Chapter 33

"Through me the way into the suffering city,

Through me the way into eternal pain,

Through me the way that runs among the lost."

-Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

He was tall, blond, and for a split second I thought that I recognised him from somewhere. He stared at me for longer than was necessary and then sat at the table in the back, joining a female human. I didn't need to panic just yet. After all, I wasn't that important in the underworld. Maybe he was here for other reasons and I just had to relax. Azero was holding the plate with snacks front of me, so I took a piece of a cracker with hummus, telling myself that everything was fine.

"Any good? It's the special recipe from my grandmother side," Azero asked and his question distracted me from the supernatural creature that was now in the restaurant. My paranoia kicked in, rolling over my body like a cold shower. My life was complicated, but tonight was all about me.