“I won’t. I promise.”
“Cool,” he says, and then offers me a cheese puff.
Ezra’s the next to arrive, and I have to admit I’m kind of surprised. The magic you get from the Afterlife is very motivating—I’m assuming, as it’s done me no good—but surely not motivating enough to go to hell with a crew that’s falling apart for a job you have no personal stake in. If I didn’t know better, I’d think New Guy liked us.
Rook arrives next. His expression is open and excited when he walks in, but his mask falls into place when he sees the guys sitting on the couch, passing the Switch between them. There’s still a tinge of a blush on his cheeks, though, and I feel heat rise to my own, but it’s probably just allergies.
Actually, no, you know what? I can be honest with myself. I am happy to see him, and I would like to make out with him again, thank you very much. How’s that for growth?
The four of us spend the next hour in stilted conversation until CJ arrives with my familiar on their shoulder. Crowlene caws raspily, then flies to my lap, presenting me with one of those plastic rings from a bottle cap.
“Thanks,” I mumble, giving her a pet.
“She came to get me,” CJ explains. “I guess we’re still doing this?”
I nod cautiously. I wasn’t sure they would stay. They’ve spent the last year looking out for Dante’s little sister, riding in on their white horse (or black hearse, I guess) to save me. I wouldn’t blame them if they decided they were out.
I’m relieved, though, when they pull up the director’s chair and sit down.
We wait for Poppy in near silence, the only noises coming from the Switch. I honestly have no idea if she’ll show. She’s never yelled at me before. In fact, I’ve never seen her yell atanyonebefore. I don’t know what to do about it. I could try apologizing, like I did with Tolliver, but I don’t think it will be that simple.
After about twenty minutes of awkwardly passingMario Kartaround, I clear my throat. “Well, I guess we should get started.”
Tolliver opens his mouth to say something—probably to ask about Poppy—but Ezra nudges him and shakes his head.
I sit forward. “We have a way to get myself and one—”
The door swings open, and Poppy walks in. Her eyes are red, andshe’s wearingsweatpants. They’re cute sweatpants, but still. We silently watch her prop herself up on a barstool as far away from me as she can get.
She gives me a look that tells me I don’t have a chance at forgiveness anytime soon.
“For Dante,” she says.
I’ll take it.
The plan is this:
Using Juliet, I’ll enter the Afterlife with one of the limen stones in my pocket. Poppy will go to the Phantoms, tell them I died, and volunteer to lure me into trusting her so she can hand me over.
Does Poppy seem a little too gleeful at the prospect of turning me in? Yes. Is CJ fuming at the fact Poppy will be going back to their family? Also yes.
I briefly considered suggesting I use the tower obol I pulled from Credence’s grave—it would attract a hellhound, who would then take me straight to Tartarus—but with Poppy we can control the timing. Plus, I don’t want to admit to Rook that I stole it.
Once in a cell, I have two jobs: learn everything I can about how Tartarus works and keep the limen stone on me. After a few days, I’ll activate the stone to pull CJ in. Since it’s runic magic, even someone as magicless as me can operate it. If I lose the stone or the spell fails, I’ll be stuck in hell forever. Because one of the few things we know for sure about Tartarus is that you can’t be brought back from the Afterlife while you’re in a cell.
Case in point: Steven Driver, a friend of my parents who once snuck into Tartarus to get information from a prisoner. The plan was to cut off his Miracle Max if things went south. Well, south is exactly where things went, but when his alchemist tried to pullhim out, nothing happened. As far as we know, he’s still in Tartarus. That’s my fate if anything goes wrong.
So, you know. Fingers crossed.
By the time CJ arrives, I should have an idea of where to find Credence’s cell: number 667. (I know,soclose to 666. I was disappointed too.) I’ll also have a concrete plan for how to save her.
No pressure.
Once we’ve reunited Credence with her finger bone, we’ll reconvene, Tolliver will bring us all back to the Beforedeath, and Poppy will complete the resurrection spell.
Piece of cake.
I’ll be honest with you: The crew doesn’t love it. I think Ezra’s had four panic attacks, and he’s not even going to Tartarus. And yes, the plan is rough. But I know I can do this. Improvising the hell out of situations is what I’m best at.