That was normally her reason for disturbing them. "No. Not this time. I need to know if any of you have ever been in a gallu's dreams? More important, has any Dream-Hunter been in Kessar's?"
Still D'Alerian's face showed no emotions whatsoever. "Why would an Oneroi-"
"Not Oneroi," she said, interrupting him. "I'm not looking for someone who'd have been helpful or healing toward the gallu. I need a vicious Skotos. Someone who would know what Kessar is truly afraid of."
They exchanged puzzled looks.
M'Adoc folded his arms over his chest. "There are only two who would fit that. Solin or Xypher."
"Xypher," the other two said in unison.
M'Ordant folded his arms over his chest. "Even though he's vicious, Solin is too into women and sex. He doesn't stir fear unless it's to kick an Oneroi out of a dream."
D'Alerian concurred. "Xypher is the one who thrives most on fear and always has. But he's a complete renegade that not even we can rope in."
Xypher sounded exactly like what Kat needed. "Great. Where is he?"
"Tartarus," M'Adoc said coldly. "We were forced to kill him and now he's spending eternity being punished for his crimes."
Yeah, this was getting better by the minute. "You killed him?"
M'Adoc nodded. "Let me reiterate the part about him being a complete renegade. He is what made people afraid to go to sleep. But if there's someone who's going to know a way to scare a demon, he's your god."
"Sweet." Kat put as much sarcasm into that single word as was possible. "Can't wait to meet him. Would one of you care to send me over to Hades' place?"
M'Adoc scowled. "Can't you go yourself?"
"I'm a little low on juice at the moment and would deeply appreciate a small hand."
D'Alerian snapped his fingers and an instant later she found herself in one of the last places she wanted to be. The Underworld. It was a special kind of spooky. The kind that went down your spine like an ice cube and left you wanting to look over your shoulder to see what might be stalking you for dinner. There were all kinds of unsavory beings who called this place home.
But it wasn't all bad. The Elysian Fields were actually nice. They were the paradise where decent souls were sent to live out eternity in total happiness. If only Xypher were there. Instead, he was in the worst place of all. Tartarus. It was where the evil were sent to be punished. There was no light here. No laughter. Nothing pretty or nice.
It was dark and pain filled. The entire area was lined with caverns and holding cells where screams of agony echoed, begging for mercy. The occupants were seldom in a state to be recognized by even their own mothers, and the caverns were laid out like an intricate labyrinth.
Without help, Kat would never be able to find Xypher.
"Eris!" she called, summoning the goddess of discord-her less than favorite friend. The last time the two of them had been together, they'd ended up in a bolt war that had ended only when Zeus had intervened and sent them both to their rooms for a solid decade.
Eris appeared before her in a pique. Dressed in a sheer black gown, Eris was as pale as a ghost. Her black hair was swept up toward the crown of her head, where curls cascaded down to fall all the way to her hips. As beautiful as Aphrodite, Eris was the most evil of any god. "You rang, bitchtress?"
Kat took a deep breath to keep from answering that insult. As a goddess of discord, it was always Eris' nature to pick a fight. "I need to find an inmate here and you're the one I'm sure who can lead me straight to him."
She arched a brow. "Really? What makes you think that?"
Kat looked around the dismal place. "The fact that I know how much you love to torture people. Any time Ares is bedding someone, I know you come here to play."
Lifting her chin defiantly, Eris narrowed her gaze. "And who told you that? Persephone?"
"It doesn't matter who told me. The point is I need your help."
"And what will you give me for that?"
I won't kick your ass. If only she could say that out loud. "Hmm... I guess what I'll do is continue to keep the secret that you're the one who told Zeus about Hera's affair with that cover model in New York last fall."
Eris's face paled as all smugness left her features. "How do you know that?"
"Unlike you, I have friends all over the place who love to gossip. Now are you going to help me?"
Eris's nostrils flared. "You know-"
Kat put her hand up. "Don't even waste your time threatening me. You do anything to irritate me and I'll make you eat that golden apple you love to throw at people. Now show me where the former Skotos Xypher is kept."
A mischievous glint came to her dark eyes. "You do like to live dangerously, don't you? But to be fair, I should warn you that he's an animal."
"Goody... now lead me to him."
Eris smirked before they vanished. When Kat could see again, she was inside a small cavern. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear the constant sound of something in motion. She wasn't sure what exactly it was.
At least not until Eris snapped her fingers and light appeared.
Kat cringed as she saw a man on the floor whose entire back was covered with bloody welts. The noise she'd heard was of a whip that was wielded by a skeleton who stood over him beating him constantly.
Growling, he rolled over and grabbed the whip only to have it disintegrate in his hand. Another one appeared in the hand of the skeleton, who continued with the lashes.
Eris made a clicking noise with her teeth. "Here, little Xypher... want to play with Cousin Eris?"
"Fuck you, bitch."
"Oooo," Eris said, wrinkling her nose, "feeling spry this morning, are we? Should I join the fun?"
"Eris," Kat said quickly. "Leave us alone."