Brooks rolled her eyes and Rosie gave a short grunt like she was trying to say This is hell, not fairyland.
“Rosie will show us the way,” I said. “Right, girl?”
The hellhound escorted us down the corridor to the left. The passage led to a web of narrow caves, tight crawly spaces, and inclines so steep I couldn’t investigate them, even with Fuego. Just as we were about to cut right, Rosie stopped, backed up, and stared at the wall to our left. But there was no door, no opening, not even a sliver of light.
“Are you sure this is it, girl?”
She lifted her chin, and her eyes glowed red as she focused on the trio behind me and whined.
“Back up, everyone.” Rosie grabbed my fireball between her jaws and nudged my cane. I knew what she wanted me to do. I changed Fuego into its awesome glowing blue spear self and stepped back the entire ten feet the passage allowed. With a deep breath, I launched the weapon, worried it didn’t have enough distance to gain momentum.
The passage lengthened, and the wall opened wide when the spear hit it. I blinked as bright light streamed into the cave. When my eyes adjusted, I saw a snowy meadow in front of us. There was an icy rush of a stream, and snowflakes tumbled down from above.
Pale shapes glided through a few leafless trees like white shadows or ghosts.
“Holy K!” Brooks said as we teetered on the edge of this strange world.
“Holy hell,” Hondo uttered.
“Increíble!” Ren said.
“We’re going in there, aren’t we?” Hondo shivered. “Someone could have told me to bring a coat.”
“Just tell yourself it isn’t cold,” Brooks teased.
“This doesn’t feel right,” Ren said.
“Then we’re in the right place,” I said as Fuego appeared back in my hand and I stepped into snow up to my ankles.
My heart pounded as we inched across the meadow toward a dead forest. “What is this place?”
“It’s like the North Pole or something.” White fog streamed from Hondo’s mouth. “I thought hell was all fire and brimstone.”
Brooks pressed her lips into a line and glanced around suspiciously.
Looking stunned, Ren stood a few feet behind everyone like she was too afraid to take another step toward the strange forest. “I really don’t think that’s the way,” she said.
“How would you know?” Brooks said to her.
“I just have a sixth sense about stuff like this. I can always sniff out a fake alien report, too.”
The snow beneath my feet shifted to reveal an ice lake. “Guys.”
Brooks’s and Hondo’s gazes followed mine.
“Please tell me there’s not water underneath this,” Brooks muttered softly, like she was afraid her words could puncture the ice.
“Nobody move,” I said, stopping in my tracks. I looked at Rosie. Smoke curled from her nose. Her muscles were flexed.
“Let’s just back up slowly,” Brooks said.
“Backing up is the wrong direction,” I reminded her.
“Water is always the wrong direction!”
I glanced over my shoulder. Ren stood at the edge of the meadow, shaking her head and gesturing for us to come back. Her mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying.
The snow was falling heavier now, big thick snowflakes that stuck to my lashes and blocked my view of Ren. The gloomy sky seemed to press in on us as an arctic breeze swept through.