Read Online Dark Descent - [Nyx Fortuna 02] by Marlene Perez - Free Book Online

“It’s an improvement.” Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears and I felt like an ass for making her worry.

Chapter Ten
    Talbot, Naomi, and I were holed up in the office at Eternity Road, searching a map of Minneapolis for clues to the location of Hecate’s gate to the underworld.
    “You can find Hecate’s gate at a three-way crossroad,” he said.
    “Where can I find a three-way crossroad in Minneapolis?” I wasn’t a native, but my question stumped my friends, too.
    We studied the map.
    “I can’t tell anything from this tiny map,” I said.
    Talbot got out a magnifying glass, and we took turns staring at the roads of a miniature city.
    “Hell’s Belles is near a three-way crossroad,” Talbot said. “And we were attacked by a wraith there not that long ago.”
    “You think Hecate sent a wraith after me?” I asked. “I thought the prophecy was supposed to work in her favor?”
    “Do you have any better ideas?” Talbot replied. “She might not have the motive, but she definitely had the opportunity.”
    He was right. You couldn’t walk in the underworld without tripping over a dead person. Or so I’d been told.
    “Bernie knows something,” I said. “I just don’t know what.”
    “She’s a demon,” Talbot reminded me needlessly. “She’ll never talk.”
    “We’re going to have to find a way to make her talk,” I said.
    “The location seems too obvious,” Naomi said. “Right in plain sight.”
    “It’s not like anyone can stroll into Hecate’s domain,” I pointed out. “She’ll have some nasty surprises for the unwary or uninvited.”
    “Talbot’s not going with you,” Naomi said.
    His face darkened. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he said and then he pulled her aside, while I tried to stare at anything besides them. I tried to look busy, but my gaze returned to their angry faces. Talbot’s eyes had turned to silverlight, which was never a good sign.
    I’d never seen my best friend and my cousin argue, not once, since they’d started dating, but it was clear they were fighting now.
    I felt more awkward by the moment, and even worse, I was wasting valuable time. I cleared my throat. “Uh, I’m taking off,” I said. “See you later.”
    I walked away, but Talbot caught up with me down the block. “You were gonna just bail on me?” he asked.
    “I recognized that look in Naomi’s eyes,” I said. “And I didn’t have time to watch your lovers’ quarrel.”
    “She’s stubborn,” he said. “But I’m worse.”
    “She’s a Fate,” I said, suddenly serious. “Don’t ever forget it.”
    “Naomi would never do anything to hurt me,” he replied. “Or you.”
    I wished I were as certain of that as he seemed to be. “The supper rush should be over by now,” I said. “The restaurant will be emptying out. Maybe Bernie will want to talk.”
    Talbot snorted, but didn’t say anything, We were almost to the café when he put a hand on my arm. “Someone’s tailing us,” he whispered.
    “Are you sure?” I looked back in time to see a shadowy figure dart into a doorway.
    He nodded and then increased his pace. “We need to bail on this idea.”
    “No way,” I replied. “What are they going to do? Beat us to death with a pie?”
    The figure moved again and a streetlight illuminated his features.
    “It’s just Doc,” Talbot said. “He’s harmless.”
    “You sound disappointed,” I said. “My cousin isn’t enough excitement for you anymore?”
    “None of your business,” Talbot replied. There was an odd note in his voice, but my attention was focused on the homeless guy.
    “Who’s Doc?” I asked.
    “The guy who helped us with Elizabeth.”
    Now I recognized the mutilated face of the guy tailing us. “Hey, wait a minute.”
    I owed him money and he owed me an explanation. I wanted to know why he’d given me my mother’s emerald frog. I wanted to know why he had magical powers, powers that people would pay for, but instead, he was homeless. I