Dearest Mother of Mine (Overworld Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page B

caverns beneath the lake. I suspected it had been a husked Flark. I'd witnessed the thing kill several hellhounds before it had taken me. Why it hadn't killed me outright, I didn't know.
    I knew how to kill shadow people, and I knew how to avoid cherubs unless they swarmed in overwhelming numbers like the last time. I had no idea how to avoid or contain a husked Flark. We hadn't seen one in El Dorado, but that meant nothing.
    If I took another expedition for a quick look at whatever Lornicus evidently wanted me to see, we could probably get in and out without much trouble unless something like that made an appearance.
    The front door opened, and Elyssa walked in, a black dog the size of a toy poodle scampering after her, and panting with excitement. The dog was, in fact, a hellhound—the very first one I'd ever summoned. Though he wasn't much to look at, he was pretty popular with the women.
    I blurred across the room and kissed my girlfriend before she had a chance to speak. When I pulled away, her eyes were bright with amusement.
    "Missed me, huh?"
    "Not a bit," I said, leaning down to pat the hellhound. "How did your parents like Cutsauce?"
    "I'm pretty sure Dad hated him, but Mom finally gave in to his cute factor." She laughed. "He's irresistible."
    Cutsauce made a growl of agreement. Sometimes, I'd catch glimpses of images or words from him, something completely normal according to my Aunt Vallaena. The longer a hellhound stayed with a Daemos, the better the communication became, though some souls in the demon plane were more mature and easier to understand right away.
    Elyssa's gaze narrowed as she looked at me. "Where did you get those clothes?"
    The new slacks and button-up shirt Lornicus had put me in were a far notch above the cargo shorts and t-shirts I usually wore. I realized I should have phoned Elyssa the minute I had a chance to tell her about my encounter, but I'd let the map distract me.
    "You look hot," she said, running a finger along my shirt collar. "Did I forget a date we're supposed to have tonight?" she said, her dark eyebrow arching with concern.
    "I had a bit of a run-in with some gray men this morning," I said, trying to figure out the best way to start the story.
    Elyssa's forehead pinched with confusion. "And they dressed you up like a doll?"
    "That came a little later," I said, motioning her to the red leather couch. "Want some popcorn?"
    "Stop kidding around, and tell me what happened," she said, squeezing my hands tight.
    I winced at the pressure of her grip and gave her the details. When I finished, I showed her the map.
    "You're right," she said. "Either Mr. Gray is manipulating you, or Lornicus is doing it on his own."
    "Exactly," I said. "I'm not even gonna try to keep up with people like them or Underborn. Every time I tried, I came out on the losing end."
    "Like Michael," Elyssa said, referring to her big brother who'd worked for Underborn in the hopes of keeping Elyssa out of the master assassin's games, only to end up manipulated into a position where his sister thought he was a traitor. Thankfully, they'd worked through their issues.
    "Exactly," I said. "Which is why going to El Dorado would be a terrible idea."
    A slow grin spread over Elyssa's face. "I agree. We should go right away."
     

Chapter 4
     
    I did a double-take. "Wait a minute. Did you just say we should return to the bowels of hell?"
    "Drama queen," Elyssa said, shaking her head. "Think about it. There's an Alabaster Arch, a mystery prize, and possibly access to our own arch control room. You remember those omnidirectional arches you discovered? What if we can get those working?"
    "That's a big if," I replied. "And what if the mystery prize is a gruesome death?"
    "It's not," she said with certainty. "This is totally worth the risk. If we take a look, Lornicus will help us save your mom."
    "Mom and Ivy," I clarified. "Once we have them, we won't need to take the rune from Jeremiah since Daelissa can't do squat without