Author: Theophilus Monroe; Michael Anderle Narrated Bycaitlin Davies
Date: 2023-03-28 00:00:00+00:00
Description: The Grim Reaper has been benched. There hasn't been a soul to reap in months. What did my brother do that has the gods in such a tizzy? It isn't like people stopped dying. If the reapers aren't ushering the souls of the deceased into the afterlife, someone else . . . or something else . . . will do the job. Mercenary monsters of ancient lore have emerged to fill the void. Banshees. Hellhounds. Soul-rippers. All under the command of some other god . . . Whoever he is, he's no friend to the Olympians. These deadly beasts can't be controlled. The more souls they harvest, the more powerful their g
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Rights: Copyright 2022 Theophilus Monroe. All rights reserved.

DEADLY BEASTS

CHRONICLES OF ZOEY GRIMM™ BOOK FOUR

THEOPHILUS MONROE

MICHAEL ANDERLE

This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

Copyright © 2022 LMBPN Publishing

Cover by Fantasy Book Design

Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

A Michael Anderle Production

LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

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LMBPN Publishing

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Version 1.00, July 2022
ebook ISBN: 979-8-88541-365-7

Print ISBN: 979-8-88541-732-7

THE DEADLY BEASTS TEAM

Thanks to our JIT Readers

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Editor

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Author Notes - Theophilus Monroe

Author Notes - Michael Anderle

Books by Theophilus Monroe

Books By Michael Anderle

Connect with The Authors

CHAPTER ONE

I unlocked the chain that bound Sienna to her bed. "Rise and shine, blood sucker of mine."

Sienna rolled over, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. "Cute."

"Any urges last night?"

Sienna shook her head. "It's been almost a month since Katerina tried to influence me."

"And you still can't influence her when the sun is up?"

Sienna climbed out of bed, took a deep breath, placed her hand on her temple, and squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't sense her. It doesn't make any sense. She turned me into a vampire. As far as I know, she hasn't used her influence over me as my sire once. When I bit her, though, I turned her into a daywalker. I sensed her presence when you first reaped her on Olympus and sent her back to Earth. Now, I'm getting nothing."

I shook my head. "Even if she can control you, it's only at night. Unfortunately, we don't know if she managed to complete the spell that suppresses the sire bond, or if someone staked her, or what."

"You can't chain me up every night forever, Zoey."

I scratched my head. "We can't risk anyone else getting hurt. Until we know for sure that the sire bond is broken, we can't risk it."

Sienna sighed and nodded. "I know. Do you really think it's possible that she could cast the spell and break our day bond without affecting her sire bond over me at night?"

"My mom isn't sure. She thinks it might be possible, but she's not a witch, Sienna. She knows how the spell works, but she can't do it. She also doesn't know how it could be altered or modified. Unless we find a witch who can examine the spell and tell us what's what, we'll have to chain you up at night."

Sienna grunted. "Have you ever tried to sleep in shackles?"

"I can't say I have."

"It sucks ass!"

"I'm sure it does. Killing people sucks ass too, you know."

"Look, Zoey. I didn't kill anyone. That was Katerina exerting her will through me. You could stop me if I tried that again."

"Which is just what she wants me to do, Sienna! Think about it. You aren't just a threat to Katerina because you can influence her during the daytime. You also have influence over Jessna and all the other daywalkers. Katerina's only chance to ascend to power in the vampire world again is to get rid of you."

Sienna shrugged. "So what? Say you reaped me to stop me. You could go back to Olympus and reap me right back to Earth again. Badda-bing, badda-boom. No harm done."

"And risk incurring the wrath of Zeus? Sorry, Sienna. I'm not taking a lightning bolt up the pooper. I'm not reaping you. You're my best friend!"

Sienna bit her lip. "Technically, I'm your only friend."

I huffed. "Not true! I have Kevin and Josephine!"

"Your boyfriend and your mom don't count as friends, Zoey."

"I still have friends in the underworld."

"Fair enough. I don't even know why I'm arguing with you about it. You're my best friend, too."

"Aw, thanks, Sienna!"

Sienna snorted. "I'm still sick of spending every night in chains."

"I get it," I said. "But we can't risk it until we know what's up."

"Not to mention you need me. Morty needs all the help we can give him."

I sighed. Sienna was right. The gods had "benched" my brother, the acting Grim Reaper, and an unnamed deity had taken over the Reapers' soul-harvesting responsibilities. It was a nightmare—not just on Earth, but in the underworld.

Reapers followed protocols and well-established standards to ensure that human souls made their way safely to the afterlife. Whatever god was running the show now was sending banshees, packs of ethereal jackals, and a variety of other deadly beasts to do the job. These creatures didn't lead people to the beyond peacefully. They subdued human souls and devoured them. Did those souls make it to eternal bliss or perdition? We didn't know.

If Cerberus ate a human—a behavior I usually discouraged—he could send them to the afterlife by consuming them with his celestial or infernal heads. One head sent them to "heaven," the other to Hades, or hell.

Morty had schedules from before that indicated when every human soul came due. The Reapers couldn't operate. With Cerberus’ help, my brother and I were doing our best to get to the dying humans to send them to the afterlife before the deadly beasts got to them. It was problematic for several reasons. First, we had to decide the eternal fate of every soul we took. Did they deserve heaven or hell? No clue. The schedules didn't tell us. The way I saw it, it was better to err on the side of eternal reward rather than eternal punishment. It was better for a guilty person to go free than for an innocent person to be condemned. Still, who was I to judge human souls?

The second problem was that, given the thousands of people who died every day, our efforts were barely a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers the deadly beasts were consuming.

The third and potentially the most significant problem was that we didn't know if our efforts to undermine the god who'd taken over the reapings were helping. We suspected that what we were doing was pissing off the gods who'd decided to put the Reapers on a time-out. That meant that our efforts might be making the problem worse. The longer we undermined this god's efforts, the longer it might be before the gods re-instituted the Reapers.

This was my dad's idea. He believed we had to save all the souls we could. Even if we saved few compared to the whole, every soul was priceless. If we could rescue a single person's soul from eradication, it was worth it.

The deadly beasts operated on the astral plane. With my cloak, I could see them. Sienna had a brooch that allowed her to traverse the astral dimension. If she helped, she could recruit the other daywalkers who had rings that allowed them to do the same to help us keep tabs on the beasts and intervene.

Without Sienna's participation, though, it was pointless. Since she was the sire of the other daywalkers, she could sense what they saw and found. Otherwise, even if the daywalkers helped, they couldn't get me the information to intervene. If I was on the astral plane, I couldn't get text messages. Cell service doesn't cross dimensions. The sire bond that allowed Sienna to communicate with the others did. With Sienna's help, we could potentially double or even triple the number of souls we gathered.

I also had the only weapon that worked against the beasts. My scythe sent every creature I struck back to Olympus. Usually, I fought them off so Cerberus could do his thing. Any intelligence that Sienna, Jessna, and the other daywalkers might provide could help us stay a step ahead of the beasts.

"Come on, Zoey. We know it works. We've done it during the day. If I could help you at night, we could save a lot more people."

I sighed. "I'm still not sure we're doing the right thing."

"What do you mean? We're saving souls! It's what your dad told you to do."

I nodded. "I know what he said. I'm just not sure we're making things better. Think about it, Sienna. If what we're doing is pissing off the gods, even if it only delays the reinstatement of the Reapers for a single day, that's more souls lost than we could save if we did this every day for years. It's basic math."

Sienna sighed. "The gods might never reinstate the Reapers."

I clenched my fists. "We don't know that!"

"The gods aren't just, Zoey! There's nothing about this situation that's right. We have to stand on principle. We have to fight this!"

"What do you think I'm doing, Sienna?"

"Not as effectively as you could. You've said it before. The souls you and Cerberus are saving are a drop in the bucket. Unless we increase our numbers and get the gods' attention, this could go on forever. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life tracking down human souls, fighting off these beasts, and deciding who deserves heaven or hell?"

"Of course I don't! I suspect you don't want to, either. Still, what happens if Katerina starts using her sire bond to manipulate you at night? What good will any of this do if I lose you? If she gets her hands on you, Sienna, I'll never be able to use the daywalkers."

Sienna grabbed my hands. "Is that really what you're worried about? I don't need your protection anymore, Zoey."

I took a deep breath. "I'm not sure about that."

"Look, Zoey. You've saved me more times than I can count. I'm stronger now. I know how to use my abilities. I can fight."

I shook my head. "You can't fight a sire's bond, Sienna."

Sienna released my hands, turned her back to me, and looked out the window. "What are you going to do, Zoey? Chain me up against my will?"

"Of course not!"

"Then you have no choice. I'm not doing this anymore. You can either let me help you, or you can risk losing more human souls while you stand on your principles."

"Get dressed. You have class in an hour, and I have souls to save."

"Screw class! People are perishing, Zoey!"

"I'm not going to let you ruin your life for an endeavor we aren't even sure is helping the situation."

Someone knocked on my apartment door.

"Are you going to answer that?"

I huffed, then marched to the door and opened it. "Hey, Kevin."

Kevin stepped inside and kissed me on the cheek. "I have a couple of hours before I have to get to the department for my shift. I thought you might like to go get breakfast."

I shook my head, walked over to the kitchen table, and unrolled one of the scrolls that contained the schedule that my brother gave me. "There are at least three souls I could save during that time."

"Zoey, we haven't had a moment together in weeks. This isn't your responsibility."

"Whose responsibility is it, Kevin? If I don't do something, these people will die forever. No heaven. No hell. I can't let that happen!"

Kevin sighed. "I get it. You're saving lives. What about your life, Zoey?"

I shrugged. "What about it?"

Kevin stared at me blankly. "What about my life? I know why you're doing this. I love you, Zoey, but I can't wait forever."

Heat spread across my brow. "Then don't!"

Kevin nodded. "I know you don't mean that."

"Whatever!"

"See you around, Zoey." Kevin walked out of my apartment and slammed the door.

Sienna placed her hand on my back. "Tell me, Zoey. If it's not okay for me to mess up my life to do this, why do you think that you have the right to screw up yours?"

I slammed my fist on the table. "Because I'm the one with the goddamned scythe! Because Cerberus can't do it without me! You have a choice. I don't!"

Sienna shook her head. "There's always a choice."

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I'd already said more than a few things I'd later regret. "Go to class, Sienna."

CHAPTER TWO

I slipped into my reaper cloak. My mind was going in a million directions. Sienna had a point, but I was not inclined to relent and allow her to help. What difference would it make? If I had any doubts, they were whether I should be doing this. She was right. My instincts told me I should go after Kevin, apologize, and go have breakfast. Then, again, a plate of Moons Over My Hammy would come at the steep price of $11.39 plus three human souls.

Morty's schedule gave me a name, location, and cause of death. The first was a lady named Ethel at a nearby nursing home, natural causes. That was an easy one. The other two were combined in one incident. A drunk driver and his victim. A thirty-year-old drunk named Byron and a female in her twenties named Kelli.

Barring any evidence to the contrary, the judgment was simple. Cerberus would send Ethel and Kelli to heaven. Byron was going to hell. My stomach turned at the thought. Yeah, it seemed like a simple call. The truth was, I didn't know shit about the lives any of the three had lived up to that point.

I could run just as fast on the astral plane over short distances as I could ride on my motorcycle. The nursing home was only a mile from my apartment. The car crash would happen on the Interstate about two miles from there.

"You ready?" Cerberus pawed my leg.

I nodded. "Let's get this over with."

If we arrived on the scene fifteen minutes before the time of death, we stood a good chance of beating the beasts there. That meant we had five minutes to make it to the nursing home. Under normal circumstances, I couldn't run a five-minute mile. On the astral plane, Cerberus and I could do it with three minutes to spare.

When we arrived at the nursing home, we found Ethel sleeping alone in her room. She was going to die peacefully in her sleep at the age of ninety-three. All the angst I’d felt before faded. This was why I was doing this. Sure, I didn't know much about Ethel and the life she'd led. She had several framed pictures on her nightstand. She had a family. Children, grandchildren, and from the looks of it, enough great-grandchildren to populate an entire marching band or, perhaps a football team.

Ethel deserved heaven. She'd lived a long life. Wiping her soul from existence was just wrong.

"Heaven, I presume?" Cerberus asked.

I nodded. "I'll fend off the beasts. Do your thing."

The beasts usually appeared in teams of two—two banshees, two jackals, the occasional satyr, or something else I couldn't identify. It might be a combination of any of the above, but so far, I'd never encountered more than two at a time. Nothing I couldn't handle.

This time, it was two banshees. I'd reaped dozens of them without any problem. They saw me as they approached and hesitated. I presumed that word had gotten around about what I was doing. I didn't waste any time. I pressed the sigil on my wrist, invoked my scythe, and charged them. They split up. When I reaped vampires, their bodies turned to ash. When it came to beasts on the astral plane, their forms dissipated after my blade caught their essence, and a blast of what looked like golden glitter exploded from the scythe.

I took down the first easily. The second slipped by me. Not a problem. Cerberus had his celestial head out and was ready to gobble up Ethel's soul. I didn't have to reap the banshee. All I had to do was slow it down. I threw my scythe like a javelin, and it leaped back to avoid the strike.

It bought us a half-second, which was enough for Cerberus to finish the job.

I pressed the sigil on my wrist again, and my scythe re-materialized in my hand. The banshee took off through the wall. Reaping it would have been my preference, but the mission had been a success.

"Let's go. We only have a few minutes to get to the accident."

Cerberus belched. "Ethel is in heaven."

We took off through the halls of the home and out onto the street. We arrived on the scene just in time to see a truck speeding the wrong way down the highway. With a loud bang, it crashed head-on into a blue sedan.

My heart sank into my chest. The Reaper Academy had prepared me to witness such things. Still, seeing it happen was shocking. I was powerless to stop it. Even if I tried, that these deaths were on the schedule meant that no matter what I did, the events would play out with the same tragic result.

"What's the verdict?" Cerberus asked. "Heaven for the both of them?"

I cocked my head. "I don't think so. The drunk driver doesn't deserve that."

Cerberus huffed. "Are you sure?"

"No!" I snapped. "But it's the best I can do in this situation."

"If you say so."

I turned to see six ethereal creatures making their way down the highway. They passed through several oncoming vehicles that were stopped on account of the accident.

"Six?" Cerberus asked. "Looks like four jackals, a banshee, and a satyr."

I nodded. "I didn't expect this. Act fast. Get the girl first. She's the priority."

"The schedule said he dies a few seconds before she does. Are you sure?"

"Like I said, she's the priority. If we can only get one of them, it should be her."

Byron's body had flown through his front window and laid motionless on the pavement. He must've been both driving drunk and without a seat belt. The girl was still buckled up in her car, her body hunched over her steering wheel.

I took out the jackals first. In my experience, they were the fastest. Banshees were more elusive. By reaping the jackals before the others, I gave us a fighting chance. They could get around us before the others. We were down to two. The satyr moved more slowly than any of them. It was only the third time I'd encountered one. They weren't fast or agile, but they were smarter than the other beasts.

Since they would likely go for Byron first, my plan was to fend them off there. That way, if Cerberus didn't manage to get to him in time, at least he'd save Kelli.

While my scythe cut through the jackals, the banshee and the satyr ran past me toward Cerberus and Kelli.

"Damn it!" I screamed. I charged the banshee. She was closer to Cerberus than the satyr. I managed to catch her with my scythe just in time. Cerberus swallowed the girl's soul. He swapped heads and took off toward Byron.

The satyr was standing over his bloody body. The damned thing had tricked us. It had led me to think it was going for Kelli but backtracked the second he saw me go for the banshee.

We were too late. With a deep inhale, the satyr consumed Byron's soul.

"No!" Cerberus screamed.

I charged the satyr and struck it in the hooves. He was gone. So was the drunk driver’s soul.

I stood there looking at Byron's body, shaking my head. Then I turned and looked at the two vehicles. Kelli's car had taken more damage than the truck. The brute force of the impact must've done her in. The airbags had deployed to no effect.

I wiped a tear from my eyes. Then I looked at the truck again. A pair of small pink shoes tied together were dangling from the rearview mirror. Empty beer cans littered the cab. He had been drunk. Morty's schedule said as much. The empty cans confirmed it. Still, something about those shoes gave me a moment's pause. I didn't send him to hell. I'd failed. Maybe that was for the best. Maybe not. Either way, Byron was gone. He'd paid the price.

Cerberus’ Earth-bound head was back in place. "That was unexpected."

I sighed. "Four wouldn't be unthinkable. Two for each soul. Six, though? If it wasn't for that damned satyr, we could have finished the job."

"Do you think they're strategizing against us?"

I bit my lip. "They must be. The banshee that got away must've reported to whatever deity they're working for and requested backup."

"You realize, Zoey, that if they keep increasing their numbers to counter our efforts, there won't be anything we can do."

"We still have to try. Even if we don't save every soul, at least we can take down a few beasts."

Cerberus snorted. "How much difference will that make? Think about it, Zoey. If they usually travel in twos, and there are enough beasts to harvest thousands of souls every day, all they'd need to do is reduce their number to one beast per soul in places where you aren't. This could go on for a long time before we'd make a dent in their numbers. Even then, there's no telling how many more of these beasts they have to spare."

"Maybe this was a fluke. Either way, we should get back and check the schedule."

"You really should get Sienna to scan that thing into your phone."

I sighed. "I hadn't thought of that. I could take photos."

"A scan would be more efficient."

"First, you're a hellhound. How do you know about scanning documents? Second, I'm not sure Sienna is eager to help that way."

Cerberus snorted. "First, I am a very observant hellhound. I also don't forget much."

"A photographic memory?"

"Something like that. Second, why wouldn't Sienna help?"

"That's the problem. She wants to help, but not like that."

"She wants to rally the daywalkers."

I nodded. "Right."

"I was there, you know. You couldn't see me. I heard your argument. At least allow her to help more during the day. That might pacify her enough that she'll put up with your medieval precautions."

"Medieval?"

"You’re using shackles, Zoey. How do you even get shackles these days?"

I snorted. "An adult novelty store."

"Novelty?"

"You know, one of those stores that caters to...intimate nocturnal activities."

"What do shackles and chains have to do with anything intimate?"

I scratched my head. "People like different things. It doesn't matter. Let's just go back and check the schedule. While we're chatting, people could be dying."

"How could someone possibly enjoy being shackled?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know. It's not my thing!"

"Sienna clearly finds no pleasure in it, either."

"We're going back to the apartment."

"Not unless you allow Sienna to help."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that a threat?"

"It’s a condition. You can’t do this without me."

"If I let Sienna help during the day, she'll miss school."

"It's her choice, Zoey, not yours. You are not her mother. Even if you were, what kind of mother would put her kid in shackles? I think Kevin might have to put you in the clink if you did something like that."

"In the clink?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I've been watching old crime shows. The little old man who lives in the apartment across from yours is obsessed with them."

"You hang out with Mister Dennison?"

"He doesn't realize it. I stay on the astral plane. I need something to keep me occupied when Sienna is studying, and you and Kevin are, you know..."

I sighed. "That hasn't happened for a while."

"It had better. You should have gone to breakfast with him."

"How can you say that? If we had, we wouldn't have saved Ethel and Kelli."

"Consider it another condition. Besides allowing Sienna to help, you need to spend some time with your man. If you don't, I won't do this anymore."

"That is manipulative, Cerberus!"

Cerberus narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't feel so good, does it, when someone takes your choices away? Sienna was right. You can't throw your life away for this, especially now that we aren't sure how much longer any of this will work."

I sighed. "All right. You win. I'll let Sienna help, but only during the day. We still can't let her loose at night as long as we aren't sure if Katerina can control her."

"And Kevin?"

"I'll call him later and apologize. We'll go out once a week."

Cerberus crinkled his nose. "Twice. Minimum."

"Fine, twice!"

"Good girl."

I raised an eyebrow. "’Good girl?’"

"It's called praise. It's helpful when training humans. If that doesn't work, next time, I'll throw in a treat."

CHAPTER THREE

We ran back to the apartment. My mom's Corvette was parked outside. So was Kevin's unmarked squad car. I sighed. "Looks like we have visitors."

"Sienna's car is still here, too."

I looked down the road. Sure enough, she was parked by the curb. "Damn it. She skipped class."

"Remember, Zoey. You aren't her mother."

I sighed. "I know, but my nature is to protect people. I feel responsible for her."

"Because she wouldn't have become a vampire, or a daywalker, without you?"

I nodded. "Something like that."

"It's not true, you know. If it wasn't for you, she would have been turned anyway and been forced to become a vampire's mate."

I snorted. "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am! Come on, let's head up and see what's going on."

I walked through the front door to find my mom and Sienna on the couch and Kevin in one of our kitchen chairs in front of the couch. There was a second empty chair next to his.

"Zoey," my mom said. "Would you please sit down?"

"What is this? An intervention?"

"Not exactly." Kevin grimaced.

"Sienna called me after you left. She was concerned."

"But that's not why I'm here," Kevin added. "There was a fatal crash recently on the highway."

I nodded. "I know. We were there."

"I suspected as much. What happened?"

"We sent the girl to heaven. There were more beasts than we anticipated. We didn’t get to the man in time."

"What were you going to do?" my mom asked.

"He was drunk. That's what caused the accident. He killed the girl. We were going to send him to hell."

"I called his wife to inform her of his passing," Kevin continued. "Do you know what she told me?"

I shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"It does, Zoey. That man was over ten years sober."

"Well, that's what he gets for picking up another drink."

Kevin shook his head. "They had a daughter born with a congenital heart defect. She died last night. As you might expect, they were devastated. In his grief, he made a poor choice."

"That's a sad story. He still drank and drove."

Kevin nodded. "It's a tragedy. Still, I suspect you didn't know that the man you were about to condemn to hell had spent his life running a shelter for the poor. He was a philanthropist who made a mistake. Can you say for certain that he deserved to go to hell for all eternity for that?"

I bit my lip. "He still killed someone."

"Agreed," my mom said. "He would have faced major consequences. He deserved punishment, but an eternity in hell after a life well-lived except in his final moments would hardly be just."

I shook my head. "I don't know. I mean, how could I have known?"

"That's the point," Kevin said. "You couldn't know that he was grieving. You had no way of knowing that the man you would have condemned had probably saved more lives than he took."

"There's a reason the Reapers don't get to decide where the souls they harvest go after they're delivered to the Boatman, Zoey."

I scratched my head. "Then we send everyone to heaven. At least for now."

My mom pressed her lips together. "That's one option. The other is that you stop interfering in what's going on."

I shook my head. "This was Dad's idea!"

"Is your father infallible?"

"Of course not."

"They're right," Sienna interjected. "Maybe we should reconsider all this."

I stood up. "Whatever god is sending these beasts to do what Reapers should do is still devouring souls."

"Do we know that for sure?" Sienna asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "We have a pretty good idea. Besides, the god behind all this is sending more beasts than before. We have his attention. We can't stop now."

Kevin tilted his head. "You're right."

"Excuse me?" my mom stood up and stared at Kevin.

"You don't have to judge souls or send them anywhere," Kevin continued. "If you show up and put up a good fight, maybe you can force the god to reveal himself."

"That's not a bad idea," Cerberus piped up. "It might work. What kind of cases does the Grim Reaper usually handle himself rather than delegate to other Reapers?"

I pinched my chin. "Only the most challenging ones."

Sienna smiled widely. "Nothing is more challenging than when you and Cerberus are on the scene."

I shook my head. "We need to up the ante. So far, all he's done is send more beasts after us. What if that's not enough? What if we can match his numbers?"

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Sienna asked.

I nodded. "Get in touch with the daywalkers. We're going to give this god the best we've got."

CHAPTER FOUR

On short notice, Sienna was able to recruit Jessna and a half-dozen daywalkers. Since they all had rings that allowed them to get on with their daily lives, most of them were working, at school, or busy with family and life. It didn't matter. The daywalkers couldn't kill these beasts anyway. Even on the astral plane, the creatures were invulnerable to everything except my scythe. That didn't mean they couldn't slow the beasts down.

I don't know much about trans-dimensional physics, but presuming two entities are on the same plane of existence, they cannot occupy the same space at the same time. More bodies could get in the way of the beasts. A good kick, a baseball bat to the face, or anything else might not kill the beasts, but they'd feel it. That was all we needed, really. I could reap them. Cerberus could send the souls to heaven.

If we weren't going to damn anyone to Hades, we had to be selective about our targets. Before, I had used the schedule to save the most souls in the least time. The destination of those souls wasn't a concern. I rarely chose hell anyway. Kevin had a good point. I couldn't damn someone for eternity if I didn't know the whole story. It wasn't my place to judge.

Still, I wasn't thrilled about the possibility of sending an axe murderer or a serial rapist to heaven. Regardless, our focus now was to force the hand of whatever death god was running this soul-harvesting enterprise.

The Reaper Academy had a required course, History of the Pantheon. There were a few lesser deities associated with death whom the greater gods might have appointed on an interim basis. Hades was out of the question. After his attempt to overthrow Zeus, I doubted the other gods would give him any responsibility.

Most likely, it was one of the Furies. Alecto was the goddess of anger. Tisiphone was the avenger of murder. Megaera was associated with envy and jealousy. From what I understood, they were largely responsible for the punishment of the dead in the afterlife.

Hecate was also a possibility. She had a strong connection with ghosts and likely had something to do with deciding where spirits ended up.

Then there was Thanatos. My teacher at the Academy had described him as Death personified. He’d created the Reapers and what we know as the underworld. He had been the first Grim Reaper and had established our entire domain once humanity grew too populous to handle alone.

As far as I knew, he had ascended thousands of years ago, and no one knew what he'd done since. I imagined he was enjoying his retirement, sipping mai-tais on a beach somewhere. It was possible that the other gods had called on him to oversee a temporary measure to handle soul-harvests so they could punish my dad, Morty, and the rest.

I didn't know what the Reapers had done wrong. Still, perhaps the gods needed someone to blame after Hades had attempted to use the Reapers to gain power. Putting the Reapers in a time-out could have been little more than a move to appease those who believed the Reapers had conspired with Hades from the start.

All of this was speculation. Until we knew which deity or demigod was running things, we couldn't accurately assess what was going on. All I knew was that the way the beasts were extracting human souls wasn't acceptable. None of the creatures I'd encountered had the capacity to preserve souls or deliver them to the afterlife.

I unrolled Morty's scroll and examined the schedule. Sienna snapped a photo of it with her phone.

"Scanning it in?" I asked.

Sienna nodded. "I might be able to convert the image to a text-based document we can search."

I glanced at Cerberus, who was standing tall on all fours. "Told you she could do that."

I chuckled. "All right. That might be helpful down the line. We need to find someone dying in a relatively open space. Somewhere away from the city. If we're going to bring that many daywalkers with us, moving between different dimensions, it might draw too much attention in the city."

"Mind taking a look, Josephine?" Sienna asked. "I'm a city girl. I don't know much about the rural communities beyond the suburbs."

My mom approached the table and examined the scroll with us. She traced her finger down the page. "What about this one? Randall Goodson. Scheduled to die from a massive heart attack in a field south of Holden."

"Where's Holden?" I asked.

"It's an old Civil War town, now a quaint community an hour southeast of the city. Several cattle ranches and farms surround the town."

"It will be pushing it. According to the schedule, we have less than two hours before he dies."

"We can make it," Sienna assured me. "It's a bit far to run, even on the astral plane. We'd best take our vehicles."

"Can you make it there, Cerberus?" I asked.

Cerberus licked his chops. "No problem."

Kevin grabbed my hand. "I have to get to work. Any chance you'd like to get dinner tonight?"

I bit my lip. Cerberus growled at me. "I'd like that."

Kevin smiled widely. "Text me when you're back. Good luck!"

I kissed Kevin on the cheek. Sienna texted Jessna the closest address to the field where Randall Goodson was supposed to die, then slid into the passenger seat of my mom's Corvette. I climbed on my Harley Davidson and fired it up. The rumble of the engine vibrated my thighs.

Cerberus took off ahead of us. He could run faster on the astral plane than I could. Since he wasn't bound to roads and could pass through fences, buildings, and fields, there was a chance he'd arrive first.

My mom knew where Holden was, but she didn't know how to get there. With the aid of GPS navigation, she led the way. I followed her.

It wasn't a bad drive. We started on the Interstate, then followed a state highway before taking a smaller two-lane road south. Eventually, we found ourselves on a gravel road. Not a pleasant experience on a motorcycle. The dust my mom's car kicked up was too much. I shielded my face with one arm and did my best to steer with my other hand. By the time we arrived, I was covered in gray powder. So was my bike.

We parked as close to the edge of the road as we could without falling into the ditch.

Sienna stepped out of the car first. She looked at me and laughed.

"You look like a ghost!"

I coughed. "This sucks."

"If I had known this would be an issue, we could have taken my car."

I narrowed my eyes. "Your GPS didn't indicate we'd have to take a gravel road?"

Sienna shrugged. "I didn't think to check."

I pulled my reaper cloak out of my backpack. "At least this is clean."

My mom turned off her car and stepped out. "What can I do to help?"

I scratched my head, the grime from the road grit on my scalp. "You can't disappear like we can. You should probably wait in the car."

My mom shrugged. "I'd rather not get chigger bites or ticks anyway. Have fun."

I cocked my head. "Did you say, ‘ticks?’"

"Vampire bugs!" Sienna exclaimed. "No worries. I don't think they can cross into the astral plane. We'll be fine."

One thing about gravel roads was that you could hear a car coming from a half-mile away. I turned to see two compact cars making their way down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them.

The cars pulled up behind ours, and Jessna and six other daywalkers stepped out. "Hey, Zoey! What happened to you?"

I rubbed my eyes. "What do you think?"

Jessna snickered. "Motorcycles on dry gravel roads..."

"Yeah. Didn't think about that."

"So, what's the plan?"

"We've done this before," I explained. "This time is a little different. I know you can't kill the beasts, but if you can get in their way, it will help. We want to make it as difficult as possible."

"Slowing down a couple of jackals or banshees shouldn't be a problem."

I shook my head. "I'm expecting a lot more than that. Earlier today, we had to fend off six, including a satyr."

"What's a satyr?"

"Think of it as a bipedal goat. Creepy as hell. They don't move fast, but they're clever. No matter what happens, you need to hold your position around the target. They'll try to lure you away from him. Don't take the bait."

"Do you have any weapons?" Sienna asked.

Jessna nodded. "We brought knives."

"You can't kill those things. I'm not sure if they can hurt you. Still, you're daywalkers. If you get hurt, remove your rings. Your vampiric nature will awaken, but it will heal you."

Jessna turned to the daywalkers who'd joined her. I recognized one of them—Sunshine. She was one of the first people I'd met when Jessna was serving as a "Prophetess" of the cult that had eventually become the coven of daywalkers. All the other daywalkers were female, too. It wasn't a surprise. There hadn’t been many men among them. I wasn't sure why.

"Where are the dudes?" I asked.

Jessna shrugged. "We're a matriarchal order."

I grinned. "I like that."

Sunshine rolled her eyes. "All the guys had other things to do. Lame excuses."

"They're chicken," Jessna explained. "But I wouldn't tell them that to their faces. You know how it goes with men. You have to let them think they're in control. Fragile egos and whatnot."

Sienna chuckled. "With an attitude like that, it's no wonder the men in your order weren't eager to help."

Jessna sighed. "Some of them have...difficulty with female leadership. Honestly, it's probably best they didn't come. We don't need anyone breaking ranks to play the hero. Thinking it's their job to protect us."

I nodded. "I get it. My ex was like that. Thankfully, I now have a man who respects my abilities."

Jessna shook her head. "Sounds like a diamond in the rough."

I grinned. "He really is."

"We have about half an hour," Sienna interjected. "We should survey the situation and familiarize ourselves with the terrain."

"Good idea. We need to go invisible. The target is a farmer, maybe a rancher. We don't know for sure. Whatever the case, it would be best if he remains oblivious to our presence."

I raised the hood of my cloak. Sienna touched her brooch. Jessna and the other daywalkers twisted their rings. The items we used to enter the astral plane had the same enchantment, but they worked differently.

We made our way across the field. There was a large herd of cattle in the distance. Three men were working to siphon water out of several large barrels in the back of a truck into a trough.

Two of the men were younger, probably in their twenties. One of them was older and had gray hair. I guessed he was in his late fifties.

"The older guy is the target?" Jessna asked.

Sienna shook her head. "The schedule indicated he was young. I'm guessing this is a father and two sons. Can't be certain. I think Randall is one of the younger men."

"That's so sad!" Jessna exclaimed. "Can't we do something? I mean, if we know this is going to happen, what if we call an ambulance? If paramedics arrive in time, we might be able to save him."

I sighed. "You're right. It is sad. Unfortunately, if his name is on the schedule, it doesn't matter. Even if we got him help, it wouldn't work. Randall's time is up."

"Reaping people must be hard," Jessna replied. "I can't imagine seeing so many tragedies, knowing what's going to happen but being powerless to help."

I nodded. "It's a part of the job. The Reapers are trained to deal with it. It's difficult for some younger Reapers to accept. Over time, they get used to it. Death happens."

"So does shit," Sienna looked down at her feet. She was standing in a pile of manure. "Thankfully, this stuff won't stick on the astral plane."

I chuckled. "I still wouldn't step in it. Since your mind perceives the physical world as real, you will interact with it if you aren't focused."

Sienna lifted her foot out of the manure. A hunk of it fell off her shoe. "Damn it!"

I snickered. "Lesson learned."

"We still don't know which of the two younger men is Randall."

I nodded. "Let's get closer. Maybe one of them will drop a name. If they don't, we need to be prepared. The beasts will show up a few minutes before the target dies. If we can't identify the right man before they get here, we'll be at a disadvantage."

Sienna looked around. "Where the hell is Cerberus?"

I scratched my head. "Good question. Maybe he got lost. He'll be here soon. He can sense my location."

Jessna cleared her throat. "If the hellhound isn't here, we can't save this man's soul, can we?"

I shook my head. "We can't. Don't worry. He'll make it. Whatever the case, our priority is to frustrate the beasts. If we cause enough trouble, I'm hoping the god we're looking for will show up to handle it himself."

Sienna had crossed one leg over the other. She was picking out the poop of her treads with one of her keys. "We still need Cerberus. He needs to make it look like we're trying to save Randall."

"Right, but he can't do it too soon. If he does, the beasts will leave. The longer this battle goes on, the better our chances to get the god's attention."

"But we can't let the beasts devour this man's soul."

I nodded. "I agree. This is going to be tricky."

CHAPTER FIVE

"I'm getting too old for this shit." The older man grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and ran it across his brow. "It's hotter than Claudia Schiffer in a bikini out here."

One of the younger men chuckled. "Claudia Schiffer? You are old, Dad!"

The older man smirked. "Very funny, son."

"We've got this," the second man said. "Why don't you sit in the truck and cool down?"

The old man nodded. "All right. Jonathan. Randall. One of you can fill the troughs. The other one can start calling the cows."

I sighed. He used their names, but he hadn’t revealed which was which.

I felt a familiar paw on my leg. Cerberus was looking up at me.

"I knew you'd make it."

"Which one is it?" Cerberus asked.

I shook my head. "Not sure. Remember, we don't want to do this too soon."

Cerberus huffed. "I know the plan."

One of the younger men attached a hose to a spigot on the bottom of one of the large water barrels. He dragged the hose to the trough.

The other young man took off across the field, whooping.

"Damn it," I said. "They're splitting up. How much time do we have left?"

Sienna glanced at her phone. "A couple of minutes."

"Just a couple?" I looked around the field. "The beasts are usually here by now."

"Maybe they're strategizing," Cerberus offered. "The beasts have to reap on the astral plane. That doesn't mean they can't traverse other dimensions."

I nodded. "Makes sense. That's probably why they usually appear out of nowhere. We need to be ready for any possibility. They can't wait much longer."

The man calling the cows was twenty yards into the field when he screamed and keeled over. A satyr appeared near him.

Cerberus took off. Sienna, Jessna, and the rest followed.

"Wait!" I shouted. "It might be..."

It was too late. The satyr laughed as the man filling the troughs stumbled and clutched at his chest.

"You've got the wrong one!" I screamed.

Five jackals appeared around the trough.

The old man stepped out of the truck. "Jonathan!"

"It's all right, Dad. I just twisted an ankle."

I summoned my scythe and went after the jackals. My only advantage was that he was close enough to the truck that they couldn't get at him from behind.

The old man turned. "Randall, are you all right?"

"No!" Randall screamed. "My chest!"

The satyr cackled. I finished off the jackals. Three banshees appeared and closed on our position.

Cerberus, Sienna, Jessna, and the rest were heading in our direction. Even if they got here in time, they couldn't get between the banshees and Randall.

"Screw it," I muttered and lowered my hood. The old man gasped.

"What the..."

"I don't have time to explain. I'm here to help."

"What are you?" the old man asked. "Are you an angel?"

"Something like that. We need to move your son. Can you help?"

"Of course!"

I kneeled beside Randall and draped one of his arms over my shoulders. The father did the same on his son’s opposite side.

"What are we doing?"

"We need to get him to a clearing," I explained.

"Can you save him?"

I grunted. "Not the way you're thinking. I'm trying to save his soul."

"No!" the man cried. "My Randall! You can't die! Hang in there, son!"

We got Randall far enough from the truck that Sienna, Jessna, and the daywalkers could secure a perimeter around him.

I threw my hood back up over my head. The banshees were coming after us. I invoked my scythe.

I swiped at one of them, but she dodged my strike. I caught the second banshee by mistake. Good enough. It disappeared in a shower of golden energy.

The satyr followed Jonathan as he hobbled his way across the field. He wrapped his arms around Jonathan.

Cerberus took off after him. "Wait! It's a trick!"

"No, it isn't!" Cerberus shouted.

The satyr lowered his face over Jonathan's and inhaled.

"What the fuck!" I screamed. "He's not on the schedule!"

Cerberus was too late. The satyr had devoured Jonathan's soul.

I turned. The daywalkers still had Randall surrounded.

I chased down the other banshees and took them out.

The satyr moved in our direction. Two jackals appeared at his side. I gripped my scythe.

"Zoey!" Sienna shouted. "The old man!"

I turned. Another satyr was approaching him from behind.

"Hold your perimeter!" I screamed.

I took off after the second satyr. The man's knees buckled as the satyr grabbed him. I raised my scythe over my head and chopped it into the satyr's back.

The old man was catching his breath. "Angel! Wherever you are! Help my boy!"

Apparently, these damned beasts didn't care about killing people who weren't scheduled to die. The first satyr and his jackals were moving around the perimeter set up by the daywalkers, looking for a way in. The daywalkers had their knives extended. They wouldn't stop the beasts forever, only slow them down.

I couldn't leave the man alone. These monsters could appear out of thin air. There was no telling what might show up to kill the man if I left him behind. I had to get him inside the perimeter.

I lowered my hood. I couldn't see the others like this. I could only pray—to which god, I wasn't sure—that I could get the man to his son before the satyr and his jackals got past the daywalkers.

I helped the man to his feet and led him to his son.

I raised my hood again.

I gasped. A creature that was fifteen feet tall stood in the middle of the daywalkers at Randall’s feet. He had the head of a jackal and the body of a man, with hooves for feet.

He had one hand extended toward Cerberus. The hellhound was pawing at the dirt, trying to move toward Randall, but he couldn't move.

"Who are you?" I asked. "What is your name?"

The large deity cocked his jackal-like head, then kneeled.

"No, you don't!" I screamed, swinging at him with my scythe.

The god extended his other hand. I couldn't move. Something squeezed my throat.

"Stand down, Reaper," the god commanded, his voice deep and booming.

"Who are you?" I could barely get out the words as the force around my neck tightened.

"I am Anubis."

The deity shrieked. Several knives stabbed his back.

Cerberus was free. He swallowed Randall's soul with his celestial head.

The grip around my neck faded. Gasping for air, I lunged at Anubis. Before I could strike him with my scythe, he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

I collapsed to my knees. Randall's father held his son. Tears fell from his eyes. "My boys!"

I took a step back. "You should say something," Sienna suggested.

I shook my head. "I have nothing to say. There's nothing more we can do."

Jessna sighed. "At least we saved the boy's soul."

I nodded. "One of them."

"Who is Anubis?" Sunshine asked.

"I don't have a clue."

Cerberus huffed. "He isn't one of the Olympians. Whoever he is, I'm pretty sure the gods we know aren't behind this."

