Chapter 23.1

What about the others? One of the first pieces of information I had given Hades was about the secure enclosure of Hellhounds. He was bound to assume that the pack had returned to his domain to steal souls.

“Let’s seek higher ground,” I whispered to Glinda. “Maybe we can see the others.”

She ran through the trees, and I swore that some of the branches were trying to reach for us. A few grabbed my arm but snapped off as we passed. My breath turned shallow. Even the dead trees in Hell were hostile.

The forest inclined upward in the beginnings of a hill. We ascended at a rapid pace, using the dry vegetation as cover, until the incline became too steep. Glinda bowed her head and panted with effort. The air wasn’t exactly thin, but it was obvious that the strain was becoming too much.

I patted Glinda on the side of her neck. “Let me down.” She shook her head.

“It’s all right, we’re not separating,” I told her in my gentlest voice. “We’re going to make better progress if we walk side by sid