Chapter 3: The Gates of Tartarus

"Are you serious? And you called my plan to take over the Isle with llamas stupid?"

Evie scowled at Zevon as they approached the cave entrance. If he wanted to be redeemed for abandoning her two weeks ago in the alley, then he had to be the one to come with her on her spy mission. They needed intel on the Ghouls. They needed to know where their base was, how many of them there was, what their talents and skills were, and anything else they could find.

Over the last three weeks, the Ghouls had been making their name known across the Isle. They had been continuing their graffiti spree over other gangs marks, had roughed up a few members of opposing factions, and had stolen from and smashed up several shops in town. They were growing bolder with every day and Evie needed to put a stop to it or find a way to get them to back off before they targeted the VKs.

"We need to find their base, Zevon," Evie replied. "And that means we need to go to the Undercity."

The entrance to the Undercity - or rather, the network of tunnels and caves that would lead to it - was as imposing as it was magnificent. It was like an entrance to an ancient Greek temple, with massive, stone pillars with 3-D carvings of monstrous beasts and fallen warriors spiralling around them. There was a staircase leading up to the entrance, rows of torches, which lit up upon walking by, at either side. The locals in the dark forest that surrounded the cave called it The Gateway to Tarturus. No one dared come close to it and those that did were soon scared off by the roars or what lived inside.

"We go in there, we're dead."

"You don't go in there, you're dead," Evie snapped.

"It's meant to be a labyrinth!" Zevon cried in exasperation. "How are we going to find the Undercity, never mind Hayden's base!"

"Madame Mim told me that there is a way to navigate the tunnels, otherwise how would the people who live down there find their way about? They need to come up top to get food and other stuff you can't get down there," Evie explained as she began her ascent of the stairs.

Zevon scoffed and stayed at the bottom, refusing to budge. "What does Madame Mim know about the Undercity?"

"Apparently she dated one of the Underground Dwellers. Or so she says," Evie replied off-handedly. "Now come, chicken!"

Zevon let out a miserable groan before trudging after Evie, dragging his feet into the dark opening.

"How do we find our way through these tunnels?" Zevon whispered. "And without getting eaten!"

Evie shone her flashlight over one of the walls and let out a small victory cheer when she spotted what she was looking for. "Look, see that mark on the wall? The arrows point towards the Undercity. We just have to follow them and it'll keep us clear of any monster liars."

Provided there were no monsters out for a wonder that was. Evie felt it best not to tell Zevon that. Hopefully, they would get lucky and not encounter any creatures. If they did they though - knock wood that wouldn't - then had a bag filled with smoke and sleeping bombs to aid them.

Evie moved her flashlight, lighting up chalk drawings on the walls. They were of all manners of monsters and beasts, some with razor sharp teeth, claws, scales and fur. Some were familiar figures in stories Evie had heard, others were strangers, ones she had no desire to meet. Many of the chalk beasts were drawn mid-battle, strews of crudely drawn people lying at the beast's feet or being batted away by a clawed paw or tail. It was a dire warning to anyone entering the tunnels. Beware what lies within.

"Those are creepy."

Zevon and Evie shrieked in surprise at the third voice, both their flashlights darting to the source. It was Dizzy Tremaine, looking just as startled as them.

"Dizzy, what are you doing here? Did you follow us?" Evie asked, annoyed.

"I wanted to help you!"

"Dizzy, I told you it's too dangerous!"

"Aw, let her come," Zevon said with a careless wave of his hand. "She's already here and you did say you know how to avoid all the monsters."

Evie glared at Zevon for not backing her up on this. The Undercity was no place for a little girl. It wasn't even a place that anyone should go!

"Besides, if you send her out she'll need to go through the Dark Forest by herself. She's safer with us."

"Please, Evie. I'll be fine, don't worry!"

Evie groaned. "Fine, but if you die don't come crying to me."

Zevon looked up in alarm at the prospect of death, taking it to heart. Dizzy knew Evie was jesting and smiled widely.

"I won't!"

"Then let's get moving," Evie sighed.

