An Ember's Keeper

Chapter 16

They don't actually cut through the woods. At least, not yet. They take the direct route to the palace and Ben's office. If he started there like they suspect than it should be easy enough to trace whatever path he took, beast or not.

"So, exactly what kind of beast are we looking for?" Jay asks as they make their way up the main pathway.

"Dad always described him as big and hairy," Gil remembers. "More animal than man. He said he had horns and huge teeth, sharp as a sword."

Carlos swallows hard. "So, he should be easy enough to spot. Great," he adds flatly.

"You guys are still just assuming that's what Audrey turned Ben into," Evie points out. "I mean, he could be anything really."

"Here's hopin' tha's wha' the lass chose," Harry says with a scoff. "At leas' then she'd have done somethin' righ'."

Mal shoots him an incredulous look. "How would that in any way be right?" she demands.

"I can 'ppreciate the irony," he says simply.

Hayden nods. "Anything else would just be disappointing," he agrees. "If Audrey wants to play the villain then the least she can do is be a half-decent one."

There's a murmur of agreement from everyone else while Mal just looks at them all in disbelief. She doesn't actually get a chance to say anything else about it, however, as they enter the palace itself.

The girls end up in the front with Mal and Uma arguing again while Evie tries to play mediator. The rest of them trail behind, either unwilling to get involved in their little powerplay or, more likely, just uninterested in it.

"What are we gonna do when we find Ben anyway?" Gil asks, head turning every which direction as he tries to take in all of the fancy decorations that fill the building. "I mean, he's probably gonna be all, you know, beastly."

Jay shrugs. "Mal can just kiss him," he says casually. "That always cures the curse."

Carlos looks at him with raised eyebrows. "And if she can't get close enough to safely kiss him?"

"Uh..." Jay looks around like he expects an answer to jump out at him. He perks up when his eyes land on Hayden who is busy trying to keep Harry from getting distracted by all of the potential loot in the palace. "Hayden can handle it," he decides.

Hayden grabs Harry's hand to keep him from stealing a gold picture frame off the wall and turns to the rest of them with an expectant look. "Hayden can do what now?" he asks.

"You can handle Ben if he's really a beast."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I mean, you deal with your dad's dog," Jay points out. "Cerberus, right?"

Hayden scoffs. "Cerberus is trained," he tells him. "He knows how to listen and obey commands. He is not some wild animal."

He seems nearly offended by the insinuation.

Harry nods. "Aye. Yeh do have him trained," he agrees, paying no mind to the looks he gets from the other three.

"Harry, are you saying you've actually... met Cerberus?" Gil asks slowly. He probably shouldn't be surprised but somehow the idea of a normal human just visiting the Underworld is something he's never really thought of.

"Yeah," he says casually. "Ol' boy is jus' a big puppy," he adds.

Hayden gives him a look. "He is a fierce guardian of the Underworld."

"Who likes to play fetch," Harry deadpans.

Jay and Carlos look at each other, both remembering the massive dog with hellfire for eyes (all six of them) that they saw on their little trip to the Underworld.