"That poor man." Sienna's eyes welled up.

I took a deep breath. "We're done here."

CHAPTER SIX

Cerberus was right. If Anubis had been aligned with the Olympians, he would have respected their schedule. There was nothing more likely to incur the scrutiny of the gods than having a Reaper harvest a soul prematurely. My father had done that once when we were trying to save Sienna from Katerina. I suspected that was why the Reapers were audited shortly thereafter. Until now, I’d assumed it’d had something to do with why the Reapers were benched. Now, I didn't know what to believe.

I needed a shower. I wasn't going to do a damned thing until I got this gravel dust off my skin and out of my hair and my exposed orifices. I hoped it hadn't made its way into any unexposed orifices.

Gray water flowed off my body and around my toes. Disgusting. I had to shampoo four times. My hair was still a little grimy when I finished. It had been hot out in the field, and my sweat had defiled my most sacred places with nastiness.

There are a few things in life that you only do once. Touching the glass top of a hot stove. Ordering an anchovy pizza. Cleaning gravel dust out of your butt crack.

Reaping supernaturals can be a dirty business.

I dried off and dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. Usually when I went to the underworld, I dressed up. I was famous there. Hell, they’d even named a holiday after me. How many times have you seen the President of the United States in anything but a suit and tie? I didn't govern the underworld. Still, I was a revered figure. Image mattered. I wasn't in the mood to doll myself up, though.

I texted Kevin to let him know what was going on. We had a date later that night. If I didn't make it back in time, I didn't want him to think I’d stood him up. He didn't respond. He was a detective and probably out on a case, so I didn’t expect to hear from him until later. That didn't mean he didn't see my message.

My mom kicked back on the couch as I set up the crystal to form a portal to the underworld. She couldn't come with us. I had Reaper blood. Sienna was a daywalking vampire. Cerberus was Cerberus. You can't go to the underworld if you aren't at least half-supernatural.

We stepped through the portal. My brain rattled at the loud thump of bass blasting from a speaker next to where the portal opened in my brother's office. There were at least fifty Reapers in there with cups of golden liquid in their hands. More than a few were bumping and grinding.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" a group chanted. I followed the sound to find my brother with a funnel in his mouth and his girlfriend Carmilla holding it over him as he kneeled on the floor.

He finished it. Everyone cheered.

I grabbed Morty by the back of his shirt. "What the hell, Morty?"

Morty stumbled to his feet, leaning on Carmilla for balance. "Zoey! Have a beer!"

I grabbed Morty's arm and dragged him as far away from the speaker as I could. "You're partying in Dad's office?"

Morty shrugged. "My office now, and if you haven't heard, business is dead. Get it? We're Reapers. Business is dead!"

I glared at my brother as he laughed at his own joke. "This isn't appropriate!"

Morty belched. "You should see what's going on down on Gehenna Boulevard. This is just the pre-party."

"You don't understand! We are here for a reason."

"To get drunk! "

I pressed my lips together and tilted my head. "The god who is taking over the soul harvest isn't an Olympian."

Morty furrowed his brow. "Come again?"

"His name is Anubis. He isn't respecting the schedule. He'll harvest anyone; it doesn't matter."

Morty raised a finger. "One second."

Morty grabbed an empty red cup from his desk and took it over to a keg. He filled it. The beer overflowed his cup over his fingers.

"Morty, you need to sober up. This is serious."

Morty shrugged. "So, some god we've never heard of is overstepping. How's that my concern?"

"How isn't it your concern? You're the Grim Reaper!"

Morty narrowed his eyes. "Nope. Dad is still the Grim Reaper."

"He's lost his powers. You're the acting Grim Reaper. Same difference."

"Look, Zoey. Dionysus said that the gods had suspended our activities. That's all I know. If some other deity is out there challenging the Olympians, well, maybe those gods are finally getting what's coming to them."

"Did you hear what I just told you?"

Morty shook his head. "Nope. Music is too loud."

"This Anubis has no hesitation about reaping people early. He has all kinds of ungodly creatures he's using to harvest souls. When he takes a soul, I don’t think he's sending them to the afterlife."

Morty shrugged. "Sucks to be human."

"Mom is human, Morty!"

Morty sighed. "Okay. Good point."

Sienna nudged me. "I don’t think he's going to be much help."

I rolled my eyes. "You think?"

"Look, Zoey. I'm keeping order best I can."

"This is your idea of order?"

"What do you expect? The Reapers don't have shit to do. Better to drink and party than wallow in despair and self-loathing. We might not get another chance to take time off and let loose. We're making the best of it."

I gritted my teeth. "And while you're 'making the best of it,' people are dying, and a rogue god is running loose, devouring souls!"

"Even if I knew how powerful this Anubis joker is, I couldn't do anything to stop him. You're the one who can reap supernaturals."

I sighed. "I tried that. He's too powerful. I couldn't get close."

Morty chugged the rest of his beer and stumbled back over to the keg. Cerberus looked up and growled at him.

"Down, boy."

Cerberus barked.

Morty took two steps back. "Hey, keep the mutt under control. He almost made me spill the beer!"

"Sacrilege!" I rolled my eyes.

"Look, Dad is hanging out with the old folks at the Satyr's Lodge."

I sighed. "Playing bingo?"

Morty grinned. "Something like that. If anyone knows who Anubis is, it's Dad."

I nodded and turned to leave, then looked back over my shoulder. "Drink some water, Morty."

I felt a sharp pain in one of my butt cheeks.

I turned and slapped a Reaper I didn't know.

"Hey!" Morty mumbled. "Don't touch my sister’s butt! Not cool, Dimitri! That violates the bro code."

"Sorry, dude!"

I tapped Dimitri on the shoulder.

"Yeah, gorgeous?"

I slapped him again.

"What the..."

I grinned. "It felt so good the first time. I thought I'd come back for seconds."

"What a moron," Sienna muttered.

"Hey, if Princess Grimm doesn't want some of this, maybe you'd like to go for a ride?"

Sienna glared at Dimitri, then flashed her fangs and hissed.

Dimitri took two steps back and tripped over his own feet.

"Come on, Sienna. Forget these losers. Let's go find my dad."

CHAPTER SEVEN

The whole underworld was different. Before, the Reapers who lived there had pride in who they were and the place they lived. Now there was trash everywhere. A few of the buildings had broken windows. They’d burned out one of my favorite places to eat. This wasn't Gehenna Boulevard. Morty had made it sound like the party going on there made his little shindig seem like a trip to the petting zoo.

Main Street wasn't party row. It was a nice area, like Kansas City's Plaza. Now, though, it was a ghost town.

"What do you think happened here?" Sienna asked.

"I wish I knew. Whatever it was, it wasn't good."

Cerberus sniffed the air. "It smells like urine."

"Good thing I don't have a keen sense of smell. Come on. We still have a ways to go to reach the Satyr's Lodge."

To get there, we'd have to go through Gehenna Boulevard. As we drew closer, I could hear voices shouting and laughing. That wasn't unusual. Gehenna Boulevard was where the Reapers had always gone to let loose.

Morty was right. The place was crazy. Drunk people on the streets. One guy ran out of a building, punched someone in the face, and took off before tripping and smashing his face into the curb.

If he hadn't just cheap-shotted someone, I might have helped him up. Instead, I pressed through the crowd. People noticed. They followed me with their eyes and stepped back, clearing the way. Some of them turned away as if they were ashamed I'd seen them.

There was a sweet smell in the air. "Is that what I think it is?"

Cerberus snorted. "It sure is."

I shook my head. This wasn't the underworld I knew. I understood that this situation was difficult. Reaping was everything to these people. They were Reapers, after all. Reaping wasn't just a job. It was their identity. I could relate. When I’d discovered I couldn't reap human souls, my whole world had turned upside-down.

I’d had an out, though. I had gone to Earth. The Reapers didn't have another option. They had no place to go. When you don't know who you are or what your purpose is, it can take you to a pretty dark place.

I wasn't as disappointed as I was angry. I wasn't proud of the way the Reapers responded to the situation. More than anything, I was pissed that the gods had done this to them.

We made it through Gehenna Boulevard. The Satyr’s Lodge was a couple of blocks away. An image of a satyr that looked a lot more dignified than the real thing adorned a sign hanging over the door. We went inside.

My dad was seated at a round table with several other gray-haired Reapers. He was wearing nothing but boxer shorts and socks. Some of the other aging Reapers were missing various articles of clothing.

They dropped their cards on the table.

"That's it, Louise!" my dad crowed. "Take it off!"

"Oh, God!" I blurted.

"Zoey!" Dad turned around, made eye contact with me, and stood up.

I shielded my eyes. "Dad! Strip poker? What the..."

"You're never too old to have fun," Louise interjected as she removed her shirt.

I turned around. Sienna was laughing. Cerberus was silent.

"Dad, we need to talk."

My dad cleared his throat. "What about?"

"Get dressed. Then we'll talk."

I waited while my dad put his clothes on. He put a hand on my shoulder. "There's a lounge in the back if you'd like to chat there."

I nodded. "Works for me."

We walked past the poker table.

"Don't think you're getting out of this, Azrael," Louise cautioned. "One more lost hand and you're done for. I've waited centuries to see the Grim Reaper in all his glory!"

My dad waved his hand. "I'll be back. Don't count me out yet."

He led us to the lounge, then grabbed three bottles of water from a fridge and tossed one to me and another to Sienna.

"Thanks!" Sienna cracked hers open.

"Have a seat," he said. "What is this about?"

I sat down on the couch and opened my water. I took a sip. "Who is Anubis?"

My dad set his unopened bottle on a table and sat down on another couch facing me. "Why are you asking?"

"He's handling all the reapings now."

Dad narrowed his eyes. "Are you certain?"

I nodded. "Real tall. Has the head of a jackal."

"He isn't a part of the Olympian pantheon. No one has heard a thing from the Egyptian deities since the sixth century."

"Egyptian?" Sienna asked. "You mean, like Ra and Osiris? Those folks?"

My father nodded. "Anubis was the original death god. Later, Osiris took over most of his responsibilities. He functioned a lot like a Reaper and ushered people into the afterlife."

"What happened?" I asked.

"When the Roman Empire rose, they co-opted the Greek deities. The Olympians all assumed new names. With the rise of Christianity, most of the Roman gods assumed the names of patron saints."

"When did they take their original names back?"

"They never lost them. Still, gods who aren't revered don't tend to hang around."

Sienna cocked her head. "There aren't many people who worship the Olympians anymore. If that's the case, why are they still around?"

My dad shrugged. "Monotheism dominated after that. Not everywhere, of course, but the Olympians weren't willing to go away. So what if humans worshipped them or didn’t? The way they saw it, they didn't need to be worshipped."

"Why didn't the Egyptian gods do the same?"

"The Greek gods forced them out. Where they went, I can't say. If Anubis is doing my job, though, I suspect they've decided to challenge the Olympians for dominance."

"Why would they do that?" Sienna asked.

My dad shrugged. "I suppose that after the incident with Hades, the Egyptian gods saw an opportunity. The Olympians are divided."

I crossed my arms. "If Anubis was primed to take over his old responsibilities, why would the Olympian gods bench the Reapers?"

Dad pinched his chin. "That's a good question. I can't tell you."

"He's not taking human souls to the afterlife," I said. "He's using a number of beasts to do the dirty work for him. When they take a human soul, they consume it."

My dad's eyes widened. "I suspected that might be the case. That was why I told you to intervene."

"It's not enough. I can't keep up."

My father nodded. "I didn't know Anubis was behind this. I figured some other Olympian was picking up the slack."

"Anubis isn't sticking to the schedule. I've seen him send his beasts after people who weren't supposed to die."

My dad pinched his chin. "The Olympians don't decide when people are going to die. They foresee it and provide us with the schedule. The Egyptians didn't work that way. Of course, there were always those who'd die apart from any divine decree. Still, the Egyptian death gods believed they had the right to dictate when humans died."

"Is there anything we can do to stop him?"

My father shook his head. "Possibly. However, this situation is grimmer than I anticipated. Greek gods don't consume souls. If they eliminated people and didn't deliver them to the afterlife, the souls would be eradicated. The Egyptian gods gained strength from the consumption of human souls. The death rituals practiced by the ancient Egyptians were thought to preserve the body for the beyond. In truth, the Egyptian gods used practices like mummification to trap the souls in dead bodies like wineskins. A trapped soul continues to grow and evolve. It's why older ghosts, after they've wandered the Earth for a while, can't be reaped. Anubis and eventually Osiris waited until the soul in the mummified corpse matured before they feasted. When they did, they gained power."

"Anubis isn't mummifying anyone."

My dad nodded. "Modern embalming practices don't have the same effect. I fear he's going for quantity over quality. If he devours enough souls, he'll gain enough power that he might be able to lead his fellow gods to Olympus and take over."

"I tried to reap him, Dad. I couldn't get close to him. He was too powerful."

"He almost choked her from a distance," Sienna said. "It was some serious Darth Vader shit."

"We need to speak to Athena. She's the only Olympian I'm certain I can trust."

I nodded. "All right. Well, if we bribe Charon with candy, he'll take us there."

My dad shook his head. "Charon isn't on the River Styx. He left around the time we were suspended."

"How can we get to Olympus, then?"

"The only way I know to get there is with your scythe."

"Are you suggesting I reap myself?"

"Heavens, no. Even if you managed to get to Olympus, it's too dangerous right now. You don't want to drop into the middle of a civil war between gods."

"Then how do we contact Athena?" Sienna asked.

My dad pinched his chin. "You must seek the Oracle of Delphi. It is she through whom Athena engages mortals.”

I sighed. “She appeared to us before when we were still working for the Horseman. Of course, several banshees also appeared, along with a minotaur at the same time.”

“Banshees often accompany the Oracle. She is a spirit. She shed her corporeal form ages ago, but do not be mistaken. She did not die.”

I narrowed my eyes. “She isn’t dead? How is she a ghost, then?”

“Not a ghost, Zoey. The Oracle was born with a divine spark. During her Earthly life, she mediated the divine will to the people of Athens. Ever since, she’s served the limited purposes of the Olympians on Earth. Still, she did not abandon her Earthly life in the regular manner. She did not die. She ascended.”

“Like you’re hoping to do?” I asked. “That’s what is supposed to happen to you eventually, right?”

“It was once. I’m not sure that the current politics among the Olympians will accommodate my hopes. That’s because, as Reapers, we too have a divine spark. The Oracle, though, was created in a different way. She was unique.”

“She’s the one, then, who appeared to Mom after Morty and I were born?”

My father nodded. “She communicated Athena’s will. While the Oracle can communicate the will of any god, and she cannot speak apart from the will of the god who commissions her, very few of them employ her services. Athena is one.”

“How do we find her again? Could Cerberus go to Olympus on our behalf?”

My father shook his head. “He could go, of course. I don’t know that he’d find her. The gods are fighting a civil war. There’s little trust between the members of the pantheon. If Athena is hiding from other gods who have it in for her, I don’t believe Cerberus will have much luck finding her.”

“Then what do we do?”

“You must capture a banshee.”

I raised my left eyebrow. “Capture one? You can’t be serious.”

“Banshees are the heralds of death. The Oracle has not died. You might think that would mean that the banshees have little interest in her. On the contrary, the banshees are intrigued by her. They do not understand her ascension. The banshees do not revere the gods. They worship the Oracle.”

“If they worship the Oracle, how is Anubis using them?”

My dad shrugged. “Can you be certain that’s the case?”

“Of course it is. They show up every time we’re there to reap.”

“The banshees have no history with Anubis or the Egyptian pantheon. It makes no sense that they’d be working with him. That doesn’t mean he isn’t using them.”

“If he isn’t using them…”

“Then you aren’t the only one attempting to foil Anubis. The banshees might appear to you to be working with Anubis and his jackals.”

“It makes sense,” Sienna agreed. “How would we know if they’re working together? They appear to be doing the same thing. They’re going after souls. That doesn’t mean they’re on the same team.”

I cocked my head. “So, if a banshee harvests a soul, Anubis doesn’t get it.”

“I can’t imagine he could!” My dad crossed his legs and folded his hands on his knee. “That doesn’t mean much, however. If Anubis and his jackals are devouring souls, he’s still gaining strength.”

“What about the satyrs?” Sienna asked. “They’re awfully clever. I don’t know much about mythology, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t Egyptian.”

“You’re right. They’re Greek.”

I scratched my head. “Are you suggesting that we might be dealing with three different gods fighting it out for every soul?”

“It is likely the Oracle is using the banshees on behalf of another, probably Athena. The satyrs might be smart, but they’re also lovers of wine. They are typically aligned with Dionysus.”

“Wasn’t it Dionysus who suspended the Reapers?”

My father shook his head. “He communicated it to us. That doesn’t mean he was behind it. He could not silence our abilities. Only Zeus could do that.”

Sienna scratched her head. “At times, it’s appeared that the beasts are working together.”

My father shrugged. “An alliance, perhaps. If, however, we’re right that the banshees are sent by Athena and the satyrs by Dionysus, Anubis’ jackals are outnumbered. I suspect it’s only a matter of time before he consolidates whatever power he’s managed to gain by consuming human souls to recruit another god from their pantheon.”

“We can’t let that happen!” Sienna said. “If it’s only the Egyptian gods who consume souls, that means if the banshees or satyrs take a soul, they’re doing something with it.”

My father narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps that’s why Charon is no longer sailing the River Styx. He might still be taking souls into the afterlife, but now that the Reapers are no longer active, he could be ferrying from elsewhere.”

I snorted. “We still need to get hold of the Oracle. If the Olympians are at war, and Athena and Dionysus are the only ones trying to fend off Anubis and harvest human souls, it won’t last forever.”

My dad sighed. “I believe that’s the case. Neither Athena nor Dionysus has any history as death deities. They’re not accustomed to this kind of work, which gives Anubis an advantage. Beyond that, if the Egyptian deities intend to use Anubis’ soul-devouring efforts to consolidate power, it’s just a matter of time before he gets help.”

I grimaced. “If we’re going to figure this out, we have to talk to Athena and Dionysus. I’ve been reaping the banshees. If I’m only frustrating their efforts, I need to know.

“The only way we can reach them is through the Oracle?” Sienna asked.

My father nodded. “Unless Cerberus can find them. I believe it unlikely that he will.”

“We have to trap a banshee. Apart from investing in a good pair of earplugs, we’ll need a way to trap them and communicate with them.”

“We have a device in the underworld that can do it,” my dad said. “You’re familiar with it, Zoey.”

“I am?”

My dad grinned. “It’s used in the final examination of Reapers.”

“The crystal that forms constructs to battle during our testing?”

“Precisely. Use the crystal to create a golem that resembles a human on the schedule. The banshees won’t be able to tell the difference. If you can trick a banshee into consuming the soul, she will be trapped within the crystal when the golem dies.”

I bit my lip. “Could we use the same thing to capture jackals?”

My dad shrugged. “I can’t answer that question. It might work, but that’s not the goal. If we capture a jackal and Anubis learns that you’ve figured out what’s really going on, he might accelerate his plans or, worse, come after you.”

“Come after me?” I raised an eyebrow.

“You said before that he does not respect the schedule. If he’s strong enough, Zoey, he might be able to devour your soul, or at the very least, your abilities. If he steals your reaping ability, he’ll be able to devour the souls of supernaturals in addition to those of humans.”

“Why hasn’t he tried that yet?” Sienna asked.

“My guess is that he isn’t strong enough. For now, you’re a threat. He might be powerful enough to hold you off, but there’s still the off chance that you might strike him with your scythe. He’d rather not appear until he’s certain he’s gained enough power to take you out of the picture.”

“Then why aren’t the gods already working with me to take him out?” I asked.

My father shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps since you’ve been reaping their banshees and satyrs, they are unsure where your loyalties lie.”

“You think kidnapping a banshee and using it to get to the Oracle is going to help me endear myself to the gods?”

“I do not, but it will get you an audience. That’s the best you can hope for at this point. In the end, it’s necessary that you all work together to stop Anubis before the other Egyptian gods rise.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

I hadn't been to the Reaper Academy since I graduated. I didn't have any reason to go back. I wasn't one of those sentimental sorts who visited old teachers. When I finished my examination, I was eager to reap my first soul. Once I discovered that wasn't going to happen, well, the last thing I wanted to do was return to the school I'd attended my entire life that prepared me for something I'd never become.

Things had come full circle. The Academy was the Hogwarts of the underworld. We didn't have moving staircases, sorting hats, or pictures on the walls that came to life, but the Reaper Academy was similarly revered by our community. School choice wasn't a thing in the Reaper community. We only had one school, and everyone went there. Our teachers might not have been the best Reapers in the underworld, but they were among the most respected.

Now, the place was empty. The windows were boarded up. A sign that read, Closed until further notice, was nailed to the chained double doors.

I had to steal the crystal. Technically, since my dad had told me to do it, it wasn't stealing. Although Morty had assumed his father’s responsibilities, Dad had retained his authority. It wasn't like he could just give me the crystal, though. If he did, it would raise questions. The Reapers knew they'd been suspended. They didn't realize how serious the situation was. If they knew that gods from an entirely different pantheon were fighting the Olympians for control and they might never reap again, all hell would break loose.

It was up to me to sneak into the Reaper Academy, make my way to the gymnasium—which was really an indoor coliseum—steal the crystal, and get out of there undetected.

I could have used Morty's help. He had been a slacker and had snuck out of school more times than I could count. I never had. I held the record for the most consecutive years of perfect attendance in Reaper Academy history. It was an honor that had once made me proud. They gave me a certificate. I had intended to frame it and put the damned thing on my wall. Of course, that was before graduation. Before I left the underworld. Now, well, the award was meaningless. My education was of only marginal value, given the kinds of tasks I had to engage in as a supernatural Reaper.

At least I wasn’t stuck with thousands of dollars in student loans for an education I wasn’t using, like a lot of American college graduates.

I looked at the chained door and smirked. "I might be the first person in history who ever tried to break into school."

Sienna chuckled. "Not true. I did it my senior year."

"Why did you break into your school?"

Sienna grinned. "So we could let five hundred mice, dyed in our school colors, loose on the premises. It was a senior prank!"

"How'd you get in?" I asked.

Sienna laughed. "I never left. I hid in a locker. I let my friends in, along with the mice, after everyone left."

"That method isn't going to help us. If only my cloak and your brooch worked here."

Cerberus grunted, looked at me, and narrowed his eyes. "Service door in the back."

I cocked my head. Before I could ask what he meant, he disappeared.

"Duh!" I exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"I did. I just didn't say anything. You know, it seemed like the obvious solution."

I chuckled. "It isn't the first time I missed the easiest solution because I was over-thinking the problem."

"I don't know if that's the issue."

I cocked my head. "What do you mean?"

Sienna winced. "Never mind. I shouldn't say it."

"Well, now you have to tell me. Otherwise, it will drive me nuts. What are you trying to say, Sienna?"

Sienna sighed. "Sometimes you don't see the obvious solution because you're so hell-bent on doing it yourself. Sometimes other people can do things you can't, you know."

"I know that!" I crossed my arms.

"You might know it, but you don't operate that way. It's like, you turn to your friends only after you've exhausted every option to do something on your own."

I scratched my head. I was not going to argue with Sienna since I knew it was true. Even in school, I had refused to do group projects. Although it meant I had to do two or three times as much work on a project, I didn't trust that my classmates could do it as well as I could. I didn't want my grades to suffer on their account.

More recently, I'd refused to allow Sienna and the daywalkers to help. I told myself it was because I didn't want to interfere with their lives and it wasn't safe, but deep down, it was because I felt it was my responsibility and I had to do it alone. If I hadn't allowed Sienna and the others to help, we never would have coaxed Anubis out of hiding. I'd still be doing my best to save people's souls alone. Sure, I let Cerberus help, but that was only because I didn't have any way to send souls to heaven or hell on my own.

"Maybe you're right," I said. "We need to meet Cerberus around back. He'll let us in."

We slipped down an alley that led to the rear access doors. They opened backstage behind the school theater. I'd been in a few plays, though never the musicals. I wasn't a singer. It was one of many extracurricular activities I'd participated in as a student.

"What's taking so long?" Sienna asked.

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. He can move fast when he’s invisible. Not to mention, you and I chatted a bit before we headed back here. he should have gotten here first."

"Do you think he ran into any problems?"

"He's invisible. He can move through solid objects. What kind of problems could he have encountered?"

"Maybe he found some barbecue in the cafeteria’s fridge."

I chuckled. "I don't think he'd be tempted by that. The closest thing they ever served to barbecue were imitation rib sandwiches. Supposing they didn't taste like ass with sauce, they'd have would be frozen."

I heard a bang, then the double doors swung open. "Ta-da!" Cerberus declared.

"Nice work," I told him. "What took so long?"

Cerberus scratched behind his right ear with his back paw. "Golems everywhere. I decided to do a little recon. This isn't going to be easy."

"Golems?" Sienna asked.

"Constructs created by the crystal we have to steal. They're a pain in the ass. A Reaper's final examination requires we eliminate at least one of them."

"So, they aren't easy to kill?"

I shrugged. "I took down three in my exam."

"There's a lot more than three," Cerberus said. "I counted twenty of them. Six of those are in the coliseum near the crystal."

"Why do you suppose they're lurking around the school?" Sienna asked.

I sighed. "Probably for security. The golems aren't alive. They're animated bodies, programmed for a purpose. I'm guessing the headmaster unleashed them when they shut down the school."

"We don't have weapons," Sienna warned. "You can't even summon your scythe here."

I nodded. "We'll have to get some inside. In school, we trained with staffs and makeshift scythes. The scythes won't be of much use since the blades are plastic. We'll have to find the spears and staffs that are used for graduation exams."

"We have to get to them first," Cerberus countered.

"Even if we get weapons, you said you took down three in your exam. We're talking about twenty of those things. Six of them guarding the crystal."

I shook my head. "I had to kill them with a time limit in my exam. I'm sure I can take down a lot more if I have more time."

"But twenty?" Sienna asked.

I bit my lip. "Not alone. You were just saying I'm always trying to do things by myself."

"I'm not trained like you are, Zoey!"

"The golems are programmed for a purpose. My guess is that they're programmed to be security guards. You should be able to outrun them. If you can distract them, I can fight through any get in my way. Once I get the crystal, I think I can deactivate them."

"You think?" Sienna raised an eyebrow.

I nodded. "The crystal won't work for just anyone. The headmaster can operate it. So can my dad. Since I have his blood—you know, since they used to think I was going to be the next Grim Reaper—I should be able to shut it down."

"Azrael wouldn't have suggested you steal it if you couldn't use it."

I nodded. "Good point. We've got this."

"We still need to sneak past all those golems to get the weapons," Sienna replied.

I scratched Cerberus behind the ears. "Can you go ahead of us on the astral plane? I assume they're wandering around the school at random."

"Mostly, yes. From what I could see, though, it's not completely random. They're following a repetitive path."

"Figure out the path of any who might be ahead of us. Let us know when to move. We'll follow your lead."

"The theater is clear," Cerberus said. "I don't think they're patrolling there because the doors are closed."

"They can't open doors?" Sienna asked.

"I don't know. I have never seen one of those things do anything except fight in the exams."

"Then we don't know for sure that one of them won't go into the theater eventually."

"That's true," Cerberus agreed. "I didn't study all those things' movements."

"We need to assume they could show up at any moment. We can hide behind the seats until Cerberus confirms the path ahead is clear."

"They also aren't patrolling the classrooms," Cerberus added. "If you can move from room to room while I check the halls, we should be able to get to the coliseum without too much difficulty."

"What happens if they catch us?" Sienna asked.

I shrugged. "They'll do whatever they're programmed to do. I doubt they'll kill us. They'll probably kick us out of the school and sound an alarm."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Nope. Just a guess. They might lock us in a room, too."

"That's likely," Cerberus said. "If anyone broke in, they'd want to detain the trespassers."

Sienna shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen? So, they catch us. We explain what we're doing. Your dad will back us up."

I shook my head. "He doesn't want to raise any suspicions. The Reapers have been through enough. You've seen what it's like out there. The underworld looks like a war zone. We don't know how the people would react if they knew the primacy of the Olympians was at risk."

Sienna nodded. "If you say so. You know these people better than I do. If you don't think they have a right to know the truth..."

"That's not what I'm saying, Sienna. If an asteroid was heading toward Earth that threatened to wipe out humanity, would you prefer to learn about it before or after the military took it out with a nuclear bomb?"

Sienna chuckled. "You've seen too many movies."

"It's a metaphor! You know what I mean. Right now, the only hope the Reapers have is that this situation is temporary. As long as we're fighting Anubis and the beasts, they aren't wrong. There's no reason to cause a panic until there's no hope left."

Sienna nodded. "These are your people. I'll take your word for it."

We stepped through the storage area, pushed past a bunch of old stage sets, and ducked behind a row of seats.

"This might take a while," Cerberus said. "I'll be back when I know the coast is clear."

Cerberus disappeared. We stayed quiet while we waited for him to return. If we talked, one of the golems might hear us.

Fifteen minutes later, Cerberus reappeared. "All right. There's only one golem patrolling the hall ahead. He passes through every two minutes or so. If you move fast, you can duck into the science lab the next hall over."

I nodded. "Not a problem. That's not far. If we run, we should make it."

"Wait," Cerberus objected. "I'm counting the seconds in my head."

We stood near the door for twenty seconds.

"Go now!" Cerberus murmured.

We took off through the doors and ran down the hall. We turned a corner, slipped into the science lab, and closed the door behind us, careful not to slam the door or make more noise than necessary.

"Stay here." Cerberus looked around. "I'll be back."

The whole science lab reeked of chemicals. Something like two parts bleach, one part dish soap. In truth, it was probably several different chemicals stored in the room that produced the odor. I'd had a couple of classes in the lab through the years. It had always smelled that way.

Cerberus reappeared several minutes later. "All right, we're going to have to do this twice more before we reach the coliseum. When I give you the signal, head into the hall and turn right. Take the second left. Hide in room 301. You have forty-five seconds to get there."

When Cerberus told us to go, we ran. We made it to the next room safely, but it was close.

We followed the process again. Again, we made it to the next room.

"All right," Cerberus said. "We're almost there. As soon as you enter the coliseum, they'll see you. There are javelins stored in a closet off the tunnel that leads to the coliseum floor."

"I know the tunnel. Can we make it to the tunnel from the other side, grab the weapons, then take on the golems?"

Cerberus shook his head. "There are two golems standing guard outside that door. It won't work. This is the only way."

I frowned. "I don't know that we can both make it to that tunnel. The golems move faster than you'd think."

"Can I distract them?" Sienna asked.

"I'm sure you can, but if there are six constructs guarding the crystal, they have enough to go after both of us. I'll sneak around while you draw them away from me. It won't be easy. You'll have to be fast and probably outsmart them to get away. If they see me before I get close to the tunnel, I won't make it."

"I can distract them as well," Cerberus said. "One or two of them will stay at the crystal no matter what. If I can draw two of them away and Sienna can lure the other two or three her way, you should be able to get to the tunnel before they catch up with you."

We made it through the halls without getting caught and entered the coliseum behind the back-row seats. I ducked and crawled through the rows. Sienna waved her hands. Cerberus barked as he took off in the other direction.

He was right. Two of them went after Sienna. The other two pursued Cerberus. The final pair remained by the crystal.

I could only crawl so fast, but I finally reached the rails just above the tunnel where the weapons were stored.

I jumped over. The two golems near the crystal shrieked when they saw me, but they didn't leave their posts.

I ran down the tunnel, ducked into the storage room, and grabbed as many javelins as I could carry. My best chance to take down a golem was to throw a javelin at it. I was good at that. I could do it, but there wasn't any guarantee I'd take them down on the first attempt.

I sprinted back up the tunnel. Cerberus and Sienna were still leaping around the seats while the golems pursued them.

I threw a javelin at one of the two golems guarding the crystal, and it went straight through its chest.

The second it struck him, a siren sounded.

"Damn it!" I shouted. It must've been a failsafe. If any golems got killed, it triggered the alarm.

I had to act fast. When the alarm sounded, the headmaster was alerted.

The golems chasing Cerberus and Sienna broke ranks and came after me. Protecting the crystal was likely their prime directive.

I grabbed two javelins from my pile. I could throw one if needed. I'd have to use the others to take down any that came near me.

I charged the golem guarding the crystal, and it dove at me. I leaned back, widened my stance, and allowed the golem to throw its body on the pointed end of my javelin.

I grabbed the crystal. "I've got it! Let's get out of here!"

No sooner did I say that than the doors swung open. More golems poured in through, but they didn't come after me. They guarded the exits.

Cerberus and Sienna climbed down and joined me on the dirt coliseum floor.

"Can we fight our way through?" Sienna asked.

I looked around. Even more golems were pouring through the doors.

I glared at Cerberus. "I thought there were only twenty in the building."

Cerberus huffed. "I must've missed a few."

The crowd of golems guarding the tunnel parted.

The headmaster walked between them. He was wearing a black cloak, and he lowered his hood and looked at me.

"Zoey Grimm. What do you think you're doing?"

CHAPTER NINE

"Hey there, Headmaster!"

He narrowed his eyes. "You're not a student. You don't have to call me that anymore."

I bit my lip. "All right. Hey there, Phil!"

Sienna looked at me with a furrowed brow. "Phil?"

I nodded. "It is Phil, right? I mean, we always called you 'Headmaster,' and some of the kids called you other things, but never Phil."

Headmaster Phil folded his hands in front of his waist. "The name is Phil. What did the other students call me?"

I winced. "Well, some of them called you the Giving Head Master..."

Phil started laughing. "Of course they did. Now, why are you holding the Archeus Crystal?"

My gaze darted around. "Because my dad said I could take it."

"Azrael told you that you could take one of the most unique and irreplaceable objects in the underworld?"

I nodded. "Yup. Sure did."

Headmaster Phil approached me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and looked me in the eye. "Miss Grimm, I've known you for a long time. You were always our best student. Never once in all those years did I catch you in a lie."

I grinned. "Some things never change!"

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Sure. Headmaster Phil, this is Sienna. Sienna, meet Phil."

Phil looked at Sienna curiously. "What are you?"

Sienna grinned. "A former barista. An intermittent student in computer technology."

Phil extended his hand. "Not what I meant."

Sienna shook his hand. Phil yanked it away. "I knew you weren't human. You couldn't be here if you were, but..."

I cocked my head. "You can tell what she is by touching her?"

"She's cold," Phil told me. "Surely she's not..."

Sienna smiled, exposing her fangs. "I'm not a what?"

Phil gasped and took a step back. "Zoey, why are you collaborating with a vampire?"

I shrugged. "She's not your average vampire, Phil. She was my friend before she was turned. She's what we call a daywalker. Her vampiric qualities, aside from the fangs, only awaken in sunlight."

Phil’s eyes widened. "Are you serious? I must know more. I'm a scientist, you know. I mean, I was. I taught biology before I was promoted."

"Let us take the crystal," I begged. "We'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Including why you want the Archeus Crystal?"

I tilted my head. "Except that."

"You know, Miss Grimm, if it had been anyone else trying to abscond with the crystal, I'd have them imprisoned. I don't think I could have you locked up, no matter what you did."

"Because I'm Azrael's daughter?"

"Because you're a hero. You saved the underworld from Hades' invasion. If you need this crystal, provided you agree to return it unharmed, I'll allow you to borrow it. You mustn't tell anyone. As long as everyone else believes the Academy is guarded by golem constructs, the school will be safe from the rioters."

"That's what happened out on Main Street? Rioting?"

Headmaster Phil nodded. "They blamed Morty. He'd only been running things for a short time before, for the first time ever, the gods decided to shut us down. He hasn't shown his face since."

"He's doing the best he can." That was a white lie. He was drinking and partying. I suppose he was drinking as much beer as he could, the best he could.

"Many among us still believe you are better suited to take over your father's mantle."

I shook my head. "I can't reap human souls, sir."

"Again, it's Phil. Does that matter?"

"How can I become the Grim Reaper if I'm not able to reap?"

"But you can! Not humans, granted, but does it matter? You have every other skill required to lead us. You don't have to be able to reap humans, Zoey. Does a human general have to possess the same skill and virility on the battlefield as a soldier in his prime to command a victory?"

"You sympathize with the rioters who oppose my brother?"

"I agree with their cause for complaint. I do not approve of their methods."

"Look, Phil. What happened had nothing to do with my brother. He was doing his job fine."

"Then why were we punished by the gods?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out. I can't tell you everything, not yet. What I can say is that none of this was Morty's fault."

"Your brother might have done an acceptable job, Miss Grimm. However, we expect more from our leader than that. We expect the exceptional. That's what you could do for us."

"I'm not going to take part in a coup against my twin brother!"

"Excuse me, sir," Sienna interrupted. "I don't know much about your people or your politics. What I can tell you for sure is that if we don't succeed, it won't matter."

I raised my hand. "Sienna, that's enough."

"What are you saying?" Phil asked. "This isn't a temporary suspension, is it?"

"I intend to ensure that it's temporary."

"But it isn't, as it stands?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I really can't say."

"You can't say, or you won't?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Both. This crystal will give me the means to secure a more definite answer to your question. Until then, I'd advise you not to share any of this with the others."

Phil nodded. "I'll share only one thing. I will tell any who ask that you are advocating on our behalf to resolve this problem."

I snorted. "So you can rally more support for this coup you're suggesting?"

"If you succeed, Miss Grimm, it won't matter. There won't be a Reaper in the underworld who won't wish to see you take your brother's place."

I shook my head. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Before I leave, can you teach me how to use this thing? It would save us a lot of time."

Phil nodded. "Certainly, Miss Grimm."

I smiled. "Zoey is fine, Phil."

CHAPTER TEN

Using the crystal to create golems wasn't difficult. Programing the golems was another matter. Sienna ate it up. The process wasn't unlike how one wrote a computer program, but it didn't involve a keyboard. The proper commands had to be spoken above the crystal. Apart from that, though, Sienna said it was like writing simple subroutines, whatever that meant.

We had to go back through my brother's office to return to Earth. I intended to do more than that. There had been a time when I wanted nothing more than to assume my father's mantle. That was before I went to Earth. It was before I discovered my unique abilities—abilities that would go to waste if I were to become the new Grim Reaper. It was before I met Sienna, Kevin, and my mom. Now, I wasn't just running an enterprise dedicated to helping people die. I was saving lives. I didn't want to become the Grim Reaper. I wouldn't betray Morty, either. Still, he needed help.

I stepped into my brother's office. The music was still thumping. The drinks were still flowing. The whole place smelled of beer and vomit. Morty was dancing on his desk.

I grabbed him by the waistband of his pants and pulled him down.

"Zoey! Stop! I was just getting to the good part!"

I snorted. "What's the good part?"

Morty scratched his head. "I don't know, but it was going to be great!"

I shook my head. "You're coming with us."

"Do you have more alcohol?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I know where we could get some."

Morty turned and threw his arms in the air. "Beer run!"

Carmilla grabbed my arm. She hiccupped. "Where are you taking my Morty?"

I grabbed Carmilla's hand. "You realize there are a large number of Reapers who would like to see him overthrown."

"Yeah. Because of the suspension! When this is over, he'll be fine."

I shook my head. "I'm not sure, Carmilla. We're going to fix this situation. I think it's best for Morty if he has a hand in it."

"You are going to make him a hero?"

"I can't make him a hero, Carmilla, but I want to give him the chance to save everyone here. If he becomes a hero, that will be his doing."

"Just bring him back safe, okay?"

I nodded. "I'll do my best. And one more thing. You might want to tidy up the office before we get back."

Carmilla chuckled. "I'll try to remember to do that, but you know, I've been drinking, so..."

I smiled. "You're not as drunk as my brother."

Carmilla giggled. "No one is as drunk as Morty."

"Do me another favor if you would."

"Of course!"

"Check in with my dad. Let him know what's going on. He might need to step in to help keep the peace in Morty's absence."

Carmilla pressed her lips together. "Yeah, I can do that. After we clean up."

"Ready to go?" I asked Sienna.

"Sure. Where's Cerberus?"

I looked around. "Cerberus?"

I heard a high-pitched squeak from behind the desk. Cerberus had his head buried in a drawer. He pulled it out and looked at me, a giant rubber bone in his mouth. He bit it twice, making two squeaks.

"A toy?"

