Page 56 of Shadowed Spirits

“I’m fromInfernus, cub.” Levi flashes him a savage grin that would make Hades proud. Mateo gulps at the information, andI resist the urge to laugh. It’s still a mystery how these shifters know aboutInfernus, one I intend to solve before we leave.

“Since you know what Levi and I are, what are you?” I ask, distracting Mateo from just how deadly Levi can be if he wants to. I’m surprised that the shifters know aboutInfernusbut not Levi, considering he’s Hades’s younger brother.

“We’re jaguar shifters. We’re the largest prowl in South America.” Mateo’s chest puffs up in pride at that. I have no idea how large the other prowls are, so I just pretend to be suitably impressed. For all I know, fifteen could be the entire size of his prowl.

I realize how wrong I am when we burst out onto a landing that overlooks a bustling underground city. From up here, I can see the vast metropolis stretching on for miles. Much like the cavern earlier, this massive cave has a circular hole in the ceiling that lets in some morning sunlight.

Instead of skyscrapers, most of the stone buildings, made of the same rock as the cave, are only a story or two tall. Breaking up the sea of gray are the colorful orange and emerald tile roofs, green spaces with mountain flowers and grasses, and the colorful clothes of the shifters walking or running through the bustling town.

I’m pretty sure my mouth is hanging open with how surprised I am, but can you really blame me? I never expected all of this to be underneath one of Doyle’s meeting locations. In fact, I never expected to encounter anyone, let alone an entire hidden city.

“Impressive, huh?” Mateo’s voice is smug, rightfully so. I mutely nod to him, unable to tear my gaze away from the gorgeous stone city. With a chuckle, Mateo leads our group down a winding rock staircase. I get slightly dizzy from the three stories of curving steps, but I manage not to puke, so that’s a win.

As he leads us into the bustling city, Aggie pops up in front of me. “Hey, kid. Find anything useful yet?” Aggie looks around, her spectral eyes wide as she takes in the cave and the outskirts of the underground town. “Aw, man. Where are we? Hell again? Purgatory? A cult that’s planning to sacrifice you?”

I snort. “No, no, and no. And they’re not a cult, as far as I know.” Since I don’t know the answer, I ask Mateo, “What’s your city called?”

Mateo’s forehead wrinkles in confusion. “Who are you talking to? And our city is calledLa Esperanza.”

“A ghost.” Since they already know I’m a spirit mage, there’s no reason to hide the fact that I’m chatting with a ghost. At his panicked expression, I add, “Don’t worry. It’s not anyone you know.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not what he was worried about, kid.” Aggie makes sure to stay as far from Levi as she can, continuing to eye him warily as we walk. I resist the urge to laugh at her. “Do I even want to know how you ended up in a hidden metropolis?”

As we’re talking, we move from the sparse outskirts into the more densely populated center. The buildings are tightly packed, but their colorful doors and glazed roofs set each building apart from its neighbor. As we walk along the gray cobblestone streets, we see carefree kids running around, shopkeepers opening their stores for the day, and people sitting in cafés, enjoying the morning.

All the people we pass stare at our procession with wide eyes and open mouths. I guess it’s not every day that Mateo marches outsiders surrounded by armed guards through the city. Feeling like I’m on display, I try to avoid meeting the gaze of anyone we pass, instead choosing to enjoy the beautiful city as we walk through it.

After thinking on what Aggie asked, I shake my head. “Probably not. Is there a reason you’re here? Other than being a judgmental old lady?”

Aggie gasps theatrically. “I’m not old! I’m an extremely young one-hundred-and-fifty-two-year-old. And I just wanted to report on the situation in Hawthorne Grove. The council’s freaking out about Doyle’s disappearance, but no one suspects you were behind it or that you’re a spirit mage. What’s left of the council wants to keep the whole thing under wraps, too.”

“Well, I guess that’s the best outcome we can hope for. As long as Lua doesn’t run around restoring everyone’s memories, we should be okay.” Although, life is never really that easy. I’m fully expecting something to go wrong. We’ll likely arrive back at Hawthorne Grove to a welcoming committee of pitchforks, a stake to be burned at, and very pissed-off citizens. That’s a problem for another time, though.

We walk in silence for several minutes until Mateo looks at me over his shoulder. “Are there any other ghosts here?”

Scanning the area around me for any spirits, I shake my head when I don’t find anything. “Not that I can see. Are you in the habit of torturing, brutally murdering, or ritualistically killing people with excessive violence here?”

Mateo sputters and looks horrified. “No. Of course not.”

I shrug. “Then there’s little chance I’d see anyone. I usually only see damaged souls. Was there someone you were hoping to see?”

“My brother,” he rasps.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my chest squeezing at the thought of anything happening to Aiden or Rhys. “It’s better for his soul that I don’t see him here. It means he’s passed on to wherever it is that spirits go after they die.”

Mateo dips his chin and faces forward again before muttering, “Infernus.”

“What?” I ask, confused about why he just randomly said that.

He twists around to look at me. “That’s where spirits from Earth go when they die. They’re sent to different sectors. The Asphodel Meadows are for typical spirits, the Elysian Fields or Isles of the Blessed for the remarkable ones, and the River Styx for those who committed unforgivable transgressions in life.”

What he said matches up with what Cerberus told me, but I never put it together that all those places are inInfernus. I guess that makes sense that souls go there because thecuraare guardians of humanity.

Our procession finally comes to a stop outside a structure completely covered in dark green vines. Its cheery blue door and yellow flowers fit in seamlessly with the other buildings.

“How is it that you guys know so much aboutInfernus?” I ask as we follow Mateo into what I’m pretty sure is a house. The navy walls, light wood floors, and eclectic furniture in shades of neon blue, dark purple, and lime green shouldn’t go together in the cozy living room, but somehow, they do.

Mateo is the only one who goes into the house with us. The rest of the heavily armed shifters stay outside and begin to chat among themselves. Cerberus remains behind with them, seeming content to sniff all the plants, buildings, and people out front.

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