Free Persephone (The Lily Harper Series Book 4) by H.P. Mallory Page B

course, ya know, or a swim-up bar.” That was putting it mildly. “So, to answer your question, yes, I plan to see if maybe there are any Tinderellas in or around Shitzville.”
    “You think you can find available, interested women in the Dark Wood?” I asked incredulously. Sometimes, I wondered what universe Bill lived in.
    “Dude, I got the service,” Bill countered, “might as well make the best of it.”
    “I guess so,” I replied, paying more attention to the Samsung in my hands. “But don’t get disappointed if all you end up with is some hideous creature like the one Tallis just killed,” I warned him. The smartphone asked me to swipe the screen in order to unlock it.
    “Yep, they’re on Tinder too,” Bill responded, without bothering to look up from his phone.
    “Nice,” I said as I shook my head. “I wish you lots of luck.”
    “Don’t get jealous when I find myself a real honey,” Bill bantered back.
    “I doubt you’ll find any real honeys or Tinderellas out here,” I replied with a shrug. Glancing around myself, I could only detect the faint outlines of long dead trees against the darker pitch of the sky. “More like Tindersteins.”
    “Ha-ha, nips! You’re so damn funny,” Bill grumbled while slapping his thigh in mock hilarity. Jerk. “An’ look at that!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. His eyes danced with glee, and his smile widened. “I’m surrounded by babes!”
    “There’s no way,” I retorted. My mouth dropped open as I tried to comprehend how that could be possible.
    He held his phone up and began swiping right onto the first five profiles that came up, without even bothering to look at the pictures. “Apparently, it is possible to Tinder Bomb the Dark Wood,” he replied with a giggle. “Fuck yeah!”
    I shook my head in blatant denial. There was no way he could convince me that eligible women existed within a ten-mile radius. “It must be pulling that data from somewhere else,” I said. “We must be in a parallel plane, or universe right now, or something like that.”
    “Stop right there,” Bill said as he held up his hand, his palm facing me. “No more o’ this space-time continuum shit.” He began shaking his head. “I can’t deal with any more o’ that dorky crap.” Then he arched a brow at me and seemed irritated. “We’ll be back home soon enough. Then you can go find yer own kind in the Nerdist Colony.”
    I didn’t bother to respond because a text message suddenly popped up on my screen. It was from Alaire and it read:
    Dear Ms. Harper,
    I am pleased that you decided to accept my generosity. (I figured he was referring to the phone, or his gifts from Saxon). I trust you will prefer this phone for your travels to the Underground City; I fear your current, duct-taped atrocity will not survive another journey.
    I shrugged, thinking he probably had a point there.
    Inside the canvas bag, please find a key, a glass vial, a whistle, and a box of chocolates. The key will allow you unencumbered entrance to the gates of the Underground City. I recall that during your last visit, you did not possess one.
    So Alaire remembered that. It was true that I hadn’t had a key, but luckily for me, I hadn’t needed one then. The gates had simply opened automatically. Now, however, looking back on it, I suspected Alaire must have been alerted to my presence and opened the gates before sending a driverless car, which took me directly to him.
    Inside the glass vial is an elixir. It will protect you as you step through the gates; otherwise, as you well know, the toxins of the Underground City will most decidedly kill you. This vial is enchanted, and will therefore refill itself as quickly as you drink it, which is fortunate for you.
    Yeah, right. Fortune had nothing to do with me having to return to the Underground City.
    The whistle is quite important, Alaire continued. It is quite unfortunate, but I have found the need to further defend the Underground City from