Skin cold, I turned to the door and strode toward it, determined to figure out how to pick the lock and get my butt out of there.
I knelt at the door to more closely inspect the handle, unable to find a lock.
Damn it. Had that bastard locked it with his magic?
Cold with worry, I gripped the heavy metal door handle and twisted.
It gave easily under my grip, and the door swung open into the hall.
“Holy crap!”
That had actually worked. He hadn’t locked me in.
Heart pounding, I peeked out into the wide hallway. Empty in both directions. I nearly darted out, then rethought it.
A weapon. I needed a weapon. I hadn’t seen a single house plant in this whole place, and nothing outside in the city either. So my power, as wonky as it was, would be completely worthless with nothing to draw from.
Quietly, I ducked back into the room and began to search. In under two minutes, I found a sharp letter opener in the small desk. Hell, it was so sharp that it was almost a dagger.
This was too good to be true.
Unease tightened my shoulders.
Why was this so easy?
Because it’s going to be hard as hell to escape.
I almost wished the door had been locked. That, I would understand. But this . . .
It spoke to his confidence that I couldn’t get out of his realm. Because he wasn’t the sort of man to make mistakes.
A memory hit me.
Mac.
I couldn’t just run for it. She still needed a cure, and I’d lost the vial of mist that I’d collected earlier. If I escaped without it, I could be dooming her to die.
I slumped against the desk.
Damn it. That wasn’t an option.
Okay, change of plan. Find a cure for Mac, then escape.
I looked down at my legs, pale and bare between the unicorn shorts and the wellies. Could I really be charging around Hades’ lair in this getup?
A large wooden wardrobe caught my eye. But did I want to wear his clothes?
Not really.
But I’d draw a hell of a lot of attention like this.
Quickly, I strode to the wardrobe and found a dark cloak. There were other outfits—pretty dresses, for the most part. No way I would be wearing those. I spun the cloak over my shoulders and tucked the letter opener into a pocket.
Properly outfitted, I headed back to the door, my mind racing.
Where did I start? Could I count on the people who lived in this castle for help?
No.
From the looks of adoration—and fear—on their faces when they’d seen him in the street, they would not be on my side. Which left only Hades.
Fear shivered through me.
Was I really going to go straight to him?
What other choice did I have? Normally, I’d solve my problem by heading to the library. Here, that wasn’t an option. It was across town, and I had no idea what I was looking for.
And Hades hadn’t killed me. He hadn’t even really hurt me. Or locked me up. So, as much as I didn’t want to see him again, he was my best bet. If I could just get a little bit of that mist that went along with his magic, I could get out of here. Or maybe even a lock of hair.
I’d need something to carry the mist in, though.
I turned back to the room, looking for a perfume bottle or something. There was nothing.
Damn it.
Equipped with my letter opener, I stepped into the hallway, my heartbeat nearly deafening me. My footsteps were silent on the stone floor as I headed left, the direction chosen at random.
The entire castle smelled faintly of ash and fire, but it had become almost nice. Almost. Like a campfire on a cool day. If I could find the kitchen or the healer, I’d be able to snag a container for the sample of Hades’ magic. Like Tupperware from hell.
I turned a corner into an austere hallway, nearly running into a woman. She squeaked and backed up, her black cap wobbling on her head.
A maid, from the look of the mop and bucket in her hand. She was pretty, with pale hair and blue eyes and no discernible magic, though she had to have some if she was here.
“Who are you?” She looked me up and down.
“An unwilling guest.”
Her eyes widened. “He’s found you.”
“Found me? What do you mean?” I stepped closer, heart leaping.
“Nothing. I meant nothing.” She darted around me and scurried down the hall, disappearing