"I'm taking it with me," Cerberus muttered through a mouthful of rubber.

"Fine. We need to grab Morty and go."

Morty was standing at the portal, poking at the event horizon with his finger. "It tickles!"

I pushed Morty through the portal, then looked at the rest of the partiers. They’d turned down the music and were looking at me with dazed eyes. I threw my hands up. "Beer run!"

Everyone cheered. Sienna and Cerberus went through the portal. I followed them.

I landed on my feet in my apartment. Morty was lying on his face. My mom was there. She was kneeling at his side.

"What the hell is wrong with him, Zoey?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's drunk. He'll be fine. He needs water and sleep."

Morty was snoring. I grabbed him by the arms. Sienna and my mom each took a leg. We lifted him onto the couch and covered him with a blanket.

"What's this thing?" my mom was looking at the crystal Sienna had carried back.

"It's how we're going to contact Athena. We can use it to trap a banshee and contact the Oracle."

"Sounds like a risky proposition."

I shrugged. "Everything we do is risky. I think this is our best chance to figure out what's going on and, more than that, learn how to stop Anubis."

My phone dinged. Then it dinged three more times. I grabbed it from my pocket.

"Kevin?" Sienna asked.

I nodded. "He's on his way to pick me up."

"Enjoy yourself," my mom offered.

I shook my head. "We need to check the schedule. The sooner we can catch a banshee..."

"It will wait," Sienna countered firmly. "Besides, I need to practice with the device. Until I'm sure I can fashion a golem that will be able to capture a banshee, we can't risk it."

I sighed. "All right. I guess it's a date night."

Cerberus still had the squeaky bone still in his mouth. He sauntered over to his bed in the corner and started squeaking again.

"That's going to get annoying fast," Sienna stated.

"Have fun with that. I need to get ready for my date."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I dressed to kill. Not literally. That clarification is not usually required when someone uses that idiom. When you're in my line of work, you can't ever be sure, though. Sienna was tinkering with the Archeus Crystal. I checked my phone. Kevin was thirty minutes late.

"I don't understand. I finally set aside some time to spend together, and he's late?"

"Have you texted him?" Sienna asked.

I nodded. "A couple of times. He hasn't responded."

Morty was still snoring on the couch. My mom was sitting with him, his head in her lap, as she ran her fingers through his bushy mane. "Don't worry about him, Zoey. He does this from time to time. It's part of his job. Sometimes things come up. Surely you can understand that."

"You're saying that when he was hunting vampires with you, he often showed up late?"

My mom tilted her head. "Well, no. Not often. I'm just saying it happens."

I sighed. "Here I was, thinking I was always the one who got stuck at work."

My mom chuckled. "You call what you do work? You don't get paid for it, you know."

I nodded. "You're right. Doing what I do is its own reward. I don't need to get paid for it."

My mom smiled. "You're really happy, aren't you?"

I sighed. "Stressed at the moment, but yeah. I'm happy."

There was a knock on the door. My eyes widened, along with my smile. "Kevin!"

When I answered the door, Kevin was there. He was still wearing his detective get-up. Basically, khakis and a button-up shirt or a polo. He had a red polo he sometimes wore that screamed “Jake from State Farm.”

"Sorry I was late. I tried to text, but I dropped my phone in the toilet before I could hit send."

I cocked my head. "You dropped your phone in the toilet? You couldn't wait to text me until you finished peeing?"

Kevin chuckled. "I have a bad habit of checking my phone when I'm going to the bathroom."

"Don't we all!" My mom laughed. "The difference is when I'm using the toilet, the chances of dropping my phone in are slim to none."

"Did you get it out?"

"You mean, reach into the pee water and grab it?"

"You didn't leave your phone in the john, did you?"

"It's in a bowl of rice at my apartment. That's not what's important. I wasn't only texting to tell you I'd be late. There have been a number of strange deaths in the city today."

"Strange, how?"

"Well, people are dying in groups. There was a man in hospice. It wasn't any surprise that he died. When he did, two of the hospice nurses inexplicably fell over dead seconds later. It's happened at some local hospitals in much the same way."

I sighed. "Anubis."

"Who?" Kevin asked.

"He's an Egyptian death god. He's been sending his jackals to reap those who are due on the schedule. Until we forced his hand and he had to appear, he was following it."

"He must be desperate," Sienna remarked. "Now that we've discovered him, he's consuming souls to expedite his plan."

"What plan?" Kevin asked.

I sighed. "We believe he's using the power of human souls to raise more gods from his pantheon. My dad thinks he's hoping to challenge the Olympians for primacy."

Kevin cocked his head. "That's a bad thing?"

I nodded. "A very bad thing."

"What's the difference if the Egyptian gods take over? It's not like the Olympians have been very friendly as of late."

I shook my head. "At least they're just. They don't kill humans at random, and not only so they can use them to become more powerful. The Egyptian gods have no such scruples."

Kevin scratched his head. "Yeah, that sounds bad."

"Not to mention, the Egyptian gods likely won't restore the Reapers. When they're done assaulting Olympus, I have no doubt that they'll raid the underworld."

"Everyone you know will be killed?"

I nodded. "That's my fear. The good news is that some of the Olympians are trying to intervene."

Sienna sighed. "But we did see a satyr kill a human whose time wasn't due."

I nodded. "I don't think the satyrs are working with Dionysus. I know my dad said they're associated with him, but Anubis must've recruited them to his cause. Our only hope is that he hasn't had the same success with the banshees."

"Even if he has," Sienna said, "we hope we can use this crystal to capture one. I'm still learning how to use it."

"If we do, we can use the banshee to reach out to Athena. Maybe she'll have intelligence we can use to take down Anubis."

"Do you know how much more power Anubis needs?" Kevin asked.

I shook my head. "No clue."

Kevin nodded. "In that case, our date just got more adventurous."

I looked at the schedule on the kitchen table. "There's a man in the ICU at St. Luke's on the Plaza. We have about forty-five minutes."

Cerberus dropped his squeaky toy. "I'm ready when you are."

"I'm coming with you," Kevin stated.

"Why?" I asked. "You can't engage the astral plane. You won't be able to fight."

Kevin shook his head. "You're right, but I can evacuate the floor."

"It might not make any difference," Sienna told him. "We're in one city in a large world. Anubis is likely reaping dozens of souls as we speak."

"You're right, but he'll send more jackals here. At the very least, we can thin out his minions. At best, I might get another shot at him."

My mom stayed with Morty and Sienna. Cerberus hopped into the backseat of Kevin's car. I rode shotgun. Cerberus bitched about it, as if I would let my hellhound take the front seat in my boyfriend’s car. If he didn’t like it, he could run there. It wasn't as fast as moving through the astral plane, but with Kevin's sirens, we made it to the hospital with time to spare.

Kevin headed in first to evacuate the floor. I didn't expect the nurses would be thrilled to do that. ICU patients required medical aid.

When Cerberus and I arrived, shrouded on the astral plane, Kevin was arguing with one of the nurses.

Kevin looked around. "If we can't evacuate the floor, we need to move this patient."

The nurse shook her head. "If you move him, I'm coming with him."

Kevin shook his head. "You can't save him. It isn't safe."

"Are you a doctor, Detective?"

"Of course not."

"Then you don’t know a thing about my patient's condition.

Kevin sighed. "Fine. We need an isolated location. Anyone near this man is in danger."

"In danger from what?"

"I can't explain. I'll just say I know things about this man and those after him that you don't."

I didn't know how much time we had left, but it was not much. If Kevin didn't get the patient moved soon, the beasts would show up. If that happened, a lot of people on the floor would be at risk.

"How do we know Anubis won't send his jackals here even if we move the patient?" Cerberus asked.

I shook my head. "We don't. There has to be a reason Anubis is using the schedule. My guess is because he's a death god, he can only manifest with his beasts when someone is about to pass."

Cerberus huffed. "There must be a perimeter around the dying he can't cross. We don't know if moving the patient to another floor will be far enough."

"You're right. We don't. But right now, it's the best we can do."

"Maybe not." Cerberus took off toward the elevator where Kevin and the nurse had taken the patient.

I ran after him. I was too late. The elevator doors shut.

I pressed the button and heard a howl. I turned.

Two jackals were on the floor with me. They’d missed their ride, too.

I summoned my scythe and took out the first one. Two more appeared.

This wasn't good arithmetic. Subtract one, add two. I needed to work with multiplication.

The elevator dinged, and the doors parted. The jackals ran in. I barely made it inside in time. They were cornered. With one swipe, I took the three remaining jackals down.

"Take that, bitches!" I cried.

A pillar of black smoke appeared inside the elevator with me.

My scythe passed through the smoke, then Anubis appeared. Before I could swing again, he took me by the throat. "I grow tired of your insolence, mortal."

I snorted. "I'm more than mortal, asshole!"

"We shall see about that." Anubis squeezed.

I fell to the floor with a thud and gasped for air as Anubis disappeared.

I stood and straightened my shirt.

I didn't know where Kevin had taken the patient, so I checked my phone. We still had two minutes to spare. This didn't make sense. If Cerberus consumed the patient's soul, it might explain why Anubis had left. However, the patient hadn't died yet.

I returned to the ICU floor and looked around. No jackals. No banshees. No Anubis.

I removed my hood.

The elevator dinged again.

Kevin and Cerberus were in there, along with an empty hospital bed.

"Where's the patient?" I asked.

Cerberus belched. "In my belly!"

"You ate the patient before he died?"

"The result is the same. He went to heaven."

Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. "He grew very large, and he was visible. The nurse freaked out and took off running when the elevator doors opened. When the doors closed, He swallowed the patient with a single bite.

I scratched my head. "I'd say 'bad dog' since you know that eating people isn't okay. I think it worked, though. Anubis showed up in another elevator with me. He was going to kill me. Then, he disappeared."

"When the man's soul was gone, Anubis couldn't maintain his presence."

I scratched Cerberus behind the ears. "I guess I can't be too angry. You only cheated the man out of two minutes of life."

"Sounds like you have a new tactic," Kevin commented. "Head back to the car. I need to debrief that nurse."

I grinned. "What are you going to tell her?"

Kevin bit his lip. "I don't know. We don't even have a body to give them. I'll come up with something. Give me a few minutes."

"I'll be waiting. I'm starving."

Kevin grinned. "Anyone up for barbecue?"

Cerberus rolled on his back. "I'm stuffed. Full of human."

"I can’t believe it! You're going to turn down barbecue?"

"Not at all. I'll be back at the apartment. Bring me your leftovers and an order of burnt ends. Eating people is a lot like having Chinese food. It fills you up, but you're hungry again in an hour."

I chuckled. "I'll have to take your word about that."

CHAPTER TWELVE

One thing was for sure. Anubis' powers were still limited. We'd also robbed him of a meal. Technically, Cerberus had. It wasn't the first time he'd stolen food off someone's plate, although I was usually the victim of the hellhound's appetite. If I left any meat on my plate for more than a few seconds, he was on it before I could so much as blink. He always left the vegetables behind. Apparently, hellhounds don't have an appetite for broccoli. Who does, really?

We headed to Jack Stack Barbecue on the Plaza. I was inclined to go back to the apartment, check the schedule, and make another run at it. Cerberus, though, was out of commission until his stomach settled, and I needed to eat. Not to mention, dinner with Kevin had been a long time coming.

"What did you tell the nurse?" I asked as I spread a cloth napkin across my lap.

Kevin grinned. "I told her it was a matter of national security."

"You're a local detective. How often are you called in on matters of national security?"

Kevin grinned. "Almost never. The feds usually handle that stuff. It was the only thing I could come up with, though, and she didn't ask many questions. She was pretty rattled after seeing a dog appear out of thin air, grow to fill the elevator, and swallow her patient whole."

I shook my head. "Poor girl."

"I'll follow up with her later. Maybe I'll have a better line of bullshit to feed her by then."

I grinned. "Good luck with that."

"One rule tonight," Kevin continued. "No work talk."

I shrugged. "You can't usually talk about your cases, anyway."

"I'm not talking about my work, Zoey. No talk about gods, beasts, or Reapers. I don't think we're going to solve this problem over a meal. Tonight is about us."

I reached across the table and took Kevin's hand. "Deal. One thing, though. You know, before that rule applies."

"What's that?"

"I need to apologize. I've been a bitch to you lately. This situation really has me on edge."

Kevin smiled. "You said it, not me."

I laughed. "That's right. I can call myself a bitch all I want. You'd better never."

Kevin raised one hand as if swearing an oath. "I wouldn't dare."

We spent most of the meal talking about family. Kevin's, not mine. I could not bring up Morty, my dad, or my mom without breaking the “no work talk” rule. I still had not met Kevin's brothers or his parents. That was a step in our relationship that would take us from being serious to really freaking serious.

I suspected he was working up to bringing it up. To my relief, he didn't say a word about meeting the parents. It was coming, though, and sooner than I'd like. I wasn't opposed to it. I would have to meet them eventually. I loved the man, and I had no intention of ending our relationship. He loved me, too. Meeting Kevin's family was inevitable. It was a step in most relationships I'd never taken.

Yes, I knew Gabriel's mother. She was a Reaper. His father, as was the case with most Reapers, was a human he'd never met. Even if he had known his estranged father, not sure he'd have made the introduction. Not because he didn't love me. That was the problem with my previous relationship. He’d loved me more than I loved him. He’d even given his life for me.

Kevin would do the same if push came to shove. That was one reason why I kept him at arm's length at times. What I did was riskier for him than it was for me. Now that Anubis was reaping unscheduled souls, I couldn't risk bringing him along on my missions. Tonight, though, he’d proved helpful. I had no clue how things might have turned out if he wasn't there. He’d taken the patient and Cerberus into an elevator. That had given Cerberus enough cover to do what had to be done with only a single witness.

That was the thing. If there was only one witness to something supernatural, they didn’t say much. The nurse would think people would call her crazy if she told them about a dog that could grow to the size of Clifford and eat people.

If two or more people saw something supernatural, though, it was a bigger issue. They didn’t feel crazy since they’d shared the experience. They had solidarity since they'd seen something inexplicable together.

Cerberus knew that. If he hadn't been in an elevator, if Kevin hadn't taken the patient into the elevator with him, he wouldn't have risked exposure.

We had a nice meal. I stuffed myself. It didn't matter how often I told myself I was going to take it easy. You couldn’t go to one of Kansas City's top barbecue joints and not wobble your way out.

Kevin took me home. He was quite the gentleman. He offered to walk me to my apartment even knowing that my mother was there and "gettin' some" was off the table. Not like I was opposed to doing it on the table, but you know what I mean.

I invited Kevin in regardless. I was tired, but I wasn't ready to call it a night.

I stopped in my tracks three steps into my apartment.

Several muscle-bound men wearing nothing but aprons were scurrying around the apartment. One was cooking something on the stove. Another was vacuuming. A third was washing my windows.

Morty was still asleep on the couch. My mom wasn't there. Apparently, she had gone home for the night. Sienna was seated at the kitchen table, examining the crystal.

"Sienna? What's up with the stripper maids?"

Sienna laughed. "They aren't strippers. They're golems! Constructs I made with the crystal."

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I've never seen such…hot golems before."

"I know, right? This device is brilliant. These men are sexy as hell, but they don't have brains. They don't even talk back. They just do what I programmed them to do."

"So, you created them to cook and clean?"

"Yup! Cool, right?"

Kevin smirked. "Could you make me a half-dozen naked Zoeys to clean and cook at my place?"

I elbowed Kevin in the side, and he laughed. "What? I said cook and clean. I could have mentioned the other fantasy I have about multiple yous at once."

I snorted. "Funny. You can barely handle one of me. Six of me? We'd break you."

Kevin laughed. "I'd die a happy and satisfied man."

Cerberus squeezed his toy twice. "How about a couple of hunky Dobermans?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You're into Dobermans? I took you for the pit bull type."

"Pit bulls are doable, but nothing's as spicy as a well-built Doberman."

I snorted. "So, can you make these things look any way you want to?"

Sienna nodded. "As long as I can find an image to flash into the crystal."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that you found pictures of guys who look like this on the Internet and uploaded them to the crystal from your phone?"

"Yup. Brilliant, right?"

I chuckled. "I'd like to get a list of websites you frequent if you don't mind."

Sienna giggled. Kevin didn’t.

"I'm joking, Kev. Chill out. You're my only boo."

Kevin smirked. "I know."

"If we find a picture of someone who's coming due on the schedule, could you create a golem that looks like them?"

"Definitely. Do you think that would fool the beasts?"

I shook my head. "I don't know, but it's worth a shot. We'd have to hide the real victim."

"The beasts appear on the astral plane," Sienna replied. "Hiding someone with a blanket or under the bed wouldn't do much."

I pressed my lips together. "That might not be accurate. When we were in the hospital and Kevin took the patient to another floor, the beasts continued to manifest where the schedule indicated the patient was to die."

"Why do you think that was the case?" Kevin asked.

I tucked my hair behind my ears. "I think Anubis and the beasts can't track souls. They're as dependent on the information the Olympians provide on the schedules as we are."

"Anubis did appear in the elevator," Kevin reminded me.

"Yes. Eventually, he figured that out, but only after I stepped into the elevator. If we have a golem that looks like the person due for harvest, Anubis or the beasts will have no cause to investigate further. That is, until they attempt to extract their soul and fail."

"As long as that's a banshee," Sienna said. "The golem can trap her within its body."

"When we do that, we'll have to act fast. We'll need to get the golem away from the soul and save the real patient's soul before they get to it."

Cerberus licked his paws. "Or I could just eat them and send them straight to the good place."

"I'll examine the schedule for tomorrow," Sienna continued. "I'll try to track down someone on the Internet. Someone surely has a social media presence I can find. I'll program a golem accordingly."

I pulled up a chair at the kitchen table, crossed my legs, and enjoyed the view. "You really did a great job with these golems. What did you program them to do if I give them a dollar?"

Sienna giggled again. "You'll have to find out!"

Kevin cleared his throat. "Good night, ladies."

"No kiss?" I asked.

Kevin grinned, then stepped over to me, leaned over, and smooched me right on the lips.

I bit his bottom lip, then let it go as he pulled away. "The next time we have a chance, I'd like some alone-time."

Kevin smirked. "I don't think that will be a problem."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and got a glass of water. Sienna was still at the table. Her laptop was open, and the Archeus Crystal sat in front of her. Her face was rested on her arms, and she was snoring. The hunky golems were standing side by side in the kitchen. Their eyes were open, but their faces were blank. The apartment was clean. They'd fulfilled their programming.

My mom was gone. She'd tucked a blanket around Morty and had a glass of water waiting for him on a coaster on my coffee table.

Cerberus was asleep on his bed in the corner, curled around his squeaky bone.

I turned off the lights and headed to bed. Wrapping up in my blanket, I closed my eyes. I don't know how long it took me to fall asleep, but it didn't take long. The next thing I felt was my blanket being yanked off. My bedroom lights were on.

I rolled over, shielding my eyes. I knew who it was. The smell of beer gave it away.

"Morty, what the hell?"

"I could say the same thing. Why am I in your apartment?"

I rubbed my eyes. "How's your head?"

"Been better. How did I get here?"

"I brought you. I thought you might want to help."

"Help with what? I'm needed in the underworld, Zoey?"

"Needed for what? Ensuring all the beer is consumed?"

"Funny. If you didn't notice when you visited, things aren't going so well."

I nodded. "That is why I brought you here."

"You don't understand, Zoey. There's a movement to overthrow me. If I abandon them now..."

"I know what's happening, Morty. The Reapers are not going to be restored unless we do something about it."

"Not ever?"

"There's another god, an Egyptian deity known as Anubis, who's consuming all the souls the Reapers are meant to harvest. He's gaining power to revive his fellow gods so they can all overthrow the Olympians."

"And if they do that, the Reapers..."

"Will be eliminated by these gods. I imagine it'll be one of the first things they do."

Morty shook his head. "I need to warn our people. We need to prepare to defend ourselves."

I nodded. "You could, but you'd lose."

"You don't know that!"

"I do, Morty. The only way to save them is to help us. Do that, and I imagine anyone who thinks you're unfit to lead will have no choice but to reconsider their position."

Morty sighed. "What can I do?"

"I don't know yet. When the time comes, I need you to be ready. Sober and ready."

Morty scratched his head. "That's a lot to ask."

I chuckled. "You'll be fine."

Morty tossed my blanket on me. "Before I get some sleep and get on with saving the world, do you have anything I can take for a headache?"

I grinned. "Ibuprofen is on the top shelf, far left cabinet in the kitchen."

Morty turned to leave. Before he switched off the light, he glanced at me. "Is that the Archeus Crystal on your kitchen table?"

I smiled. "It is. Get some sleep, Morty. I'll tell you about our plan to save the world and the underworld in the morning."

Morty turned off the lights. I fell asleep again and woke to the smell of coffee. It wasn't one of those name-brand brews. It was Joe's personal blend. The kind Sienna served when we worked at Cup-O-Joe's.

I rolled out of bed and slipped into my sweats. As I stepped out of my room, I yawned. Sienna was back at work. Morty was still sleeping on the couch.

"Any progress?"

Sienna nodded. "A woman in her sixties. Breast cancer. She's been fighting it for a decade, but it's metastasized."

"That's a lot more than the schedule usually reveals."

Sienna nodded. "That's true. She has updates on her Facebook page. She thinks she has a few weeks to live, but..."

"But she's on the schedule."

Sienna nodded. "She's gone home to enjoy her last days. I believe she'll be alone when it happens."

"You have a golem ready?"

Sienna nodded. "Almost. I need a couple more hours, but she's not due until this afternoon."

"Let's hope some banshees show up. If they don't, we risk exposing our plan to Anubis."

Sienna nodded. "It's a gamble. Banshees usually come, though, right?"

"Usually, but not always. Still, this sounds like as good an opportunity as we're going to get. I say we go for it."

Sienna snapped her fingers. The muscle-clad golems raised their heads and started moving around the kitchen.

"What are they doing?"

Sienna smiled widely. "We have a busy day ahead. We could all use a hearty breakfast."

If the smell of coffee wasn't enough, the hearty aroma of frying bacon did the trick. Morty hopped off the couch, his face sour, and went toward the bathroom.

Sienna snickered. "Hangovers are a bitch."

A couple of minutes later, Morty sauntered out. "Now I feel better."

"Get it all out?" I asked.

Morty nodded. "I think so. By the way, if the pink one was yours, you might want to get a new toothbrush."

"You puked and used my toothbrush?"

Morty shrugged. "It was either that or vomit breath."

I rolled my eyes. "I have an extra one. You can have my toothbrush."

"I have to hand it to you, Zoey. You always had any man you wanted wrapped around your little finger. Naked models cooking for you, though? That's new."

I chuckled. "They aren't men."

"Eunuchs?"

I grinned. "Golems."

Morty cocked his head. "They don't look like constructs from the crystal."

"I don't think Headmaster Phil cared about the appearance of his golems."

Morty scratched his head. "What are you doing with that crystal, anyway?"

I cleared my throat. "We think if we create a golem that mimics the person whose soul is due, we might be able to lure a banshee to the golem and trap it inside."

"Why would you do that?"

"A banshee can reach out to the Oracle. The Oracle can get us in touch with Athena."

"You think Athena will be able to help you stop Anubis?"

I nodded. "We have to be careful. If the beasts get wise to what we're doing, they'll regroup and try to find the real soul."

"And Cerberus can't just consume the person's soul because once he does, the beasts will leave."

I nodded. "Exactly."

Morty pressed his lips together. "I might be able to help with that."

"How so?"

Morty touched his wrist and his scythe appeared in his hand. "Like this."

I cocked my head. "You can still invoke your scythe?"

Morty nodded. "You can't kill Death."

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "I thought the Reapers’ abilities were gone."

Morty bit his lip. "Not exactly. When I was benched, they also took Charon off the River Styx. They couldn't take our abilities away, not completely. They are innate. What they did was remove our ability to deliver the souls we harvested to the afterlife. Hold a soul in your scythe too long, and…"

"It haunts you."

Morty nodded. "Eventually, it might even possess the Reaper. What the gods didn't factor in is that you might have another way to send souls to the beyond."

"Cerberus?" I asked.

"Exactly. I can reap the soul, but it won't be gone. It will remain in my scythe. The beasts won't be any the wiser. They'll think the soul is still ripe for harvest. After we finish the job, well, I can release the soul to Cerberus."

I grinned and patted my brother on the back. "That's brilliant, and it might just work. Anubis will never suspect we have the Grim Reaper working with us."

"Well, technically, I'm the acting Grim Reaper."

I shrugged. "What's the difference?"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Morty and I spent most of the day wandering around town. I took him to the Apple store on the Plaza and he got a phone. He hadn't needed one before. I warned him of the dangers of texting and peeing. We also did some clothes shopping. Morty leaned toward gothic styles anyway, but that had more to do with being the acting Grim Reaper than his desire to belong to any kind of subculture. Trying to get him in synch with popular fashion culture was something of a lost cause.

Then again, when I first came back, I bought a pair of bell bottoms. I was told I was either ten years out of style or a few years ahead of my time. Like the mice who nested in my pajama drawer, bell bottoms might disappear periodically, but they always come back.

It didn't matter. If we succeeded, Morty wouldn't need to worry about blending in for long. If we failed...

Nope. Not going there. Positive thoughts, Zoey. That's how I roll.

We had to succeed. If for no other reason than that Morty didn't seem to grasp the notion that black and navy blue don't mix. He tried another combination after I nixed that one. Fire-engine red pants and a burnt-orange shirt. It was like he was looking for colors that would clash.

I sighed. "Just stick with black on black."

That was what he did. Black jeans. Black army boots. Black t-shirt. I took him for a haircut. He went for a mohawk and asked the beautician to dye it red. I was skeptical, but it looked pretty badass. Morty was a twenty-first-century Grim Reaper, after all. His look needed a little updating.

That wasn't the point. We were burning time.

I was trying to give Sienna some quiet time to program the golem. She had to speak her commands and subroutines into the crystal audibly. The fewer distractions, the better.

I could have used the morning to save a soul or two, but I wasn't confident I could leave Morty alone. I was afraid if I did, I'd come back to find him intoxicated again. Did he have a problem? It was too soon to say. I'd only seen him wasted like that twice. Still, something about it made me uneasy. For a young man like Morty to let loose from time to time was normal. Consuming the quantities he did wasn't.

I understood, though. He was under a lot of pressure. I’d left the underworld, and he was expected to take my dad's mantle, but he wasn't ready for it. People dealt with pressure in different ways. Morty was my twin, and I knew him better than anyone. He'd always had an inferiority complex, and it was partly my fault.

For years, everyone in the underworld had looked at me as if I were Azrael's prized heir. Morty was used to doing his thing without many people paying much attention. Now, every move he made was scrutinized. I'd grown up with that burden, so I was used to it. He'd had to adjust to it in a matter of months.

Also, my father's abilities had waned sooner than we’d expected. Plus, he was dealing with the biggest crisis any Grim Reaper had faced in several thousand years. It was no wonder he needed a temporary escape from time to time.

I was proud of the job he'd done. He had gone from a level-one Reaper, shadowing Gabriel, to a mid-level Reaper in a fraction of the time it took most Reapers. Even so, having a mid-level Reaper shoulder the responsibilities of the Grim Reaper was a lot to ask.

Seeing Morty smile when he saw his new hairdo in the mirror warmed my soul. I knew what it was like to be a fish out of water. He was finding himself. That had to be a good thing.

We arrived back at the apartment with a good hour to spare before we had to head to the lady's house. She lived in Grandview, which was a thirty-minute drive from my apartment.

Sienna was standing in front of the new golem when we walked through the door.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Rosemary," Sienna said. "Based on her social media photos, the golem is the spitting image of her."

"What programming should we expect?"

"Not much," Sienna admitted. "She's dying, after all. She'll go where we tell her to go."

"Are you sure she'll look the same? I'm guessing the photos on her Facebook page were taken when she was healthy."

Sienna nodded. "Let's hope the real Rosemary is sleeping. I can modify her appearance if the golem sees her. I don't know how Rosemary would react if she saw herself walk into her room."

I bit my lip. "That might be a challenge. I don't think there's any way to move a golem through the astral plane."

Morty sighed. "I'll talk to her."

I raised an eyebrow. "You'll talk to the real Rosemary?"

Morty nodded. "I'm the Grim Reaper, Zoey. It's my responsibility to prepare someone for the beyond."

"No offense, Morty, but this is way out in left field. It's not unheard of for a Reaper to console someone nearing death. Trying to explain why we have someone with us who looks just like her, though..."

"I said, I've got this, Zoey."

I nodded. "All right. I trust you. As you said, this is your responsibility."

Morty pressed his lips together. "Thanks, Zoey. It will be fine. I promise."

Sienna drove. Morty joined Cerberus in the back seat, and I rode shotgun. The golem sat in the middle of the back seat, staring ahead.

"Are you sure you did it right? She isn't even blinking. I can't tell if she's breathing."

Sienna nodded. "That's normal. Just like the golems in the apartment, she is dormant when she doesn't have a command to follow. Once we get to Rosemary's house, she'll behave as normally as anyone.

When we got there, Morty stepped out of the car and threw on his cloak. I got out too and threw my cloak over my back.

Morty turned to me and raised his hand. "Stay here. All of you. I'll let you know when it's okay to come in."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you certain?"

Morty nodded. "You and Sienna can go into the astral plane. The golem can't. You'll have to let it in through the front door. I'd rather not freak this poor woman out."

I sighed and sat back down on the passenger seat in Sienna's car. "All right, Morty. Just remember, we only have about twenty minutes."

"It won't take that long."

Morty threw his hood over his head and disappeared. I could still see him. Sienna couldn't. Reapers can always see other Reapers, regardless of what dimension they're in. Morty summoned his scythe and walked through Rosemary's front door.

"You don't think he's going to reap her, do you?"

I snorted. "I sure hope not. He knows the plan. I imagine some of it is theatrics. If he's going to prepare Rosemary for what's coming, she has to believe he is who he says he is."

"Do people usually see a Reaper before they die?"

"That depends."

"Depends on what?"

"A number of factors. When the Reaper arrives, the cause of death, the quality of one's eyesight. Mostly, though, when people see the Reaper, they don't believe it. They mistake the Reaper for an angel taking them home or dismiss us as a hallucination. The mind can do funny things when it's close to death."

"So, there's a chance Rosemary will think Morty's an angel? Isn't that ironic!"

"I know, right? There's just as good a chance that she'll think he's a hallucination. In that case, she'll probably think her doppelganger is a hallucination as well. Either way, it works."

Five minutes later, Morty showed up at the front door.

"He's ready for us," I muttered.

Sienna nodded. "One more thing. I won't be able to control the golem from the astral plane. I can go in and out of it, but if we need her to do anything outside of her programmed protocols, I'll have to go visible."

"Anubis has tried to kill me twice. It doesn't matter if we're on the astral plane or not. If he can kill me, he can probably do the same to you. Since they'll be coming for the golem if all goes according to plan, if you're close to the golem, you'll be at risk."

"Only until we trap that banshee. Do your thing. Protect the golem as you would if she was Rosemary."

I nodded. "Let's pray this works."

We followed Morty into Rosemary's house. Rosemary was sitting on a small recliner in her living room. When she saw the golem, she gasped.

Morty lowered his hood and placed his hand on Rosemary's shoulder. "Remember what I told you. We're here to protect you from devils who hope to steal your soul."

"Thank you, Gabriel. Praise be to the Lord."

I tilted my head. Morty waved his hand and shrugged. He hadn't assumed my ex-boyfriend's name. Rosemary had thought he was an angel.

"Do you have a place to hide?" I asked.

Rosemary nodded. "There's a wine cellar in the basement."

"Mort, I mean, Gabriel..."

Morty chuckled. "I won't indulge."

I nodded. "Go. We don't have much time. The beasts will be arriving soon."

"The beasts?" Rosemary asked. "That sounds dreadful."

Morty nodded. "I told you about the demons coming for you. Don't worry, Rosemary. We'll keep you safe and bring you into celestial glory when the time comes."

"Morty, one more thing."

Morty turned. "Yes?"

"Remember, your phone won't work on the astral plane. Be ready for my signal. Don't hesitate."

Morty nodded, took Rosemary's hand, and helped her down the stairs to the basement and wine cellar.

Sienna directed the golem to Rosemary's chair. The golem had changed to more closely resemble Rosemary in her current condition. Sienna worked fast.

"All right, Sienna. You need to hide. Keep the crystal safe."

Sienna nodded. "You got it."

"Cerberus. You need to stay with me until we catch the banshee. The moment we do, get down to the cellar."

Two jackals appeared in the living room. It was too soon. I hadn’t expected them for at least five minutes.

I touched the sigil on my wrist and summoned my scythe. One of the jackals jumped toward the golem and knocked a lamp off a table. It crashed to the floor and shattered into a hundred pieces. I caught the jackal with my scythe, then spun and took the second one down as it charged me.

There had to be more coming. Two more jackals appeared. Then, a cloud of black smoke appeared between them.

I gripped my scythe with both hands. Two jackals had gone after Rosemary before she died, which meant they weren't worried about devouring her soul ahead of schedule. They'd do it again. I was about to strike at Anubis. If I could hit him just as he appeared, I might be able to take him down. The two jackals got in the way. I cut through them without much problem, and I charged Anubis when he became visible.

He raised a hand and halted my swing in place.

Anubis laughed. "You cannot kill me."

"I won't let you take this woman!"

Anubis cocked his head. "Then command your hound to consume her."

"She's not supposed to die yet! She has a couple more minutes!"

"That hasn't stopped you before."

I sighed. "Unlike you, given other options, we prefer to honor the schedule."

"The Olympian schedule?" Anubis laughed. "Soon, they'll be gone. I shall be your god."

"You'll never be my god."

"Stop your futile attempts to frustrate my actions and allow me to consume this soul, and I will spare your life."

I bit my lip. I had to keep him talking. If the banshees were sent by Athena, they'd only show when Rosemary was due to die. If Anubis really wanted to take her, he could do so at any second.

I narrowed my eyes. "Humor me for a moment. Suppose I did agree to honor you as the new god. What would that mean for me and the other Reapers?"

"Your talents could prove useful in my war against the Olympians."

"And the Reapers?"

"They could serve my purpose. Together with my pets, they could resume their duties."

I scratched my head. "You're offering to re-institute the Reapers?"

"If you serve me."

"If we did that, what would happen to the souls the Reapers harvested on your behalf?"

Anubis took a step toward me. "They would be dedicated to the service of their god."

"Dedicated to granting you and your fellow gods more power?"

"It is an honor for a mortal to join one's essence to our strength. Union with the divine. Is that not what many humans seek even now?"

I shrugged. "That depends on their religion."

"Religions can change. When all the world worships us again, many will gladly give their souls to us."

I shook my head. "I won't be the pawn in a war between gods."

"Really? You don't know the truth, do you?"

"What truth?" I asked.

"How the Olympians are using you, Miss Grimm."

My phone alarm sounded. It was set to the moment Rosemary was supposed to die.

Cerberus stepped toward the golem, his celestial head in place. He was playing along, just as I'd hoped.

"If your hound consumes this woman's soul, the deal I'm offering is off the table. This is a one-time offer for you and all the Reapers."

I bit my lip and silenced the alarm. Anubis didn't know I was also sending a text to Morty.

Two banshees appeared in a flash of white light.

Anubis waved his hand, and I flew into a cabinet. A set of plates fell off the shelves and shattered.

Cerberus dove at Anubis. Anubis tossed him aside, but it slowed him down.

One of the banshees enveloped the golem and disappeared.

"What is this?" Anubis asked. "That thing wasn’t human!"

Anubis screamed and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He didn't know where Rosemary was, but he was looking for her.

Sienna stepped out of one of the rooms, holding the crystal. "Do we have the banshee?"

I nodded. "We have to get out of here."

We headed toward Sienna's car. Morty came running with his scythe glowing gold. It was Rosemary's soul. Cerberus ran up behind him.

A black cloud formed in front of Sienna's car.

"Morty! Cerberus! Do it now!"

Anubis flew toward Morty as he released Rosemary's soul. Anubis grabbed Morty by the neck. Cerberus swallowed Rosemary's soul. When he did, Anubis disappeared.

"Is he gone?" Morty rubbed his neck.

I nodded. "Right now, he can only manifest when the soul he's after is viable. We did it. Let's get the golem back to the apartment. Hopefully, the banshee will be willing to talk."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

We drove back to the apartment, the banshee-possessed golem in the middle of the back seat of Sienna's car. It still acted like a golem and looked like Rosemary, the gods rest her soul. The only difference was that its eyes were white, like miniature cue balls.

Sienna had both hands on the crystal in the back seat as I drove her car. Morty sat beside me. The daywalker wanted to be sure she could intervene via the Archeus Crystal if the golem/banshee misbehaved.

So far, though, the golem had behaved like a golem. Until we got back to the apartment, we weren't going to try anything. I'd never had a straight conversation with a banshee. Talking to a banshee was like trying to communicate logically with a ticked-off two-year-old. All they did was scream. At least, that was all I'd ever heard from a banshee.

At least it was daytime. Interrogating the banshee at my apartment might very well lead to a violation of the city's noise ordinances. My police-detective boyfriend could shield me from that, but at least we weren't likely to wake anyone up.

We led the golem upstairs to my apartment and locked the door behind us. Sienna directed the golem to sit in one of my kitchen chairs.

"How do we interrogate a banshee?" Morty asked.

"Hell if I know. It's not like there's an instruction manual."

"Especially not for one possessing a golem," Sienna added. "I have no clue how much of the golem's programming binds the banshee or if the creature can manipulate the golem freely. So far, though, she has done nothing to violate the golem's programming."

"Are we going to interrogate her?" Morty asked.

"I thought we'd try asking her nicely first. There's no reason to treat her like an enemy if we don’t know where her loyalties lie."

"I think it's obvious this banshee isn't working with Anubis. It showed up on time. He didn't. It went for the golem in an attempt to get to Rosemary's soul before Anubis could reach her."

"That's true. Though, on other occasions, it was difficult to tell if the banshees and the jackals were working together or independently. I don't want to make assumptions."

"Do you think she can hear us?" Morty asked.

"I assume so," Sienna replied. "I can't say for sure. I figured out how to program a golem over the course of a day. When it comes to dealing with banshees, none of us know much."

"So, the banshee might not even understand English?" Morty asked.

Sienna shrugged. "If Klingons know English, I'm sure the banshees do, too."

I chuckled. "Well, that's science fiction. Everyone knows that if we encountered beings from another world, they wouldn't speak English. Science fiction as a genre would suck pretty bad, though, if every story or episode was about trying to overcome the language barrier. You have to suspend disbelief and accept that the language problem is going to be ignored."

"Not always," Sienna said. "Some authors come up with creative ways like communicators that translate, or species that learn languages quickly."

I nodded. "I don't think Google Translate has banshee as one of its language options. Not to mention, I'm not even sure they speak in words."

I grabbed the golem's hand. "Can you hear me?"

The golem stared at me. Without irises, it was impossible to know if it was focused on me, looking past me, or was even awake.

"Can you contact the Oracle?" Sienna asked.

The golem turned to Sienna and belted out a high-pitched scream. We all covered our ears.

"Use your words, damn it!" Morty shouted after her scream stopped.

I snickered. "We don't know if she has words to use."

Cerberus sauntered over and placed a paw on the golem's leg.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying something," Cerberus offered. "Give me a second..."

Cerberus allowed his two hidden heads to appear. All three of them barked at the banshee.

The golem reached down and patted Cerberus on his celestial head.

"Did you do that?" I asked Sienna.

Sienna shook her head. "That wasn't a part of the golem's programming."

"It was the banshee," Cerberus told us. "I'm going to give my celestial head primacy at the moment."

"That's a good sign, isn't it?" Morty asked. "Your so-called celestial head takes priority in Olympus, right?"

Cerberus nodded all three heads before his Earth-bound and hell-bound heads disappeared into his body. "The banshee's screams are not what they seem. She communicates at such a high frequency that all you hear is a screech. I can translate for her."

"You ask the questions, Sienna. She answered you last time."

"We need to talk to the Oracle so we can get in touch with Athena. Can you call the Oracle of Delphi here?"

We were ready this time. We covered our ears as the banshee screamed again.

"What did she say?" I asked Cerberus.

Cerberus sighed. "A lot of things."

"She screamed for…what, two seconds? How much could she say?"

