Monster Whisperer - J.B. Trepagnier Page 0,48

red wall. Demeter looked bored.

“Well? Step through.”

“It’s the gate to the Underworld, River,” Cerberus explained.

“I have to pretend like I don’t know that.”

“I was passed out when I came down here. I don’t know what that is.”

Demeter just rolled her eyes.

“It’s a gate. One this filthy mutt used to guard before I took over. You bore me,” she said, shoving me through.

I nearly went flying on my ass before I righted myself. Demeter stepped through, and Cerberus came running.

“Are you okay? I’d love to give her a bite.”

“I’m fine. Play it cool.”

I looked around me, and we were on a mountain. We were on one of the ridges, and there was an enormous stone on the side. There were women with machine guns and bows all over the place. I guess this was Hephaestus’s volcano. How did we even get here?

“The door to the Underworld leads here?”

“It leads to where you want it to lead. Now, step inside. Hephaestus doesn’t have a rule about dogs going in with you. Run along now.”

“How do I get inside? I just see stone.”

Demeter just crossed her arms and smirked at me.

“You have to prove you are worthy to get a weapon from Hephaestus. You’re just a human dog. I got you here. At least figure out how to get through the front door. I have my doubts you can even stick a blade in Hades. If you can’t even figure this out, I’ll kill at least one of his dogs today.”

This bitch right here. I wanted to punch her right in her perfect nose or set that ridiculous dress on fire with that fire I just discovered I had. But I had a secret weapon, and I needed to use it. I couldn’t expose myself to Demeter just because she was a raging asshole.

“Cerberus, how do I open this door?”

“There’s a doorbell hidden somewhere. Plenty of demigods have worn themselves out trying to move or break that stone, but Hephaestus prefers you knock and introduce yourself politely. You will have to play this off, River. Demigods have stood outside this volcano for weeks before they figured this out.”

I pretended to pace and think. I rarely thought out loud because people tended to think you were crazy, and I had enough of psychiatrists and antipsychotics being thrown at me when I was younger. But I would pretend to be as nutty and weird as possible if it meant tricking Demeter. Just the fact that I was here doing this probably meant I was a little insane. I mean, I was here talking to monsters. I should probably just embrace that shit.

“It looks like people have tried to move the rock or break it, but didn’t get in. Hephaestus is an inventor. All I know about him is what they taught in Greek mythology classes, but I think he would have made it hard for demigods to get to him. Which means this stone can’t be broken down or moved.”

Demeter just tossed her hair over her shoulder like I was irritating her.

“Hades stole an intelligent dog. Maybe you’ll actually succeed at trapping him with the Titans. The only reason I was even entertaining this and taking you here was that it would crush him when his new dog turned on him, and he had to put it down.”

“I will figure out how to get inside, and I will succeed at my mission.”

Demeter just laughed at me.

“Human dogs are so silly with their faith. I suppose since you will die anyway, I can let you in on the big secret. None of us are even Gods. Oh, we call ourselves that now, but that was the name humans gave us when we visited that realm. Oh, they worshipped us for a time and let us wreak all sorts of havoc while sacrificing to us. So, don’t think I’ll have any issues throwing you into the pits of Tartarus if you displease me.”

You can certainly try, bitch. I’ll light you up.

“Let me get through this door first.”

“You can certainly try, dog.”

I started feeling around the stone until I found cracks. I pressed in until I felt it give. Sure, enough, there was a fucking doorbell there. A powerful being from another realm wanted me to ring his doorbell for an entrance. I pressed the button, and the door swung open.

I just ignored Demeter as she glared at me. Suck on that, Demeter. Cerberus joined my side.

Brace yourself, River. Maybe Hephaestus wasn’t as god-awful as Demeter was. I