The trio walked in silence, tense and on edge. Dizzy seemed perfectly content walking through the dark and eerie tunnels. Zevon jumped at every unusual sound, from creaks, water drips and the odd but distant howls that Evie passed off as drafts. Although afraid and wary of her unfamiliar surroundings, Evie barely flinched. She had lived in a castle in the middle of the Dark Forest all her life. She was used to unending darkness and things that went bump in the night.

"Hey, Zevon, how come you're alright with me coming along?" Dizzy asked quietly, mainly so Evie wouldn't hear.

Zevon leaned down and whispered. "You're old enough to make your own choices."

Dizzy smiled and skipped ahead to walk beside Evie. She didn't hear Zevon mutter that he had a better chance of outrunning Dizzy with her shorter legs than he did Evie. As they say, you don't have to outrun anything chasing, you just have to be faster than those beside you.

"This is so not worth it," Zevon muttered aloud, after nearly half an hour of walking.

A part of Evie agreed. The faction politics of the Isle had never made sense to her, she had always found it pointless and nothing more than conquests for fruitless power. It was only when she became friends with Mal and joined the VKs by default, that she found herself embroiled in it. Now it was duty rather than desire or ambition that drove her forward in VK affairs. Being in these gloomy, dark and cold tunnels with the possibility of monsters slinking in the shadows made Evie question the sanity of it all again.

"We are going to die and for what?" Zevon continued to whine, tossing his head back. "Mal will never even know I died for-"

"Shh!" Evie slapped her hand over Zevon's mouth. She placed her other hand's fingers over her lips, motioning for him to be quiet.

They were not alone in the tunnels. Evie had heard a faint noise, like a rock being kicked, from around the bend in the tunnel. Zevon took the hint and nodded. Evie removed her hand, waving for him and Dizzy to follow her, quietly.

"Zevon, pass me a sleeping bomb," Evie whispered as she neared the bend.

Zevon blinked in confusion. "The sleeping bomb?"

Evie spun around, biting her lip to stop herself from screaming at the boy. "You didn't bring them?"

"I thought you were bringing them!"

"I told you to bring them! I told you! Frankie even reminded you, three times! You're telling me that we're completely defenceless right now?" She wanted to scream, she wanted to tackle the boy to the ground and shake him. How could he forget their only protection? How could a boy so smart in chemistry and his classes be so foolish? Where was his common sense?

They were so getting eaten.

"Let's just leave!" Zevon whispered, panicked.

"If we don't have weapons that might be a good idea," Dizzy added.

Evie grudgingly nodded. It was too risky to go any further without provisions. They would have to come back. This had been a waste of time, a dangerous, waste of time!

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a musical like voice, one that was painfully familiar to Evie, drawled.

All around the VKs flames burst into to life as wooden torches were lit, each held by grim looking faces.

The Ghouls.

It was a fitting name considering how morbid they all looked. They were seven of them, all dressed in black clothing, fishnets, chains and leathers. Each one of them had various degrees of neon blue in their hair, which Evie guessed was some show of loyalty to their leader.

"Trespassers!" one of the Ghouls hissed.

"Spies!" another one mumbled darkly.

Well, they weren't wrong but Evie wasn't going to own up to that now was she?

Was it a coincidence that Hayden and his Ghouls had stumbled upon them? Had it just been dumb luck? Or had they known the VKs were coming? It was an unsettling question, one that raised more troubling plausibilities and queries. If Hayden had known then did it mean someone in the know had told him? Did she have a traitor in her group? Or did Hayden have more eyes up top than she realised and had figured out what she was doing?

"Fancy meeting you here, Hayden," Evie replied casually, a soft smile on her face. "Friends of yours?"

"My Ghouls," Hayden said, gesturing to his gang with a grand flourish.

She had guessed as much.

"Well if you don't mind, we'll just be on our way," Zevon said, tugging at Evie and Dizzy's sleeves.

In an eerie synchronization, two Ghouls slid behind the VKs, blocking their escape. There were amused smirks on their faces and Evie realised with a sense of dread that it was unlikely they were getting out of this without a fight. Hayden wasn't an idiot, that much she was certain. You couldn't be a leader of a villainous faction without having some smarts, wits and skills behind you. He had to know why they were down here, it wasn't hard to deduce. No one ventured to the Undercity, especially not youngsters. The only reason for the VKs to be here was snooping on the enemy. And that would not be allowed without consequence.