"Her words are spoken at a frequency you can't hear. She also speaks at an incredible pace. Even if you could discern the frequency, you'd have to slow it down to hear what she was saying."

"I could do that on my computer," Sienna suggested. "You know, if you couldn't translate for us."

"No need," Cerberus replied. "She does have access to the Oracle, but as long as she is bound to this golem, she cannot reach the Oracle only."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"The Oracle might come, but her cries will be heard by any disembodied spirit within several miles of radius."

"And if the Oracle isn't nearby?" I asked.

"She won't hear the banshee's cry," Cerberus finished.

I sighed. "Can we trust her to take a message to the Oracle on our behalf?"

Sienna cleared her throat. "If we free you, will you ask the Oracle of Delphi to come see us? We need to speak to her. We're trying to stop Anubis, and we need her help."

The banshee screamed again. When she finished, a translucent green form passed through the front door of my apartment. When it stopped, the ghost of an old man wearing brown overalls and a straw hat appeared in front of us. He smiled at us through his long gray beard, displaying a solitary front tooth.

"Roy?"

Roy nodded. "You all right, Zoey? I heard a cry for help, and I came as soon as I could."

"It was a banshee."

Roy's eyes widened. "Where is it?"

I pointed at the golem. "She's trapped inside this body."

Roy took a couple of steps back. The golem's body started to shake. The convulsions were so violent that they rattled the floor beneath my feet.

"Oh, shit!" Roy screamed.

The banshee pressed out of the golem and darted after Roy. Roy took off in a green blur and divided himself into three parts that settled on the three shirtless male golems Sienna had created. Then, the three golems jumped and collided with one another in the air. Their bodies combined into one and fell to the floor.

The banshee circled the room, screaming. I summoned my scythe, and the banshee took off through one of my walls.

I reached down and grabbed what must've been Roy's hand.

"Well, I'll be! It worked!"

Sienna cocked her head and looked at the hunky golem with wide eyes. "How in the world..."

Roy chuckled. "I can't take over a body that has a soul, but these bodies? Well, they weren't enough alone. Incomplete. Together, though, how about that! I'm a real boy again!"

I looked at Cerberus. "What did the banshee say before?"

Cerberus sighed. "Well, before Roy showed up, she threatened you."

"Threatened me?"

"More or less. She said you must cease what you're doing. Anubis is accelerating his efforts now that you've been saving souls."

Roy cleared his throat. "That wasn't all she said."

I looked at Cerberus. "He's right."

"The banshee said you must die."

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Roy. "You heard her, too?"

"Sure did. That's why I came a-running. I thought you were in trouble. You know, since you saved me from Hades, I figured I owed you a warning. Didn't expect this would happen!"

"Why was the banshee chasing you?" Sienna asked.

"Well, I'm a ghost, right? Maybe she wanted to do me in! More than that, I know the Oracle. She's a fine lady. Wouldn't give me the time of day. Now that I look like this, though, I might have a chance with the little lady."

I bit my lip. "You can take us to the Oracle?"

Roy traced his fingers across his bulging pectorals and down his chiseled abs. "Damn, I'm sexy!"

"Answer the question, Roy."

Roy laughed. "Sure as the summer sun will burn your butt, I can!"

Sienna snickered. "You have a pretty pale butt. I'd say that's a definite yes."

Morty snorted. "Could we get off the topic of my sister's ass, please?"

Roy grinned, tilted his head, and ran his tongue across his teeth. "Well, how about that! A full set of chompers!"

"Focus on the topic at hand, Roy."

"Sorry, Zoey. Yep, I can take you to the Oracle. Mind if I make a simple request first?"

"What's that?" I asked.

"I haven't eaten in years, and now I have the teeth to chew whatever I want. Get me a steak. Medium rare."

"After that, you'll take us to the Oracle?"

Roy nodded. "Sure thing, darlin’. Won't be a problem."

Morty looked away. "First, can we get him some clothes? He's naked under that apron."

Roy ripped off his apron, then looked down to examine his manhood. "Well, I'll be damned. I'm hung like a bull!"

Morty shook his head and grabbed one of the shopping bags that contained the clothes we’d bought him when we'd gone shopping. He grabbed a pair of pants and, still shielding his eyes, tossed it toward me. "Cover that thing up!"

I gave Roy the pants. "Oh, come on! I can't confine this glory to a pair of trousers."

I sighed. "Put on the damn jeans, Roy."

Roy slipped into them the best he could. They were loose on Morty but tight on Roy. He barely managed to button the fly.

"Anyone got a nickel?" Roy asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why do you want a nickel, Roy?"

"I want to see if it'll bounce off my butt! Whoever bounces their coin the furthest can take my new body for a ride!"

Sienna chuckled. "He still needs a shirt."

"Does he, though?" I smirked.

Roy winked at me.

"Sorry, buddy, I'm taken. Doesn't mean I can't enjoy the view."

Roy found the full-length mirror in my bathroom. Morty's shirts were tight on him. They'd be way too tight on Roy. I had a few spacious nighties that might work.

I grabbed one of them. It was pink and had a lot of hearts on it. I took it to Roy and found him flexing his muscles in the mirror. "Put this on."

He held the nighty up to his body. "It's pink."

"So what?"

"I can't wear pink. That's not manly."

"Says who?"

Roy sighed and slipped on the shirt. "It fits. Sort of."

"Pretty in pink!" I exclaimed.

Roy grunted. "Don't you have anything flannel?"

"Do I look like a girl who wears flannels to you?"

"Come on, darlin'! I'm the paragon of manliness here. I need something to match."

I smiled. "Real men wear pink."

"Real men wear overalls."

I raised an eyebrow. "In the backwoods of the Ozarks, or on a farm a hundred years ago."

"They were hot in the early nineties," Sienna offered. "But you'd have to either wear them backward or with one of the shoulder straps hanging off your shoulder."

I rolled my eyes. "How do you know what was cool in the early nineties?"

Sienna shrugged. "I've studied pop culture history! That's how the Daddy Mac used to make you jump!"

"Whatever," Roy muttered. "Steak first, then new clothes."

"Then you'll take us to see the Oracle?"

"Sure, I will. I'm a man of my word, honey."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

We took Roy to a steakhouse on the Plaza. We got a prime rib to go for Cerberus. I ordered a salad. I've never understood the obsession with steak. Growing up in the underworld, we didn't eat much meat or dairy. We grew crops under artificial light and imported what we could from Earth. It was rare—or should I say medium rare—that we ever got steak or meat of any kind. I'd had my share of barbecue since I’d arrived in Kansas City. Steak, though, was different. It took a long time to chew. It was overpriced and overrated. A lot of buck for very little bang. American dietary customs were a mixed bag. I enjoyed some things. I was accustomed to a lot of the processed foods people consumed.

We’d had Twinkies in the underworld that we’d imported a decade ago and were still as fresh as a Twinkie could be. I didn’t know what they put in those things. They were like time capsules of creamy goodness. A keen reminder that in ages gone by, our forebearers also enjoyed chemically enhanced pastries. Those things were easier to import to the underworld than meat or dairy. Still, given my choice, my diet would be centered on fruit and vegetables.

Roy looked at me as if he thought I'd lost my mind while I forked my salad into my mouth.

Ironic, considering that he moaned with every bite he took of his filet mignon. It was loud enough to garner awkward stares from other restaurant patrons.

We visited a few clothing stores on the Plaza. Roy hated everything. He was dead set on getting a pair of boots, some overalls, and a flannel shirt.

We took him to the Bass Pro Shop. When we walked through the doors, Roy gasped.

"I've died again. This time, I've gone to heaven."

He found what he was looking for and changed in the dressing room. The whole notion of paying for your clothes before you put them on confused him, so we pulled off the tags and took them to the register. The cashier was surprisingly compliant. Roy looked like the most attractive hillbilly I'd ever seen. His get-up said "Redneck," but his face and body screamed Abercrombie and Fitch.

Roy turned to walk back into the store.

"Where are you going?"

"You see those boats? I need one! They're all sparkly!"

I snorted. "We can come back later. Right now, we need to see the Oracle."

"I been dead a long time. You know how long it's been since I went fishing?"

"I take it they didn't have a lot of fish in Hades?"

Roy shook his head. "They did. Swam in the lava. All piranhas. The bastards there used to dip us in for fun. Damn fish would eat your leg off, then it would grow back, and they'd do it to you all over again."

"Damn!" Sienna exclaimed. "That's horrible."

"That's not the half of it. Point is, there's nothing like fishing for crappie out on a lake."

Sienna snorted. "Usually, you leave your crappie in the water. I'm sure there's a bathroom here somewhere."

Roy scratched his head. "They put fish in the toilets now?"

I grinned. "Not usually. Never mind. I'll tell you what, Roy. Take us to the Oracle. Once we've taken care of this Anubis situation, we'll get you a used boat and a nice rod."

Sienna smirked. "I think he has a nice rod already."

Roy grinned. "That I do. Wanna see it?"

"Not here!" I snapped.

Sienna giggled. "Maybe later. If you behave."

Roy chuckled. "Y'all pulled me out of hell. You expect me to behave?"

I nodded. "If you know what's good for you, yes."

Morty sighed. “Can we leave Hillbilly Hell and go find the Oracle, please?”

Roy huffed. “Son, if this is your idea of hell, then I’ll be damned!”

Morty rolled his eyes. “Whatever. The longer we futz around here, the more power Anubis is gaining. Can we please get going?”

Roy snorted. “Well, that might be a problem.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

Roy scratched his head. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ll take you to the Oracle once I find her.”

“Once you find her?” Sienna asked. “I thought you knew where she was!”

“Where she was, yes. But I can’t sense other spirits now that I have a body.”

Morty narrowed his eyes. “Then we’ll exorcise you out of that pretty-boy body, and you can take us to her.”

Roy dropped his jaw. “No. You can’t do that! Please!”

I shook my head. “We’re not going to kick you out of the body, Roy, but you’d better figure out how we can find the Oracle soon, or we won’t have a choice.”

Roy took a deep breath and exhaled. “Thing is, I can’t take you to her directly, but I know where to find her. When she’ll show up, I can’t say.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“There’s a woman downtown. She has a little place in a storefront. She speaks to dead people.”

Sienna bit her lip. “A psychic?”

“More like a medium,” Roy corrected. “She talks to all of us. If anyone knows where she is, Miss Delphine will.”

Morty narrowed his eyes. “Miss Delphine will connect us to the Oracle of Delphi?”

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Roy laughed. “The Oracle is one of Miss Delphine’s favored familiars. Get her to give you the right sort of reading, and she’ll call the Oracle. Just make sure you bring plenty of cash.”

“Cash?” I asked. “How much does this medium charge?”

Roy shrugged. “I don’t know. She doesn’t care for me much. I tried to get in with her, but she said nothing I told her was much use to anybody. I didn’t pay much heed to whatever she was charging her customers. I’d say she probably charges a medium amount.”

I rolled my eyes. “Hilarious. Really, that’s funny. Money isn’t a problem. If this pans out, Roy, don’t you worry—we’ll find you a great place to go fishing.”

“Remember, I want one of those sparkly boats. Those dinghies are fancier than a Baptist on a Sunday mornin’.”

I nodded. “Got it. It’s a deal.”

Sienna snickered. “Who would have thought the price of potentially saving the world would be a sparkling boat?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A giant sign with a red hand and the words Palm Readings arched over it was mounted outside Delphine's store, if you could call it a store. What do you call a place where a medium gives readings and consults with the dead? A sanctuary? That didn't sound right either.

I'd never met a real psychic. The closest thing to it had been the strange mambo in New Orleans who'd warned me that there were those out there who intended to do me harm. When she touched my leg, an electric jolt had passed from her body to mine. It had ached for almost a week.

At the time I'd thought her warning had to do with the vampires I was hunting. Perhaps it was the Horseman who'd used me for weeks, sending me after supernaturals to reap. Ultimately, he had been using me to grow an army at Hades’ behest so the ruler of the hot place could assimilate Olympus into his fiery domain.

I didn't know if that was right. Would this medium know more? Would she offer similar ominous warnings? Could she reach the Oracle? Roy seemed to think it would work. I didn’t know why the whole prospect of consulting with a medium creeped me out. When I thought about it, I'd spoken to ghosts too. A ghost who was possessing a golem had led us to Delphine.

I'd spent most of my life training to reap human souls and send them to the afterlife. The prospect of a human who could communicate with wandering souls shouldn't have been weird. Given all I'd seen, I shouldn't have had any reason to suspect she was a fraud. Why, then, was I so uneasy?

The door dinged as we stepped inside. A cacophony of odors blasted me in the face. The smell of incense was strong. Several burning candles added hints of vanilla, apple blossom, and who knew what else. It wasn't an unpleasant combination, but it was a little overbearing.

"Be right there!" a woman I presumed was Delphine shouted from the opposite side of a beaded curtain.

A few seconds later, Delphine stepped through the curtain. She was pretty, Black with long dreadlocks. She was in her mid to late forties. No sooner did she see us than she gasped and took a step back.

I furrowed my brow. It must take a lot to frighten a medium. Delphine raised her hand and pointed at Roy. "Is that you, Roy? How can this be?"

Roy nodded. "It is."

Delphine tilted her head and looked at Sienna. "And you. What are you?"

"I'm a..."

Delphine looked at Morty. "No. Please, no! I'm not ready to—"

"I'm not here to reap you," Morty assured her. "It is not your time."

"I know it's not my time, but there's a rumor among the spirits that some souls are being devoured before their appointed time."

"That's the truth," I agreed. "That's why we're here."

Delphine stared at me, then took two cautious steps forward. "Give me your hand, dear."

I bit my lip. "Why?"

Before I could extend it, she took my hand in hers, twisted my wrist to expose my palm, and traced her fingers along the various creases on it. "Ah, yes, you are she!"

I snorted. "Yup, I'm she."

"She's my sister," Morty offered.

"Yes, she is, but she is something more. She is the one upon whom the fates of many souls depend."

I scratched my head. "That's why we're here, Miss Delphine. It is 'Miss,' right? I wouldn't want—"

"Of all the spirits to accompany you," Miss Delphine interrupted me, "why choose one you already knew had been consigned to perdition?"

I shrugged. "He's the only ghost I really know."

Miss Delphine poked Roy's chest. "How is this possible?"

"The body is a golem. We have a device that…well, we're technically borrowing it. It lets us create these bodies. We can program them to do whatever we want, almost like machines. If we don’t program the thing, a spirit can possess it and take it over."

Miss Delphine’s jaw almost hit the table, and she sat down. “Do you realize how many spirits could come back to life with something of this sort? It might put me out of work, but you know, all for the greater good.”

I cleared my throat. "I can see why a lot of people would like the ability to resurrect the dead.”

Miss Delphine leaned back in her chair, resting the back of her hand against her forehead. “If this could be done on a large scale, if someone like me could help lead souls into new bodies, this could mean the end of death.”

I bit my lip. “Yeah, well, your family business isn’t the only one that would be impacted by something like that.”

Miss Delphine grinned at me. “You are the unique daughter of the Grim Reaper himself!”

“I’m also not sure if using the crystal that way would work. It might run out of energy. The gods might not be thrilled about the prospect of humans living as long as they do.”

“Still, I’m sure you’ve considered the possibility!”

I frowned. “Sure, I’ve thought about it, but that’s not why we’re here. We're trying to reach the Oracle of Delphi."

Miss Delphine waved her hand. "I know you are! I've been expecting you. Still, these other guests and the wonder of their being were not foretold. It is not often anything takes me off guard."

"Check out my new abs!" Roy blurted, lifting up his shirt.

Miss Delphine lowered her head and sighed. "You're as insufferable in that body as apart from it."

"Thank you, little lady!" Roy exclaimed. "I try to prevent as much suffering as possible."

I snickered. The word "insufferable" clearly wasn't part of Roy's quaint vocabulary. Delphine noticed my reaction and grinned at me.

"Is it true what they say about you?" Delphine asked.

I tilted my head. "That depends. What do they say about me?"

"That you cannot reap human souls, only the souls of the semi-divine?"

"If by semi-divine you mean supernaturals, then yes."

Miss Delphine stood and touched my cheek. Her hand was cold to the touch and sent a shiver down my spine. "You are even more beautiful than they say."

"Um, thanks. Again, who are ‘they?’ The dead people you talk to?"

Miss Delphine curled her lip. "Death is a matter of perspective. At least, it used to be. The spirits with whom I commune are very much alive."

"By saying it used to be a matter of perspective, I suppose you're talking about how Anubis is consuming souls?"

Miss Delphine nodded. "He must not be permitted to succeed, dear, but even he might serve a purpose."

I snorted. "What purpose?"

"That is not for me to reveal," Miss Delphine replied. "Only know that the Oracle believes there are those among the Olympians who were responsible for his return."

"Why would any of the Olympians want to see an ancient pantheon rise to threaten their primacy?"

Miss Delphine smiled kindly. "I might be able to speak to the spirits, child, but I cannot discern the will of the gods."

"Is the Oracle here now?"

Miss Delphine gave a quick nod and sat down on one side of a different table. She gestured at a chair in front of it. "Please take a seat. Both of you."

"Both of us?" Roy asked. "There are four of us."

"I speak to the two Reapers," Miss Delphine corrected. "The Oracle wishes to speak to them."

Roy and Sienna exchanged glances, shrugged, and stepped back. I pulled out the chair in front of the medium's table, and Morty grabbed one that was against the far wall and lifted it over. He sat down next to me.

"Give me your hand again, Zoey."

I extended my hand. "You know my name? I didn't tell it to you."

Miss Delphine smiled as she took my hand in hers. "Of course I do."

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Your lifeline forks."

"What does that mean?"

"It means there is no guarantee. You might live beyond the years I can predict, perhaps centuries longer, or very soon, you will die."

I bit my lip. "I think I'll go with option A."

"It is more complicated than making a simple choice, dear child. Then again, perhaps that's all it is. You simply must recognize the correct choice when presented with it."

"How will I know when that happens?"

Miss Delphine shrugged. "You will not. Still, a choice you make very soon will determine your path."

"How is that helpful? I would not have a choice if I knew it was going to kill me."

"Are you sure about that?" Morty asked. "Didn't Anubis just give you the chance to serve him forever?"

"What Morty says is wise," Delphine agreed. "Sometimes the cost of living is greater than the cost of shedding one's mortal flesh. You must make the right choice and let whatever fate befalls you come as it must."

"Can you show me what you're seeing on my palm?"

Miss Delphine nodded and pressed her middle finger into my palm. "This line is your lifeline. You can see how it forks."

"Barely."

"Yes. That is why I say that if you make the choice that leads to the shorter line, your life will end soon thereafter. However, the main line extends across your entire palm. I cannot say that means you will live forever, child. It does mean that your passing will come at a time beyond what I can see. That is, beyond the timeframe of the average human body's lifespan."

"Is this set in stone?"

"No, dear. It is set in flesh."

I tilted my head. "Yeah, duh. You know what I meant."

Miss Delphine grinned. "Nothing is destined to be. New lines might form, and new branches from your lifeline might lead to new fates. What I see now is the journey your life will take, given the path you've set your feet upon."

"What about mine?" Morty held out his hand.

Miss Delphine looked at Morty's hand. "Your path is grim."

I smirked. "Was that a Grim Reaper joke?"

Miss Delphine chuckled. "Indeed, it was!"

"Funny." Morty politely laughed. "Can you tell me anything other than that my life is a joke?"

"You are twins, are you not?" Miss Delphine asked.

"We are," Morty confirmed.

"Your life and future are undetermined. They might change, given the choices Zoey makes. You two are connected by more than blood."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that it is the will of the gods that you two walk in step. Then again, should you choose another path, there is no telling how your lives might unfold."

I bit my lip. "Which gods?"

Miss Delphine narrowed her eyes. "I cannot say."

"This is all fascinating." I smirked. "Could we speak to the Oracle now?"

Miss Delphine shrugged. "That's not up to me. Nonetheless, I will consult with her, and if she wishes to speak to you, she shall."

Miss Delphine stood, stepped back behind her beaded curtain, and returned holding a silver platter with several candles on it. She took the candles and set them around the table in a circle. Miss Delphine grabbed a candle that was already lit from a candelabra to the side of her curtain and lit each of the candles she'd placed on the table. Then she returned to her seat, opened her hands, and rested them on the table palms-up. The medium closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose.

When Miss Delphine opened her eyes, they were completely black. Then her body started to change. Her hair turned blonde. Her features narrowed, and her skin lightened. Her clothing changed, too. She had been wearing a colorful bohemian dress. Now she wore a white robe with a red sash. She didn't just invoke the Oracle's presence; she'd changed into the Oracle.

"Hello, Zoey. It is nice to see you again."

I sat there, speechless. My lips parted. "I—"

The Oracle laughed. "It is remarkable, isn't it?"

"You can say that again."

"Repeating myself would serve no purpose. It is good that you've sought me out. There is much to discuss."

I nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. I assume you know what's going on?"

The Oracle nodded. "Anubis is growing more powerful by the minute. Athena has done what she can by sending her banshees. Even Dionysus has attempted to intervene. Unfortunately, his satyrs shifted their allegiance to the Egyptians. I fear many of my mistress’ banshees did the same."

I shook my head. "I've been trying to save people, but it's not enough. Given how many people are dying every minute around the world..."

"You are correct," the Oracle said. "It is not enough. Even if you were to slow Anubis down, the most you might hope to accomplish is to delay his ascent by mere minutes."

I shook my head. "There must be something I can do."

The Oracle nodded. "There is, indeed. Anubis will not kill you, despite his threats. At least, not yet. He needs you."

"Why does he need me?"

"If you reap him, you'll send him to Olympus. That's what he wants, just not yet."

"Why not yet?"

"He is not yet powerful enough to challenge the Olympians. The gods are divided at present. Ever since Hades attempted his coup, many of the gods turned to blame others for what occurred."

"So, I need to reap him now?" I asked.

"I fear he's too powerful for that, though not yet strong enough to threaten Olympus."

"He's hoping to gain enough power to raise the other Egyptian gods."

The Oracle nodded. "That is when you must act."

"After he raises the other gods? Won't that make things harder?"

The Oracle smiled. "Yes and no. When he raises the other gods, it will take a great deal of power. At that moment, he will be weaker than he is now. So will the other gods. That is when you must strike."

I snorted. "So, I need to reap an entire pantheon of Egyptian deities?"

The Oracle nodded. "Precisely."

I sighed. "That sounds like something much easier said than done."

"Only because there are many. No matter, you must succeed. If you can send them all to Olympus at once, even though the Olympians remain divided, they will unite to defend their domain against the intruders."

"And they'll be able to cast Anubis and his fellow deities back to wherever they belong?"

"More than that. By giving the Olympians a common enemy, Athena believes you will be able to reunite the gods and end this meaningless conflict."

I sighed. "How many Egyptian gods are we talking about?"

"Throughout their history, the ancient Egyptians revered more than two thousand deities."

"Two thousand! How can I possibly reap that many?"

"There are only ten who pose a significant threat to the Olympians. No matter. Should any of them remain, they might grow more powerful if they consume human souls."

I stared at the Oracle blankly. "You're still telling me I have to reap two thousand gods?"

"Not alone," the Oracle said. "There is a reason that the Reapers have been pulled away from their duties."

"Why?" Morty asked. "I assumed we were being punished."

"Hardly!" the Oracle exclaimed. "Quite the opposite. As long as the Reapers persisted in harvesting human souls, it would delay Anubis' plans. Many Reapers would die. We could not allow Anubis to cull your numbers. We need you all. With the other Reapers working alongside the two of you, it may be possible to defeat all two thousand of the gods Anubis intends to revive."

Morty shook his head. "We can't reap supernaturals. I don't understand how that will work."

The Oracle smiled. "You're right. You cannot reap gods or supernatural creatures of any kind. Not yet."

"You're going to give us Zoey's powers?" Morty asked.

The Oracle nodded. "Temporarily. It will not be permanent. The powers Athena gave Zoey endured because she was vested with the ability the moment she was born. As she grew and came of age, her powers developed accordingly. Still, we can enhance your abilities on a limited basis."

"How long will it last?" Morty asked.

"It is not a question of how long the ability will last. The hope is that Athena will bless each Reaper with enough power to reap a single god."

"That might work!" I exclaimed. "There are thousands of Reapers in the underworld."

"Nearly ten thousand," Morty said. "We'd have more than a large enough army to take down two thousand gods."

The Oracle nodded. "Be that as it may, even in their weakened state, the Egyptian gods will present a challenge for your lower-level Reapers. Some of them will fail."

"You're saying Reapers will die?" Morty asked.

"If you do not succeed, all of the Reapers will die once Anubis gains full control of Olympus. Such are the costs of war."

"I have a lot of questions," I interjected. "First, how do we deliver this power to the Reapers?"

"Athena will visit the underworld and bestow the power on any Reaper willing to fight."

"Second, how are we going to find all those gods once they emerge?"

The Oracle grinned. "The same way you've lured Anubis to you before. You will need to follow the schedule, as you always have. Assign the Reapers accordingly."

I shook my head. "That won't work. In the past, I've had to kill several jackals before Anubis showed up. If the Reapers only have one chance to reap a god, if they waste that shot on any of the beasts, they won't have any power left to reap the gods who appear."

The Oracle nodded. "You have the numbers to succeed. Even though the satyrs and some of the banshees defected to the Egyptians, they cannot afford to dispatch many beasts per soul they intend to gather."

I pinched my chin. "Morty, that's it. If you send three Reapers to every soul on the schedule, you can use two lower-level Reapers to handle the beasts. You'll still have one mid-level or higher-level Reaper to harvest the god."

Morty sighed. "That means we'll have to convince at least nine of ten thousand Reapers to join the battle. Right now, nearly half the underworld opposes me."

I nodded. "We'll have to change their minds. That's the only way."

The Oracle grabbed our hands. "As Delphine revealed before, the two of you must walk in step. Athena is well aware of the situation in the underworld. However, she also believes that those who oppose Morty will come around if you two speak with a single voice."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

We left Miss Delphine's with a sense of bewilderment and purpose. An odd combination, I admit, but at least we had something to do. I wasn't sure if the bewilderment was because we'd just seen a medium shapeshift into a disembodied spirit or from the prospect of employing nearly every available Reaper on a mission that would require one hundred percent success.

If any of the Egyptian gods survived, they'd take command of the beasts and resume Anubis' plan. However, if we culled their number sufficiently, hopefully, there'd be too few to represent a significant threat to the Olympians. They might also be so weak that I could take them out.

The math was daunting. Even if the Reapers succeeded at a laudable rate of seventy-five percent, that would leave five hundred Egyptian gods to threaten human lives and eventually Olympus. Presumably, the most powerful of the old gods would be among the survivors.

There was only one way to improve our odds. We had to train the Reapers.

"How can we prepare the Reapers to fight gods?" Morty asked.

"We could use golems," Sienna added, her eyes fixed on the Archeus Crystal on my kitchen table.

I shook my head. "Can you program the golems to behave like gods?"

Sienna scratched her head. "I don't know. I could try. Without the image of a god to mimic, though, it would be a shoddy replica at best."

"I have an idea," Roy chimed in. "This might be dumb, but it's a thought."

I shrugged. "Let's hear it."

"What if we used Anubis? Could you create a golem similar to him in terms of strength and power if you got close enough to him?"

Sienna sighed. "Theoretically, yes. There's always a chance, though, that Anubis would take the crystal."

Morty shrugged. "We could have the Reapers spar with each other."

I shook my head. "Even if we did that, it wouldn't be anything like the challenge they'd face when they had to reap a god."

Sienna added, "The golems are limited in terms of the power they can access. We'd never be able to create one as strong as Anubis."

"They don't need to be. The Oracle said when the other gods rose, they'd all be weaker than Anubis is now. Even Anubis will be devoid of most of his current abilities."

Sienna grunted. "But we still need to face Anubis at his current level of power, and we have to get the crystal close enough to him to capture a replica."

"Can you teach me how to use the crystal?" I asked.

"Sure." Sienna sighed. "I'm still not sure why that would be better than if I did it."

"Because the Oracle said that despite his threats, he won't kill me. He needs me to get to Olympus."

"He might not kill you, but he could take the crystal from you."

Cerberus huffed. "At his present strength, Anubis can only manifest in the presence of the soul he's targeted, right?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"Then we do the same thing we did before. Use the crystal to capture his image. Then I'll swallow the soul before he has a chance to take it."

"He'd disappear in an instant," Morty added. "That would work if we hadn’t already done that. I don't think he'll fall for that move a second time."

I sat down and rested my elbows on the table. "Morty's right. We need another plan."

"The last time, I reaped the soul and gave it to Cerberus. What if we skipped that step?"

I shook my head. "He's seen Cerberus consume souls. He'll still be a step ahead of us."

Roy pulled out a chair and sat next to me. "I'm not a brilliant military mind or anything, but I know how to hunt. I used to have a bloodhound that I used when hunting game. The dog didn't kill the prey. He created a distraction. The prey only thought the dog was the threat. He was trained to root out the animal so I could shoot it."

Cerberus stood up on his hind legs, resting his front paws on the table. "I suppose I'm the dog in this scenario?"

"Not what I was thinking." Roy pointed at Morty. "He is."

"Excuse me?" Morty crossed his arms on his chest.

"Not a dog, just the distraction. If you had a soul in your blade, would Anubis know if it was the soul we were after?"

Morty shook his head. "He wouldn't have a clue. My blade will glow when it contains a soul, but that's just a reaction between the scythe's magic and the soul. It doesn’t tell us which soul."

"It might trick Anubis if he thinks Morty intends to deliver the soul to Cerberus. Even so, we can't do that. We'd have to kill an innocent person to pull that off."

"Not true," Roy countered. "You can use me."

I stared at him as I gathered my words. "Roy, you realize if we do that, you might be giving up your second chance at life."

Roy shrugged. "You'll still have the crystal, right?"

"If our plan succeeds, we will."

"Then make me another body." Roy turned to Morty. "When they do that, you can put my soul into another golem, right?"

Morty nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem."

"If we fail, Roy? If Anubis gets that crystal, we won't be able to do that."

Roy smiled. "Then don't fail. Worst case scenario, Morty cuts me loose, and I'm a ghost again. At least until you manage to get the crystal back."

"He's right," Morty agreed. "If he's willing to do that, this could work."

"One request." Roy tugged at his crotch. "If you're going to give me another body, could you make it a little less endowed?"

Sienna raised her eyebrows. "You want a smaller—"

"Yes!" Roy blurted. "This thing wasn't meant to fit into pants. If y'all won't let me hang out with my wang out, I need something a little less elephant trunk and a little more earthworm."

Sienna rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I can find a good image on the Internet to use as a model for your new body that will be more fitting."

I unrolled the scroll with the day's schedule on it. Sienna looked at her copy on her phone.

"See anything that might work?"

"There's a man who is going to die on the table during open-heart surgery in a couple of hours."

I shook my head as I traced my finger down the day's schedule. "I saw that. It won't work. If we're going to pull this off and trick Anubis, the best bet is to create a golem that looks like the target. We'll have to put Roy into that golem so Morty can reap him from it. We can't do all that on the astral plane. An operating room will have too many people inside."

Sienna nodded. "All right. We need someone who is going to die alone. I'm not seeing anything today that I can be sure fits that situation."

I unrolled the scroll a little more. "What about tomorrow? There's the fisherman who drowns early in the morning."

"Intoxicated," Sienna said. "Trips and falls off his boat."

"What kind of boat?" Roy asked. "Does it have sparkles?"

I chuckled. "We won't know until we get there. The schedule isn't that specific."

"If it has sparkles, can I keep it?"

"No!" Sienna and I shouted in unison.

"Not unless we can buy it from his heirs, provided they're willing to sell it."

"So, there is a chance?"

I nodded. "A remote chance. I suppose, given what you're risking to do this, if it works and the boat is what you have in mind—and the family is willing to sell it to us—we can buy it."

Roy grinned from ear to ear. "Well, if that ain't motivation, I don't know what is!"

Sienna rolled her eyes. "You're risking your life for a fishing boat?"

Roy shook his head. "I agreed to do this before the boat was an option. Call it an extra perk for a job well done."

"We still don't know that it would work out like that, Roy."

"I know, Zoey. But you promised me before that if all this worked, you'd get me one anyway. I'm going to hold you to that. You know, if I survive this and get a new body."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The scenario wasn't ideal. The man on the schedule, a fellow named Gordon, was supposed to be drunk on a boat in the middle of a remote lake when he fell overboard. We weren't miracle workers, but on the astral plane, we could walk across water as easily as land. The only problem was, we couldn't rematerialize unless we were on the boat or on shore.

Sienna also couldn't find so much as a mug shot of Gordon online, not to mention a social media profile, to use to craft a golem in advance. We were going to have to settle for a crude replica and hope that if he was face-down in the water, Anubis wouldn't notice. That also meant Roy would have to drown in the golem to keep up the ruse.

Being buried alive. Burning to death. Those were the only two ways of dying that I imagined might be worse than drowning.

There was one more problem. If we were going to pull this off, we'd have to hide the real Gordon from Anubis but keep him close enough to where he was supposed to die that Anubis would still sense his presence and would manifest.

We headed to the lake. It was a long drive. We had to take a few gravel roads to get there. Thankfully, I didn't take my bike this time. I didn't have to worry about gravel dust in my unmentionable crevices.

The lake wasn't natural. Few lakes are. Several dead trees stood in the middle of it.

"Great fishing grounds," Roy remarked. "There'd be a lot of brush under the water. Great spot to catch stuff."

"We know Gordon is intoxicated. That could present problems."

Morty shrugged. "Or it will make this a lot easier. Trust me. Some drunk people are belligerent. They can also be more susceptible to suggestion."

Sienna chuckled. "Like, ‘Hey, we've got free beer in the woods! Why don't you come along?’"

Morty grinned. "Exactly. I'll go talk to him."

"This isn't going to be the same as it was with Rosemary, Morty. I don't think he'll assume you're an angel when you appear out of the astral plane on his boat."

"I'm not going to handle this the same way. Trust me, Zoey. I'll be able to talk him into coming ashore. After that, Sienna will make the golem, and we’ll put Roy in it and take his boat back to his current location."

"All right. I suppose you have more experience talking to drunks than I do."

"Damn right I do," Morty grinned, raised his hood, and walked across the lake on the astral plane.

We stood on the shore and watched. When Morty lowered his hood, Gordon jumped back. Morty grabbed him just in time. Poor Gordon almost fell in the lake fifteen minutes too soon.

I couldn't hear what Morty was saying, but it must've gone well. Gordon tossed Morty a beer. He cracked it open. The two chatted for a minute before the boat headed in our direction.

"Well, I'll be damned." Sienna laughed under her breath. "It's working. I'd better get to work on that golem."

Sienna was fixated on the crystal. She didn't have enough time to create a perfect replica of Gordon. At least since Roy was going to inhabit the golem, she didn't have to bother with behavioral programming.

Morty and Gordon were laughing as they disembarked from the boat. Roy focused on the boat.

"It sparkles!"

I chuckled. "Lucky you. You ready to do this?"

Roy nodded. Morty summoned his scythe. With the butt end, he smacked Gordon hard on the back of his head. The man collapsed.

"Morty!"

Morty shrugged. "Had to knock him out. Might have given him a concussion, but I figured he's going to die soon anyway. What's a little minor brain damage?"

I scratched my head. "All right, good point. I guess he'll be easier to manage this way."

Morty winked at me. "Told you, I've got this."

Sienna ran over to Gordon and rolled him onto his back.

"How's that golem coming along?"

"Almost got it. That's it! This will have to do."

Sienna raised the crystal in front of her. "Create!"

When she spoke the command, a beam of white energy blasted out of the crystal, and a golem that looked vaguely like Gordon appeared. It had the same hair color and a similar build. Its face wasn't quite right. His nose was a little long, and his lips were too thin, but it would have to do.

Roy extended his arms, exposing his chest. "All right, Morty. Let's do this."

Morty nodded and cut his scythe through Roy's chest. He caught Roy's soul, pivoted, and blasted it into the golem.

The golem gasped. "Well, I'll be! It worked! Any chance I can catch a bite or two before the bad guys show up?"

I shook my head. "Sorry. Your fishing expedition will have to wait a little longer."

Roy climbed into the boat, which rocked. He steadied himself. "Now, anyone know how this new-fangled motor thingy works?"

Morty climbed aboard with him. "There's a pedal on the floor. I saw Gordon use it. Looked pretty simple. He wasn't using the main motor on the back of the boat. I don't have a clue how that works. This should get you back to the right spot."

Sienna handed me the crystal. "It's pretty simple. Point the crystal at Anubis as soon as he appears. The command is 'duplicate.'"

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Sienna smiled. "Easy-peasy."

I chuckled. "Nothing about pulling this off will be easy. Presuming Anubis shows, will you be able to see when I've done it?"

"There will be a flash."

"When we see the light," Cerberus added, "I'll swallow Gordon and send him to paradise. After he hits my digestive tract, anyway."

I laughed. "Whoever said getting to heaven was easy?"

"One thing," Roy called. "Don't let those beasts get me."

I nodded. "I won't. We'll have you in your new body in no time."

Morty and I remained on the astral plane as Roy steered the boat back into position. He reached into Gordon's cooler, cracked a beer, and took a swig. I suppose if he was going to play the role, downing a brewski or two was part of it.

Roy wouldn't see what was going on. I boarded the boat and lowered my hood, then set my phone on the seat in front of Roy. "When the alarm goes off, you need to trip and fall into the water. This isn't going to be pleasant."

"Well, I'm not much of a swimmer," Roy replied. "Drowning won't be too difficult."

I nodded. "Thank you for doing this, Roy. It's really brave of you."

Roy nodded and patted the side of the boat. "If this is what I have to do to get this baby, it'll be worth it. Helping you save the world is just a bonus."

"I'm going to disappear again. You won't be able to see anything that's happening. Remember, when the alarm goes off..."

"I know what to do, little lady. Don't you worry."

I nodded and raised my hood. Morty was already standing on the lake. I stepped out onto the water.

"Think it'll be more jackals?" Morty asked.

I nodded. "Most likely. Whatever shows up, I'll take them out."

I heard a high-pitched scream.

"Banshees?" Morty asked.

"Sounds like it. I didn't expect they'd show first."

Several black figures emerged from the water beneath where I stood. They weren't banshees. They moved the same way, but they weren't shaped like women, and the faces more closely resembled snakes. I couldn't waste any time figuring out what they were, just swiped at them with my scythe. They disappeared the second my blade made contact.

Two more banshee snakes emerged. One of them dodged my first strike. I got the second and turned to catch the one I'd missed just before it reached Roy.

Then, the whole lake beneath me turned black. Was it smoke coming from below the surface? I'd never met Anubis on water before.

A giant serpentine figure blasted out of the water. It wasn't like the banshees. This thing was a hundred feet long and had a girth twice the height of an average human. It coiled over us and opened its mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Morty asked.

"I don't know! Stick to the plan!"

The alarm on my phone sounded. Roy stood up and, performing what might have been the worst acting performance since Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker, tripped over his own foot and belly-flopped into the water.

"We have to do something!" Morty shouted.

"Reap him now!" I screamed.

Morty cut Roy's soul out of the golem and turned to shore. The giant snake chased him. It wasn't Anubis, but it would have to do. I aimed the crystal at the thing and shouted, "Duplicate!"

A flash of light blasted from the crystal. Two seconds later, the snake disappeared in a black cloud. Cerberus must've finished the job.

I headed for shore and lowered my hood.

"What the hell was that?" Sienna asked.

I shook my head. "I haven't a clue. Whatever it was, it will have to suffice for training purposes. Anubis didn't show."

"Should we retrieve the golem?" Sienna asked.

I shook my head. "Leave it there. When they find the body, they'll assume it's Gordon."

Cerberus burped. "Let's go home."

Morty waved his scythe. It had a golden glow. "I've got Roy right here. He'll be fine as long as I don't reap anyone else before we get him into a new body."

Sienna nodded. "We'll take care of that when we get back to the apartment. I know a few sites with male models we can select from."

I nodded. "Let's make it fast. I need to go back to the underworld. Maybe my dad will be able to shed a little light on whatever the hell that snake thing we just duplicated was."

CHAPTER TWENTY

Sienna fired up her laptop and plopped down on the couch. She raised her eyebrows more than once as she examined potential candidates for Roy's reincarnation.

