The Fire Keeper (The Storm Runner 2)

“All I’m saying,” he added, “is that she needs to be able to handle stress. Meditation would help.”

“I’ll try anything,” Ren said. “I can’t just become a zombie in the middle of some big moment or fight.”

“I’ll train you,” Hondo whispered to her.

“Can we just get inside?” Brooks shouldered her pack and got on all fours to lead the way.

Hondo scrunched down to navigate the tight opening. “What is this, the elf entrance?”

“It’s so dark,” Ren exclaimed, following closely behind Rosie, who had to belly-crawl so she wouldn’t hit her head. Flames blazed in the hellhound’s eyes, illuminating the space. “Thanks, Rosie.”

“You mean…you can’t see in the dark?” I asked, bringing up the rear.

Ren hesitated, then said, “That’s a Zane thing.”

Rosie snorted.

The passage was tight. Ahead of me, Hondo’s breathing quickened and he began to chant under his breath, but I couldn’t make out the words.

“We’re almost there,” I said. I called the heat from Rosie’s eyes and made a small fireball for more light.

I heard Hondo’s sigh of relief as we emerged into an open chamber. Our shadows loomed across the craggy walls. Ren spun around with her head tilted back. “It looks just like how you described it.”

“Really?” Brooks said sarcastically. “I thought Zane was such a terrible writer.” She elbowed Hondo, who just shrugged and rolled his neck back and forth like he had a cramp.

Rosie blew out a stream of smoke and lumbered across the chamber, where she stopped in front of three passages, each branching off in a different direction. I knew this place so well I could walk it blindfolded. Rosie, too. We’d spent years exploring the volcano back in New Mexico before I knew who I really was.

I stared down the passage on the far right. That was where the demon runner had tricked Brooks and me and led us into the sacrifice chamber. A place I’d avoided ever since.

Please don’t let that be the gateway to hell, I prayed.

“Dude,” Hondo said, “you pick some creepy places to hang out.”

“How many caves are in this place?” Ren asked like she was interviewing me for her alien blog.

“A lot.” I shrugged. “It’s like a maze that goes on forever.”

“So which one goes to Xib’alb’a?” asked Brooks.

I didn’t want to admit the truth—that I had no idea where the door to hell was.

It wasn’t like Ixtab had given me a map. She’d never mentioned the entrance’s exact location, only that it was inside the Beast. And even though I’d been back here a bunch of times, I never poked around for the passageway to the underworld, mostly because she’d threatened me with torture if I ever used it for anything but the direst situation.

“I don’t see any emergency exit signs,” Hondo said.

“Entrance,” Brooks corrected. “Not exit.”

“Depends on how you look at it,” Hondo mumbled. He kept taking deep breaths and placing his hands together like he was saying a prayer.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Gotta prepare the mind, calm the nerves,” he said. “It’s all about controlling the breath. And seeing the outcome you want. I see a tall, beautiful woman opening the door and saying, ‘Hey, come on in for some Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and salsa.’ Then she gives us everything we want, we get to fight a demon or two for fun, and we go home with a trophy.”

“Trophy?” Brooks let out a light laugh. “Pretty sure hell doesn’t give out trophies.”

“It’s my vision, and your negative energy is jamming my good-vibe frequency, Brooks,” Hondo said.

“I like it,” Ren whispered to Hondo. “Could use a little more detail, but pretty solid as far as visions go.”