My cheeks colored in embarrassment. “In practice, I always get you to give me the red M&M’s.”
“That was a device to let you know when you were using enough charm to affect a human,” he snapped. “I got it from a human parenting manual. I didn’t think you were stupid enough to believe you could use your charm against me.”
My eyes flashed. I remembered mother telling me the only way she’d found to potty train me was giving me M&M’s. I was not flattered by the comparison. “Well, that tells me everything I need to know.”
He wrinkled his brow in confusion. “About what?”
I shook my head, feeling stupid. “You know, for a moment I thought maybe— Never mind. I know exactly how you see me now. I’m nothing but a child.”
“How else would I see you?”
“Get away from me!” I pushed him away. When he didn’t budge I glared at him.
“Tell me you will never attempt to charm me again.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Even I knew better than to throw around words like never. I could only speak the truth, and future intent got messy when you couldn’t lie.
He seemed to realize what he was asking, and shook his head. “Just…don’t. How would you feel if I could just look into your eyes and make you do something that you didn’t want to?”
He was right. I dropped my gaze to the floor. I’d tried to control him, to strip him of his will. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I won’t—”
“Stop,” he warned me. “You don’t know what the future holds.” He sighed. “Helping Orpheus was unusually stupid of you.”
“If I can help someone, I will. I’m done watching people suffer.”
“You can’t save everyone,” Hades said, his voice gentling. He drew a deep breath and took a small step away from me. “The sooner you realize that, the better it will be for you.”
“I’m not suggesting we return everyone to life, but it was possible in this situation.”
“So?”
“So! He literally went through Hell to save her! Her death was a pointless accident. It wasn’t fair!”
“Life isn’t fair! Why should death be any different?”
“Did you ever stop and wonder if maybe that attitude is why the gods are dead?” I asked. “People don’t believe in gods because they can’t wrap their minds around the idea of someone allowing all the terrible things in the world to happen.”
“Reality has teeth and claws. It’s rarely pretty and never fair. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
I clenched my fists. “Why? I get that no one has the power to interfere now, but when the gods were in power, how could they let things get this bad? You’re here every day! You hear the stories of murder, thievery, and worse. You see the children who starved to death. This isn’t a recent development. Why didn’t you stop it?”
“We gave humans free will—”
“That’s bull!” I exploded. “If you have the power to stop someone from getting killed and don’t, you’re just as guilty as whoever pulled the trigger.”
“Where do you draw that line, Persephone? There are billions of humans, and a handful of us—”
“Who allowed humans to get to the billions? That was greed, plain and simple. More humans equaled more worship. And really, between the God of Mist, and the God of Doorways, and the god of every other useless thing, you couldn’t at least try?”
“You’re angry. I understand. You didn’t see this side of the world back in your flower shop. Your mother kept you sheltered. It’s a bit of a shock at first, but—”
“But what? Over time I’ll get used to it? Used to seeing children in the court of the dead? Used to watching husbands cry over lost wives? Why should I get used to it when I can do something about it?”
“You can’t save everyone. You just don’t have that power.”
“But you did! You each had the power to grant immortality!” I threw my hands in the air. “Why were only some people given the gift? My mother has the power to make things grow anywhere. How come people are still starving? Are you all so full of yourselves that you think you’re any more deserving of these gifts than any one of those humans?”
Hades took me by the shoulders. The cold marble pressed against my back. I ground my teeth, raising my chin to meet his eyes, trying to catch my breath. “Persephone—”
The door to the throne room slammed open and a dripping wet Charon stormed into the room. “What the hell, Moirae? You can’t just zap people out of my boat. It knocked the whole thing off balance—”
He froze when he saw me and Hades.
“Um…” He took a step backward. “I’m really…I’m going to go.”
“No,” I said coldly, pushing Hades away from me with all my strength. He rolled his eyes and stepped away. “I was just leaving.”
I stormed out of the castle. I’d made my big speech with my big promises, completely forgetting that my big power was making flowers bloom. Like that could help anyone!
Don’t forget your awesome charisma. I snorted, walking along the River Styx. To think I’d considered… Hades sucked. I wanted a guy like Orpheus. Orpheus had gone through Tartarus to rescue his wife—that was love. Hades probably didn’t even know the meaning of the word love.