"Why don't you just use your phone?" I asked.

Sienna smirked. "Because everything's better with a bigger screen."

I peeked over Sienna's shoulder. "Damn! I could look at him all day."

Morty walked over, unable to resist. "Oh, my God!" Morty shielded his eyes. "Aren't there clothed men on the Internet you could choose from?"

Sienna shrugged. "Where would the fun be in that?"

I snickered. "Morty has a point. All these guys are more endowed than Roy wanted."

"Funny," Sienna remarked. "This site doesn't feature many men who come up short. We could try stock photos. We won't know how those men measure up, though."

I chuckled. "It's a fair bet they'll be closer to average than the men on this site."

Sienna sighed. "It doesn't matter. As long as that snake thing is duplicated by the crystal, I'm not entirely sure what will happen if we duplicate another body right now."

I raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think about this until now?"

"I did. Morty said it didn't matter. Roy would be fine in his scythe."

"Then why are we bothering with this?"

"Well, I figured we should get a model lined up before we head to the underworld and start creating snake-shaped golems. After we're done with that, I’ll make Roy's new body in case Morty needs his scythe sooner rather than later."

"So, how does this work? You find a photo and print it?"

Sienna chuckled. "Who prints things anymore? I'll send myself the link, open it on my phone before we head to the underworld, and take a screenshot. I'll use that to make Roy's body after we create your battle snakes."

Morty cleared his throat. "Might I make a suggestion?"

"Leave the selection of man-bodies to us ladies." I grinned.

Morty rolled his eyes. "I'm a man. Roy is a man. I'd think I'd be just as qualified, if not more than you two, to decide what kind of body he'd like. Never mind. That's not my suggestion. Have you thought about searching for Egyptian gods and snakes?"

I tilted my head. "That's not a bad idea."

Sienna nodded and typed the words into her keyboard. "Well, how about that?"

I looked over Sienna's shoulder. "There's an Egyptian god who manifests as a snake?"

Sienna sighed. "Apophis. God of chaos."

I scratched my head. "If Anubis is already raising other gods, we might not have as much time as we thought."

"What were those beasts that came before him?"

I shrugged. "Anubis sent jackals and has a jackal head. It makes sense that Apophis might have snake-like creatures under his command."

Morty shook his head. "Whatever the case, I'm sure it was some kind of soul-ripper."

I nodded. "The Oracle made it sound like Anubis would raise the other gods all at once, or at least one after the other. If another god is already here, he's started the process. If we're going to get the Reapers on board, not to mention train them, we don't have a lot of time. The longer it takes to get the Reapers ready, the more powerful the gods Anubis raises will become."

"We still need to find a model to use for Roy."

"For Christ's sake," Morty growled. "Let me see that thing."

Sienna handed him her computer and shrugged. A few seconds later, Morty handed the computer back. "Use that guy."

Sienna clutched her chest as she laughed. "That's Ryan Reynolds. We can't make Roy look like Ryan Reynolds."

Morty shrugged. "Why not?"

"People would recognize him! That won't work."

Morty took the computer back again. He typed a few things. "Here, this will work."

"That's Vin Diesel." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, he looks like a badass!"

"Yeah. He plays badasses on TV."

Sienna sighed. "Give me back the damn computer."

Morty handed it to her. She typed a few things. A picture of a man on a boat in overalls showed up.

"That looks like a younger version of what Roy was, based on the way he looked as a ghost. How did you find that?"

Sienna grinned. "I Googled man fishing in overalls."

I nodded. "It'll do. Send the picture to your phone."

"We need to go," Morty urged.

"I'll get my portal crystal."

Morty shook his head. "No need."

I tilted my head and grinned. "I forgot."

Morty nodded. He extended the butt of his staff in front of us and drew a large circle in the air. "Being the acting Grim Reaper has its perks."

We stepped through Morty's portal and appeared in his office. It was a lot cleaner. I noticed that even before I spotted my dad sitting at his desk and a woman with long blonde hair next to him.

Carmilla jumped out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around Morty. "You're back!"

My father grinned at me. The woman turned around. Her long white robe, golden hair, and flawless complexion told me who she was.

"Athena?" I asked.

The goddess nodded. "The Oracle communicated my plans to you. I'm here to vest the Reapers with the required power."

I nodded. "There's a problem. I think we might have to carry out this plan a lot sooner than anticipated. Earlier, I thought that if I could get a copy of Anubis into the Archeus Crystal, we could create golems to train the Reapers so they'd be better equipped to fight the Egyptian gods."

"That was wise thinking, Zoey. I'm impressed."

I smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from a goddess."

Morty coughed into his hand. "Brown-noser."

I bit my lip and ignored Morty's comment. It wasn't the first time I had been accused of brown-nosing. Though, given that "brown-nosing" meant you had your face so far up someone's ass that it turned your snot locker shit brown, I never took well to the inference. Not to mention, it didn't make sense. I don't know about you, but if someone tries to stick their entire head up my ass, I'm going to make a very firm objection. Not the best way to suck up to a person in authority, if you ask me.

I cleared my throat. "Athena, we think we might have encountered Apophis."

"The serpent of chaos?" Athena asked. "That's impossible. Anubis isn’t nearly powerful enough to raise other gods."

I shook my head. "What if he's raising them one at a time? If I was in his position, that's what I would do. It would take a lot of power to raise all two thousand at once. If he could raise two or three, they could grow more powerful together."

Athena shook her head. "If what you say is true, whatever gods he has already raised might coordinate the efforts to raise the rest. It would weaken them, but not nearly as much as if Anubis had to raise the others alone. If he's raised Apophis, I suspect he's already raised Osiris. Ra and Isis won't be far behind. Are you certain you saw Apophis?"

"We retained a copy of it in the Archeus Crystal," Sienna offered. "I could manifest it. It would be an empty golem, but it would look like the snake we saw."

"Not here," my father replied. "We’ll head to the coliseum at the Reaper Academy. I agree with Zoey. The Reapers aren't equipped to defeat the Egyptian gods. Their training is focused on arresting wandering souls, not doing battle with ancient deities."

Athena shook her head. "Let us go see if this serpent is indeed the vile one Apophis. If it is, I hate to say it, but we might not be able to give the Reapers much time. If Anubis is raising the most powerful gods first to conserve his power, our best chance might be to overwhelm the gods he's already raised before they can revive the others."

Morty cleared his throat. "We also have to get the Reapers on board. You'd think the fact that if we don't defeat these gods, we'll likely be annihilated would be a compelling enough reason to bring everyone together, but I'm not so sure."

"Politics is rarely rational," my father told him. "I learned that a long time ago, son. If you want to unite people, you can't speak to their minds. You must speak to their hearts."

"It would go a long way if you helped me," Morty hinted.

My dad shook his head. "I don’t think it would, son. The rebels know you have my support already. You're my son. They followed me, but they believe I made a mistake by allowing you to assume my mantle before you'd advanced to the highest levels."

Morty sighed. "Do you think they're right?"

My father placed his hands on Morty's shoulders. "They are not. If I were to do it all over, I'd make the same choice. I will be of little help to you in this endeavor. If you two stand together, however, it will be more persuasive than a speech."

I snorted. "Headmaster Phil said something about the rebels hoping to put me in Morty's place."

"Say what?" Morty asked. "You can't even reap humans!"

I shook my head. "He said you don't have to be able to reap humans to lead."

"His point is fair," Athena interjected. "But you have a grander purpose."

I nodded. "I know! We need to make them see that Morty is strong. He can lead them."

Athena nodded. "First, take me to this coliseum. I need to see what the creature you think was Apophis looks like. There are many beasts the Egyptian gods might call forth. It's possible you were mistaken. Either way, we need to know what we're dealing with."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

We went to the Reaper Academy. With my dad and Morty with us, we didn't have to sneak in this time. Headmaster Phil greeted us as we stepped through the front doors.

"Zoey! You've returned with the Archeus Crystal."

My father raised his hand. "We still have need of it."

Phil nodded at my father. "Of course, my lord!"

My dad narrowed his eyes. "Reserve your reverence for my son, Phil."

Phil glared at Morty, then nodded at him.

"Headmaster Phil, we need to use the coliseum. It should not take long. We'll explain everything later."

"Of course, Zoey. Anything you need."

Morty turned to Phil. "Call an assembly on Gehenna Boulevard. When we're done here, I'll need to address the underworld."

"I can do that."

My father cleared his throat.

Phil huffed. "Of course, my lord."

Morty bowed his head. "Thank you, Phil."

Some of the golems that guarded the Reaper Academy still wandered the halls. They didn't pay us any attention as we moved past them and entered the coliseum.

Cerberus hadn't said two words since we’d arrived in the underworld. Instead, he followed my father around like an obedient show dog. I'd earned enough respect that Cerberus worked well with me, but the affection he and my father shared ran deep.

Sienna placed the crystal on the pedestal it usually occupied and commanded it to manifest the construct it contained. Black energy poured out.

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "It's not working. There's not enough power to create a construct this large."

Athena stepped up to the crystal and placed her hands on it. A golden glow formed between her hands and seeped into the crystal. Black energy poured out of the crystal until the serpent we'd copied formed.

"That's Apophis," Athena confirmed.

I nodded. "At least we know what we're facing."

"You don't understand," Athena countered. "It is Apophis..."

I cocked my head. "Say what?"

The serpent opened its mouth and dove toward us. Athena raised her hand and blasted it with a ball of golden energy.

Apophis shrieked, then headed through a wall.

"What the hell just happened!" I screamed.

Athena shook her head. "Crystals like this one were not made to train Reapers, Zoey. They were meant to create vessels for the gods we would manifest on Earth."

I cleared my throat. "You knew this would happen?"

"When the construct formed, Apophis was able to jump into it. I did expect it."

"Athena!" my father shouted. "What did you do?"

"Only what must be done. If we are going to unite the Reapers, they need to see that the threat they're facing is real."

I pressed my wrist and evoked my scythe. "I'll take care of it."

"No." Morty grabbed my arm. "We need to do this together."

"He's right," Athena agreed. "I'll give him the power to reap it. Morty must strike down Apophis."

"Wait!" Sienna called. "Roy is still in Morty's scythe! Just give me a minute!"

Sienna opened her phone, set the image in front of the crystal, and ordered it to duplicate, then manifest. The body of the fisherman in the image appeared in front of the crystal. Morty extended his hand and released Roy's soul into the construct.

Roy shook his new head, then looked around. "I'll be! It worked! Where am I?"

"No time to explain," I said. "Athena, can you give Morty the power he needs to strike down the snake?"

Athena reached into her gown and retrieved three crystals. She handed them to the acting Grim Reaper. “These will suffice. I cannot infuse your spirit the way I did your sister’s when she was young. However, these crystals contain the power required. Each contains enough power for two or three strikes. I will have to create more for the rest of the Reapers before our final confrontation with the Egyptian gods. However, these should give you more than you need to defeat Apophis.”

Morty summoned his scythe, which appeared as a staff. In the underworld, a Reaper’s blade didn’t materialize. “Where do I put it?”

“Place it where your blade should form,” Athena directed.

Morty took the crystal and set it in place. With a blast of energy that looked like fire, a blade that looked like mine appeared on the end of his staff. Morty stared at it as he swung his newly formed supernatural-reaping scythe in a figure eight. "It feels different!”

"Go!" Athena shouted. "But be careful. Remember, you have only a limited number of chances to do this. Apophis can summon his beasts. If you attack his jackals, you might use up the strikes in your crystal. Avoid them if you can. You must preserve an empowered strike to eliminate the god."

I took Morty’s free hand. "I'll take care of the beasts. Focus on Apophis. We need to take him down before anyone gets hurt."

Morty and I jumped through the hole Apophis had blasted through the wall of the Academy. I pointed in the direction of Gehenna Boulevard. Apophis’ giant serpentine form was coiled in mid-air over the street.

We ran in that direction, scythes ready. An illuminated beacon atop one of the buildings suggested that Phil had called the Reapers. Every Reaper in the underworld was either there or heading in that direction. Apophis dove at the street as we approached.

Several of his soul-rippers, his black banshee-like snakes, met us as we ran in his direction. I led the charge and took them out one by one. Morty stayed a few paces behind. He couldn't risk his scythe coming into contact with any of them, even by accident.

He had to strike down the god. I was still pissed that Athena had knowingly let a god of chaos loose on the underworld, but she was right. This was the best way to unite the Reapers. If they saw Morty strike down a god, they'd rally in support of his leadership.

There was a reason Apophis was considered a god of chaos. The screams of the people on the street and the demolition of the brick buildings that stood on either side of the street when Apophis slammed into them were nothing if not chaotic.

I sliced through the beasts one by one as we moved closer to Apophis.

One of them slipped past me. Morty jumped to the side, pulling back his scythe. The creature curled its body and doubled back. I pivoted.

"Morty, duck!"

He dropped. I swiped at the beast and cut through its form, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke where it had been.

Morty stood again. "We need to hurry. Can you get me past these things somehow?"

The ground shook under my feet. A series of loud thuds approached from behind.

"It's Cerberus!"

His size rivaled Apophis’. When he reached us, he lowered his head. "Morty, need a ride?"

My brother grinned. "Perfect. Can you get me close enough to strike Apophis?"

Cerberus nodded. "I can. Climb aboard."

Morty climbed up Cerberus' oversized head and across his neck, then straddled Cerberus' back.

"Go get him! I'll keep working on the beasts!"

Cerberus took off toward Apophis. My brother screamed by, holding his scythe in his right hand.

I wanted to watch, but I couldn't. I had lesser monsters to kill. If I didn't, there was no telling what they'd do to me or any other Reaper they caught. Still, as I cut my way through beast after beast, I couldn't help but notice Cerberus' giant body, with Morty on his back, leaping toward the god of chaos.

Morty stood, holding onto a tuft of Cerberus' fur. I sliced my way through another black banshee-snake. Morty jumped off Cerberus’ back, scythe over his head. Apophis turned, opened his mouth, and flashed his fangs as Morty brought his scythe down.

Apophis’ body dissipated into a shower of golden energy. The beast charging me disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

I couldn’t see Morty. From that height, if he fell to the street...

When the smoke cleared, I found Cerberus lying on his back, Morty clinging to the fur on the hellhound’s belly.

"You did it!" I shouted.

Morty raised his scythe over his head and stood up on Cerberus.

"All hail Mortimer, Lord of the Underworld, the Grim Reaper!" Phil shouted, standing next to the beacon he'd used to gather the other Reapers.

"All hail Mortimer!" the other Reapers shouted in response.

Morty looked at me, a wide smile splitting his face. I bowed my head. "All hail Mortimer!"

Morty climbed off Cerberus and made his way to the beacon next to Phil. He extended his hand. Phil shook it and whispered something in Morty's ear. Morty nodded at him and patted the headmaster on the back.

Did Phil suspect we'd used the crystal to create this threat? If he did, whatever he told Morty suggested he wasn't inclined to expose that. I wasn't sure he could be trusted.

Phil slid down to the street and moved briskly down Gehenna Boulevard toward the Academy. Hopefully, my father could explain the situation to him. He revered my dad. Everyone did. That should be enough to prevent the headmaster from running his mouth.

Morty stood next to the beacon. "My fellow Reapers. You call me lord. I admit that many of you were right to criticize my leadership. Today, though, marks the beginning of a new era. It has been difficult for all of us, but we have a battle to face together. The serpent that attempted to destroy us was none other than the Egyptian god Apophis.

“More gods from the old order are rising, seeking to overthrow the Olympians. We must defeat them together. Athena has come to us, and she requires our unified efforts to destroy the gods who threaten us and all of humanity. In the coming hours and days, new schedules will be published. We must train to defeat these gods, and together, we will prevail.

"You all know my sister well. She will oversee your training at the Academy. We don't have much time to prepare, but a Reaper's heart is our truest asset. We are not merely harvesters of doom. We are also soul guardians. If we are to prevail, it will require each of you to join us in the fight. We battle not only for our lives, our responsibilities, and our home but for the safe transition of human souls into the beyond. I stand before you as a Reaper whose station no doubt exceeds my abilities. I'm not the strongest Reaper among you. Still, as you've seen today, with conviction, any of us can defeat the vile gods who threaten to destroy us. Will you fight with me!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Morty climbed down, and the crowd surrounded him. Cerberus shrank to his usual size. Eventually, Cerberus and Morty made their way through the crowd. Morty grabbed my arm.

"That was incredible, Morty! I'm proud of you!"

Morty nodded. "Thank you, Zoey, but we have work to do. I don't know about you, but I have a few questions for Athena."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"I demand an explanation!" Morty stomped onto the coliseum’s floor and approached Athena, fury in his eyes.

The goddess raised her hand to Morty's face. "I apologize. I should have told you in advance. Still, if I had, I suspect those who suspect you set this up would be right."

Morty glared at Headmaster Phil. "You?"

"I know this wasn't your doing," Phil replied. "I'm now convinced it was necessary."

Morty scratched his head. "There had to be another way. People could have died. Some might have. We don't know yet."

Athena shook her head. "It was the only way to unify the underworld. It worked, did it not?"

Morty huffed. "It did."

"You must understand. If this had not occurred today, in a short time, the underworld would have been stormed by hundreds of ancient gods with more power than you can imagine. I had to give you a chance to prove yourself so you could rally the Reapers to fight before it's too late."

Morty shook his head. "They aren't ready. Now, we don't even have a god they can train with."

"That's not true," I glared at Athena. "She can help."

"I really must return..."

"Do you want us to succeed or not, Athena?" I asked.

Athena bowed her head. "I understand your point. Still, we must act fast. Training thousands of Reapers to fight a god will take longer than the time we have before Anubis raises the other gods."

I frowned. "Then we'd best get started. You train the upper-level Reapers. We'll be sending them out in pairs to ensure they are equipped to challenge the gods. I’ll train the rest so they can handle the beasts."

"How much time do we have?" my father asked.

Athena shook her head. "Given Anubis' progress and the revelation that he's raising the most powerful gods first, we have less than a week to prepare."

"How can I help?" Phil asked.

"You'll have to fight too," I told him.

"Why not start now?" Morty asked. "We need someone to coordinate the training schedule. Send the Reapers here in groups of six. Three upper-level Reapers to work with Athena. Three lower-level Reapers to train with Zoey. We won't be able to give them more than an hour or so if we hope to get everyone trained in time."

"Do you think that's enough time to reap gods?" Phil asked.

Morty sighed. "It will have to be."

"I know advanced battle tactics," Phil said. "Few Reapers do. I can help."

"As can I," my dad added. "I might be an old man who can't reap, but I still know how to fight."

"We'll need everyone working together to pull this off," I said. "Are there other Reapers who have valuable skills?"

"A few," Phil said. "I'll gather our fiercest warriors. One hour of training won't be enough. If they can practice their skills with other skilled Reapers, it will improve our chances."

“Anything I can do?” Sienna asked.

I cocked my head. “Athena, could we duplicate you with the crystal? That would help a lot with training.”

Athena knit her brows. “They won’t be as powerful as I am if I remain in this body. Still, I suppose it’s possible. I can help program the golems to be strong.”

Roy was pacing. “What about me?”

“You’re alive again. I suppose you should count your blessings and call it a day.”

“I have an idea,” Phil offered. “It’s Roy, right?”

“Sure is,” Roy replied. “What do you have for me?”

“Any experience with brickwork? The wall could use some repairs.”

Roy shrugged. “I did a little masonry before. How much does it pay?”

I rolled my eyes. “You wanted to help, Roy. This is something you can do.”

Roy sighed. “All right, but we’d better get back in time to buy that boat. We had a deal, you know.”

“I haven’t forgotten, Roy. It will take some time before Gordon’s things are put up for sale, even if his family sells the boat. Don’t worry about your damned dinghy.”

“How is your new dinghy, by the way?” Sienna grinned.

Roy tugged at his pants. “Much better. Thank you! Anyone have a mirror? I don’t have a clue in hell what I look like.”

“Come with me,” I told him. “There’s a bathroom not far from the supply closet. There’s a mirror in there. Besides, I could use some help gathering all the practice weapons we have and bringing them out to the floor.”

Roy ducked into the bathroom. I didn’t dare go in with him.

“Woohoo!” Roy cheered. I laughed to myself. He liked his new body.

Roy ran out of the bathroom with the widest grin I’d ever seen on his face. “I don’t know how you did it, but I look like myself in my prime. And these clothes! Thank you, Zoey!”

I nodded. “Thank Sienna. She found the picture we used as a template for your body.”

“I’ll do that!”

We entered the supply closet. It was the same one I’d broken into when we stole the Archeus Crystal. The practice weapons weren’t even shaped like scythes, but you could mimic the motions with them. You had to imagine there was a blade at the end of the staff and swing it accordingly. When I was younger, they’d had plastic blades on the ends, but they broke all the time. Eventually, they stopped replacing them and told us to use our imaginations. It worked well enough.

By the time I’d graduated from the Reaper Academy, I’d had more than enough skill to handle almost anything. Since I’d excelled in my program, I’d studied advanced battle tactics too. A lot of Reapers avoided those courses. What was the point? Learning battle tactics was about as useful for the average Reaper as calculus. Human souls might run, but they didn’t often fight.

That was why battle tactics wasn’t a required course. Still, I was glad I had taken it for advanced credit. It definitely came in handy, given my current occupation as a supernatural Reaper. Now, I had the tall order of preparing dozens of Reapers to fight, though I had help. With Athena aiding us and Sienna making golems to mimic her abilities in a fight, we had a chance. Still, fighting was about muscle memory. If you didn’t practice those skills, and your body wasn’t accustomed to performing them, you were likely to forget everything you’d learned if faced with a real fight.

These Reapers wouldn’t be as prepared as they needed to be. Still, it was the best we could do. We didn’t have a choice.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sienna created about a dozen Athena-shaped golems. It was creepy to see others who looked like the goddess standing there, blank of expression, while Reapers filed in for training.

The most advanced Reapers trained with Athena directly. Then they were supposed to practice with the golems and help train the others. There was no telling how much progress we could make in a week, but it would be less than optimal. This process meant that they'd have the benefit of practicing all week, at least. It wasn't like they had to be better fighters than the gods. All they had to do was be able to land a single blow.

I joined the first group. Sure, I'd faced a lot more in the way of supernatural nasties than anyone else, but there was always room to improve. If I could learn something that would help, far be it from me to decline the opportunity to refine my ass-kicking skills.

"The first thing to know about besting a god," Athena explained as three of us gathered in front of her and stood in a single line, "is that none of us are the same. A tactic that might work against one god won't necessarily work on all of them."

I raised my hand.

Athena sighed. "Yes, Zoey?"

"Then what's the point? I mean, training everyone was my idea, don't get me wrong. But how can we possibly prepare for two thousand different deities?"

Athena narrowed her eyes. "If you cannot know the skill of your opponent, the best you can do is refine your own abilities. Maintain a keen awareness of your enemy in battle and use whatever tools you have at your disposal to give yourself the best shot."

I raised my hand again.

"Go ahead."

"No offense, but we have to be able to win a hundred percent of the time. We need more than a good shot."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "Were you to face a fully powered god like me, you could not win. When you encounter these gods, they will be weak and vulnerable. While their abilities are many, their weaknesses will be the same. This training is going to focus on how you can take advantage of those weaknesses."

Athena glanced at me as if she expected me to interrupt with another question. I pressed my lips together, took my fingers, and lifted them to my lips, twisting them as if securing a lock on my yapper.

"Zoey, you've faced a god before. Two of them, in fact."

I cocked my head. "Well, two Egyptian gods. I kicked Hades' ass once, and he was fully powered."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "No need to brag, Miss Grimm. Everyone here knows what you've accomplished."

"I'm not trying to brag. I'm just..."

"Your confrontation with Hades is irrelevant. We will not be fighting Hades or any Olympian. What can you tell us about your battles with Anubis and Apophis in their weakened forms that might benefit the class?"

I sighed. "Well, they can only manifest near where the soul on the schedule exists and is supposed to die. That means they can't wander too far. If you reap the soul, the god will disappear."

"What can you share that will be helpful, Miss Grimm? In this case, our goal is not to get rid of the god we must face, but to eliminate them."

I cleared my throat. "It is relevant, Athena. They have to know that if they get any ideas about harvesting the human soul, they'll lose their shot at the god they have to eliminate."

Another Reaper raised his hand.

"Yes," Athena called. "Your name?"

"Damon. Level thirty-two."

I grinned. Damon was among the underworld's most respected Reapers. If he had a question, I assumed it would be a good one.

"What is going to happen to the human souls on the schedule? If we're supposed to reap the gods, won't the humans just be left to wander?"

"No. Zoey, would you explain why that's not the case?"

"When you reap a supernatural, in this case, a god, their essence isn't trapped in your blade like it would be if you harvested a human soul. The god will be sent elsewhere, specifically Olympus, and the other gods will deal with them there. Then you'll be free to finish the job."

"Is the Boatman returning?" Damon asked.

Athena shook her head. "Charon has retired. He will have to be replaced in time. Do not concern yourself with this matter. We will resolve it one way or another after you've succeeded and before you're back into the field."

I raised an eyebrow. "He retired? After thousands of years?"

"That's what I said."

"What is he doing? He doesn't strike me as a Bingo Night at the Satyr's Lodge type."

Athena shrugged. "I don't know what he's doing. Maybe he's on an RV tour of the best candy factories in North America. Perhaps he's sitting around doing nothing. No one outside of the gods is eternal. His time was bound to end sooner or later."

I narrowed my eyes. Something about Athena's raised voice and need to present various hypothetical lifestyles that Charon might be pursuing suggested there was more to his mysterious absence than she was letting on. Whatever it was, there was no sense dwelling on it. Not when so much was at stake. The margin of error for our success was thinner than an Amish phonebook.

"All right, Athena. Tell us how to reap a god."

Athena gave me half a grin. "Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't stand a chance, but you will have an advantage. We are planning to strike all at once, so within minutes, there should be enough deaths worldwide to lure all the gods. If they believe you are common Reapers, re-appointed to slow them down, they won't suspect that they'll be vulnerable to your scythes. The element of surprise will be your best chance to win. The gods will try to stop you from reaping the human. The best opportunity you will have to reap the god is if you fake a struggle and harvest the moment it turns its attention from you to the human."

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Miss Grimm."

"I've seen how fast these gods can siphon souls. There's a good chance that by the time we bring our scythes down on the god, the human's soul will have been taken."

Athena nodded. "Some souls might be lost. No more than are being lost while we're here training."

I shook my head. "That's a tragedy. It really is. But if we can save any of those souls, we should."

"If we do not succeed and eliminate every one of the Egyptian gods, it's not just a couple of thousand human souls that will be at risk. It will be all of them."

"I agree with Zoey," Damon chimed in. "You told us that we will have the element of surprise. If there's a chance we can eliminate the god and save the human souls we're scheduled to reap, we should."

"There's another problem with this approach," I didn't bother raising my hand to talk this time. "The gods will be accompanied by beasts. We were going to send lower-level Reapers to deal with them. If they can eliminate the beasts, which in my experience they'll need to do to coax the gods into appearing, they'll know our Reapers can harvest supernaturals."

Athena sighed. "I wasn't aware that the Egyptian gods were hiding while their beasts did the dirty work on their behalf. Tell me, Miss Grimm. How would you guarantee our success?"

"You're a god, but clearly, you're not omniscient."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "Omniscience is a myth that humans ascribe to divinity."

I nodded. "I already knew that. I was able to deceive Anubis by replacing the humans he thought he was coming to reap with golems."

"We cannot possibly create golems that would resemble every person on the schedule when we implement our plan."

"We can create golems that resemble and behave like Reapers. The gods won't know which Reapers are the real ones. Even more, they won't know if all of them or just one of them is capable of reaping supernaturals."

"Creating that many golems would require a lot of energy."

I shrugged. "More than you could provide to the crystal?"

Athena sighed. "No. I could empower the Archeus Crystal sufficiently for the task."

"All we need to do is program some of the golems to behave like common Reapers to focus on harvesting the human souls. We will send a lower-level and a higher-level Reaper to each target. After the lower-level Reaper eliminates one of the beasts, their scythe will return to normal. We won't be able to eliminate the second beast. We'll have to send a golem that can put up a good fight long enough for the god to appear. When one of the golems attempts to extract the human soul, the god will appear and turn his or her attention to the false Reaper. That's when we strike."

Athena bowed her head. "That might work. However, we'd need a golem programmed to mimic the best warriors the Reapers have to offer. The only way to convince the god that it's necessary to intervene is if there's no chance the beasts will succeed."

Damon raised his hand. He didn't wait to be called on. "Use me."

"Or me," I offered.

"No offense, princess. You're skilled, but I've been training in combat tactics since before you were born. If the golems can be programmed to exhibit even half of my tactical capability, this will work."

I smiled. "All right, hotshot. If you think you're better than me? How about you prove it?"

Damon laughed, grabbed a couple of training staffs, and tossed me one. "First to hit the floor loses."

"Wait," Athena called. "If we're going to do this, I need the crystal. I can use it to record your skills in a fight, both of your skills, and transfer it into the golems."

I tilted my head. "You can combine our skills into one golem?"

Athena patted me on the back on her way to retrieve the crystal. "Not just you two. We can retrieve the skills of every fighter here. These golems won't be just skilled at Damon's level or yours. They'll be the most formidable fighters you've ever seen."

"So, you agree? You believe this will work?"

Athena nodded. "I do. Good thinking, Zoey."

"We’ll get all the training we can in the next week. We’ll also perfect our super golems."

"Sounds right. Zoey, Damon, assume your positions. I'll tell you when I'm recording and you can begin."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Before we began sparring, we bowed to one another in respect. Damon was right; he'd trained a lot longer than I had. As a Reaper, he'd only had rare occasions to put his skill into practice, though. I had more real-world experience.

The difference was like that between a black belt martial arts tournament champion and a brawler who used no-holds-barred fighting techniques on the streets. Competitive fighting had rules. Martial artists practiced defending against a designated set of likely attacks. Streetfighters are unpredictable. Try to use karate moves on a seasoned streetfighter, and unless you were the elite of the elite martial artists, you'd get your butt kicked.

Damon was full of himself. Of course, I thought I could take him, which gave him the sense that I was over-confident as well. There was a difference, though. When you've faced off with vampires, werewolves, jackals, banshees, gods, and I didn’t remember what else, you could never take anything for granted. I had skills, and I had to predict the unpredictable in a fight. I had to be ready to adapt my style to the situation. I also had to have the humility to recognize when I was in over my head and cut and run so I could regroup and come back with another strategy.

Athena directed the Archeus Crystal toward us as we faced off in the middle of the floor. Damon twirled his staff between his hands and around his back before widening his stance to prepare for a strike.

I raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. I'll tell the marching band that they have a new candidate for Flag Corps."

Damon huffed. "You going to try to hit me or not?"

I shrugged. I didn't need to twirl my staff to feel like a man since I didn't want to be a man, and kicking ass wasn't the sole purview of the hairier sex. That was the thing about men. Lots of bravado, and they liked to play with their staffs.

Damon’s over-confidence would be his downfall, but I couldn't take him down right away. I knew how I'd do it. It would be more satisfying if I let him think he had the upper hand. It was a lot more fun to knock someone off their pedestal when they'd elevated their pedestal higher off the ground.

I took a swipe at Damon's head, but he easily blocked my staff. I took two more swipes, testing his agility. His blocks were precise, and his movements were smooth as if he'd spent a century or two committing his moves to muscle memory.

I went for a leg sweep. He jumped over my foot as it skidded across the dirt floor.

Damon grinned. "Come on, Zoey. Aren't you going to hit me?"

I shrugged. "You haven't even tried to hit me."

"I'd hate to end this too soon. We need to make sure Athena records as much as possible."

I unleashed another flurry of strikes at Damon. Again, he blocked each of my attempts. He thought he was wearing me down. What he didn't realize was that I was assessing his movements, examining his reactions to my strikes, and waiting for him to show his vulnerabilities.

I already knew how I was going to end this. He had exposed his weakness several times. I didn't want to bruise his ego, though. I needed a confident Damon to help train the other Reapers, not to mention to reap an Egyptian god.

He had skills. There was no doubt about that. I wouldn't be able to hit him with a traditional strike. He anticipated my every move and adeptly blocked or dodged each one. He was also careful not to use the same move too often. I swung at his head. The first time, he’d ducked. The second time, he’d raised his staff and blocked it.

Damon had a few tells and habits he probably didn't know about, though. Under the auspices of a sanctioned fight, no one would try what I was going to do. However, Damon had to learn that when fighting against deadly beasts or ancient gods, there are no rules.

I charged him again, throwing strike after strike. With each block, he widened his stance a little more.

I swiftly kicked him in the balls. Damon clung to his crotch and fell to the ground.

"We have a winner!" Athena declared. Sienna, Roy, and the other Reapers who'd gathered for practice expressed a collective "Oh!" when my foot contacted Damon's family jewels.

Damon wheezed, "What the hell, Zoey! That was below the belt!"

I laughed and extended my hand. "When you're facing a real bad guy, they won't respect the rules you're used to. You're right. You're a better tournament fighter than I am. Before you're ready to fight a god, though, you'll need to learn how to fight scrappy."

Damon grabbed my hand, pulled me back, extended his leg, and rolled, sending me flipping behind him. I landed flat on my back in the dirt.

"That scrappy enough for you?" Damon struggled to his feet, rubbing his crotch.

I laughed as I lay on the coliseum floor. "That's perfect, Damon. I assumed the fight was over. That was my mistake. There are no opening or closing whistles and no referees in a real fight. It's not over until it's over."

Damon extended his hand to help me up. I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?"

I quickly spun on my back and kicked his feet out from under him. He fell on his butt.

Damon laughed. "Nice one."

I chuckled as I stood up and planted the butt end of my staff into the ground. "Who's next?"

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

We trained for about ten hours a day. Sienna and I went home each night to sleep. She didn't train as much as I did. She wasn't a Reaper, and she had classes to attend. There was no reason she couldn't go. She knew how to set up the portal in the apartment. She joined us in the evenings for a few hours. Athena was busy training. During the day, Phil operated the crystal and recorded our sparring sessions. Sienna took over in the evening so Phil could spar, too. He was an accomplished fighter, and we needed him.

When the time came, Sienna was going to be responsible for monitoring the crystal and ensuring that all the golems operated according to their programming.

Roy secured a fishing rod from one of the shops in the underworld and spent most of his time at the River Styx. I didn't realize there were fish in there. With Charon gone and no one to ferry souls back and forth, Roy had free rein on the river. My dad alternated between sparring with us in the coliseum and fishing with Roy.

A strange friendship grew between Roy and my dad. I was grateful that Roy was staying out of trouble and their fishing expeditions gave my dad something to do other than play strip poker with little old lady Reapers.

Morty trained when he could. He was getting good. He sparred with Damon every morning, then returned to his office to work on the schedule. He had a lot of work to do. When we implemented the plan at the end of the week, we had to ensure that the Reapers were well-paired to maximize our chance for victory. After several hours in his office, he returned each afternoon to watch the Reapers train. It gave him more insight into scheduling.

After six days of training, we were ready to create the golems. Sienna was supposed to arrive after her classes ended. We expected her about eight o'clock in the evening, central standard Earth time.

I was so busy working with the lower-level Reapers that I'd lost track of time. Phil tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey, Headmaster. What's up?"

"Where's Sienna?"

I reached into my pocket and checked my phone. I didn't have service in the underworld, but my clock was set to my Earth-bound time zone. It was nine-thirty.

I scratched my head. "Are you sure she isn't here? We need her to make the golems."

Phil shook his head. "She's an hour and a half late."

I sighed. "She should be here. She knows how important tonight is."

A sinking feeling settled in my gut. Back when we worked at Cup-O-Joe's, she’d always arrived for her shifts thirty minutes early. All week, she'd arrived on time. She knew how to use the crystal to make a portal to the underworld. It wasn't complicated. If she was late, and by more than a few minutes, something was wrong.

"I'll go check on her. Can you get to work on the golems?"

"I can," Phil replied. "Athena can help me. Still, Sienna was supposed to be in charge of monitoring them in battle. If she isn't the one to initiate the program, she won't be able to do her job."

I nodded. "Get everything ready. I'll find her and bring her back. How long will it take to create all the golems we need?"

Phil shook his head. "It will take several hours. If we're going to do this tomorrow, we need to start soon."

"Wait as long as you can. If you don't hear from me in a few hours, get started. I'm sorry, Phil. I know you were expecting to fight."

Phil nodded. "If I have to, I can do the job. Morty won't be thrilled about having to adjust the schedule."

I shook my head. "It's only one change, and hopefully, it won't come to that."

"We can give you three hours, maybe four. Even that's more time than we can afford. We wanted to test the golems to ensure they were ready before we took them to the reapings."

I placed my hand on Phil's shoulder. "I trust your judgment. If I'm not back in a few hours, talk to Morty. Make the call."

Morty was in the seats overlooking the coliseum floor, making final observations before the reapings. I could have gone to his office and used the portal there to return to my apartment, but this was faster.

"Morty, Sienna is late. I need to go check on her, and we don't have much time to spare."

Morty sighed. "She's never late."

I nodded. "That's why I'm worried. We don’t have a lot of time before we need to start working on the golems. Can you send me back to my apartment?"

"All right. Hurry back."

Morty extended his hand and made a portal. I stepped through it and landed on my feet in my apartment.

The door was wide open, and the place was trashed.

I looked out the door. A man's body was lying prostrate at the top of the stairs. I ran over and checked his pulse, but he was dead. Two puncture wounds in his neck suggested a vampire attack.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I ran back into my apartment and checked the small box I kept on my kitchen table that contained the crystal I used to teleport to the underworld. It was gone.

I clenched my fists. I should have insisted that Sienna return to the underworld before nightfall. When the sun set, Katerina could influence her through the sire bond. There was no other explanation. For weeks, Katerina hadn't tried a damn thing. Sienna also wasn't able to influence Katerina during the day.

I had hoped that meant Katerina had been staked. We were working on a spell to break the sire bond, but with the whole Reaper problem and the emergence of Anubis and the other gods, that project had been placed on the back burner. Now, I suspected that had been a critical mistake.

There was only one person I knew who could track vampires. I called my mom, and she headed for my apartment. I called Kevin next. He had resources we could also use to track Sienna and Katerina.

While I waited for them to show, I called Jessna. At night, the daywalkers weren't going to be much help. Still, the daywalkers weren't under Katerina's influence. Clarence, the Horseman, had turned them into vampires first. Sienna turned them into daywalkers.

As far as I knew, Clarence was in Hades. After the battle on Olympus, Athena said she'd ask Poseidon to send him to hell. Clarence had worked with Hades, after all. They could burn together in hell.

Jessna didn't answer her phone. I looked up Sunshine's number. She didn't answer either.

I scratched my head. Maybe they were busy. I tried both numbers again. Still no answer. If Clarence had returned, he'd work with Katerina. They were both vampires, after all. If he was working with her, he could manipulate the daywalkers as easily as Katerina could influence Sienna.

How could he have escaped Hades? The Boatman was gone. That was the only way out, unless...

I shook my head. Was it possible to kill the Boatman? Had Hades and Clarence teamed up to overpower him? Was that why Athena said Charon had "retired?" Perhaps he'd screwed up. He had let Clarence and maybe Hades out, and his forced retirement was punishment.

Athena and the other gods would be pretty pissed if Charon had inadvertently provided Clarence and Hades a way to escape. Why, then, hadn’t Athena told me the truth? Perhaps she thought it was irrelevant. The Egyptian gods posed the more immediate threat.

Still, there was only one way that Clarence could have made it to Earth.

I looked around the apartment. Sienna's backpack wasn't there. I looked out the window. Her car was gone. I suppose she could have made it back, then Katerina had convinced her to drive somewhere. With everything going on in the underworld, though, if Clarence was hiding out and waiting for an opportunity, he could have used the portal in Morty's office to go straight to my apartment. A vampire had been there. Someone had bitten the man in the hallway. If Sienna hadn't been here, if she had never made it home after class, Clarence was the likely culprit.

He must have come shortly after sundown. The blood around the man's wound hadn't dried. I should have brought Cerberus with me. I hadn’t suspected for a second, though, that vampires were involved. He could track their scent. Now that the portal crystal was missing, I had no way to reach him.

Kevin arrived first. As a cop, he couldn't ignore the body in the hallway. As a closeted vampire hunter, he knew the cause of death.