Hayden snapped his fingers and two of the other Ghouls grabbed Zevon by the arms while another one grabbed Dizzy and lifted her up. Evie whirled around, ready to lash out at the girl grabbing Dizzy, but another two grabbed her own arms and yanked her back.

"What is your problem? Let us go!" Evie shouted, trying to pull free from the Ghouls grasps.

Hayden tsked, shaking his head. There was a look of disapproval on his face, like they were disobedient children.

"You're lucky you didn't run into any monsters," Hayden chided.

Despite his laid-back smile, Evie could see the cold fury in his eyes. He was angry that they had come all the way down here. Was he annoyed that she wasn't backing down? That she was willing to hunt down and snoop in his lair to find out ways to beat him? What did he expect? She was a VK and they didn't back down.

"You could have wound up dead if one of my Ghouls hadn't spotted you and your little friends," Hayden said, his smile tightening.

Evie blinked. What did he care whether or not she - or her friends - got hurt? He had made it clear that they were enemies.

"I'm perfectly aware of the dangers down here, but thanks for your concern," Evie replied flippantly.

Hayden scoffed and let out a chuckle. He shook his head and came closer to stare down at her, his eyes ablaze with the fierceness he wouldn't show on his face.

"I really don't think you do," Hayden said quietly. "Do you know what lies further down that tunnel?" Hayden pointed down the dark expanse they had been heading towards. "Want to know what beast's mouth you were walking blissfully towards? The Hydra!"

"What's a Hydra?" Zevon asked, nervously peering down the tunnel.

Hayden didn't bother to glance at Zevon, his eyes kept firmly on Evie. He didn't move an inch and Evie found herself suffocating under his nearness and the intensity of his stare. When he spoke, it was in a sinister whisper.

"The Hydra was one of my father's pets. A three-headed dragon-like beast as tall as a temple with frightful strength and the ability to regenerate its heads, no matter how many times they were lopped off. Even Hercules had a hard time dealing with it."

"You're lying," Dizzy shouted. "In the story Hercules killed it!"

"And Beauty and the Beast brought it back, along with every other villain and monster who perished at the goodies hands. They wanted to make them suffer more and thus, here they are," Hayden explained, glancing at Dizzy. "Why do you think you never see any of the big monsters from the stories up top? They're all down here, trapped in the labyrinth of tunnels and caverns. Which is another stupid reason to travel down here." He turned his attention back to Evie. "Do you realise how easily you could have been lost? Left to wander the darkness, with monsters lurking around every corner, for the rest of your life? However short that might have been."

"We were following the arrows," Evie hissed, fed up with him treating her like she was clueless, like she was a child. "They would have led us to the Undercity."

"They did, until some very naughty children decided to switch the arrows about and point them in the direction of the Hydra's laid, you know, to mess with any unwitting travellers," Hayden filled her in.

Evie felt her blood run cold at the danger she had been leading her friends towards. She would wager her favourite tiara that it was Hayden who had altered the arrows, judging from the smug smirk at the corner of his lips.

"Why do you care?" Evie was aware she was in no position to mouth off, considering she was outnumbered and in enemy grounds, but Hayden's snide and superior attitude was grating on her nerves. "If we're dead it makes it all the easier for you to take over the Isle, doesn't it?"

Hayden looked at Evie for a long moment before a bright smile erupted onto his face. "I suppose you're right. Ghouls, kill em."

Dizzy and Zevon cried out as the Ghouls holding them shoved them forward. The VKs were forced around the bend, leading them into a massive cavern. For a moment, Evie thought she was outside, back up top, for high above them were clusters and clusters of glowing, blue stars. Then she remembered she lived on the Isle and no stars could grace their skies. It was glowworms, illuminating the cavern in a ghostly, blue glow. Below it, stretching out into the far off distance, was a frightening looking black lake, with choppy waves despite the lack of winds. There was a faint whiff of salt in the air, different to the damp smell in the other tunnels.

