Jɪɴx ➪ 𝙡. 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯

the way down

chapter seventeen; the way down

The House of Hade's was as daunting as its other name, the Necromanteion. They arrived at a stone doorway leading straight into the side of the hill. The death storm seemed to originate right above their heads.

Jinx inhaled. Digging her nails into her palm, she exhaled.

Nico faced the group. "From here, it gets tough."

"Sweet," Leo said. "'Cause so far I've totally been pulling my punches."

Jinx rolled her eyes. She hated admitting that he was funny. Jinx didn't want to be upset over a boy and his lack of attention towards her, she decided it was best to ignore him. Ignore her feelings for him.

Nico glared at him. "We'll see how long you keep your sense of humor. Remember, this is where pilgrims came to commune with dead ancestors. Underground, you may see things that are hard to look at or hear voices trying to lead you astray in the tunnels. Frank, do you have the barley cakes?"

"What?" Frank's mind, like most of the group, seemed to be elsewhere.

"I've got the cakes," Hazel said. She pulled out the magical barley crackers they'd made from the grain Triptolemus had given them in Venice.

"Eat up," Nico advised.

Jinx cringed at the cracker, the smell was enough to make her gag. The taste? The taste triggered her dad's laughter.

That won't be the worst thing you face.

In the meantime, Jinx also decided to ignore him. He could wait for her in Ascra. The thought of Ascra brought Jason to the front of her mind. She looked at him, a soldier ready to sacrifice whatever he has to win.

She knew he would get out of this alive, he had to. He promised to take her to Ascra. Jason's confusion was all over his face but he agreed, no questions asked.

He only asked her to stay safe. Jinx hoped he took his own advice.

"Okay." Nico choked down the last of his barley. "That should protect us from the poison."

"Poison?" Leo asked. "Did I miss the poison? 'Cause I love poison."

"Soon enough," Nico promised. "Just stick close together, and maybe we can avoid getting lost or going insane."

On that happy note, Nico led them underground.

The tunnel spiraled gently downward, the ceiling supported by white stone arches that made Jinx's heart flip.

As they walked, Hazel ran her hands along the masonry. "This wasn't part of a temple," she whispered. "This was...the basement for a manor house, built in later Greek times."

Jinx watched Hazel look around, amazed that she could tell so much. Everyone around her never ceased to amaze her.

"A manor house?" Frank asked. "Please don't tell me we're in the wrong place."

"The House of Hades is below us," Nico assured him.

"We're in the right place." Jinx said at the same time.

She could feel Khaos' strong presence, Jinx was surprised that he wasn't pestering her.

"-But Hazel's right, these upper levels are much newer. When the archaeologists first excavated this site, they thought they'd found the Necromanteion. Then they realized the ruins were too recent, so they decided it was the wrong spot. They were right the first time. They just didn't dig deep enough."

They turned a corner and stopped. In front of them, the tunnel ended in a huge block of stone.

"A cave-in?" Jason asked.