"What happened here?" Kevin asked.

I shook my head. "I think it was Clarence."

"The Horseman?"

"I believe he forced the Boatman to take him from Hades to the underworld. We were busy training Reapers to take on the Egyptian gods in the coliseum at the Reaper Academy. While Morty's office was empty, he came here. Sienna is also missing.

"Did Clarence get her?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly. I think Katerina used her sire bond to abduct her just after sundown."

"That can't be a coincidence. Katerina doesn't bother Sienna all the time but uses the bond to take her at precisely the time Clarence escapes back to Earth?"

"I agree. Presuming I'm right about Clarence, I have no idea how he could have communicated with Katerina between the realms."

"Easy," my mom stepped into my apartment. "Before you reaped Katerina the first time, she spoke of the Dark One."

I nodded. "I assumed she was speaking about Hades."

"We also know that she was able to phase in and out of the astral plane at the time. What if she could do more than that? If she was communicating with Hades, she must've had a way to get to him and speak with him."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're suggesting Katerina can move freely between the realms like Cerberus?"

"With only one head, of course. But, yes. It's possible."

"It would explain a lot. Still, there's more than one coincidence here that's too uncanny to ignore."

"What are you thinking, Zoey?"

"The Egyptian gods have access to the schedule of reapings. Only a Greek god with a vested interest in the movement of souls into the afterlife would have access to those schedules. Athena also doesn't know how Anubis emerged. I can't say for sure, but if you were a Greek god and another pesky pantheon was threatening your dominance, where would you send them to get them out of the way?"

Kevin tilted his head. "Are you suggesting the Egyptian gods were imprisoned in hell?"

I nodded. "If not there, then somewhere I’ve never heard of. Think about it, though. It makes sense. When Hades assaulted Olympus, he was in way over his head. Suppose he’d managed to take over. What good would it do him? He might rule Olympus, but the other Olympians would never do his will."

My mom sighed. "You think Hades was hoping to rule the Egyptian gods and use them as his regents?"

I shook my head. "I think it's the other way around. Katerina served the Dark One. What if the Dark One was Anubis? She freed him, and Anubis used Hades in an attempt to overthrow the Olympians. When that failed, Anubis turned to Plan B."

"To gain enough power by consuming human souls to take over Olympus himself."

I nodded. "Clarence wasn't working for Hades. He was working for Anubis the whole time. Hades was trying to save his ass in the hope that the Egyptian deities would spare him after they took over. I can think of no other reason he'd risk so much to try to take down the other gods alone."

Kevin narrowed his eyes. "If Anubis returns to Hades between reapings, and he knew you were onto him, he could have arranged for Clarence and Katerina to come to Earth and try to screw with your plans."

"More than that. If Clarence was hiding in the underworld, he knows our entire plan."

My mom took a deep breath. "And if Clarence knowns, he'll report to Katerina, and she'll pass the word to Anubis."

"Can we get to Clarence and stop him before he tells Katerina?" Kevin asked.

I shook my head. "It's probably too late for that. Clarence has the daywalkers in his thrall. Katerina has Sienna. Even if Clarence hasn't gotten word to Katerina yet, the chances that we'd find them before they meet up are slim to none."

My mom shook her head. "Sienna might be able to stop her before she gets word to Anubis."

I raised one eyebrow. "How? Katerina is controlling her right now. Sienna won't be able to do anything but her will."

"Unless we break the sire bond. While you've been trying to stop these ancient gods and their nasty beasts from devouring souls, I've been looking into the spell that can break a sire's bond."

"Can we do it if we don't know where Sienna and Katerina are?"

My mom sighed. "I don't know. We can try. We need DNA from the progeny to sever her vampirism from her sire."

"I can get some hair from her brush. That's not a problem."

My mom shook her head. "Even if we do that and it works, Sienna might not be able to fight off Katerina and the daywalkers Clarence is commanding."

"Sienna has her phone on her, right?" Kevin asked.

"I believe so. At least, she did the last I knew."

"It's GPS-enabled, isn’t it?"

"It must be."

"I'll have to call in a favor, but I might be able to track her."

I cocked my head. "Won't people at the department require justification for that?"

Kevin nodded. "The body in the hallway will suffice. Since Sienna lives in the apartment and she is a potential witness, if I can make the case that time is of the essence and lives are on the line, I can bypass the usual protocols and hoops I'd have to jump through to get a ping on her phone."

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Kevin stayed at the apartment. He had to call in the body. Then, he had to use that as a pretense to ping Sienna's phone. We had to leave. If we didn't, we'd probably be questioned.

I rode with my mom in her Corvette. I brought Sienna's hairbrush. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

My mom shook her head. "I'm not a witch. I've never done anything like this before."

I sighed. "I met a medium downtown. I don't know if she's a witch, but she might know a few more things about casting spells than you do."

My mom nodded. "Worth a shot."

"How'd you figure out this spell?"

"From a vampire's lair I raided a few years ago. I staked him and stashed a bunch of his books. He wasn't an especially old vampire, but his sire was. I don't know what happened to him. Maybe another slayer took his sire down.

“The books contained a lot of lore and information about vampires around the world. I've used the books several times to track vampires and eliminate them. This spell was in one of them. It took me a while to find it. The books aren't all in English. I have the page bookmarked. It's in the glove box.”

I opened the glove box and pulled out the book. It had a hard brown cover, was well worn, and the pages were yellowed. The bookmark was one of those false checks that loan companies send you in hopes of tricking you into cashing it and consequently agreeing to an interest rate that includes the forfeiture of your soul.

I chuckled. "You get these loan offers too?"

My mom shook her head. "Two or three every week. It's ridiculous."

"Tell me about it."

I put the location of Miss Delphine's place in my phone's GPS and balanced it in front of my mom's gear shift. We followed the map to the address. I could probably have found it again, but it wasn't in the most happening part of downtown Kansas City. I wasn't sure I remembered which turns to make.

Miss Delphine's door had a "Closed" sign. It was nighttime, after all. I reached for the doorknob anyway. Before I could turn it, the door swung open.

"Come in," Miss Delphine greeted us. "I was expecting you."

My mom furrowed her brow. "You knew we were coming?"

Miss Delphine laughed. "The spirits have a vested interest in your daughter's success, Josephine."

"You know my name, too?"

Miss Delphine winked at my mom and led us back to her table. I put the spell book on it. Delphine opened and examined it. "Ah, yes. I suspected this was the one you'd come to ask me to help you complete."

"Can you do it?" I asked.

"Heavens, no, dear. I am not a witch."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have known."

I was about to leave when Miss Delphine raised her hand.

"Remain seated, dear. I cannot cast the spell, but that does not mean I do not know any spirits who might be of assistance."

My mom raised an eyebrow. "You're going to ask a dead witch to do it for us?"

Miss Delphine tilted her head. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

My mom looked at me, tilted her head slightly, and furrowed her brow.

"Many witches choose to remain with their Mother when they pass. I believe I can contact the very witch who penned this spell."

"Their mother?" I asked.

"Mother Earth, dear."

I pressed my lips together. "Right. Of course."

Miss Delphine lit the candles she'd set around her table. She had anticipated our arrival. She was prepared.

"Before we begin, I must warn you that there is one you trust whom you should not."

I titled my head. "Headmaster Phil?"

"I cannot tell you who, dear. Only that there are whispers among the spirits that suggest all is not as it seems."

"Can you give me a hint?"

"No, child. You must discern for yourself the one whose intentions are not as they seem."

I scratched my head. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"If I do this spell, you will follow a path that might or might not lead you to succeed. Only know that should you achieve a victory, there might be consequences yet unknown."

"My friend is in trouble," I countered. "We need to do this spell to save her and probably to save the world from Anubis. If someone betrays me, I'll deal with that when the time comes."

Miss Delphine nodded. "Very well, dear. Give me a moment to contact the witch you seek."

The flames on the candles blazed. Wind swirled around the room in a way it hadn't done when Delphine invoked the Oracle. Again, though, Miss Delphine's body changed. Her hair turned black. Her skin darkened. Her lips grew fuller and her eyes darker.

I gasped when I saw her. It was the mambo I’d met before, the spirit-witch who'd shocked my leg in New Orleans.

"You?" I asked.

The witch looked at me and nodded.

"Delphine said someone is going to betray me."

The witch nodded again.

"Can you tell me who it is?"

The witch shook her head.

"Can you speak?" my mom asked.

The witch opened her mouth. She moved her lips, but nothing came out. She pointed at me, then she cupped her ear and shook her head.

"You can't hear me? Is that what you're saying?"

The witch nodded and extended her index finger as if to tell us to wait a moment. She lowered her finger to the book, examined the words, and extended her hand toward me.

I handed her Sienna's hairbrush.

The mambo grinned. She moved her lips again. I supposed she was speaking an incantation. She pulled some of Sienna's hair out of the brush and cupped it in both hands.

A flame appeared out of nowhere and engulfed the hair. The mambo dusted her hands off, leaving ash on the table in front of her. She took her finger and drew a sigil or symbol in the ash. When she waved her hand over it, a golden glow like sunlight burst from the symbol.

When she finished, her body resumed the shape of Delphine's.

"It is done," Miss Delphine announced. "The sire bond that controls your friend has been removed. That does not mean she is safe, however. You must go to her."

I nodded, reached into my pocket, and grabbed a wad of cash. "That's all I have. I'll bring you more later. I can't thank you enough."

Miss Delphine pocketed my money, "Thank you, child. Payment is not necessary in your case, but it is appreciated. May the spirits guide you as you traverse the hazards that lie before you."

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

My phone vibrated as we left Miss Delphine's. So did my mom's. We checked our phones at the same time.

"An address from Kevin," I reported.

"Indeed. It's not far from here. Let's go."

We didn't waste time chatting. We got into Mom's car, she turned the key in the ignition, and we took off. This time, her phone displayed the map and the directions we needed to follow.

"You can't reap Katerina," Josephine told me. "Not this time."

"Because if I did, we'd send her to Olympus."

My mom nodded as she gripped the steering wheel. "I have weapons in the trunk. We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

"A stake through the heart?"

"Or a crossbow bolt. Works just as well."

I sighed. "My first concern is getting Sienna out of there. My second concern is making sure Katerina doesn't reveal our plans to Anubis."

"I'd say those are equal concerns. You need Sienna to accomplish your mission."

"To give us the best chance of success, yes."

"And if Anubis learns your plans, your mission will likely fail."

I sighed. "That's a fair assumption."

We pulled up next to an abandoned warehouse in the West Bottoms district. It was next to another warehouse that housed The Edge of Hell, one of those Halloween attractions that open once a year where minimum wage workers jump out at you in an attempt to scare the dickens out of you while you follow a predetermined walkway within.

Sienna needed our help. When the sire bond broke, I hoped she was clever enough to recognize it and play along until she had an opportunity to kill Katerina or flee.

The longer Sienna played along, the better. She could learn more about what the old vampire was planning. I had a theory. The pieces all fit. Anubis. Hades. Clarence. Just because it made sense didn't mean it was the truth.

A lot of people throughout history, and some people who still lurked in strange places on the Internet, believed the world was flat. It made sense. The things they observed were accurate. They simply lacked the perspective to perceive the entire truth. If what Delphine had said was true, there was a major piece of all this I was missing. A little intel from Katerina, courtesy of Sienna, could come in handy.

My mom popped the trunk.

My eyes widened at the sight of dozens of stakes, three crossbows, and a couple of swords.

"Pick your poison, Zoey."

I chuckled. "I didn't realize you could hunt vampires with swords."

"Beheading works as well as a stake to the heart, and a sword through the chest is the same thing."

"Why the stakes, then?"

"The energy a vampire's body releases when it dies is intense. A sword gets pretty hot and takes several hours to cool down. It's fine if you only have one vampire to eliminate. Wooden stakes don't conduct heat. They're easier to reuse in a fight."

"Stakes and crossbows it is."

My mom shrugged. "I'd still take a sword. It's not like you have to pick and choose. Use the sword once, then switch to a stake."

I grabbed one of the swords. "Okay. Sword, stakes, and crossbow, then. I go in cloaked. We need to know what we're facing."

"Will Katerina see you if you're cloaked?"

"Not unless she's phased into the astral plane. I don't imagine she will be if she doesn't know we're coming."

I raised the hood on my cloak and pressed through the wall of the old warehouse, then moved through several rooms.

No sign of Sienna so far. I went into the basement. Five Katerinas stood there catatonic, their faces blank. Then I found it. Katerina had an Archeus Crystal of her own.

I knew the crystal could be used to create bodies for gods. I didn't have any reason to suspect that Anubis was seeking incarnation, though. Why, then, did Katerina have so many copies of herself? It was creepy.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to Sienna. I hugged her.

"The bond is broken! It happened about twenty minutes ago."

I nodded. "We figured out the spell. Sort of. Long story. Does Katerina know you're here?"

Sienna shook her head. "She's meeting Clarence."

"He knows our plans. He's been hiding in the underworld this whole time."

"We have to stop them!"

"That's why I'm here. Well, I mean, in addition to trying to rescue you."

Sienna chuckled. "I appreciate that."

"Katerina has an Archeus Crystal?"

Sienna nodded. "She uses these clones to come back every time she goes to Hades to communicate with Anubis."

I tilted my head. "She kills herself?"

"Plunges a stake into her heart. I've seen her do it. An hour later, she was back. I don't have a clue how she gets back, but she returns as a ghost, puts herself into one of these bodies, and she's as good as new."

"Her sire bond worked while she did that?"

Sienna shook her head. "Not exactly. She had me chain myself up when she left. When she returned, her sire bond took over again."

"And she let you loose? Why would she do that?"

"I'm supposed to be guarding the place until she gets back. She could be here any second. That's why I'm on the astral plane. I saw you and your mom pull up. This was the only way I could talk to you."

I sighed. "My mom told me just minutes ago that if I killed a vampire with a sword, it would get too hot to hold."

"The fire of Hades," Sienna agreed. "That's where vampires go when they die."

"Unless I reap them. Then, my scythe releases a shower of golden energy. It's similar to the power Athena wields."

"Your scythe sends them to Olympus. Olympian magic passes last only for a brief moment as the spirit you reap is sent there. When you kill a vampire, it conducts heat from hell. That's why a sword gets hot."

"Exactly what I was thinking. If that's the case, we can't stop Katerina. No matter what we do, she'll be able to get the message to Anubis in hell."

"If you reap her, it will take some time for her to get past the River Styx to deliver the message."

I nodded. "All I can think of is that with Charon gone, Anubis must have another way to cross the River Styx."

"It makes sense. He used to carry souls into the beyond, according to Egyptian mythology."

"Reaping Katerina might buy us a little time. It won't be enough, though. We still have to make all the golems. Morty has a schedule prepared, but that's a day away."

"If we get back soon, presuming you get the drop on Katerina, we will have to create the golems right away. We won't have time to test them. Morty will have to redo the schedule on the fly. We'll have to start sending Reaper teams in to kill the gods before Anubis learns about our plan."

"There's something else you should know," I said. "It has to do with Jessna and the daywalkers."

Sienna sighed. "I believe they're in Clarence's thrall."

I nodded. "I suspected as much when Jessna and Sunshine didn’t answer my calls."

"I need to get out of the astral plane before Katerina suspects something."

I nodded. "One more problem. Clarence stole our portal crystal. If we can't retrieve it, we can't get back to the underworld."

Sienna huffed. "Of course he did. Here I thought this was going to be a reap-and-run."

"The clock will start ticking the second I reap Katerina. That means, ideally, we should try to get the portal crystal back from Clarence first."

"But reap Katerina before he can get her the message, and she can off herself."

I sighed. "Right. My mom is here. I'll go get her."

"If she kills Clarence, it's the same problem. He goes to hell, and he tells Anubis our plan instead of Katerina. And you're forgetting; the daywalkers have rings. They can see on the astral plane. If Clarence broke into our apartment and stole the portal crystal, he'll be expecting you."

"Which means there's no chance we can take him and the daywalkers in his thrall by surprise."

"You most certainly won't." I turned toward the voice. Clarence was there, surrounded by daywalkers. Sunshine was missing from the group. Clarence was wearing her ring.

I sighed. "Sienna, remind me the next time we're in a situation like this. A little less talk and a lot more action, please."

"Horseman!" Sienna greeted. "Have a contract for us?"

Clarence grinned. "We're past that now."

"Where's my portal crystal?"

Clarence laughed. "Someplace safe. Why would I take it from you if I was going to tell you where it was?

I shrugged. "Worth a shot. Look, let the daywalkers go. This is between us."

Clarence laughed and raised his hand. When he did, the daywalkers took stakes in their hands and put the points to their chests. "I'm no fool, Zoey. You know that. Without leverage, you'd reap me and send me on my way."

"Let them go. You have my portal crystal, so you have plenty of leverage."

Clarence grinned, exposing his fangs. "One can never have too much."

"We can't allow you to tell Katerina our plan."

"You mean that you intend to create golems, send Reapers in pairs, and kill the gods?"

I narrowed my eyes. "More or less."

"Good work, Clarence," one of Katerina’s golems said. At least, I'd thought it was a golem.

Clarence laughed. "I can't believe they fell for it!"

Katerina grabbed a wooden stake. Sienna kicked it out of Katerina's hand.

"Not under your control anymore, bitch."

Katerina gasped and dove after her stake. I evoked my scythe and cut her down. A shower of golden energy blasted from my blade. I pivoted toward Clarence.

He raised his hand and clenched his fist. The daywalkers plunged their stakes into their chests. Their bodies fell and turned to ash.

I charged Clarence.

He took off in the opposite direction. I chased him up the stairs into the warehouse.

He turned a corner. I pursued him. Then, Clarence's head fell from his shoulders. My mom stood there, sword in hand. She dropped it as the blade turned red.

"Mom!" I shouted. "You shouldn't have done that!"

My mom tilted her head. "Why not?"

"You just sent Clarence directly to hell!"

"The daywalkers are already there," Sienna shook her head. "They're dead. Jessna and the rest."

"Not all of us," Sunshine said, stepping around the corner. "The sire bond will not persist in Hades. Let's hope they can stop him before he reaches Anubis."

"Sunshine! You're alive! I thought..."

"He took my ring. I'd like it back."

I nodded. "Of course. One more thing. Clarence stole something from us."

"Your portal crystal."

I nodded. "Do you know where it is?"

Sunshine smiled. "This way. I'll take you to it."

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

We took Katerina's Archeus Crystal. Sienna used it to dematerialize Katerina's golems. That way, she couldn't come back and re-inhabit one of them. Could the daywalkers stop Clarence in time? We had to hope they could.

We'd have no way of knowing for sure. We had to hurry and implement our plan before Katerina could make her way from Olympus to Hades. Athena could stop her if she returned to Olympus, but by the time we got to Athena, chances were that Katerina would be on her way to Hades.

Sunshine took us to a wooden crate buried under a dozen others in the warehouse. My portal crystal was hidden inside.

We dug Sunshine's ring out of the pile of ash that had been Clarence's body. She put it on her finger.

"We don't have time to waste," I began. "Mom, can you take the portal crystal back to my apartment?"

My mom nodded. "I can do that."

We set up the crystal. My mom used her phone light to activate it. It wasn't a large portal since sunlight worked best, but it was big enough that we could squeeze through it one at a time.

We appeared in Morty's office. The place was trashed.

"Clarence did a number here," Sienna remarked.

I headed for Morty's desk. The top was empty. I opened the drawers. "The schedule should be here somewhere."

"Are you saying that Clarence took Morty's schedule?"

"Looks that way."

"Could he have taken it with him to Hades?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"I heard him reciting several names," Sunshine said. "I believe he was attempting to discern the weakest pairings and the targets on the schedule so the most powerful gods would have the best chance to prevail."

I sighed. "It doesn't matter. We're going to have to redo the whole damn schedule on the fly."

"At least we have two Archeus Crystals now. If I can duplicate the programming I've been working on with the other one, we can make more golems."

"I don't know if Athena has enough power to make two full sets."

"Probably not," Sienna agreed. "But we can make a good number. If we can figure out who the weakest parings were that Clarence hoped to exploit, we can give them backup."

I nodded. "Morty should have another copy of the schedule at the coliseum. Sunshine, do you remember the names that Clarence was memorizing?"

"A few of them. I'll probably recognize the others."

"It's a plan," Sienna stated. "Not a perfect one, but it's something."

I opened one of the drawers in Morty’s desk and felt around the back of the drawer. I knew it was there somewhere. My dad didn’t know I knew about it. Morty probably didn’t know about the secret compartment, either. It was just an opening on the back of the drawer that allowed you to push something through and hide it inside the desk’s frame.

I had found it when I was a little girl, digging around in an attempt to find out what my dad had bought me for Christmas. It had been a Malibu Barbie. I hadn’t let him know I knew. I wasn’t dumb! If you snuck around and figured out what you were getting for a birthday or Christmas, you couldn’t let your parents know. If you did that, they might take your presents back. I also didn’t want to give Morty any leverage to tattle on me in the future. He never knew about the little compartment in the back of the desk drawer.

I put the second Archeus Crystal inside.

“What are you doing?” Sienna asked.

“Hiding the crystal. Delphine said there’s someone helping us I can’t trust. Consider the crystal my ace and this desk my sleeve. I think it best we not tell anyone about the crystal until we need to.”

Sienna nodded. “Just as well. Athena can only charge one crystal anyway.”

“My lips are sealed,” Sunshine added. Of course, Sunshine might be the one Delphine had warned me about. If she was, though, she already knew about the second crystal. It wouldn’t matter.

I led Sienna and Sunshine out of Morty's office and back to the coliseum. Looks of relief spread across everyone's faces when we showed up. After I explained the situation, their expressions soured.

"We should wait," Athena stated.

I cocked my head. "No. We have to do it now. If there's a chance that our plan hasn't been relayed to Anubis..."

Athena shook her head. "I'm afraid there's little hope the daywalkers could stop Clarence. When he went to Hades, anything he knew could be accessed by Hades or Anubis in an instant. It would be better if we delayed and gave them the impression we'd abandoned our plan."

Sienna huffed. "We can use what Sunshine knows to send extra support to the targets."

"Or we can take advantage of the extra time to further train the Reapers and enhance the golems,” Athena frowned. "I might be able to create a greater number if I use the next few days to focus my powers.”

I shook my head. "In three days, presuming Anubis has raised all the Egyptian gods, they'll consume any number of souls. Aside from the obvious sacrifice of more human souls, the gods will be more powerful then than now. Will more golems give us enough of an advantage to counter that?"

"We do this now!" Morty stomped across the coliseum’s floor.

Athena glared at him, but it didn’t slow him down. "Without my power to activate the crystals, you can't do it. This isn’t your call, Morty."

Morty shook his fists, screamed, and stormed out of the coliseum.

"I'll talk to him," I offered.

"No need," Athena replied, then extended her hand. The first crystal flew off its pedestal and came to her. "I'll be back in three days. You'd best prepare as I instructed."

Athena disappeared in a blast of golden Olympian power.

"What a divine bitch!" Sienna shouted.

I shook my head. "It looks like we have no choice. We're doing this her way."

Damon placed his hand on my shoulder. "Three more days to train. We're going to need it."

"Get started. I'm going to go get Morty. He's pretty upset."

"We all are," Sienna countered. "Like you said, though, at this point, we don't have any choice unless we're going to do this without her."

"Can you reprogram the other Archeus Crystal in time?"

Sienna shook her head. "Not with all the protocols I had ready to go."

Cerberus pawed at my leg. "You have another crystal?"

I nodded, lifted my finger to my lips, and shushed the hellhound. "We do. We took one from Katerina."

Cerberus gave a doggy grin. "Tell Morty to get the Reapers ready."

"What do you have in mind?"

"If there's a way to move back and forth between Olympus and Hades and you think Katerina intends to do exactly that, then there's a way to go straight to Hades from here. I'm going to go do a little reconnaissance in Hades and Olympus and find out who might be willing to help. Why put more human souls at risk on the gamble that we'll be able to lure the Egyptian gods to Earth when we could take the battle to them in Hades?"

"If the other gods are all there," I shot back. "We know Anubis is. We don't know if the others are also."

"That's part of what I intend to find out."

"They won't catch you?" Sienna asked.

Cerberus huffed. "They couldn't if they tried. All I need to do is switch heads, and I'll bounce between realms."

"I'm going to help Morty. My dad can help, too. We'll come up with two plans. If Sunshine can remember the ten names Clarence memorized, we'll focus our efforts on those with as many golems as we can. At the very least, we can get rid of the major Egyptian gods. The rest are less powerful. It will take them more time to harvest enough power to rival the primary gods."

Sienna grinned. "That would mean we could spare the three days it takes before Athena returns."

I nodded. "In the meantime, Cerberus, find out what you can. If we're successful, and we can get to Hades to finish off the rest, we might not need to wait for Athena to return."

"I'll work on programming the golems. We had days of sparring sessions recorded in the other one. To use the second crystal, I’ll need to record at least a few sessions. There’s no time to do this and reprogram the new crystal, but thankfully, we can partner our best fighters and do it more efficiently than before."

"Use Damon. Put him in a few sessions with the best. Record their moves. We'll use them for the golems. We'll only need ten strike teams. With the crystal's innate power, we should be able to create enough to pull it off."

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Cerberus disappeared. I hoped he was right. It was one thing to avoid being seen by humans or Reapers when traversing realms, but avoiding the gods? None of us knew their full powers.

I had to get Morty on board with the plan. Only four of us could reap supernaturals now. Morty reaped Apophis, so his scythe worked against supernaturals, but we had no way of knowing how many more he could harvest before his scythe returned to normal. However we parceled it out, all of us would have to reap two gods. I'd have to do it four times, presuming we could work the schedule to give me enough time.

Reaping four gods in short order would be next to impossible, but what choice did we have? If I fell short, at least we’d take care of the majority of the gods before we gave this another shot later. Or before Cerberus returned with a plan to march on Hades and finish them off.

I needed to pull Morty's head out of his ass so he and Sunshine could compare notes to figure out which targets we'd go after. I took Sienna to Morty’s office first to retrieve the second crystal. She was going to be discreet about it. It wasn’t a large crystal, so she could hide it and record as many fights as she needed. Then, I took her with me to find Morty.

It wasn't hard. When the Grim Reaper moves around the underworld, people notice. I only had to ask three people before I found out that he was at a bar on Gehenna Boulevard. I used to frequent the place myself, sometimes alone and at other times with Gabriel, to blow off a little steam.

Morty had a lot of fans. After saving the underworld from Apophis, he was their hero. Morty sipped a beer that I was sure someone had bought him.

No sooner did I approach the bar than someone slid me a beer. I graciously accepted. It was rude to refuse a gift. I took one sip and gave it to Sunshine.

“Thank you.” Sunshine tipped the bottle back and took a full swig.

I elbowed Morty in the ribs. "We need to talk in private."

Morty shrugged. "Nothing to do for three days."

"I have another plan. It has a good chance of working, but we can't do it without you."

"Is Athena aware of it?"

I shook my head. "She'll find out in three days."

Morty stood up, nodded at several of the Reapers who'd gathered around him, and thanked them for the drinks.

The three of us went to his office. I explained the plan.

"Won't that piss Athena off?"

I shrugged. "It shouldn't, provided she's been honest about her goals. We'll send the ten strongest Egyptian gods to Olympus. With them diminished in strength, the Olympians should be able to handle them. Then, when Athena returns to complete the mission, we'll be able to finish off the lesser gods as planned."

"You seriously have another Archeus Crystal?"

"Sienna is using it as we speak to replicate battle tactics while Damon and the others spar."

“How did Katerina get an Archeus Crystal? Weren’t they made by the gods so they could take human form?”

“Well, Katerina was in Olympus for a while. Maybe she got it there.”

“You reaped her back to Earth,” Morty said. “I don’t know how it works, but I don’t think you can bring carry-on luggage when you’re reaped.”

“Maybe she arranged something with one of the gods, or perhaps Clarence managed to get it from Hades. Maybe some archaeologist found it, and Katerina took it from him a long time ago. It doesn’t matter. We have another crystal, which means we can do this. Between you, Damon, Phil, and me, we can take down the ten gods if we work the schedule right. These reapings were never going to be simultaneous.”

"There might be enough flexibility in the schedule if things work out. If Sunshine remembers the ten names that Clarence memorized…”

“I can do it!” Sunshine confirmed.

Morty clinked the neck of his beer bottle on hers. “Cheers to that. If you can, it might work. I’ll have to check to see if the ten are spaced out enough for us to pull this off. Even so, I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you know?” I asked.

Morty sighed. “I'm not a battle-trained Reaper, Zoey. Not like Damon and Headmaster Phil. I have to take down two gods without a Reaper who can take out the beasts?”

I shrugged. "It was always only going to be one beast. The golems were going to have to keep the others at bay. Now, we have more golems. The plan isn't that different."

Morty cleared his throat. "I'm still not nearly the fighter you are."

I shrugged. "You could have fooled me. You impressed me as much as you did the rest of the Reapers when you took down Apophis."

Morty put his arm around me. "Your faith in me means more than you know. For a while—you know, before all this shit went down—I thought you might take the rebels up on their coup idea. You always wanted to be the Grim Reaper."

"And overthrow my twin brother? I'd never do that, Morty. Besides, I have my place now. I have a life I love. Aside from indulging in too much booze from time to time, you've really stepped up. You've exceeded everyone's expectations, even mine."

Morty sighed. "Yeah, I really need to cut back on the brewskis."

I nodded. “We’ll focus on that after we get the Reapers back in charge of human soul-harvesting. If we’re going to do this, we need to get things ready now. I need you to make a decision and commit to it. Are you ready?”

Morty nodded. “It sounds like as good a plan as any. Which is to say, it’s marginally better than failure. I don’t think we can just keep training for three days while we wait for Athena.”

“Sunshine, tell Morty the names you remember that Clarence memorized. We’ll start with that. As soon as you’re done, Morty, meet us at the coliseum. We need to leave within the hour.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

I hurried back to the coliseum while Sunshine and Morty worked on the schedule. Sunshine wasn't sure she could remember every name, but she was certain she'd recognize the names if she heard them. That meant no matter how it worked out, it would take a little time. Morty had more than two thousand names on the schedule and Reaper pairs to match.

Even if they spent a mere five seconds on each name as Morty recited the targets, it would take three hours to go through the list. That didn't allow for pauses. Sunshine hadn’t been trying to memorize the names when Clarence had repeated them. That she remembered them at all was a miracle. She'd probably have to pause from time to time to consider the names that sounded most familiar.

I pulled Damon and Phil aside. Sienna joined us. I explained the plan. I hesitated to tell Phil since he was among those who’d opposed Morty. Was he the one Delphine had warned me about? I didn't think so. He'd dedicated his life to training Reapers. The underworld Academy was his life's work. He might have had questionable alliances, but he was loyal to the underworld and Reaperkind.

I didn't know Damon well. He was an oddity as far as Reapers went. Battle-reaping was a specialty that one out of a hundred Reapers pursued. Under the usual circumstances, those skills were rarely useful. Most Reapers viewed it as a sport. Majoring in battle tactics as a Reaper was like going to college on a swimming scholarship. You'd never make a living with swimming, but keeping the scholarship meant it had to take most of your attention, no matter what your major was. As a result, you might graduate with a degree but be less prepared for working in your field than you would have been if your major was your primary focus.

I had to wonder if Damon had another motive. It didn't matter, though. Ominous warnings from psychics and mediums were only worth so much. If I focused on those, I'd be paralyzed, unable to take any action to avoid the risk of playing into a traitor's hands. I had to take risks, though. Doing nothing wasn't an option. Worst case scenario, if this preemptive strike exposed the betrayer, we'd be better equipped to fight again after Athena returned.

Now that Damon and Phil knew the plan, we set up sparring sessions between the three of us so Sienna could copy our skills into the golems she'd summon. Phil was older than Damon or me. He moved more slowly than we did, but he didn't waste his strikes. He was efficient and made the most of every strike. He used his opponent’s momentum to his advantage. Throw your whole body into a strike against Phil, and with a step back and a pivot, he’d slap you on the back and send you to the ground.

I faced off with Phil. When I swung my practice staff at him, he used his block to force me off-balance. He took advantage of that to kick my feet out from under me. He fought with less strength than Damon and less speed than me but with more smarts than either of us.

Damon was the best technical fighter. He had more power, too. His weakness was that he tended to miss opportunities if they fell outside the bounds of tournament rules, but he was getting better. When I fought him, he was careful to protect his balls. He didn't expect it when I grabbed a fistful of dirt from the coliseum floor and tossed it in his face. I took him down with a swipe of my staff to his ribs, then we faced off again. The next time, he was more careful. He used his strength and overpowered me, knocking my staff out of my hands.

Phil and Damon sparred with each other, too. They were evenly matched. Phil took him down two out of three times, but given their skills, I imagined if they fought six times, they'd split evenly. Damon was the more imposing fighter. Betters would put their money on him. The smart money, though, would go on Phil. Even if the two split, given that most would put their money on Damon, Phil's victories would mean a bigger payday.

Most of the underworld was gathered in the coliseum, and more than a few were placing bets on our sparring sessions. I didn't mind. If it encouraged the Reapers who weren't sparring to pay attention and take notes, friendly wagers weren't a problem.

Morty and Sunshine showed up sooner than we’d expected.

"Have the names?"

Morty nodded. "This girl has great recall. She figured out eight of them right off the bat, and she knew the other two names started with an S and a W. We were able to narrow it down pretty quickly."

I raised my hand. "High five?"

Sunshine slapped my hand harder than I expected.

Carmilla was there, too. She would fight with the other Reapers when the time came. Morty pulled her aside and kissed her before he rejoined us.

"We’re going to the Reaper portal," Morty directed. "It's time to go."

The Reaper portal was where Reapers usually left to go on their missions. It was attuned to the schedule. When scheduled Reaper entered it, it sent them to the proper place.

Morty went over the schedule with us. He gave Damon and Phil the spare crystals they’d need to empower their scythes, then he gave them each two names. I was given four. They were staggered less than half an hour apart, which meant we'd have to finish our jobs and return to the underworld quickly before we headed to the next.

The last two on my schedule were shared with the others. Morty insisted that if anyone finished their jobs in time, they should come and assist me if they still had the ability to harvest supernaturals in their blades. If they didn't, they could still come and try to save the humans on the schedule.

The other humans? If we succeeded, they'd end up as wandering spirits. We'd try to track them down later. It was better to be a wandering soul than a devoured one.

Morty spaced my targets out the farthest since I had to fight four times. That meant I left first.

Sienna had created the golems. They looked like the ones Phil used to guard the Reaper Academy. We each had five to help us. Sienna stayed behind in case any of the golems needed fixing or re-summoning between targets. My dad joined us, too. He was there for two reasons. First, he was the only one who could identify the gods. When we returned and described the gods we’d harvested, he could catalog which of the Egyptian deities had been handled. He also was there to see Morty and me off.

"Give them hell." Azrael hugged me.

I grinned. "That's the plan. Though, technically, I'll be reaping them to Olympus. Let's hope the gods there will give them actual hell."

"Indeed." My father grinned.

I stepped through the portal with my golems. My first target was a man in India who was supposed to die from natural causes.

Hood raised, I remained on the astral plane. The golems were programmed to do the same.

Usually, reconnaissance was a necessary prerequisite when reaping a soul. I didn't have time for that, though. I spotted the target right away. He was in a small room and alone. The beasts blasted onto the scene immediately. Two bulls with red eyes charged me. The golems attacked one. I swiped the other.

I gave the golems a moment. If they couldn’t fend off a beast, this plan wouldn't work. I was the only one who could reap as many supernaturals as I pleased.

So far, so good. From our sparring sessions, the golems had learned the importance of adapting to the situation. One of them mounted the bull and rode it like a cowboy. The others took turns punching it in the face.

When the man died and his spirit ascended over his body, another bovine figure appeared. This time, it had the body of a woman but the face of a cow.

She mooed at me.

I tilted my head. "Seriously?"

The beefy god charged me. I didn’t have a red cloth to trick her with, so I did the next best thing. I widened my stance, took aim, and swiped my scythe through her body. She disappeared in a shower of golden energy.

“Damn!” I exclaimed. “That was easier than I expected.”

I turned and watched as the man's spirit circled the room. He wasn't running. Morty could come back for him later.

One down, three to go.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I described the god I had reaped to my dad.

"Sounds like Hathor."

"Is she one of the major deities?"

My dad nodded. "She is. It sounds like the plan is working."

"How are the golems?" Sienna asked.

"They performed well. None of them were harmed."

"All right, you're good to go!" Sienna told me.

I nodded and re-entered the portal. The target was a woman in the Philippines. She was supposed to die during childbirth. Her baby would survive.

The beasts were shaped like falcons. They had long beaks and moved around us fast. The god had a similar head but a large manlike body with wings instead of arms. He flew after the soul of the woman as the midwives birthed her child.

I didn't have time to dwell on the tragedy of the situation. I took down the god moments before he seized the woman's soul. Her spirit settled around the baby, enveloping it with her presence.

When I returned and described the god to my dad, he identified it as Horus, another major Egyptian deity.

So far, everything was going according to plan. Morty, Damon, and Phil had returned from their first reapings. They’d successfully dispatched Ptah, Thoth, and Bastet.

I went to my third target, an elderly Canadian man with pneumonia. The beasts were shaped like a ram and a goose. They were probably the easiest beasts I'd faced. I took the ram out and left the goose to the golems. The beast poked at their butts—literally goosing them—while they held him off. The god appeared as a man wearing a crown and two vertical plumes. I took him down easily.

My dad identified him as Amon.

Since I'd left, Damon had reaped Isis, and Phil had taken down Osiris. I knew those names, though I didn't know a lot about them.

My fourth and final target took me closer to home—a middle-aged man in St. Louis who'd lost his battle with lung cancer. He was in hospice.

The beasts were dogs with ears that drooped so low they dragged the ground.

I took one down without a problem, then gave the golems a little help and took the other one out. There was no reason to hold back. This was the last target on my list.

When the god appeared, his body was canine too. He was thin with a long tail. His head matched, but his ears sagged to his waist. He held two swords in his furry hands.

I swiped at him with my scythe. He blocked my strike with one blade and swung at me with the other. I ducked under his blade and swept at his leg.

He jumped over my foot, then raised one of his swords and prepared to bring it down on my back. Morty appeared and tackled him. His scythe was back to normal, so he couldn't reap the god, but I needed his help. This was the best fighter of all the gods I'd faced. At least he didn't have the power Anubis had.

I took advantage of Morty's tackle and brought the sharp end of my scythe across the god's back. A golden blast confirmed my success.

Morty took his scythe and harvested the soul of the man I was meant to target.

We returned to the underworld. I described the last god I'd faced.

"Sounds like Seth," my father commented. "A god of battle and war."

I nodded. "That explains his skill. He was the toughest of the four I faced."

Phil and Damon were back.

"Who'd you guys take down on your second time out?"

"I couldn't say," Damon replied. "Whoever it was, he was pretty weak."

My father shook his head. "I couldn't identify it. It was probably a lesser god."

"My second god didn't show," Phil told us.

"So, no one got Anubis?"

Everyone exchanged glances and shrugged.

"Two major gods didn't appear, apart from Apophis, who Morty already harvested. Anubis and Ra failed to show."

"Ra?" I asked. "Isn't he, like, the ruler of the Egyptian gods?"

My dad nodded. "The sun god. He is the most powerful of the bunch."

I sighed. "Well, at least we put a major dent in their pantheon. Let's hope the Olympians were ready and knew what to do with them."

"What if they did?" Sienna asked. "I mean, if Anubis was able to resurrect them from whatever prison the Olympians put them in, couldn't he do it again?"

I shrugged. "Dad, any thoughts?"

My dad shook his head. "I can't say. You're dealing with matters beyond my experience. Suffice it to say, however, that if that's the case, Anubis and Ra will have to gather a lot more power to raise their major gods again. At the very least, you've bought some time."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

When we returned to the coliseum, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, my dad was right. We had dealt the Egyptian gods a serious blow. Why hadn't Anubis appeared? My best guess was that he'd used too much power to raise the others. He was weak and was playing it safe, letting the other gods do his dirty work. Now, though, he wouldn't have a choice but to resume his reapings.

Without Athena to power all the Reapers' scythes with a limited ability like mine, even if we sent every Reaper in the underworld out to harvest every soul that was on the schedule, none of them would be able to take down Anubis. He also wouldn't dare appear to me if I went out and tried to stop him.