Hayden motioned for his Ghouls to toss Dizzy and Zevon over. One of the Ghouls who was carrying a torch followed them, and with the light from the flame, Evie realised they were standing on a hazardous looking cliff edge.

Evie began struggling even more, like a feral beast in her captor's grip, hissing, snarling and trying to hurt them. Hayden turned his back to her, his arms crossed, and watched the other two VKs being brought to the crumbling edge of the cliff where the Ghouls awaited the final nod of approval. For whatever reason, Evie hadn't been taken to the cliff edge. The cold-hearted rat was probably going to make her watch her friends perish first, then toss her in.

"Do you want to know what's in that lake?" Hayden asked casually, almost pleasantly.

Dizzy and Zevon looked at the demigod with wide-eyes, dread stirring in the pits of their stomachs as they knew whatever he told them would be anything but nice. In the black waters below, dark shapes glided through the water, the occasional bubbles rising to the surface, betraying their presence.

"The only monsters in the sea you've had to contend with is sharks. But down here? The things in the water are from the darkest reaches of your nightmares," Hayden whispered, eyes gleaming with cruel delight. "Sirens that will sing a sweet lullaby as they drag you to the murky depths and watch you drown. Monsters with tentacles that embrace you so tightly that it squeezes the life out of you. And those are the lucky options. Some of these lakes hold much, much worse."

Hayden walked over to the edge, glancing down into the dark waters, his voice echoing around them as he spoke. "Ever wonder where they put the Kraken? How about my favourite, old sea-serpent Ceto? And I'm sure you have all heard legends of the Leviathan. I forget which lake that resides in. Maybe it's this one?"

Around them, the Ghouls chuckled at their leader's joke. The VKs didn't see the funny side.

Dizzy kept up a brave face but it was clear the girl was terrified, tears slipping free from her eyes as her body trembled. Zevon was faring no better, grunting as he tried to break free of the two Ghouls holding either of his arms.

"Enough!" Evie shouted, still frantically struggling to free herself. "Let them go!"

"Why should I?" Hayden asked, whirling on his heels to look at her. He titled his head, his bright hair falling over his eye. "As you pointed out, the less of you there are the easier it is for me. I'll take your advice, Princess."

"Dizzy isn't a VK. She's just a little girl!" Evie said quickly. "And Zevon-"

Well, Zevon was a VK, and although she was still miffed that he had left her to the mercy of a snarling dog that turned out to be Cerberus - guardian of the Underworld, not that he'd known - the boy had tried to make amends by following her into the Undercity. He didn't deserve to be eaten or ripped apart by whatever horrors lurked in those waters.

"-Zevon was just following orders," Evie said, and the words sounded lame to her ears. "I'm the leader of the VKs while Mal's gone. If you want to throw anyone in there then toss me in. Just let them go."

"Evie, no!" Dizzy shouted, only to have a Ghoul clamp their hand over her mouth, shutting her up.

"How about we just call this an innocent mistake and we can all go on our merry ways?" Zevon said with a nervous laugh.

Hayden glanced over his shoulder, quirking an eyebrow at the boy. Zevon took the hint and kept quiet.

"Let me think," Hayden made a big show of thinking it over, tapping his chin thoughtfully and pacing a little. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, a cheerful look on his face like he had just come up with a clever solution. "How about this, I'll let Ditsy and Llama Boy here go. However, you'll owe me a favour, Evie."

"What kind of favour?" Evie narrowed her eyes.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

Evie recoiled, her body tense with discomfort. She had never been into the business of deal-making. It was a tricky industry, one her mother had always adviced her against. Deals could benefit one greatly but they were so easy to bend, twist and find loopholes in that they could backfire on you and in the most devasting of ways. It was a constant game, a thrilling and dangerous high-risk one, where the power you wielded was always on the line. To be in the debt of anyone, much less an enigmatic demigod, was not a road Evie wanted to go down.

At her silence, Hayden shrugged and casually waved his hand. His Ghouls took it as a command and readied to toss Dizzy and Zevon over the cliff. Their desperate cries brought Evie out of her conflict and she shouted for them to stop. Hayden lifted a hand up and the Ghouls obeyed, stilling.

