Free The Underworld (The Atlas Series Book 3) by Becca C. Smith Page B

horizon to steady her equilibrium, either.
    Derek’s hands soon found their way to her shoulders as he began to give her a massage. She instantly relaxed and closed her eyes. “I still feel like barfing, but that makes it better. Thanks.”
    She could hear Derek’s soft chuckle, “You’re the toughest girl I’ve ever known and even as a god you still get motion sickness?”
    “Ha, ha, laugh it up. We all have our things. Mister cockroach .”
    “Okay, those things are foul. And remember our mission in Florida?! Those things flew! Flew! I can take on bullets any day, but flying cockroaches?! Forget it,” Derek laughed.
    “I did see in my vision that if I don’t complete my task the world will be taken over by cockroaches. Just saying,” Kala teased.
    Derek stopped massaging her and eyed her seriously. “Please tell me you’re joking. Cuz I’m going to live through whatever apocalypse may come if you screw up. I can’t live in a world overrun by those little suckers.”
    Kala shoved him affectionately. “Thanks for the confidence, dick.”
    Derek’s smile returned and he nudged her back. “Any time, princess.”
    The ship traveled through the ocean and slowly moved further and further down for hours.
    No one spoke. Everyone was too wrapped up in their thoughts of what was to come.
    Ashliel’s voice finally broke the silence. “We’re almost there.” He turned to Rotoph. “You sense the teleportation blocking spell yet?”
    Even though Kala planned on using a phase-suit to find Hades, Talan needed to teleport to her once she had located the body. More precisely, he needed to try and teleport directly to the Underworld once Hades killed her.
    Rotoph nodded, then added, “It’s one hell of a spell too. It may take a while.”
    Ashliel barely acknowledged Rotoph (to his annoyance) as he turned to Zeus. “What about Oceanus? Anything on your radar?”
    Zeus shook his head. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
    Famous last words.
    SLAM!
    The ship jolted hard right and everyone that was standing toppled to the ground.
    “I think your uncle Oceanus found us.” Kala directed her comment to Zeus as she tried to stand, but fell down again ungracefully to the floor.
    Ashliel gained his bearing back first and steered the craft downward, then stopped. “Better strap on those phase-suits, because we’re right above Hades’s cave.”

Chapter Seven
    After several minutes of General Clifton’s XV-4250 being thrown around like it was Oceanus’s plaything, Kala was finally suited up and ready to go. The phase-suits practically looked like scuba gear anyway, so she’d fit right in at the bottom of the ocean. With the gear adjusted for water pressure and temperature, Kala could at least be assured that her body wouldn’t explode or freeze when exiting the ship. But swimming in the blackness of the ocean… knowing that a Titan was waiting to tear her to pieces… It didn’t exactly make her feel confident.
    Feeling selfish that Derek was right beside her, ready to go, Kala suppressed a wave of guilt. He was immortal, yes, but she still didn’t like putting him in danger. Yet he was the only person she truly trusted. Sure, her father and Talan were a close second, but whether or not they wanted to admit it, they had to think of their people first. They may claim that Kala was their one and only, but if they were put in a position where they had to choose between the entire Grigori race and her, Kala wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t pick her.
    With Derek, he’d pick Kala every time. Even in the past when he had thought she was crazy and had handed her over to Clifton. Once Derek had realized Clifton wanted to kill her, he risked his life, his career, everything to save her. She’d never doubt him. Loyalty was what Kala valued the most. She’d never betray her best friend and he’d never betray her. It was that simple.
    Derek handed her a handgun that appeared to be made of some kind of plastic or resin.