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us.”
    “We? What do you mean ‘we’? And why are you
so willing to help me? I mean, I appreciate it and all, but there
has to be something you want?”
    “Let’s get one thing straight, Angel! I’m
not helping you for you . I’m helping you for Cole.”
    My voice was stuck in my throat. I nodded so
he’d know I understood. Yet, there was something mysterious
floating in the depths of his dark eyes—something that made me
doubt him, or at least not fully buy into what he said.
    “So I’m leaving now to go see Typhon,” he
went on. “I’ll send word to meet with you when I get back.”
    I swallowed, slightly loosening up my throat
so I could speak. “Okay. Thank you.”
    “Don’t thank me yet, Angel. We will see how
things go in the Underworld.” Luke turned on his heel and walked
away.
    “I love him,” I called out, desperation
crushing my heart. “I love Cole more than anything. That’s why I’m
doing what I can to help him.”
    He disappeared around a corner without
another word. Of course I was helping Cole because I loved him. But
there was also the guilt of being the reason Cole had been taken in
the first place. Love can make you do crazy things, but when you
add guilt to the mix, crazy becomes stupid, dangerous, and even
life-changing. Everything was moving so fast. I silently prayed
that Cole’s safe return would be even faster.
    The next few moments felt vaguely familiar.
Heat flushed across my skin, and then it felt like my insides were
compressing. My vision blurred. I closed my eyes, squeezing them
shut. There was a horrible, disorienting feeling as my body swayed
against a blast of pressure. Right before my mind went blank and my
body went completely numb, I remembered thinking that this was how
I’d felt the last time I’d accidentally orbed somewhere.

     
    My eyes shot open. I sucked at the air, then
let it back out through deep gagging coughs. I looked all around,
swinging my head to the right, left, and even up at the sky. Water
was everywhere, as far as my eyes could see, and my legs were half
submerged in it. A small wave splashed against me, some of it
getting up my nose. I started hacking as I crawled up onto the
shoreline. Small, jagged rocks were mixed with grainy sand, which
bit into my hands and knees as I pushed up onto the compact, dryer
area. My clothes were soaked, jeans torn, my tank top ripped from
the collar to my armpit on one side. At least my bra still covered
me up. There were cuts and scrapes all over my bare feet. Don’t
even ask where my boots went.
    A loud grumble erupted nearby. The ground
vibrated slightly, then a woman’s voice shrieked out. Moments
later, her voice echoed against the rocks, singing and chanting.
Its high-pitched notes reminded me of being at the opera, but its
demonic vibe reminded me of Anthemusa, a demon water world filled
with sirens and aquatic serpents. A siren was a water demon. And I
was sitting smack dab in the center of their world.
    I pulled myself up, using some of the rocks
to do so, then steadied my balance on the uneven surface. A siren
was approaching, I could feel her presence prickling on my skin a
few minutes before I saw her gliding through the water toward me.
Her lower body was hidden beneath the surface, most likely riding
on one of those wretched aquatic snakes. The upper half of her was
very curvy and feminine. It was in a solid form, even though it was
made completely of water. She even appeared to have long hair
flowing behind her. She came to a stop about twenty feet away,
still half covered by the waves rushing by. “What do we have here?”
she asked. Her voice was expressive and sharp, each word sounding
like part of her enchanting song.
    I shook my head, finally gaining my memory
back and feeling annoyed with yet another orbing accident. “I
apologize for coming here. I mean you no harm and will be going
soon.”
    “Oh no, don’t go,” she purred as she floated
a little closer. There was definitely