"Fine," Evie gritted out. "You have a deal. I'll owe you a favour but only if you let all of us go, that includes me."

She had listened carefully and Hayden hadn't included her in his offer. She wasn't about to let him exclude her from freedom.

"Alright," Hayden said, "I'll let all three of you go. I'll even be a perfect gentleman and escort you out of the Undercity. Wouldn't want you to get gobbled up by any monsters, now would we?"

Hayden clicked his fingers and the Ghouls let go of the VKs. Dizzy ran over to Evie, wrapping her arms around her waist and Evie held her close, soothing her hair back and telling her everything would be okay. Zevon hurried over to stand beside them, eyeing the Ghouls bitterly. None of them noticed the quick glare Hayden cast the VKs way.

"As fun as all this has been, I think we'd like to leave now," Dizzy said quietly.

"I'm with you there," Zevon muttered.

"Stick close and don't wander off," Hayden replied, a little harshly. "Evie, since you and I are the leaders of our respective groups, why don't we lead the way?"

Evie scowled at the boy but nodded, passing Dizzy over to Zevon to take care of. The group began making their way through the tunnels. At some point - and Evie wasn't quite convinced it wasn't intentionally done - the Ghouls had managed to subtly come between Evie and the other VKs. Dizzy and Zevon found themselves at the back of the group, a couple of Ghouls in front of them, whose slow pace allowed for a bit of a gap to form between them and Hayden and Evie, who where at the front of the group. With the space between them, their voices would not be heard by the others provided they whisper.

"What were you doing down here anyway?" Hayden asked.

"None of your business," Evie replied tartly. She was still convinced he already knew, he was just trying to get her to own up to it.

"No one from up top travels down here, not unless they have a death wish." Hayden's eyes lit up and a far to perfect smile appeared on his face. "Did you come all this way down here for me then?"

Evie scoffed and sweetly said. "In your dreams."

Hayden choked back a chuckle, looking utterly amused by her words. Evie wasn't sure what he found so funny.

"I've had plenty of people chase after me, but never one who dared risk getting eaten by monsters," Hayden said playfully, his eyes twinkling. "You must really like me."

"You know, considering you're a demigod of the dead, it's ironic that you're not to die for," Evie replied dryly, unimpressed with Hayden's comment and refusing to let him fluster her.

Hayden looked ready to retort when the ground began shaking violently, fragments of rock breaking from the ceiling. Everyone wobbled and staggered, gasping as they threw themselves against the walls of the narrow tunnel for support.

"Is that an earthquake?" Zevon shouted over the terrible rumbling and smashing of rocks.

"Not quite," Hayden called back, gritting his teeth.

Before anyone could question what that meant a deafening roar tore through the tunnel, causing everyone to flinch. Evie realised with a sickening jolt that it wasn't an earthquake, it was one of the monsters that lived in the caves. It was on the move and it was close! How big must it be to shake the Earth like that? The tunnel finally stilled and everyone kept pressed up against the walls, fearful to move. The Ghouls were looking around the cavern warily, looking ready to bolt at a moments notice. Zevon slid down to the floor, panting heavily, Dizzy keeping a firm grip on his arm.

"What was that?" Evie whispered, looking over at Hayden who was leaning on the wall beside her. "Tell me that wasn't one of the monsters."

"You want a lie then?"

Evie frowned, not amused.

"We need to start moving and fast. With the echoes in the caves, it can be hard to tell where the beasts are. It could strike out from anywhere, so be vigilant-"

Another roar echoed through the tunnels, causing the walls to quake. There was a thunderous sound nearby that sounded like large footsteps, tottering closer and closer, each step shaking the cave. The vibrations were too much and the ceiling above them began giving way, huge batches of rocks pummelling to the ground.

Evie heard Dizzy and Zevon scream her name, and before she had time to register that the roof of the tunnel was caving in above her, someone tackled her to the ground. The pair rolled away, narrowly avoiding being crushed to death. Clouds of dust took off, making it hard to see and breath. Evie coughed and spluttered as she opened her eyes, trying to figure out what had happened.

