best if we get some rest while we can, and then tomorrow we'll be able to make our way through the rest of the volcanoes and into Greed City." He glanced at me questioningly. "That is...if you still want to get to the North Gate?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you even need to ask me that?"

"Well..." he shuffled around to face me, an unreadable look on his face. "Now that we think you're Persephone's descendant, do you still want to leave the Underworld? Technically, that makes you a princess." His lips quirked in amusement.

Princess.

Even the thought of it made shivers rack my body, and I wrapped my arms protectively around myself. The term itself was so benign and archaic that it felt like a practical joke. It was difficult to imagine myself as a princess – eugh – when I was covered in dirt, my hair frizzy and crusted with mud, and my patience on its last nerve.  

I shook my head and strode past him. "There's no way I'm staying here just because there's a possibility that I'm her descendant. There are people on Earth that love me, but unlike some people, they've never let me be hunted by hellhounds or tracked down by guards.

"If I really was summoned here for the reason of my blood, Persephone isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet. Plus, she's been completely content to keep me in the dark. So no, there's no way I'm staying here because of her. Does that answer your question?"

"Got it," Alek said with a grin at the same time he dug into one of the bags and pulled out a can. "This is all the food we have left. If we have it tonight, it will keep us going for another fifteen or so hours. We can get some more food when we get to Greed City."

My eyes tracked the can in his hand as he popped the lid open. At the same time, my stomach grumbled, making me grin sheepishly at Alek's pointed look. He found a spot to sit on the ground, put down his crossbow and patted the empty space next to him with a smirk.

"It seems like you might need this more than I do," he said, holding it out for me.

I let out a little laugh and sat down next to him. When I reached for the can, our fingers brushed, and I nervously took it from him. I deliberately avoided his gaze and instead looked into the can's contents, cringing at the sloppy orange goop inside.

"It looks unappealing," Alek said, "but trust me when I say it will taste like the best food you've ever had."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Pumpkin soup."

"That's not so bad," I guessed, tipping some of the can's contents into my mouth. I immediately got hit by a slimy and thick texture with thick chunks of God-knows-what. I swallowed it as quickly as possible, coughing when the aftertaste didn't disappear.