“There’s no rhyme or reason to this.” Brooks pressed her lips together. “It’s like the map’s going haywire….”
“Maybe it doesn’t work in Xib’alb’a,” Ren said.
“It has to work!” The map was our only ticket off the island.
“Stop looking at me!” Hondo shouted at the roving eyes.
“No one’s looking at you,” came a familiar voice.
We all spun to see a young woman step through a panel in the ice wall that closed behind her with a swish. She wore loose black cargo pants with ties at the hems and a black long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail that drew her face back so tightly it looked like her skin might crack if she smiled. No chance of that happening, though. It was Brooks’s fierce (and super-demanding) older sister.
Hondo leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Dude, it’s her—the one who jammed a lightning bolt into Ixtab’s back.”
“Quinn?” Brooks raced over. “I thought you were in hiding, undercover….”
She gave Brooks a quick hug. “Things have changed. And you guys aren’t supposed to be here,” she said to everyone but me and Rosie. “This entrance is for Obispo and the hellhound only. In case of an emergency.”
“It’s a total emergency,” I said. “And her name’s Rosie.”
Quinn shrugged. “Right. Zane, you’re an idiot, and you, Brooks, you should know better than to think you can come to Xib’alb’a. If the lower-level demons get one whiff of you guys, zombie madness will break out! You want to get your faces eaten off?”
Brooks stuck her chin in the air. “You’re here.”
“I’m full—” Quinn stopped herself. I knew she was about to say she wasn’t a half-breed nawal like Brooks. “Come on, we need to get out of here before the next storm hits. They come every five minutes, and they get more violent each time.”
“If it’s so dangerous, why use this place as an entrance?” I asked.
“The six deadly houses are part of the oldest areas of the underworld,” Quinn said. “Ixtab couldn’t have you waltzing down Main Street, could she?” She smirked. “But you were supposed to use the elevator, genius.” She gave a hard stare at Ren like she was noticing her for the first time. “Who’s the girl?”
Ren shuffled her feet. “Er…I’m—”
“Her name’s Ren,” Brooks said.
“I can smell she’s not entirely human,” Quinn said.
Ren nodded like she was about to spill her guts, but before she could, Quinn added, “Okay, so three half-breeds, a hellhound, and a full…human.” Her gaze shifted to Hondo, who was smiling. Smiling!
He pushed his hair back and folded his arms casually, but I could tell he was just trying to act cool to impress Quinn. I was pretty sure it would take a lot more than flexing biceps to impress her. “So how about we check out of Rattle Hell Hotel,” Hondo said.
“Ixtab’s not going to like that you brought them with you, Zane,” Quinn said. “Do you know how dangerous this place can be?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Uh…she can’t know we’re here.”
Quinn looked like she might grip my throat with her bare hands. “There’s no way to avoid the queen.”
“Please, Quinn,” Brooks said softly. “We need help….”
“No one comes to the underworld for help,” Quinn spat.
“We do,” I said. “Please. Just get us through a gateway…without Ixtab knowing.”
Quinn’s eyes found the map still clutched in Brooks’s hand. “That’s a pretty rare and valuable thing, little sister.”
Brooks pushed her hair behind her ears and stood taller. “And it’s yours if you help us.”
I wanted to shout NO! We needed that map to get home once we rescued my dad. The longer I was off the island, the higher the chances of the gods finding me. But when I saw Quinn consider the trade, I held back. It was more important to get to South Dakota. We’d figure out how to get home after. Plus, I was pretty sure Brooks had a backup plan. She was probably born with one!
“You’d give me this map,” Quinn said flatly.