“Gabe, are you sure this is the right way?” she asked finally, tired of wrestling with branches.
“I’m more likely to know than you, mortal.” There was frustration in his voice as well, and he was sweating hard ahead of her.
“Where are we going anyway?”
“Death’s palace.”
“Are you serious?” she demanded. “Why? Won’t she – “
“She has a portal in her palace. It’s the only way out.”
“But I thought -”
“It shouldbe this way. Unless Death is fucking with me.”
Or you’re lost. The familiar voice – Death’s voice – made Katie stop. She watched Gabe hack down another slithering branch. The Andre phantom stood nearby. He pointed in a different direction once more.
“Maybe it’s that way?” Katie asked, pointing in the same direction.
Gabe cast an irritated look over his shoulder but looked where she indicated. He lowered the sword he was using to hack through the brush and started in that direction. Katie watched as the forest cleared a path for him, the way it had before.
“I’m starting to worry about you, Gabe,” she said. “I thought you knew your way around here.”
“It’s Death,” he said. “She can do whatever she wants in her domain.” He breezed past her.
Katie drew a deep breath before following. Gabe was more than distracted. Something was wrong, but she had no idea of knowing what. At least he’d told her their destination.
She followed quietly for the rest of the day. The phantom and the strange exchange with Gabe troubled her. She didn’t know her way around the Immortal underworld; she could only hope they were headed in the right direction again. Straight to Death. If what Gabe said was true, he was taking her to the only way out of the underworld. And yet, she feared what that would mean. Was she supposed to reason with Death? Plead for her life? Sneak into Death’s palace, when Death already knew where they were and where they went?
Fatigue kept most of the thoughts from gaining traction, and they melted away like much of her dreams did. Gabe stopped at sunset, as darkness settled into the jungle. Katie watched him set up a small fire.
“Aren’t you going to scout around first like you do every night?” she asked. “Or are we safe?”