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I start to pass out. Maybe it would be better not knowing what they will do to me, but if I do, I’m dead.

I guess I’m dead anyway.

As the monsters and men converge on me, I close my eyes then give myself over to the darkness trying to claim me.

My last thought is of all the life that was stolen from me and the people who did it. I wish I had enough power and time to get revenge.

CHAPTER

ONE

Ten years later . . .

My eyes narrow on the warden who is trying to escort me, and he gulps as he steps backwards, his face paling. He has to tilt his head back to look at me, and I purposefully step closer to tower over him. My teeth flash in a feral grin as we turn in unison and head into the dark opening, the rock calling to us. We do not run. We walk calmly, and when we reach the edge of the opening, I glance back at the door wardens, as they call themselves. Their fear fills the air. I can taste it.

“You’ll be responsible for finding your own way out,” the captain calls, still terrified despite the money we gave him to get us through the entrance. We expected this, after all. Men who can be bribed cannot be trusted. Ignoring them, I turn my head forward without a word, and the five of us step over the edge and drop into the darkness.

During the fall, we remain silent, my eyes adjusting quickly enough for me to see the obstacles reaching for us.

Kicking off the rock that spears from the wall, waiting to impale me, I twist mid-air and bend to absorb the impact when we finally reach the ground.

We do not need words—their thoughts are mine and mine are theirs. It’s how our brains work, a connection that cannot be explained or severed. As one, we turn and step from the circle of light into the darkness. We only make it down a short, slim tunnel before we break into a bigger cavern. The same dark rock surrounds us, and in this one, I sense creatures lingering, but one cannot hide in the shadows. His thick, leathery, green skin makes him stand out, as does his ten-foot height. He leans forward on his crude throne as I approach him. I could walk around the maze forever and never find who we need, so it’s better to ask directly. Our exit will only work if we are in and out within four hours.

Stepping towards the troll, I run my eyes over him. “We are looking for someone.”

“You do not look for people in hell, boy,” a voice calls, and I turn my head to see a huge man step from the darkness. His tattered, holey fedora sits wonky atop his head, and he grins, flashing sharp teeth, as one eye meets mine. “You simply die or run and never stop. Welcome to Gehenna.”

My hand lifts and catches a creature that flung itself at us from the dark, and without looking, I crush its neck and drop it to the ground, watching the man. The others in the shadows look to him. He’s the one we need. “We can make it worth your while.”

Emrys steps forward and tosses a bag towards the man. It spills open, showing supplies that are more important than gold or riches down here. We did our research. Their food and drink must be scavenged and found, leaving them to fight over their dwindling, scarce resources.

Gehenna is not an ordinary prison. It was built deep into the earth, without an exit and only a hole for an entrance. Those who are sentenced are thrown in to die either by the elements, madness, or the other prisoners’ hands. The worst of the worst are down here. It surprises me that the one we are here for has survived this long. It’s almost unheard of, especially since she is female. She is the only known living woman in residence.

He stares like most do, trying to figure out how we work so smoothly together. He doesn’t pick up the bag, though, and the monsters I see through the others’ eyes do not take it either, which indicates he is powerful indeed. “Whatchya want, boy?”

“A female named Oriana. She was sentenced here ten years ago.”

The room falls silent, and in my team’s eyes, I see some of the monsters retreating at the mention of her name, which makes me frown, but I keep my eyes on the sharp-toothed man.

With a dark chuckle, he kicks the bag back to me. “I’ll tell ye where she is. I don’t need no payment for that. Watching her rip you all apart will be payment enough.”

“So she is alive,” I confirm.

“Aye, but she doesn’t go by that name anymore, not since she entered the doors of hell.” He chuckles like this is the best thing to ever happen. “Follow me.”

With little other choice, we toss the bag to waiting monsters as a distraction and follow the man into the darkness. We move through different tunnels, spotting more monsters. No one knows the layout of Gehenna, and the god who built it died down here. Its depth and size are truly unknown, but once you are inside, there is no way out. For the courts of the world, it’s a good dumping ground for their criminals. Most deal with them in their own ways, but some either cannot be killed or are sentenced differently, and that’s when Gehenna comes in.

A bogeyman of our world, used to threaten others to behave.

“Tell me everything you know about her,” I demand.

To kill a monster, you must first understand it.

“You want her dead?” he guesses correctly, grinning at me. “Most do and have tried, worse monsters than you.”

“How do you know we aren’t here to save her?” I retort.

His laughter echoes as he stops at a tunnel exit and turns to us. “She doesn’t need to be saved. She’s a queen down here, and this is her castle. Only a fool would say something like that, and despite your intentions, you do not look like a fool, but fool or not, you will still die.”