He'd hide and sacrifice a chance to harvest a soul if that was what it took to gather more power. There were plenty of other humans who'd die in the next couple of days, so he could gather quite a bit of power before Athena returned. If Ra was doing the same thing, we'd have our hands full. At least we'd be better off in three days than we would have been if we'd sat back and done nothing but train until Athena returned.

That was all we could do now—train and wait.

We could only root out Anubis and Ra if we had a Reaper capable of harvesting supernaturals assigned to every name on the schedule. The only way to do that was with Athena's ability to empower the other Reapers' scythes.

We had reached the Reaper Academy, headed through the doors, and walked toward the coliseum when something tugged at my leg. I knew that tug.

"Cerberus!"

"Follow me. We need to talk."

"All of us?" Morty asked.

Cerberus examined us, making eye contact with Sienna before fixing his eyes on Sunshine. "Present company is acceptable. This concerns all of you."

We ducked into one of the classrooms. I'd taken several classes in the room, mostly in the humanities. Reaper Ethics. Greek Philosophy 101. Human Psychology. History of the Gods.

That last one had stuck with me. We’d spent months discussing the Greek deities. We’d spent weeks on the Abrahamic traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It was important that we understood the worldviews of those whose souls we were sent to reap. It was necessary we understand their perspectives on the afterlife so we could guide them into the afterlife they hoped for accordingly.

We’d spent a similar amount of time on Hinduism and its thousands of deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and various tribal religions. We’d spent little more than a day on the so-called "dead" religions. The Persian and Babylonian gods had barely been mentioned. We hadn’t spent more than a day discussing the Egyptian gods. We’d watched a documentary on the pyramids narrated by a British bloke, as most documentaries were. I don’t know why.

I suppose if a hillbilly like Roy narrated a documentary about the ancient Egyptians, people wouldn’t take it seriously. “C’mon, y’all, check out these here pee-ra-mids. Careful wanderin’ into Tut’s chambers. Smells like a commode after a trip to Taco Bell. You’d be better crossin’ a bull than the dead Phay-roh. That bugger’ll strike ya with a curse worse ‘n my ex-wife!”

In all seriousness, the documentary was great. Fascinating even, but it had barely been a footnote in our education.

Now, I wondered why. My dad remembered the Egyptian gods. Perhaps, since they had been exiled and cast off, the Olympians saw no reason for us to know more about them than what a lecture and a video covered.

Cerberus paced in the front of the classroom. "So much to say, so little time."

"Just walk us through what happened when you left."

Cerberus grunted. "All right. Well, I can't cover everything. Dionysus is on his way."

I tilted my head. "He's coming here?"

"He has a ship."

"So, he's on the River Styx?" I asked.

Cerberus nodded. "It's more like a cruise liner. A constant party. He's been spending most of his time aboard since all this started."

"But you found him on Olympus?"

Cerberus shook his head. "I found him off the coast of Hades. He was trying to stop Clarence."

"I'm guessing Clarence got through. We followed the schedule and went to the names Clarence committed to memory. We managed to reap most of the gods."

Cerberus scratched his right ear with his corresponding right paw. "That was exactly what she wanted you to do."

"Who?" I asked.

"Clarence didn't arrive on Hades alone. Athena escorted him ashore."

Morty clenched his fists. "She betrayed us!"

"She has a boat?"

Cerberus grunted. "She used Charon. She enthralled him with some kind of spell."

I sighed. "If Athena knew we'd try this, she must've also known we had the second Archeus Crystal."

Sienna folded her arms. "She gave it to Katerina. She wanted us to find it and send the gods to Olympus."

"Apophis was contained by the Olympians, but not before he did a lot of damage. If you sent other gods to Olympus, it will take everything the Olympians can muster to subdue them."

"But the Olympians will prevail?"

"Dionysus believes so. However, it will take all their strength. They will be more vulnerable than ever to a greater attack."

"By Anubis and Ra?" I asked.

Cerberus nodded. "While you were busy reaping the other gods, Anubis sent his jackals out and harvested thousands of other souls."

Sienna bit her lip. "And Ra?"

"He's the god of the sun. He's invigorated Jessna and the daywalkers with his light. It's like they're drunk on his power. He'll use them as an army when they assault Olympus."

"They don't have their rings?" Sienna asked.

Cerberus shook his head. "They are probably back where they staked themselves on Earth. The rings didn't make the trip to the afterlife."

Sunshine sat at one of the many desks in the classroom and lowered her face to her hands. "Can we save them?"

I sighed. "We might be able to capture their souls and put them into golems."

"Would they still be daywalkers?" Sunshine asked.

"I don't know," Sienna said. "They went to Hades as daywalkers. If Ra's power still affects them, they're the same. I can't say if putting their souls into golems would work the same way. I don't know if that kind of power can be wielded by a golem."

I shrugged. "Well, if the Archeus Crystal was originally made to give the gods Earth-bound bodies and they don't lose their powers, it might preserve the daywalkers' abilities also."

Sienna shook her head. "That's a different kind of power. It's inseparable from the Olympians' essence as deities. The vampiric curse, or the daywalker curse as the case may be, isn't the same. I can't answer that question."

"It doesn't matter," Sunshine cut in. "They are my friends regardless of what abilities they have."

I nodded. "We'll try. First, though, we can't allow them, along with Ra, Anubis, and Athena, to take over Olympus."

Sienna scratched her head. "Why would Athena do this?"

Cerberus walked toward the door. "We'd better head to the River Styx. Dionysus will be here soon. That's a question only he can answer."

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Dionysus' ship was anchored just offshore. When we approached, a mystical bridge formed of translucent blue energy appeared, connecting to shore.

Cerberus was right. It looked like a Carnival cruise liner, minus the trademark red exhaust pipes. The ship was lit like a Christmas tree. As we moved across the bridge, the thump of the bass from the music playing on the ship rattled my chest.

"I thought I liked to party," Morty jested.

I grinned. "No offense, Morty, but he's the party god. Your keggers don't compare."

Dionysus’ party cruiser made the carnival tent I'd met him in seem like a minor shindig. The ship was swarming with inebriated satyrs and naked nymphs. The nymphs were female elementals, and their bodies were perfectly shaped. I’d always thought I had a nice ass, but those creatures put me to shame.

Dionysus pressed through the crowd. He still had a long gray beard. The last time I had seen him, it had been scraggly and unkempt. Now, it was braided and tied at the bottom with a red ribbon. He was wearing only a Speedo. When he approached, his bulbous belly and his bulbous lower lump led the way. Dionysus grinned at me and extended his hand. "Come, we have much to discuss."

We followed the god to what I assumed were his personal quarters. He dismissed three naked nymphs who were reclining in his bed, sipping glasses of red wine. Each dragged her fingers across Dionysus’ body as she left.

I cleared my throat. "What's going on?"

Dionysus grinned. "It was supposed to be a ménage à quatre."

I snorted. "Not that. I mean, with Athena and the Egyptian gods."

"Ah, yes. Let me get you something to drink."

"That would be wonderful!" Morty exclaimed.

I raised my hand. "That won't be necessary."

Morty sighed.

"Very well." Dionysus sat on the edge of his bed and crossed his legs. "Athena has long had her sights on Zeus’ throne."

"Isn't he her father?"

Dionysus nodded. "Family squabbles are not uncommon among the gods. She wishes to rule Olympus. For centuries, she's schemed to overthrow her father. That was why she made you as you are."

I took a deep breath. "She made me a supernatural Reaper so I could send creatures to Olympus that she could use to launch a coup?"

Dionysus took a sip of wine and set his glass on the floor next to his feet. "I didn't put it together until the incident with Hades. I truly believed, along with the rest, that Hades had designs on usurping Zeus. Sadly, I believe he was only doing her bidding."

I cocked my head. "Then why did she help us stop him?"

"Hades had aspirations of his own. That much is true. She'd promised him co-regency. When it became clear that she had only used him to threaten her father and had no intention of sharing the rule of Olympus, he turned against her."

"So, Athena helped us send him back to Hades and turned to Plan B?"

"Hades was weak after he revived in his domain. Athena freed Anubis and gave him control of hell. That was when I decommissioned the Reapers. With Charon in Athena's thrall, she was going to use all the souls you harvested to empower Anubis and raise the other Egyptian gods."

"Why would she do that? Wouldn't the Egyptians challenge her rule, even if she prevailed?"

"The power she used to resurrect Ra has him under her thrall, in the same way she seduced Charon. With Ra's loyalty, she could command the Egyptian gods and use them as her new pantheon to rule Olympus."

I sighed. "She knew that even if she took over Olympus, the other gods wouldn't respect her authority. She could use the Egyptian deities as puppets to do her bidding."

Dionysus nodded. “Precisely.”

I scratched my shoulder. "We visited a medium on Earth who channeled the Oracle of Delphi. She warned us about someone powerful who was not the ally we'd supposed. Doesn't the Oracle speak for Athena?"

Dionysus shook his head. "She speaks for all Olympians. The warning came from me. I could not tell you more. The Oracle is duty-bound to reveal anything that concerns any of the gods to those involved. I had to be cryptic about my warning lest Athena find out I was on to her plan. Tell me, did you receive the second crystal?"

"We have it," Sienna told him. "Are you saying Athena didn't plant it for us to use?"

Dionysus shook his head. "I gave Katerina the crystal. I knew she'd use it to serve Anubis. Athena was occupied in the underworld at the time. It was my hope that by the time she learned Katerina was feeding Anubis information, you'd find it and use it to reap the gods to Olympus while we remained powerful enough to subdue them."

"So, she didn't want us to send the Egyptian gods to Olympus yet?"

"They were not strong enough to do what she hoped. However, as I told Cerberus, the Olympians were weakened. Athena might still succeed in overthrowing Zeus if she brings Anubis and Ra with her to Olympus."

"But the other gods are imprisoned again!"

Dionysus nodded. "For now. Once Athena takes the throne, she'll no doubt raise them to do her bidding. Still, this gives us a narrow window of opportunity to challenge her. Unlike the other Olympians, I withdrew from the fight to retain my power for the proper time."

"You can defeat Athena?" I asked. "Along with Anubis and Ra?"

Dionysus grinned. "Not alone! I will need the other gods. Do you have the crystal?"

"I've got it!" Sienna held it out.

"Good! I fear it is too late to save Olympus today. Athena will prevail. We need to hide the Olympians on Earth. In time, they'll regain their strength so we can retake Olympus."

"You want us to capture the other Olympians and put them in golems?" I asked.

"When you reap a god on Olympus, they go to Earth. I'll need the crystal to ensure they take a sustainable form. Their recent memories will falter. Still, they will retain their power."

"What about the underworld?" Morty asked.

"I need to imprison Anubis and Ra as well. With them out of the picture, the Reapers will be permitted to resume their activities. At that point, I will do what I can to prevent Athena from raising them again. I won't be able to hold her off forever, but hopefully, it will be long enough for the Olympians to regain their strength and retake Olympus."

"What about me?" I asked. "Supposing we succeed, what can I do to help?"

Dionysus grinned. "Only what you've always done. The more vampires, werewolves, and whatever else you send to Olympus, the better. It will take all of Athena's power to hold them off. The longer that remains true, the harder it will be for Athena to raise the other Egyptian gods."

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Dionysus warned us that some of the gods might not appreciate being reaped, even if it was for their own good and for the sake of saving Olympus. We couldn't do it right away. We were supposed to sit back and chillax while the gods fought it out and weakened each other. We just had to reap the Olympians before Athena and the Egyptian gods could subdue and imprison them.

Sienna couldn't come with us. She had to go back to Earth to create the golems the Olympians would inhabit after I reaped them. Dionysus gave Sienna specific instructions to create the golems. He also gave her a set of pendants that he insisted would attract each god to his or her designated golem.

She was free to choose any physical appearance she thought was appropriate. What was essential was that the golems be empty vessels devoid of programming.

Sienna was taking notes on a ripped cardboard beer box.

"I have a question," Sunshine interjected. "Can we do the same for the daywalkers?"

Dionysus narrowed his eyes. "I wish it was possible. The Archeus Crystal cannot sustain that many golems at once."

I bit my lip. "What if we do it after we reap a god? Could one of the gods charge the crystal and allow Sienna to create enough golems to revive the daywalkers?"

Dionysus stroked his jaw. "It's possible. However, to accomplish that, the daywalkers couldn't be reaped until after the last god takes a body. In addition, to attract the daywalkers to a body, you'll need a personal item attached to each golem."

"Use their rings," I said. "You should be able to find them in the ashes where they died in the warehouse."

Sienna nodded. "I should."

"One more thing to consider," Dionysus continued. "Once a golem is inhabited, the soul within it will sustain it. You might need to create more golems as the ones you make are inhabited. It's also crucial that Zoey and the other Reapers who will raid Olympus not harvest the daywalkers too quickly. If any are reaped and a golem isn't yet ready, the soul will be left to wander on Earth."

I nodded. "Make the golems as fast as you can. I'll have to pace myself when we go after the daywalkers."

"How many Reapers can you send to help?" I asked. "Can you charge their blades the same way Athena did?"

"I can," Dionysus confirmed. "However, my power is not the same as Athena's. I can only grant the ability to a few, but they will be able to reap all the gods they need to. The power will not wane with numbers but time."

"How much time will they have?" I asked.

"Two hours. Three at most."

I snorted. "So, we're going to have to let the gods fight it out as long as possible, then reap all of them with just a few Reapers in a couple of hours?"

"That is correct."

"And we can't reap the daywalkers too quickly?" I asked.

"It's a conundrum," Dionysus agreed. "You must act fast but not too fast."

Morty cleared his throat. "Don't worry about the daywalkers. If Sienna cannot create golems for all of them, I'll harvest their souls after this is over. We can deliver their spirits to golems later."

"This is possible," Dionysus agreed. "However, the daywalkers are a new kind of creature. We know from Katerina's example that a vampire will remain a vampire when her soul is revived in a golem. Daywalkers, however, were created differently."

"I was there," I told him. "It happened we removed the human soul from the body but returned it before the vampiric curse was gone."

"I suspect that the daywalkers’ souls are not transformed the same way as a vampire's. Since the daywalkers were vampires before they became daywalkers, they might return as common vampires."

I sighed. "If that's the case, Clarence will retain control of them if he makes it back to Earth."

Sienna cocked her head. "Couldn't we just do the spell that breaks the sire's bond?"

Dionysus shook his head. "The spell you speak of requires something from the vampire's body. I cannot say if it will work if you use their new bodies. Since their original bodies are no more, there's a chance the bond is unbreakable."

"Only if we send Clarence back to Earth," I countered. "Hades is still imprisoned in Hades."

Sunshine shook her head. "That's confusing!"

Dionysus chuckled. "That's what happens when you allow an egomaniac like him to name his own realm. But yes, Zoey, you are correct."

"If he doesn't take part in this battle, we can free him, right? He'll still have enough power to govern his realm."

Dionysus nodded. "This would be ideal. It would also prevent Anubis from resuming control over hell until he grows strong enough to challenge Hades."

"Then it's clear what we have to do. Before we can go to Olympus, we have to go to Hades. We have to free the devil himself!"

Dionysus grinned. "Indeed, though I must warn you, he doesn't appreciate being called 'the devil.' He has a real temper."

"Noted!" I smiled.

"This strategy is wise for more than one reason. I will drop you off, but you must go alone. I need to prepare the Reapers for raiding Olympus."

"And I need to get to Earth and start working on the golems," Sienna added.

Sunshine furrowed her brow. "I’m here too, you know. I can go with you, Zoey."

I shook my head. "Sunshine, you've never been there. Hades is an awful place. It's too dangerous."

Sunshine stared at me blankly. "We're doing this so we can ensure that Clarence doesn't rise again. If he does, don't forget that he will be able to control me, too."

"He can do that now!" I protested.

"Not so," Dionysus added. "Ra cast his sun over Hades. Since Ra is joining Athena to fight at Olympus, the sunlight he's cast there will allow Sunshine to operate as a daywalker. Clarence will be unable to control her."

Sienna snickered. "Your name has never been so appropriate, Sunshine."

"I know, right? Here I thought my parents were just hippies. They named my brother Rainbow. It fits because my brother is gay. Now my name fits, too!"

I grinned. "All right, Sunshine. Let's go to hell."

Dionysus nodded. "We'll drop you off. I'll return here with Morty to prepare the Reapers and pick you up on the ashen beaches of Hades in roughly twelve hours."

"Twelve hours? Can't you speed this up a little?"

Dionysus shrugged. "I can try. No promises. I encourage you both to work discreetly. Hades is swarming with regular demons and Anubis' jackals. If they capture you, all hope will be lost. They'll also torture you, which, I suppose, you'd prefer to avoid."

"I'll reap them if I have to."

Dionysus shook his head. "Do so sparingly. Any you reap will be sent to Olympus and join the fight. If they subdue and imprison the Olympians before you can send them to Sienna's golems on Earth, we'll lose Olympus to Athena and the Egyptian gods forever."

I sighed. "All right, so no pressure. Avoid the demons and jackals until we can free Hades. Don't reap them, either. Can you at least tell me where we can find Hades?"

Dionysus nodded. "He has a castle deep in the heart of his realm. I believe he's being held there in a prison forged by Anubis’ power."

"How do we break into the prison?" I asked.

"Since Anubis will be on Olympus fighting alongside Athena and Ra, there will be a crystal somewhere that provides the power needed to keep Hades imprisoned. Find the crystal and destroy it. Once Hades is free, let's hope he's angry enough at Athena that he'll allow you to leave."

"There's a chance that he won't free us?"

Dionysus nodded. "Hades is a temperamental bitch. He won't forget the role you and your hellhound played in defeating him before. Let's hope his wisdom prevails over his desire for vengeance."

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Hell sucks. I know that's not the revelation of the century. No one wants to go there. It doesn't matter what you call the place. Hades, hell, perdition, the hot place, whatever. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. The same principle applies to turds. Hell is the turd of the eternal realms. It wasn't the port of call I'd choose.

In this case, despite the party atmosphere of Dionysus' vessel, it was anything but a pleasure cruise. Sunshine and I were on a mission to free Hades from his castle in the heart of hell itself. I didn't pack my sunscreen since not even an SPF of a thousand would be enough to protect us.

My fears were confirmed when Sunshine and I set foot on Hades' ashy beaches. The sun Ra placed in the realm made it even hotter than before. Sunshine could have used the sun to empower her daywalker side, but, unsure about how it would impact her since the sun had been placed there by Ra, she kept her ring in place. It suppressed her vampiric nature, which in turn meant she had to endure the hellish sun like I did.

At least Dionysus had had the forethought to give us each a jug of water. I was going to have to nurse it. It wasn't going to last long. I had taken two steps, and I was already sweating.

"My God!" Sunshine pinched her nose. "What's that smell?"

I sighed. "Sulfur."

Sunshine gagged. "Smells like rotten eggs!"

I nodded. "We'll get used to it eventually. Come on. We're going to be here a while. I'd rather free Hades sooner than later."

"We don't know if he'll even take our side."

I shook my head. "You're right. I'm hoping he'll be grateful that we freed him. That, and the fact that if we don't defeat Athena, Anubis will imprison him indefinitely, should be enough to convince him to set aside any hard feelings he might have toward me."

Sunshine grunted. "I hope you're right."

I watched as Dionysus’ cruise ship sailed across the Styx. "It's too late to turn back now."

We made our way across the beach. Screams echoed in the distance. Tortured souls. Some of them were far away. Others sounded as if they were right next to us. When we turned to look, though, nothing was there.

"This place is creepy."

I nodded. "It's hell. What did you expect?"

"Good point. I'm going to go to church when we get back."

I snorted. "Because going to church makes you a good person?"

Sunshine shrugged. "Can't hurt, right?"

I grinned. "I've been in a garage. That doesn't make me a car."

"Okay, I get it. But whatever I have to do to ensure I don't end up here..."

"You're helping us save the world. I think that qualifies."

Sunshine shrugged. "Might not matter. My mom says we're saved by faith, not works."

"I'd say joining me on this mission is a pretty definite expression of faith."

"Faith in what?"

I shrugged. "What's good. What's right and true. You're fighting to save lives. I believe that kind of faith matters more than nodding along with some church's prescribed dogmas."

Sunshine grinned, and her fangs caught the sunlight. "I suppose you're right."

I raised my hand. "I heard something."

"All this screaming? Of course, you did."

"No, it's something else." I grabbed Sunshine and pulled her behind a large boulder of hardened magma.

A pack of jackals ran past, howling as they sniffed the air.

"Can they smell us?" Sunshine asked.

I shrugged. "No clue. As much as I'm sweating, probably. We need to keep moving."

We moved to another large boulder when the coast was clear. I didn't know how long this would work. The last time I came to hell, I’d barely left shore. Too bad Roy wasn't with us. He could have given us the tour and pointed us in the right direction.

I dragged my forearm across my forehead in a futile attempt to wipe away the sweat. My eyes were burning. My skin was burning. I made a mental note not to wear black leather the next time I had to go to hell. I considered stripping and making the rest of the journey in the buff. If I did, at least my sunburn would be even. I was going to have one hell—pardon the pun—of a farmer's tan.

Sunshine pointed at a pointy structure on the horizon, barely poking out beyond a giant mountain of ash and molten rock. "Is that it?"

"Maybe. The heat is so bad everything is a blur. We need to get closer."

"I don't see anywhere to hide between here and there."

I pulled my hair into a ponytail. "I don't see any jackals. That doesn't mean none will show up."

"There's no sense sitting here and thinking about it. We either go, or we bake to death behind this rock."

I nodded. "All right. Conserve your energy. If any jackals show, we'll have to run."

We made our way across the dry plain leading to the molten hill ahead of us. My feet stuck to the ground. I imagined the heat was melting the soles of my boots.

I couldn't wait to get back to Dionysus' ship and take a dip in one of his many pools. Yeah, I'd be naked. Given who his passengers were, I'd fit right in.

"What are you thinking about?" Sunshine asked.

"Taking a swim in a cold pool. You?"

"Ice. Lots of Ice. I'm trying to picture Antarctica in my mind."

"Does it help?"

Sunshine snorted. "Not really."

We reached the hill without much trouble. After we climbed to the top, we saw the castle in the distance. I grabbed Sunshine and pulled her down onto the ground. The castle was surrounded by hundreds of jackals.

"How are we going to get past?"

I shook my head. "I don’t know. Even if I could reap them, I couldn't handle that many. They'd overwhelm us."

We scurried backward on our bellies. The next thing I knew, something yanked me off the ground. I was in mid-air. Sunshine was next to me.

We crashed into the ground. I turned.

A ten-foot-tall creature with scaly black skin, fire in his eyes, and horns on his head stared at us and grunted.

I touched the sigil on my wrist and summoned my scythe.

"Don't do that." The beast had a deep, gravelly voice.

"Well, since you asked..."

"No, I need your help."

I tilted my head. "You're a demon?"

"My name is Belphegor."

I furrowed my brow. "Never heard of you."

"I am the demon of sloth."

Sunshine smirked. "Sloth?"

"Laziness," I explained. "Aren't there demons associated with war or kicking ass who could help?"

Belphegor grunted. "I am all that remains. The others have been taken."

I stood up and dusted myself off. "Let me guess. They went to fight, but you couldn't be bothered to get off your ass."

"I am the demon of sloth. That does not mean I'm slothful. I assure you, I've done what I can."

"You want us to help you save Hades?"

The demon nodded. "I can get you past the jackals."

"How do you know we're here to rescue him?" Sunshine asked.

Belphegor narrowed his eyes. "I don't, but why else would you be here?"

"Even if I could reap him, I'd just send him to Olympus."

Belphegor grinned, which displayed the most frightening set of pointy chompers I'd ever seen. "Precisely. Either way, he'd be free."

"That's a big castle. Do you know where he is inside?"

"There's a dungeon in the catacombs beneath the castle."

"Anubis is gone. We believe there's a crystal somewhere in there that's keeping Hades' prison active."

"It will not be far from his prison. Free him, and I will escort you back to the shores myself."

"If your master agrees to that." I scoffed.

"Of course. Why wouldn't he?"

I shrugged. "He and I have a history."

"It does not matter. If you free him, he will be in your debt."

Sunshine grinned. "I can imagine having the devil owe you one could come in handy."

Belphegor slammed one of his hooved feet into the ground. "Do not call him that!"

"Oops! Sorry! I forgot!"

Belphegor turned around and took a deep breath, and when his composure was once again intact, he turned back to us. "The jackals are not smart. They are simple beasts. If I show myself, they will pursue me. I can fight them off for a time. When you free my master, please tell him of my need."

I nodded. "We can do that."

"You have to hurry. If the jackals catch me, they'll come for you."

"We've got this, Belphie."

"Belphie?"

"Your name is hard to say!"

The demon grinned a little. "I think you're just too lazy to say it."

I tilted my head. "Was that a sloth-demon joke?"

Belphegor shrugged. "It's a common misconception that demons don't have a sense of humor."

Sunshine smirked. "I'm sure you're a riot."

Belphegor narrowed his eyes. "This is the last hope I have to free my master. Do not fail."

I wiped the sweat from my brow. "We won't."

Belphegor took off down the hill, screaming. Fire burst from his body, and he hurled a ball of flames at the jackals.

The beasts howled and took off after him. He ran across the hill away from us.

We made our way around the side of the hill and down to the base. We needed a clear path to run, and if any jackals saw us coming down the hill, some would double back to our position.

Once the plain in front of the castle was clear, we took off. The castle was surrounded by a moat of molten lava in which something scaly swam. I didn't know what it was, and. I wasn't going to stop and examine it to find out.

A drawbridge led from the plains to the castle. We ran across it and through the arched opening.

"The catacombs are below us," I told Sunshine. "We need to find stairs."

She pointed at a metal grate in the middle of the large atrium we had entered. "I think that might be the only way in."

We ran over to the grate, and when I touched it, it was hot. I yanked my hand back and placed my thumb in my mouth. "Ouch!"

"Can you use your scythe?"

"I don't think it cuts through metal."

"Use the other end. You might be able to pry it open."

"I can try." I summoned my scythe and jammed the butt into one of the openings of the grate, then pulled at an angle. The grate didn't budge.

Sunshine grabbed a small stone and set it on the ground by the grate. "Use this as a fulcrum. If you can get under the edge of the grate..."

"Might work."

I managed to pry open the grate, then rested the bladed end of my scythe on the ground and used it to prop the grate open.

A ladder that led into the catacombs below. Of course, it was made of metal and probably hot.

Sunshine turned her shirt into a halter top, then tore the remaining material into four pieces. "It won’t be enough, but it will help protect our hands."

I nodded and took a piece of Sunshine's shirt. It was thin cotton, so it would not do much. At the least, though, it might protect my skin long enough that I could get down the ladder. It was dark below. I hoped that meant the metal ladder would be cooler as we descended.

With my hands wrapped in the pieces of Sunshine's shirt, I stepped onto the ladder and made my way down far enough that I could jump to the floor at the bottom.

I landed on my feet, softening my landing by bending my knees. Sunshine mimicked my movements and landed next to me.

"It's cooler down here."

"Yeah, now it only feels like the hottest day I've ever experienced on Earth."

Sunshine shrugged. "Compared to the rest of this place, I'll take it."

"It's dark," I continued. "I'm going to use my scythe to light the path."

"If you take it back, the grate will close."

"If we don't free Hades, we won’t get out of here anyway."

"Fair point."

I pressed the sigil on my wrist. As my scythe re-materialized in my hand, the grate above us crashed shut with a bang that echoed through the tunnel we faced.

My scythe was ablaze with what I had always considered to be hellfire. Now, I wasn't sure if that was what it was. I didn't feel anything radiating from it. I never did. Whatever the flame-like power that coursed through my scythe was, it came from another realm—probably Olympus. It did serve to illuminate the corridors ahead.

We followed the tunnel until it turned, then found a set of stairs. As we went down, it got even cooler. Still hot but tolerable.

We followed more tunnels and a few more sets of stairs down until we saw a red glow protecting a small opening on one side of the cavern.

"That must be it," Sunshine said.

I nodded. "The crystal must be here somewhere."

"Any idea how big it is?"

I shook my head. "No clue. The Archeus Crystal is a little larger than pocket-sized. I'm guessing it's similar."

We stepped past the prison. Hades was staring at us. He looked even more frightening than I remembered now that I was looking at him through a hell-colored forcefield.

"Hades, can you hear me?"

Hades opened his mouth as if to roar, but nothing came out.

"I think it's soundproof."

"He doesn’t look thrilled to see you," Sunshine remarked.

I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe he has a resting asshole face."

"Well, he is the devil. ‘Asshole’ is an understatement."

I nodded. "Be thankful he couldn't hear you call him that."

"Right. I keep forgetting."

I ran my fingers along the wall. "It has to be here somewhere. I'm guessing Anubis didn't leave the crystal out in the open. Look for a loose stone or a compartment of some kind."

Sunshine chuckled. "I think you've watched too many Indiana Jones movies."

I found a seam on the wall and squeezed my fingers into a crevice. "I found something." I pulled a stone out. A red crystal glowed inside the compartment. I turned and smirked. "Indiana Jones knows his shit."

"How do we break it?" Sunshine asked.

I grabbed the crystal and slammed it into the ground. Nothing happened.

Sunshine picked it up and threw it against the wall. Again, nothing.

I bashed it with the butt end of my scythe. The strike sent the crystal flying down the corridor.

I sighed. "I don't know if this is smart, but here goes nothing."

I brought the blade of my scythe down on the crystal. When I did, the magic it held exploded and sent us flying back.

I rubbed my head after I landed. Then I felt something clutch my neck and lift me to my feet.

"Ouch! Dude, stop!"

Hades glared at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing your evil ass!"

Hades huffed. "Why would you do that? You work for Athena."

"Can you let go of my neck?"

Hades squeezed tighter.

"Look, she deceived me, just like she tricked you. I didn't know what she was planning. I had no idea!"

Hades released me. "Very well. I believe you."

I rubbed my neck. "You do?"

Hades nodded. "Athena cannot be trusted."

"I'm Sunshine, by the way. Hope this is the first and last time we meet."

Hades nodded. "You should be so fortunate. You are like the creatures Ra commands."

"I'm a daywalker," Sunshine agreed. "But Ra isn't here."

"He's gone to Olympus, along with Anubis and Athena," I told Hades.

"Then we must fight!"

I shook my head. "Dionysus sent us here. He said you need to stay here and regain your position. Anubis cannot be allowed to return."

Hades sighed. "Very well. But you cannot hope to defeat gods!"

"We aren't going to defeat them. We're going to send them to Earth in golems before Athena and the Egyptian gods can imprison them."

"This is Dionysus’ plan?"

I nodded. "Sure is."

"The god of wine has led many souls to me. I suppose I will trust him."

"By the way," Sunshine said, "your sloth demon is out there, fighting off jackals. I think he could use a hand."

Hades shook his head. "Lazy bastard. Meet me in my throne room. You look like you could use a drink."

I shook my thermos. It was empty. "Yeah, we're parched."

"I must regain control. What is your plan to fight the gods?"

"Dionysus is going to meet us at the shore with his ship."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Of course. I must go. As I said, meet me before my throne. You've done well." He took off, and his form blurred as he sped away.

"Did he just compliment you?"

I chuckled. "He did."

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

I don't think Hades realized how difficult it had been to get down to his dungeon. Getting up again? I wasn't sure how we were going to pull it off until I realized the whole place had cooled substantially. The ladder was still too hot to touch, though.

"Have any more clothing to spare?"

"Are you trying to get me naked, Zoey?"

I smirked. "No offense, Sunshine, but you're not my type."

"Damn! Well, a girl can dream, right?"

I chuckled. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

Sunshine ripped a few more pieces from her shirt. "Too bad you can't rip leather this easily."

"Now you're trying to get me naked?"

Sunshine shrugged. "Like I said..."

"Right, a girl can dream. I'm flattered."

Sunshine grinned. "Just get your ass up the ladder. I'll be right behind you."

The rungs weren't as hot as they had been on our way down. Still, climbing required more effort than going down. Pressing the grate open while holding on with one hand burning through what was left of Sunshine's shirt was even harder. I made it out and held the grate long enough for Sunshine to scramble out behind me.

I dropped the grate and shook my hands. "Damn, that was hot!"

Sunshine smirked. "I had a view while I was climbing up behind you."

"Where's all this flirtation coming from?"

"Well, we're no longer facing an imminent threat. Hades is out there reclaiming his realm. While we're still in hell, I figure I might as well embrace it."

"Welcome to my throne room," Hades interrupted.

I turned. "This is your throne room?"

"It was. This architecture wasn’t to Anubis’ liking. I couldn't help but overhear your exchange. Do not be alarmed. While you're here, humans don’t possess what you might call your filters."

"So, we speak what's on our mind?" Sunshine asked.

Hades nodded. "It is why I know I can trust you. You could not lie to me here. Athena deceived you, even as she deceived me before."

I shook my head. "You still hoped to overthrow Zeus."

Hades shrugged. "Have you ever met Zeus?"

I shook my head. "No."

"We are not a wholly united pantheon. I admit I hoped to overtake Zeus. Struggles for power are as enduring as our existence."

"So then, what Athena is doing isn't unusual?"

"That's different. Tell me, Miss Grimm. On Earth, there are political foes even within your American government who struggle for power. Different parties rise and fall. Is that not so?"

I nodded. "That's correct."

"But if one of your parties chose to replace your entire government with foreign rulers, if they sought to overthrow your entire constitution and way of life, that would be treason."

I nodded. "I see where you're going with this."

"When Athena recruited the aid of the Egyptians gods, she crossed a line that even I would not dare to transgress, though I would like to rule Olympus."

"You know, when this is all said and done, you and Dionysus will be the only two who retain your strength."

"Dionysus has no aspiration to rule. I suspect you wouldn't like it much if he did. And if I were to seize Olympus now, I'd be no better than Athena. I'd have no gods apart from the vile Egyptians to do my bidding. Even then, I could not control them. She bound them to her will when she restored them. Until the Olympians are restored, I am content to protect my realm."

I nodded. "So, you'll help us finish Dionysus’ plan?"

Hades nodded. "I will, though I do have one request."

"What's that?" I asked.

"The vampire who betrayed me. Return him to me."

"So, stake him. Don't reap him."

Hades nodded.

I sighed. "What are you going to do to him?"

Hades grinned. "Nothing less than what he deserves."

I popped my knuckles. "I think we can make that happen."

Hades placed his hand on my shoulder. "Follow me."

The burned lands were littered with dead jackals. Hades had eliminated all of them. He led us back up the hill we had descended. Belphegor was waiting for us.

"He will take you the rest of the way. I have much to do if I'm going to rebuild my domain and prevent another incursion by Anubis. Give Dionysus my best."

Belphegor muttered something under his breath. I got the impression that he'd rather be sitting on his ass doing nothing. He was a sloth demon. Still, he followed Hades’ orders. As long as we were near him, the heat was tolerable. If I got more than twenty feet away from him, it was hotter. Somehow, he tempered the heat to make our journey back to the shore more tolerable.

Dionysus’ cruise liner was anchored offshore. The bridge extended from the ship, and we crossed it.

The god was waiting with two glasses of red wine. He handed one to me and the other to Sunshine. "I presume the mission was a success?"

I nodded. "Hades is back in charge of…well, Hades."

Sunshine giggled. She glanced at me, then her eyes widened. "Holy crap. I can't believe the things I said to you in there, Zoey."

Dionysus raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"

I sighed. "She flirted with me."

A wide grin split Dionysus’ face. "We have a little time before we make it to Olympus if, you know, you two would like to use my room."

Sunshine blushed. I shook my head. "Not going to happen."

"Can we keep it to ourselves?" Sunshine asked. "I never would have said those things anywhere else."

I smiled. "What happens in hell stays in hell."

"Damn!" Dionysus shook his head. "I was hoping you'd let me watch!"

I chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you. Did you get the other Reapers?"

Dionysus led us to one of the many clubs on his ship. Morty was there. So were Damon and Phil.

“Three Reapers? That was all you could muster?”

Dionysus nodded. “As I said, my power is limited. I must return to the helm. It is easy to sail to Hades. It takes much more effort to move against the current and reach Olympus. You should take this time to coordinate your efforts and prepare for the battle ahead.”

“Thank you, Dionysus.”

The god extended his hand, and another wine glass appeared in it out of thin air. He raised the glass, took a sip, and left us on the deck.

Morty reclined on one of the deck chairs. He motioned at one of Dionysus’ many nymphs, who brought over a tray of fruity cocktails.

“Is this the best time to drink?”

Morty shrugged. “Cruise ship cocktails aren’t strong, Zoey. I’ve already had five, and I can barely feel a thing.”

“How much has Dionysus told you about the plan?”

Damon looked at me and grinned. “He didn’t say much. He kept referring to this as a rescue. I was hoping for a battle.”

“The gods are battling. Athena has Anubis and Ra, along with Clarence and the daywalkers. I cannot say if the gods we reaped are still there or if the Olympians defeated them. Either way, our reapings weakened the Olympians. Athena’s plan was to imprison them in whatever void the Egyptian gods were in while she takes over, with Ra and Anubis at her side.”

Morty sighed. “Dionysus told us that this would be tricky. We want the battle to leave Athena and the Egyptian deities as weak as possible. That means allowing the Olympians to fight as long as they can.”

I nodded. “But not too long. We’ll need to reap them and send them to Earth to regain their strength.”

Phil scratched his head. “Won’t Athena, Anubis, and Ra also regain strength while the Olympians are recovering on Earth?”

“They will. That’s why I have to reap more supernaturals after we get back. The more we send to create havoc on Olympus, the better. If Athena and the other gods have to use their powers to fend off a constant stream of vampires, trolls, and whatever else I send them, they’ll never grow strong enough to thwart Zeus and the Olympians when they return to reclaim their domain.”

“We’re also going to try to save the daywalkers,” Sunshine added. “Remember, you can’t reap any of them until after the Olympians are on Earth. Sienna has to prepare special golems.”

“Isn’t Clarence still manipulating the daywalkers?” Morty asked.

I nodded. “Hades wants us to send Clarence back to hell. We can’t reap him because he’d go to Earth. We have to stake him. That should also have the effect of loosening the sire bond. We need to go after him first. It will be a lot easier to do our job if the daywalkers aren’t under a compulsion to fight us.”

“Not to mention,” Sunshine added, “that if they fight the Olympian gods, they might not survive. We’re trying to save them.”

Cerberus sauntered between us, wagging his butt while his tail went along for the ride. He had all three heads out, and he held them high as if he were looking at us through his chins rather than his eyes. “I will move between the realms to confirm that the gods you reap have arrived on Earth and ensure that Sienna has enough golems available to complete the job. I’ll let you know when they’re all situated and Sienna is ready for the daywalkers.”

Morty downed the rest of his cocktail, set it down on the deck, and stood from his chair. He straightened his cloak. “So, who wants to take down the vampire?”

“I’d like to do it,” Sunshine volunteered.

I shook my head. “That might be a problem. Until he’s dead, he can manipulate you.”

“Then as soon as he’s gone, I want to join my sisters. I’m the only one who knows your plan. You could use our help while you’re fending off Team Egypt and trying to save Team Olympus.”

“’Team Egypt’ and ‘Team Olympus?’” I raised an eyebrow.

Morty snorted. “I’m still Team Jacob.”

Sunshine narrowed her eyes. “You would be. You’re not a vampire. Team Edward all the way.”

I rolled my eyes. “We’re not talking about vampire romance stories. We’re talking about killing a real deadly vampire and saving the world. I think we’re all on the same team. We’re all Team Olympus.”

Morty shook his hands like pom-poms. “Beat ‘em, bust ‘em, that’s our custom. Go, Team Olympus!”

We stared at Morty blankly for a moment.

“Oh, come on! That was funny.”

Damon cleared his throat. “Not really.”

Phil stood there, shaking his head.

“Are you sure you haven’t had too much to drink, Morty?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Cerberus left to confirm that Sienna was ready. We had to do things in the proper order. I would go after Clarence. While Sunshine had more of a vendetta to settle with him, I had more than a few reasons to want him staked. He'd strung me along for months, posing as my handler and treating me like a supernatural assassin for hire.