She found Hayden lying on top of her, his elbows resting on either side of her head. He had been the one to tackle her, saving her from the collapsing ceiling. Evie got the vague sense of déjà vu as she looked up at him. She didn't have time to examine the feeling as thoughts of her friends filled her mind. Evie glanced over to where her flashlight had fallen from her hand and felt panic surge through her. She quickly shoved Hayden off of her and grabbed the flashlight, shining it over the debris blocking the tunnel.

"Oh my god, Dizzy! Zevon!" She kept calling out for the other VKs, and after a terrifying moment, she heard coughs and shouts from the other side. Evie sighed in relief. "Thank god. Guys, can you hear me?"

"Evie! Are you alright?" Dizzy's voice, faint through the rumble, came.

"I'm fine. Is Zevon okay?"

"Unfortunately," came an unfamiliar voice, and Evie assumed it was one of the usually quiet Ghouls. "Boss, we're all still... well, let's say we're all here."

"Good to hear," Hayden called out as he rose to his feet, dusting his clothes off. "Ghouls, make sure those two get out of the cavern. You'll need to spend the night up top. I'll meet you at the base tomorrow."

"Evie?" Dizzy shouted, "what's going to happen to you?"

"I'll be fine, Dizzy. You and Zevon go with them and they'll get you out. Zevon, make sure Dizzy gets home safe! Got it?" Evie added a threatening edge to her voice, making sure the boy knew there would be dire penalties should he not keep Dizzy safe.

"Got it, Evie!" Zevon yelled back.

"What are going to do? I take it you know another way out?" Evie asked, turning her flashlight onto the demigod.

Hayden smirked, "of course, I do. But we're not going there yet."

"What do you mean?" Evie said sharply, narrowing her eyes.

"The beasts are awake, that means its unsafe to travel. We'll have to wait until morning," Hayden replied.

"How do you know when its morning?"

"I'll know," Hayden said with a shrug. "Now come on, we need to get someplace safe."

Evie scowled, irked by his lack of proper answers. Hayden gestured for her to follow him and she did. They walked in silence, Hayden occasionally stopping them to peer around the edges of tunnels before continuing on. Evie wasn't quite sure where they were going, or how Hayden knew where to go, but she suspected there must be signs on the tunnel ceilings as he kept looking upwards every so often. At least, that's why she hoped he was doing it. She didn't like the thought that there were creatures on the ceiling to watch out for too.

After about twenty minutes, Evie's flashlight fizzled out, plunging them into darkness. Evie cursed under her breath, tossing the flashlight to the ground in a fit of anger. As if they didn't have enough problems, now this?

"And now we're screwed," Evie sighed, sounding miserable. "Great!"

"We'll be fine," Hayden assured her softly.

"Oh, can you see in the dark?" Evie mumbled sourly.

"Actually, I can," Hayden said, and she had no doubt he was grinning. "Give me your hand and I'll lead you."

"You're going to have to take it since I can't see you," Evie told him. She wasn't about to grope about in the darkness for his hand, poison apples only knows what she'd grab!

She felt something scoldingly warm take her hand and flinched, pulling it free. She let out a yelp, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Ouch, what the hell was that?"

"Whoops," Hayden cringed. "I forget how hot I run. Give me a minute."

Evie heard Hayden rummage about in pocket before something cold tentatively touched her hand. Cautiously, she let him take it. He had put on leather gloves, shielding her skin from his. He entwined their fingers, giving her an experimentally squeeze to show her that his touch wouldn't burn her now.

"Are you always that warm to touch?" Evie asked.

"Runs in the family, hot as flames."

Hayden tightened his grip on her hand and led her down the tunnels, taking it slow since Evie couldn't see where she was placing her feet.

Evie let out a sigh as she followed him.

This certainly wasn't how she had envisioned this snooping trip ending up, with her holding hands with Hayden in the dark as he led her through monster-infested tunnels. How could a plan go this awry?

"Evie, you're going to have to crouch in a moment, we're about to go through a narrow passage with a low ceiling, okay?" Hayden said as he came to a stop. "Don't stand up until I tell you."

Evie squeezed his hand in affirmation and Hayden pulled her down as he crouched. They shuffled their way through a very tight passage, the cave walls scratching against either side of them. Finally, Hayden told her she could stand.

