Book Five: Chapter 210

Mike sniffed involuntarily at the sulfur cloud that surrounded him with Lily’s disappearance. Her malevolent glee was so palpable he could almost taste it.

It had taken almost two hours at a blistering pace in the Underworld before Mike and the others had reached the edge of the dome-shaped pocket dimension his home had been tucked away in. It had formed an impenetrable barrier to the demonic denizens of the blighted landscape who were circling it hungrily. At the sight of the hellhound, they dispersed with harsh cries.

Mike had hopped off of Cerberus to place his hands on the solidified light. It denied his efforts, but he could feel the geas just on the other side. It reached out for him, as if to welcome him home, but the barrier opposed his efforts.

The geas built in power, concentrating magic just beneath his hands until it tunneled through the barrier, connecting to Mike’s magic. Like turning a key in a lock, the protective shield burst apart to allow him ent