Cerberus aside—he had three faces—Clarence was as two-faced as they came. He was a master of betrayal. That was how he managed to get his bloodsucking ass out of hell after my mom staked him. He’d played me while working for both Athena and Hades, then siding with Athena after she betrayed her partner.

Clarence had posed as a savior, a religious figure, to Jessna, Sunshine, and the other daywalkers. He'd founded the Order of First Light to deceive his followers into becoming vampires, then daywalkers, so he'd have an army of bloodsuckers to command.

Athena wasn't dumb. She had known he was a traitorous bastard. He would probably turn against her eventually.

I didn't care. Having a wildcard like Clarence out there made it difficult to know if the next move we were going to make was the right one. His plans often conflicted with mine. Sending him to hell and allowing Hades to have his way with him would take him out of the equation.

It also meant the Olympians would have more time to fight. From what Dionysus had said, they had been weakened by the gods we'd reaped and sent to Olympus. The daywalkers would force the Olympians to expend more energy before rendering them vulnerable to Athena, Anubis, and Ra.

If we took out the daywalkers, the gods could fight among themselves. Athena and the Egyptians would have to fight the Olympians without the advantage of weakening them with a pre-emptive daywalker attack. While the Olympians might still lose, by the time we reaped them, they'd have done enough damage to Athena, Ra, and Anubis that the gods wouldn't pose an enduring threat. Dionysus might be able to take them out, with or without Hades’ help, and restore the other Olympians.

Morty, Damon, and Phil ascended Mount Olympus. They'd present Zeus with Dionysus’ plan. It would be better if he agreed than if we reaped his compatriots in secret. Dionysus was confident they'd agree…eventually.

Morty could offer them a way out when it was clear that Athena was going to defeat them. The gods had too much hubris to agree to cut and run without putting up a fight. Still, Morty and the other Reapers offered them a chance to retreat, regroup on Earth, and return to Olympus in full force later.

The shores of Olympus were much more pleasant than the beaches of Hades. There wasn't a sun over Olympus, but the skies radiated their own light. Was it the glory of the gods? Some other energy? I didn't know. Regardless, the temperature was perfect. In Missouri, we experienced all the seasons. Even so, a perfect day in the fall or spring was rare. We tended to go from bitter cold to unnaturally hot without lingering long in the pleasant middle.

The perpetual climate of Olympus reminded me of an early May or late September day in Missouri. I wasn't hot. I wasn't cold. Like Goldilocks testing the little bear's porridge, it was just right. The air wasn't dry or humid. It was comfortable, and a sweet floral scent filled it.

Olympus was supposed to be paradise. This was only my second time there, but on each visit, I faced greater threats than I'd ever encountered on Earth. If you were going to die, I supposed it was better to die in paradise. At least my soul wouldn't have far to wander to find peace, presuming I didn't become a meal for Anubis or Ra.

Dying wasn't on my day's agenda. I had to succeed. The Earth and the underworld both depended on it.

Most of the Olympian gods dwelled atop the mountain. The domain of Olympus was vast. The mountain was right in the middle, and it towered above a layer of clouds. No sun meant no evaporation. Presumably, the gods had created the clouds to shield their domain from view. They might also have given the Olympians a chance to organize and prepare for Athena's attack.

I couldn't see Morty and the Reapers, and I didn't have a clue if the gods were fighting on the mountain or if Athena and the others were still preparing for their assault. I passed the place where Dionysus' circus tent had stood. I followed the trail I had taken the last time I was on Olympus.

I didn't know where Clarence and the daywalkers were. If they were going to strike first to weaken the Olympians before Athena and company made their assault, I imagined they were already beyond the clouds. Athena, Anubis, and Ra could have been anywhere. I didn't see them. I couldn't risk them seeing me, either.

I ascended Mount Olympus by following the trail I knew. I moved quickly between trees, hiding from view. Could Athena sense my presence? Maybe. I didn't know. I had to assume she could, so I had to do this fast. If she found me, I couldn't fight her off. She was still at full strength.

The clouds over Olympus started to swirl, then they turned dark. Lightning bolts crashed to the ground all over the mountain.

Zeus was fighting. Was he battling the daywalkers or Athena? I didn't know, but I ran up the trail as fast as I could.

A static tingle filled my body as I moved through the clouds. I could only hope Morty and the Reapers had reached him and he knew why I was there. I'd never been struck by lightning. If Zeus blasted me, thinking I was still working with Athena, all would be lost.

So far, so good. I continued running through the cloudy fog until I reached the other side. All the gods were there. The daywalkers led the assault, with Clarence in their midst. Athena and the Egyptian gods were casting whatever magic they could into the battle, taking cheap shots at the Olympians while they fought off the daywalkers.

Athena had shielded herself, Anubis, and Ra.

I hadn't seen Ra before. He had a bird-like head with a serpent coiled around his brow. His body was human-like in appearance. It was lean, tanned, and emanated a golden glow.

They were occupied. If they knew I was there, they didn't show it. With the daywalkers under Clarence's thrall, my best shot at reaching him was to move through the daywalkers as quietly as I could. Once he saw me, he'd likely turn them against me.

I circled around the battle until I could come at the daywalkers from an angle where Athena and the Egyptian gods wouldn't see me approach.

I moved through the trees and bushes, staying low to the ground. Finally, I slipped out of the tree line into the crowd of daywalkers. They didn't respond as I moved through them. They were fixated on the Olympians. Several of the Olympians held blazing swords. When they swiped them toward the daywalkers, it threw them back and burned their skin, but it didn't stop them. Not yet. I didn't imagine it would be long before the Olympians killed them. I had to get to Clarence before that happened.

I touched my wrist and summoned my scythe. I wasn't going to reap him but the opposite, and the pointed end of my scythe staff would work as well as a stake. I dove out of the crowd and plunged it into Clarence's back through his heart.

The second I hit him, the daywalkers froze. They turned to me with furrowed brows and wide eyes.

"Where are we?" Jessna asked.

"On Olympus," I explained. "Clarence was forcing you to fight the gods."

Jessna tilted her head. "That's not good."

"You need to get out of here."

Jessna shook her head. "We have to stop the other gods. Anubis is here."

"Right. So is Ra."

Jessna scratched her head. "I don’t remember everything that happened while Clarence controlled us, but I do know a few things. If Ra is here..."

“What about Katerina?” I asked. “I’m pretty sure she was working with Anubis.”

Jessna opened her mouth to answer. Before Jessna could speak, a giant ball of light appeared above them.

I peered at him. Ra had his hands extended as he created a sun to retake control of the daywalkers.

Jessna's eyes widened. "Run! You have to get out of here! I don't want to kill you, Zoey, but we can't resist..."

The daywalkers changed. Their bodies glowed like Ra's. If I reaped the daywalkers now, they'd go to Earth as spirits. They wouldn't have the option to go into golems.

The daywalkers charged the Olympians. Ra wasn't focused on me. Surely he knew I was there.

Cerberus emerged out of thin air alongside me. "The golems are ready for the gods. Sienna is going to start making golems for the daywalkers. I already told Morty, and they're prepared to retreat."

"Take me to Ra. I have to break his hold on the daywalkers. If we don't, the Olympians might not have time to escape."

Cerberus expanded his body, and I climbed onto his back. I wasn't ready to reap the daywalkers, but Athena knew what was happening. She was unleashing all her power on the Olympians even as Zeus blasted her with lightning bolts.

Athena's shield was fading. She was losing power, but not fast enough.

Cerberus carried me through the crowd of daywalkers as they charged the Olympians.

From Cerberus’ back, I could see the whole battlefield. Ra was channeling sunlight to control the daywalkers. Anubis was fighting the Olympians at the crest of the mountain while Athena blocked Zeus’ lighting strikes and shot her power at him.

Morty, Phil, and Damon were reaping the gods Anubis was attacking. Cerberus had said Sienna would create golems for the daywalkers as the gods claimed their new bodies. That meant that if I had to, I could reap a few daywalkers. The problem was that Cerberus had taken me beyond the daywalker army, and we were heading straight for Ra. I had to get rid of him before the daywalkers overwhelmed the Olympians or the Olympians killed the daywalkers.

This wasn't the plan. We were going to leave the Egyptian gods drained of power to languish on Olympus so Dionysus could show up later and imprison them. I didn't have a choice.

I held out my scythe as Cerberus charged Ra.

The Egyptian sun god stared at me with his eyes ablaze, then smiled. Why the hell was he smiling? My scythe cut into his body. He disappeared, and the sun he had created shattered into a shower of burning embers.

One of them struck my shoulder, and it burned like Hades. Athena cast her magic into the air and, with a whirlwind, captured the rest of the embers and hurled them at Zeus.

The Greek god buckled. Morty had swiped his blade through Zeus, saving him before Athena could strike him again.

The daywalkers scattered. Jessna led them down the mountain. I jumped off Cerberus’ back.

Athena pivoted and made eye contact with me before charging the daywalkers.

"Quick. I need to know if Sienna's ready. I have to reap the daywalkers."

Cerberus nodded and disappeared.

I ran after Athena. Her power was waning, but I imagined she was still strong enough to put up a fight.

The Olympians were gone. Athena threw one last blast against the daywalkers. It knocked them off their feet, but it didn't kill them.

Then, Athena ran back up the mountain. Morty, Phil, and Damon stood there with their scythes in hand. The Olympians were gone. In fury, Athena charged the Reapers, screaming as her body glowed with her power.

I had to help. If she was going after the Reapers rather than running, she was confident that she could kill them.

She blasted them with a giant ball of magic. Their scythes, aglow with the kind of hellfire that allowed them to reap supernaturals, faded. She'd removed their abilities, and they were vulnerable. I was the only one who still had a weapon that could take her down. I'd send her to Earth if I did that, and I'd have to fight her there, but I'd save my brother and the Reapers.

Morty, Damon, and Phil split up. She went after Damon first.

I almost caught up to her when something grabbed me by the neck. My body left the ground.

Anubis stepped in front of me and fixed his eyes on mine.

"We meet again," Anubis began. "It is too late. You cannot stop us."

Whatever power Anubis used to hold me by the neck tightened. I dropped my scythe and gasped for air as I saw Athena channel a blast into Damon's body. He turned into a pile of ash in front of her.

I wanted to scream, but I didn’t have enough breath to make a sound. Phil charged Athena, and she blasted him the same way. Only Morty was left.

My vision blurred. Anubis stepped closer. "Ah, I can sense the power in your soul..."

Anubis opened his jaws over my face and inhaled. He was trying to siphon my soul.

My body convulsing, I touched the sigil on my wrist.

I turned my fist since I knew how my scythe would form. When it manifested, my blade ripped through Anubis’ chest. His grip on my neck faltered, then something else struck my neck. It was sharp. Someone tugged my head back.

“Delicious.” Katerina pulled her teeth out of my neck. “Should I drain you? Perhaps I’ll chain you up and feed on you from time to time. You’re tasty enough!”

My knees buckled beneath me. My head was spinning.

“Get away from my sister, bitch!” Morty screamed.

Katerina released me as Morty charged her. His scythe was no longer empowered to reap supernaturals, but he could still stake her. Katerina was too fast, though. She dodged his strike and caught the edge of his cloak.

The vampire straddled my brother and ripped open his shirt. She dug her fingernails into his flesh, then lifted them to her mouth and licked them off. “The taste of Death…”

I could barely move. While Katerina was distracted by Morty, I summoned my scythe. I tried to swing it at the vampire, but I was too weak. Katerina smirked and threw her body into my scythe. “See you on the other side.”

Morty hadn’t lost as much blood as I had. He grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet.

"Run!" I gasped. "Athena…she'll..."

Athena extended her hand toward us. Her magic fizzled between her fingers. She was out of power.

Morty charged and tackled the goddess. They crashed to the ground.

I wasn't going to reap her. I'd already sent the two Egyptian gods to Earth. However, I still had the butt end of my staff. I stumbled toward Athena and raised my scythe over my head. I didn't know if staking her would send her to hell, but if it worked, Hades could have his way with her.

I slammed my scythe down. Before it hit her, Athena disappeared in a cloud of golden mist. My strike hit the ground.

"Damn it!" Morty shouted. "She got away."

I shook my head. "She's out of power. This was the goal from the start."

Morty looked around. "We lost Damon and Phil."

I nodded and hugged my brother, but my embrace served two purposes. I needed to comfort him, and I also wasn’t sure I could stand on my own. All of Olympus was spinning around me. "I saw. I'm sorry, Morty. They died heroes."

"What about the daywalkers?" Morty asked. "I think they left the mountain."

I sighed. "Let's hope Sienna has the golems ready. It's time to send them home."

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

The daywalkers stood on the shores of Olympus. Sunshine and Dionysus were among them. Several of Dionysus' satyrs were on the beach, setting up the party god's carnival tent.

Sunshine ran up and hugged me. "You did it!"

I hugged her back. "We lost some people."

Sunshine touched my neck. “What happened?”

I panted since I was still trying to catch my breath and maintain consciousness. “Katerina. She bit me.”

Sunshine touched the wound. “It’s just one bite. It shouldn’t be enough to turn you.”

I nodded. “I hope not.”

“Did you stake her?” Jessna asked.

I shook my head. “I didn’t. She threw herself into my scythe. She wanted me to reap her. I’d already reaped Anubis. My guess is she went to Earth to join him.”

"What now?” Jessna asked. “Sunshine said you were going to send us back in new bodies?"

I nodded. "That's the plan. We have to wait for Cerberus to get back to give us the green light."

“Will those bodies look the same?” Jessna asked.

I frowned. “I really don’t know. Sienna is trying to make the golems fit you, but she didn’t have a daywalker yearbook to consult.”

Jessna nodded. “Well, it’s something.”

I tilted my head. I’d expected she’d be more grateful for the chance to come back to life. What was I missing? Everyone was attached to their body, so getting a new one, especially if you didn’t look like yourself anymore, might be a jarring experience. It would take time, but surely they’d eventually adjust. Roy had seemed to handle the body-swapping routine well.

I looked around. Morty stood with scythe in hand, looking back up at the mountain. The clouds were gone. The peak glistened in whatever light sustained the celestial realm.

I stepped up to my brother and put my hand on his shoulder to steady myself.

"It should have been me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Damon and Phil took Athena on, knowing they might not make it, Morty."

Morty wiped a tear from his right eye. "I should have led the charge."

"If you did, who would run the underworld? I don't want the job. You still have important work to do."

Morty took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. You're right. Still, I can't help but feel like I failed Damon and Phil."

"We don't know where they went, Morty. Maybe when Athena killed them, they went to Hades. We might be able to get them back."

"I'm afraid that's not the case," Dionysus interjected as he stepped up beside us with a glass of wine in his hand. "If Athena killed them, she destroyed their souls."

Morty clenched his fists. "I'm going to kill that bitch if it's the last thing I do."

"She's hiding," Dionysus replied. "She won't appear again until she recovers her power."

I sighed. "What about Anubis and Ra? I reaped them. I know that wasn't the plan, but I didn't have a choice."

"You did what you had to do," Dionysus responded. "I cannot say what will become of them, only that since Athena is devoid of power, she will no longer be able to control them."

"At least the other Egyptian gods were dealt with before we reaped the Olympians," Morty said.

"Indeed." Dionysus took a sip from his glass of wine. "Let's hope the Olympians can track down the Egyptian gods and stop them before they find a way to revive their pantheon."

Cerberus appeared in front of us, panting. He tried to talk, but he was out of breath. "Zoey! I came as fast... The gods..."

I touched Cerberus on his back. He was using his Olympian head.

"Calm down, buddy. What happened? Does Sienna have the golems ready for the daywalkers?"

"She did," Cerberus panted. "But the Egyptian gods. They combined them and took them."

"Anubis and Ra are incarnate?" Dionysus asked.

Cerberus nodded.

"What about Sienna? How about the Olympians?"

"The Olympians were gone before it happened. They were confused. As for Sienna, she got away. Unfortunately, Anubis took the Archeus Crystal with him."

Dionysus screamed and threw his empty wine glass to the ground. It shattered at his feet. "This is going to be a problem."

"We'll deal with them," I said. "There has to be a way. The Olympians are on Earth, too."

Dionysus shook his head. "You don’t understand. The Egyptian gods will devour souls to gain power. The Olympians would never do that. They'll take the time to restore their abilities. More, the golems won't retain their full memories. One golem per Olympian isn't enough to preserve their minds. I knew this would happen, but I expected they'd have time to recover their memories."

I scratched my head. "But if the Egyptian gods took all the golems and combined them..."

"They will have more of their memories and minds intact. Now, since Athena cannot manipulate them, they'll be of a single mind to restore their power and reclaim dominance for their pantheon."

"Can you help?" I asked.

Dionysus nodded. "The best thing I can do is help the other Olympians remember. I can try to protect them, but it won't be enough."

I glanced over my shoulder. Sunshine and Jessna were listening to our conversation.

"We'll stay here," Jessna stated. "Someone needs to protect this place."

I shook my head. "We can still take you home. We could take you to the underworld on Dionysus’ ship, then use the portal to take you back to Earth."

"Would we retain our abilities?" Jessna asked.

"I don't believe you would," Dionysus replied. "But we don’t know."

"Then we'd be useless in this fight," Sunshine said. "We want to help."

"You could go back, Sunshine," I urged. "You were not killed. You came here in the flesh."

Sunshine shook her head. "My place is with my sisters."

Dionysus grunted. "I'm not a sun god, but if you're going to fight here, you need one. Let me see what I can do."

Dionysus clenched his fists, gathered energy in his hands, and punched them toward the sky. A small sun, not as large as Ra's but bright nonetheless, formed in the sky. The daywalkers' bodies absorbed the energy, and their eyes turned golden.

"It worked!" Jessna laughed.

Dionysus nodded. "It will have to suffice. If Athena tries to emerge, it will be up to you to stop her before she recovers her power. She must not recover before the other Olympians return."

"We can do that," Sunshine assured him. "What about Ra and Anubis?"

"If Ra comes, you might fall under his influence again."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," I promised. "I'll hunt him down and do whatever I can to stop him."

"You must also stop Anubis. If you can recover the Archeus Crystal, it will slow him down. He will use golems to function as his beasts."

"Won't that require he use whatever power he has left?"

Dionysus nodded. "It will weaken him temporarily, but it's basic multiplication. Once he has golems working to siphon souls on his behalf, he'll be able to accumulate power more quickly."

"But not like before. He can't command thousands of jackals to follow the schedule of souls."

"That is correct. We must ensure that Hades is secure and the Reapers are back in charge so Anubis cannot reclaim that ability."

I nodded. "It took several days of consuming thousands of souls to gain the power he accumulated before."

Dionysus nodded. "We have a narrow window of opportunity to stop him."

Morty cleared his throat. "One question. Do you know what happened to Charon? Without the Boatman, what are my Reapers supposed to do with the souls we harvest?"

Dionysus sighed. "I fear Athena consumed his soul to gain power for the attack on Olympus."

"Damn! What a bitch!"

Dionysus grinned at me. "Indeed."

Morty looked anxious. "So, back to my last question. What are we supposed to do with the souls we harvest?"

Dionysus pinched his chin. "You'll need a new Boatman."

"Where are we supposed to get one of those?" Morty asked.

I smirked. "I think I know the perfect man for the job."

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Dionysus took Morty and me back to the underworld aboard his cruise liner and dropped us off, then returned to Olympus. He said he'd come help us on Earth, but not before he was sure the daywalkers were equipped to protect Olympus.

He had a few other errands to run as well. He needed to pay a visit to Hades. The gods of wine and death were going to have to work together to create new schedules for the harvesting of human souls. It wasn't the best pairing for the job, but at this point, they were the two gods I trusted the most. They were dedicated to preserving the preeminence of the Olympians. They'd do the best they could, which was preferable to allowing the Egyptian gods to manage afterlife affairs.

Roy and my dad were on the shores of the River Styx, wading into the water knee-deep and casting fishing lines into the current.

"Are you sure about this?" Morty asked. "He isn't exactly a paragon of virtue."

I nodded. "He'll do the job well. More than that, I think we'll only have to pay him once."

Roy and my dad reeled in their lines. Roy had a little more difficulty.

"I think I've got one!"

I nudged my dad. "There are really fish in the River Styx?"

My dad shrugged. "Why wouldn't there be?"

Roy grabbed the end of his line. A large fish of some kind dangled from his hook. Roy unhooked it and tossed it back into the river.

I raised one eyebrow. "Catch and release? You didn't strike me as that type, Roy."

"Usually I ain't, but I've had my fill for the day. I'll tell you what. This river is full of 'em."

"I haven't had much luck." My dad shrugged. "But it's good fun."

Morty glanced at Roy. "How'd you like to spend your eternity on the river?"

Roy cocked his head. "Sounds like heaven!"

"We need a new Boatman," Morty continued. "You can fish, of course, but your primary responsibility will be to ferry the souls we reap into the afterlife. Are you interested?"

"Well, I'll be! That sounds dandy! One problem with that. I need me a boat!"

I grinned. "We had a deal, you know."

"You're gettin' me my sparkly boat?"

I chuckled. "I have to go back and check on Sienna. We have a lot to do, but it's on the top of my list of priorities!"

"Did ya hear that, Azzy?" Roy asked. "I'm gettin' a boat!"

I narrowed my eyes and looked at my dad. "Azzy?"

My dad sighed. "I told him my name is Azrael. He's called me 'Azzy' ever since."

"It's a lot easier to say! What kinda name is Ass Real anyway?"

My dad cleared his throat. "Azrael."

"Azzy it is!" Roy chuckled. "Now, how soon will I get my boat?"

"As soon as I can arrange it," I assured him.

"People die all the time," Morty interjected. "It'll take weeks for us to track down all the wandering souls that accumulated in recent days. We need to get you on the river before the situation gets too far out of hand."

"I'm ready. No, supposin' y'all get me my boat right away, someone's gonna need to show me where to go. I assume I'll be takin' people to hell and heaven?"

My father nodded. "I'll help you get started. My schedule is pretty open. I just need to make sure I'm back in time for Bingo Night at the Satyr's Lodge."

I rolled my eyes. "Is that really a priority, Dad?"

"Tonight, the winner gets a microwave! Damn straight, it is!"

I laughed. "All right, well, as long as Roy is trained before you take off."

"Don't worry about it, Zoey. I might be an old Reaper, but I still have plenty of knowledge and wisdom to impart."

"What about your ascension?" Morty asked.

My dad shrugged. "I'm guessing that won't be possible until the Olympians are restored. I have time to spare, and I'm in no hurry."

"Good to hear," Morty replied. "Because once you're done training Roy and you've won your microwave, I could use some help with the schedule. With so many wandering souls out there, it's going to get complicated."

My dad smiled. "No problem, son. I'll meet you in my office…well, your office, and we'll get started while Zoey goes boat shopping."

"I don't know if that will be enough time, Dad. We have a lot of work to do."

My dad smiled and rested his hand on Morty's shoulder. "Once I have my microwave, we'll make popcorn. We'll handle this problem together."

CHAPTER FORTY

I stepped through the portal and landed on my feet in my apartment. Sienna was on my couch, her head resting on my mom's shoulder.

I sighed in relief. I had been worried that Anubis and Ra had caught her. I sat down on the couch next to them.

I took a deep breath. "We did it."

"You saved Olympus?" Sienna stared ahead at the blank screen of our television.

I nodded. "Couldn't have done it without you. All the Olympians are on Earth."

Sienna nodded. "Yeah. So are the other gods."

I shook my head. "That's not your fault. I had to reap them. If anything, it's my fault. I had no idea they'd take over the golems."

"What about the daywalkers?"

"They're staying on Olympus. Athena is still there, but she’s in hiding. They wanted to make sure she didn't regain her power."

Sienna sighed. "So, I'm the only daywalker left?"

I shrugged. "On Earth."

"And you have friends here," my mom added.

Sienna rubbed her eyes. "I know. They weren't exactly friends anyway. Still, they were like me."

"I hate to ask this of you right now, but I need your help."

Sienna sighed. "What is it?"

"Any chance Gordon's estate is selling his boat?"

"Is that really a pressing issue?" my mom asked.

"It is. Roy is going to be the new Boatman. He needs a boat."

Sienna took out her phone and started searching.

"How are you going to get the boat to the underworld?"

I chuckled. "I'll send it through the portal."

My mom snickered. You're going to put a boat into Morty's office?"

I grinned. "Yup. They'll have to figure it out from there."

My mom laughed. "Your brother is going to freak out."

"He agreed to the plan. I don't think he considered how I'd have to deliver the boat. Worst case scenario, Cerberus can expand his body and take the boat with him on the astral plane down to the river."

Sienna showed me her phone. "I don't know if this was Gordon's boat, but it looks like it."

I nodded. "It'll do. Contact the seller. I'll pay for it."

Sienna tapped her phone and sent the seller a message. "I'll let you know when he responds."

I nodded. "Just send the address. I'll bring the portal crystal with me and send it straight from the pickup point."

My mom raised an eyebrow. "You're going to do that in front of the seller?"

I shrugged. "Of course not. I'll pay him and sign the title. I'll tell him I'm waiting for a truck, and hopefully, he won't hang around."

My mom grinned. "Good luck with that."

"Any word from Kevin? I need to talk to him."

"He's on his way over," Sienna told me. "He's been checking in every fifteen minutes, worried sick about you."

I laughed. "Sounds like Kevin."

My mom rested her hand on my knee. "To be fair, you were going to hell and battling gods. I'd be concerned about your relationship if he wasn't worried."

I nodded. "Good point. I know this is hard for you, too, Mom."

My mom shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"We just learned that Athena has been playing us for years. She used both of us, not to save the world but to try to take over Olympus."

My mom shrugged. "She made a big mistake."

"Well, obviously. She didn't win."

"I mean, she made the mistake of choosing a couple of badass chicks to use as her puppets. I don't think she anticipated that you'd be the one to stop her."

"I couldn't have done it without all of you. Without Morty and the Reapers..."

"What is it?" my mom asked.

I took a deep breath. "We lost Damon and Phil in the battle."

Sienna stared at me. "They didn't make it?"

I shook my head. "Athena killed both of them. Dionysus said she destroyed their souls."

Sienna shook her head. "I'm sorry to hear that."

I nodded. "A lot more lives will be at stake if we can't track down Anubis and Ra. I'm going to need Kevin's help to find them."

There was a knock on the door.

"Speak of the devil!" my mom exclaimed.

I chuckled. "Nope. I met the devil earlier today."

"Point taken!"

I answered the door. Kevin walked in and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm so glad you're back."

I squeezed Kevin. "I'm glad to be back."

"Up for ice cream?"

I nodded. "That sounds nice. We have a lot to talk about."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded. "It will be. We saved Olympus, but we have another problem."

"What is it, Zoey?" Kevin asked.

I sighed. "You're going to be busy. There are a couple of Egyptian gods here in the flesh. If they haven't yet, they're going to start killing people and consuming their souls."

Kevin tilted his head. "Well, we haven't had any bodies turn up today. How many bodies are we talking about?"

I sighed. "They'll need thousands. The faster they can get them, the better."

Kevin sighed. "I'll put out an alert for extra security at mass gatherings."

"That would be a good start."

"Anything we can do to stop them?"

I shrugged. "I won't know where to look until the bodies start piling up."

Kevin grabbed my hand. "Is there anything we can do to stop them before that happens?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. For now, though, I'd really enjoy getting ice cream with my man."

Kevin kissed me on the cheek. "I'll drive."

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

We stopped by a custard place not far from my apartment. I got a cookie dough concrete. Kevin went for a hot fudge sundae. Predictable. He was a traditional guy. He had a flair for adventure, of course, but when push came to shove, he took comfort in the tried and true.

He also got a little ice cream on his cheek. I laughed.

"What is it?"

I grabbed a napkin and wiped it off. "You're like a big kid."

Kevin smiled. "I'm just a boy at heart."

I grinned. "Yeah, men don't ever grow up."

Kevin raised his eyebrows. "True! We don't. Can I make a confession?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

"I still find fart jokes funny."

I almost spit out my custard. "Everyone does, but most of us are too conditioned to be 'adults,' so we pretend we don't."

"That's one of the many things I love about you."

I tilted my head. "That I appreciate fart jokes?"

Kevin laughed. "Not exactly. You've grown a lot since we first met. You've saved dozens of lives. You've even saved the world a time or two, and despite all that, you're still the same Zoey at heart. I don't know how you do it."

"What do you mean?"

Kevin put his spoon back in his sundae. "In my line of work, we see the worst in people. We don't get to see all the good things people do. When the shit hits the fan, when bodies hit the floor, when someone gets shot, we're there. That's one reason there's so much turnover on the force. After a while, a lot of cops get jaded, and it turns them bitter. The good ones get out before they do something reckless and hurt someone."

"And the not-so-good ones?"

Kevin shrugged. "You've seen the news. They hide behind the badge. They get cynical and fearful. They make mistakes."

I took another bite of my concrete. I didn't bother swallowing before I responded. "What does that have to do with me?"

Kevin grinned. "People and gods have betrayed you more than once. You've faced off with vampires and deities and prevailed. You've grown by leaps and bounds, but none of that has changed you. Your heart is still the same."

I took Kevin's hand in mine. "I don’t know about that, Kevin. My heart has changed."

"How so?"

"I used to be afraid to give my heart to anyone. You said it before. Betrayal and abandonment are big issues for me. I don’t know if that stems from my parents and growing up without my mom or from everything else that's happened since. Now I've opened my heart to love. I love you, Kevin."

Kevin gazed into my eyes. "I love you, too."

"You have changed me. I'm a better person because of you."

"I feel the same way."

I leaned in for a kiss. My phone dinged.

"Do you need to check that?"

I sighed. "Probably."

I had a text from Sienna.

You need to come home. You have visitors.

What about the boat? I texted back.

Sold! You can get it first thing in the morning. You really need to come back.

I sighed. "Sienna says we have visitors."

"Visitors?" Kevin asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know why she doesn't just spell it out."

I texted again. Who is it?

Just come home.

Kevin drove me home and followed me back up to my apartment.

Delphine was standing beside an elderly man with a long white beard.

"Um, hello? How did you know where I live?"

Delphine tilted her head.

"Ah, yes. You're psychic."

Delphine grinned. "I also have the Internet. You aren't hard to find."

I grunted. "I thought my records were hidden?"

"It's the Internet, honey. Nothing is hidden."

The old man stood up and extended his hand. "Hello, Zoey."

I cocked my head. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"We've encountered one another from a distance in the past," the man told me. "We need to talk."

I snorted. "I don't know who you are."

Delphine laughed. "This is Zeus, dear."

My jaw almost hit the floor. "Zeus? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not sure why my name is humorous," Zeus still had his hand extended.

I shook it. "Yeah, sorry. It isn't. I just didn't expect you to show up."

"The Oracle alerted me to the presence of the Olympians," Delphine said. "I found Zeus first. I'm helping him restore his memories."

"I believe I owe you a debt of gratitude," Zeus continued.

I shrugged. "It was nothing. Seriously, if I had known what Athena was planning, I'd never have helped her."

Zeus grinned. "She deceived all of us. You aren't that special."

I tilted my head. "I'm not special?"

Zeus laughed. "Not in that way. We need your help finding the other Olympians."

I shrugged and looked at Delphine. "Can't the Oracle help with that?"

"Not all of the gods were willing to speak to the Oracle, dear."

"They're afraid Athena will find them."

I pressed my lips together. "Well, she's hiding and powerless on Olympus."

"Your friend here said that some of your friends are working with Dionysus to guard my domain."

I nodded. "That's right."

"I'm also aware that a couple of other gods who are not my kin have made their way to Earth."

I frowned. "Anubis and Ra."

"They must be stopped."

"Can you help with that?" I asked.

"Not alone. Not without my fellow Olympians. Even then, I fear we lack the collective power to imprison them."

"I can't help you consume souls."

"I wouldn't ask you to. That's not our way. However, if the Reapers resume their work, we will grow stronger in time."

I nodded. "Because the souls we harvest strengthen you, even if you don't devour them like Anubis?"

"Precisely. It is important that we do everything to get the underworld operational again."

"Already on it. I have a new Boatman! I just have to bring him a boat."

"Good!" Zeus said. "There's one other problem we must address."

I sighed. "Of course there is. There are always problems."

"The other Olympians are not convinced they want to return to Olympus."

I furrowed my brow. "Why not?"

"It's been centuries since many of us set foot on Earth. My fellow gods are both angry and curious."

"Angry about Athena?"

Zeus nodded. "Some of them, though they do not remember recent events. As far as they know, you're still working for her."

"Then tell them I'm not!"

"Many of them also blame me for lacking the foresight to predict my daughter's betrayal."

I sighed. "Right. I almost forgot Athena was your daughter. I guess that will make family meals awkward."

Zeus laughed. "To say the least. I'm sure you can see the issue. Without the other gods, I cannot hope to stop Anubis and Ra. Convincing the others to join me again will be difficult."

I shook my head. "Hades said the gods are always looking for ways to challenge you for control."

Zeus nodded. "And he's one of them. No matter; this is how it has always been. We are the definition of a dysfunctional pantheon."

"No offense, but if the other gods think I'm still in league with Athena, wouldn't working with me make things worse?"

"I've considered that," Zeus admitted. "However, you're the only mortal since ancient times who has stood against gods and prevailed. In the end, we cannot subdue Anubis and Ra without you. We cannot imprison them on Earth without opening a portal that would effectively swallow the world. If we're going to stop the Egyptian gods, you'll have to reap them."

"I can't do that until you're powerful enough to stop them."

"And I won't be powerful enough unless we can prove to the other Olympians that you are on our side. Even with the Reapers working on the schedule, we won't gain enough power as individual gods to challenge Anubis or Ra. Not without consuming human souls. If, however, all of the Olympians work together and fight them on Olympus, we stand a chance."

Kevin cleared his throat. "Pardon me for speaking, Your Highness..."

"You can call me Zeus."

"Right, Zeus. My apologies. I'd rather not see the Egyptian gods kill that many people. Surely there's a way to stop them before that happens."

Zeus folded his hands at his waist. "The only way to do that would be to reset the Reapers' schedules. To do that, we'd have to know which people Anubis and Ra intend to kill. Then the Reapers would have to beat them to the targets."

"So, there is a way?" I asked.

Zeus shook his head. "I don't know of any way to predict which humans Anubis or Ra will kill. They are of another pantheon. I cannot read their minds."

I turned to Delphine. "Can you find out?"

Delphine sighed. "Perhaps, child. But to do so, I'd have to open myself up to a number of malevolent spirits. If I give those spirits a foothold, a chance to interact with the material world, the horrors they might unleash will make what Anubis and Ra have planned seem like child's play."

I bit my lip. "What kinds of malevolent spirits?"

"I'm speaking of demons, child."

I shrugged. "I met a demon. They aren't so bad!"

THE STORY CONTINUES

The story continues with book five, Angry Gods available at Amazon.

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AUTHOR NOTES - THEOPHILUS MONROE

JUNE 20, 2022

It’s hot as the dickens this time of the year in Kansas City. Until recently, I had no idea what a “dickens” was. It was something my dad used to say. Fathers say weird things. As a father of three, I’m sure I do too.

I Googled “dickens” (which is something you have to be careful about) and discovered it’s an idiom for “the Beast,” sometimes called “the Devil.”  I suppose I could have titled this book Deadly Dickens. Then again, I think the title I went with is much better. I’m not the sort who gives much thought to the way I hope to die someday—but if I had to choose between being killed by a “beast” or the “dickens,” I’d probably have to go with the beast.

Why does so much of Zoey’s story take place in Kansas City, anyway? Well, there are several reasons I chose the city. First, as you may have figured out from the beginning of my notes, I live there (sort of). Technically, I live about an hour east of Kansas City on about three acres where I can do all my writing in peace (when the three little “dickens” in my house aren’t causing a ruckus). I also grew up here. Second, we just found out that Kansas City is going to be a host city to the World Cup in 2026. A pretty significant accomplishment for a city that is relatively small compared to markets like New York, Chicago, or L.A.

I suppose featuring a city like my hometown in a story makes sense, then. It’s an up can coming place and I know my way around. If you’ve read the other series Michael and I wrote together, The Elven Prophecy, it was set in St. Louis. I lived there for about ten years, so again, I like to write about places I know.

Why, then, does hell (Hades) keep coming up in these books? I’ve never been there, I swear. I hope I never do go there. Then again, chances are the way I depicted the hot place isn’t at all what it’s really like. I’m sure the real one (if you believe in that sort of thing) is full of the “dickens.”

Stay tuned. Angry Gods is coming soon. I’m still not done with it, though. I’d better get to work and start writing like the “dickens”!

Best!

Theo

AUTHOR NOTES - MICHAEL ANDERLE

JUNE 28, 2022

Thank you for not only reading this book but these author notes as well!

Dear Diary: It's Day Twenty-eight, or is it Twenty-nine, in Europe, and I'm starting to hallucinate.

I'm pretty sure I read Theophilus' author notes, and he mistook Word Cup for World Cup and typed it wrong. I Googled the info, and I'm pretty sure he meant (and it was probably fixed) World Cup.

Way to go, Kansas City!

Best time in London ever, but I'm so ready to go home.

I am speaking at the SPF (Self Publishing Formula) 2022 London event tomorrow, and then we'll sleep one more time in this historic city (we have been here since Saturday. It's Tuesday right now, and we've been in Europe since the first of the month.)

Then, a "short" ten-hour trip home on the plane and a call to my favorite delivery Chinese place and VEEEEGGG with Skinwalker Ranch.

(Editor's note: OK, Michael, I'll admit I was very confused. I know what you eat, and vegetables with ranch dressing isn't it, and certainly not from a Chinese place. But that's what it sounded like. I wanted to know what Skinwalker Ranch tasted like cuz…EW! PS—you should be able to get rockin' Chinese food in London!?)

Skinwalker Ranch (or I suppose the full title on the History Channel is 'The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch') is my weakness. It is the Real Housewives of <<name some city here>> guilty pleasure for the paranormally inclined.

Like me. And my parents.

It's so good that I got my Dad and Mom hooked on it. When I spoke to my dad on Father's Day, he admitted they AREN'T watching it! It seems they are saving the viewing so they can binge-watch the entire Season Three at the end when everything is out.

Bastards.

That means I have no one in my family to gossip about the series with. My wife doesn't watch it (nor do I watch ANY of the Real Housewives of <<insert city here>> either, so I'm calling it good.)

It's frustrating that my OLDER PARENTS are binge-watchers. What happened to savoring the anxiety of one's anticipation each week? I must be the hipster here.

I miss it so much that I purchased the cheap version of the next show (I'm three shows behind due to European travel) and was all excited to sit down and enjoy it while I ate in my room.

Only to find out I couldn't download the SOB (probably) due to licensing restrictions…DAMN YOU, EUROPEAN LICENSING RESTRICTIONS!

Yes, I did try a VPN.   No Fix for me!

(Editor's note: I have this problem over there too. Couldn't watch The Great British Bake-Off in Greece. So bummed! VPN didn't work for me either.)

Well, Thursday night, when we arrive back home, I'll call the Chinese food place, sit down on the couch, and hope to God my cable box recorded all the weeks.

If not, that screaming in anguish you hear is me.

Enjoy your day, and talk to you in the next book!

Ad Aeternitatem,

Michael Anderle

MORE STORIES with Michael newsletter HERE:

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BOOKS BY THEOPHILUS MONROE

Chronicles of Zoey Grimm

(with Michael Anderle)

Family Squabbles (Book 1)

Revenge of the Scythe (Book 2)

Reaper For Hire (Book 3)

Deadly Beasts (Book 4)

Angry Gods (Book 5)

The Elven Prophecy

(with Michael Anderle)

Who Let the Dogma Out (Book 1)

Old Dogma New Tricks (Book 2)

Three Dogma Night (Book 3)

Junkyard Dogma (Book 4)

Dogma Days of Summer (Book 5)

Dogma of War (Book 6)

The Druid Legacy

Druid’s Dance

Bard’s Tale

Ovate’s Call

Rise of the Morrigan

The Voodoo Legacy

Voodoo Academy

Grim Tidings

Death Rites

Watery Graves

Voodoo Queen

The Legacy of a Vampire Witch

Bloody Hell

Bloody Mad

Bloody Wicked

Bloody Devils

Bloody Gods

The Legend of Nyx

Scared Shiftless

Bat Shift Crazy

No Shift Sherlock

Shift For Brains

Shift Happens

BOOKS BY MICHAEL ANDERLE

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