"And at last we see the light," Hayden sung softly as lights turned on.

Evie blinked rapidly, her eyes taking a few minutes to adjust to the sudden light. They were in a tiny cave, more like a crevice. The dull, blue lights came from a string of miniature, battery-powered lanterns dangling across from the low ceiling that was just high enough to stand up in. There was a giant bean bag big enough for three people taking up most of the space, a thick, black blanket draped over it.

"What is this place?"

"We call these Rabbit Holes. It's basically just a hiding place in case you find yourself in situations like ours. There's a lot of them dotted about the place, hidden and stocked. We should be safe here till morning," Hayden explained as he grabbed the blanket and pinned it above the entrance to the narrow passage they had squeezed through. "And this is a blackout curtain to try and stop any creatures noticing the lights on or spotting us while they pass by."

Evie nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as she glanced about.

Hayden flopped down onto the bean bag, resting his arms behind his head like a pillow. He seemed perfectly at ease, even when a monstrous roar sounded off in the distance. But then again, Evie supposed he was used to this sort of thing.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to catch some shut eye."

Uncomfortable with sharing such a small space - never mind a bed - with Hayden, Evie lowered herself to the edge of the bean bag slowly and curled up on herself, trying to make herself as small as possible. Once she was settled, Hayden reached up and switched off the lights, biding Evie good night.

For what felt like hours Evie lay there, restless and unable to sleep. She couldn't understand how Hayden had managed to doze off so easily. Evie felt tightly wound up, far too tense to sleep. Every so often she heard rumbling footsteps, the sound of large things slithering by, snarls or growls. It felt so unsafe and for the first time in a long time, Evie found herself scared of what was in the dark. It didn't help that it was freezing down there in the underground. Her body shivering must have been what woke Hayden from his slumber.

"What's wrong?" Hayden mumbled, his voice groggy with sleep.

"N-nothing," Evie whispered, hating how her teeth chattered. "Just... c-cold is all."

"Come here," Hayden whispered.

Evie's eyes widened and she let out a startled yelp when Hayden's arms encircled her waist, pulling her up against his chest. Instantly, she felt much warmer, Hayden's unusual body temperature making him feel like a hot water bottle. Her protests died on her lips, and reluctantly, Evie shuffled around in his tight embrace to face him so that she could hide her face in his chest, keeping it warm. As she turned she couldn't see Hayden in the darkness - and couldn't tell if his eyes were open or not - which she was thankful for. Being this close to him with how intense his eyes could be would be a little too much for her to handle. Evie buried her head into his chest, her body feeling less and less like it was turning into an ice popsicle.

"The only reason I'm doing this is because you're ridiculously hot - strickly body temperature wise - and I'm freezing. Got it," Evie murmured, eyes narrowed threateningly.

"I've heard that before," Hayden chuckled.

He laughed harder when Evie punched him lightly in the stomach.

That night Evie dreamed of sunlight and fields of lilies. The boy in her dream held her tightly in his embrace, just as the boy of darkness held her close in the waking world, safe from the monsters. Fast asleep, neither noticed the blackout curtain stir from the breath of a creature lurking outside. Something had found them. And it was hungry.

(A/N) Anyone notice the Disney film references hidden in there? ;)

Reviews:

Thunderfiredragon: Glad you liked Cerberus! :D The Fates really are, aren't they? Lol. They were really fun to write! Truthfully, I was going to do another dream sequence after those words but the chapter was getting quite long so I've left it for the next chapter, though to make up for it there was some fluffy cuteness in this chapter! Which totally wasn't meant to happen but I saw an opportunity for snuggling and went for it lol. Maybe, maybe not, shall have to wait and see ;)

jestermon101: Thank you for the review! Glad you like it!

TwinsConspiracy: So glad you liked it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hayden definitely is the jealous type (something I really want to write in this story) and it may or may not be why Cerberus found her way off her leash when he spotted Zevon with Evie, maybe ;)

Thank you for all the reviews, favs and alerts! Let me know what you think of this chapter, would love to hear your thoughts, opinions and theories!