That was the problem with gods. They could never sacrifice for love like humans did. How could they possibly understand emotions as well as we—
I stopped walking. I’m not human.
I’d accepted the fact I was a goddess, but it felt more like my title than my species. I hadn’t considered that I wasn’t human. Would I be as detached as Hades was in a few hundred years? Was that my future? Would I ever feel the kind of love that would drive me to walk through Hell for the other person if they needed it?
Not from Hades, that was for sure. “How else would I see you?” I mocked, throwing in a heavy sigh for good measure. I didn’t know why I cared. It wasn’t like I felt anything for him. He was annoying, proud, he sighed all the time, and he was inconsiderate. Well, that wasn’t always true. Sometimes he was good, kind, and comforting. Like after I had my nightmare, he’d held me and—
I swore, scowling at my reflection in the crystalline waters.
“Persephone!” Thanatos called. He walked quickly to catch up to me.
I walked faster. “Leave me alone.”
“What happened? What did he do?” Thanatos took a few steps at a run over the grass-covered hill until he reached my side.
“I don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want company.” At his hurt look I softened my tone. “Sorry, I just… You said not to think of you as a guard, remember?”
He nodded. “Right. We’re friends.”
“Then be my friend. Give me some space right now, okay? I can’t think unless I’m alone, and I’m never alone here. There’s always someone—” I took a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have to hide in my room if I want some space.”
Thanatos hesitated. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’m going to walk away, I’ll be at the bottom of the hill, out of sight, out of hearing range, out of mind, I hope. Take as much time as you need. Just promise to come get me when you’re done. And please, don’t wander off.”
I looked around, surprised to find I was next to the thin ribbon of fire that marked the boundary of Tartarus. I hadn’t been paying attention to where I was walking. I’d just walked away from Thanatos.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll stick around.”
He nodded, but his face was troubled, like he had misgivings about leaving me by myself. But true to his word he walked down the large green hill. He faded from sight and I sat down at the edge of the river of flames and watched them dance wickedly down their slope. It was a river, not a wall of fire as I’d assumed in Latin class. I could see clearly to the other side, but there was nothing there. The landscape continued into the distance unchanged. A trick of the eye, maybe? If I was sentenced to Hell, I’d stay by the river my whole afterlife in hopes I could somehow escape.
/> It wouldn’t make sense for the good to have to watch the bad suffer for all eternity, I mused, but the other way around would be torturous. What if, on the other side of the fire, I was being watched? There could be someone standing a mere foot from me and I wouldn’t be able to see them because of some magic trick.
The river was beautiful; it would be pretty cool to just touch it…
Entranced, I knelt by the water’s edge and held my hand over the flames. I could feel heat, but it wasn’t as blistering as I’d imagined it would be. I touched my fingertip to the flame, grinning when it didn’t burn.
“How cool.” I took a furtive glance around then stuck my hand into the river. It felt wet. Not like fire at all. I grinned, entertaining thoughts about swimming in the river of flames as I watched them curl over my hand. Something snaked through the river and wrapped around my wrist.
The shock barely registered before I felt a sudden yank. I screamed as I was pulled across the river.
Chapter XVI
I gasped as I was pulled through the river of fire and into Tartarus. I didn’t get burned, but I felt frozen inside. I stumbled, shocked, and landed on the icy red sand. It was so cold it burned. I was stunned at the sudden change from idyllic scenery to elemental horror. The sky was black, with neon green and bright blue flashes of lightning lancing through the sky, revealing frightening shapes and deformed creatures crawling over the sand.
Someone stood beside me, his hand still gripping my wrist. My mind screamed at me to stop looking at the scenery and face this new threat, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the terrible sight. My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath. I couldn’t seem to breathe here. My skirt dripped tiny flames. The burning cold sapped away my strength. I tore my gaze from the landscape and struggled to turn my head to the side.
“Pirithous!” Adrenaline filled my veins, giving me the strength to scurry away from him with a half shriek that came out sounding more like a terrified squeak.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself like Charon taught me. My heart thundered in my chest and every instinct told me to get up and run. I struggled to my feet, eyes widening when I took in Pirithous’ changed appearance.
He stepped forward, face gaunt. He looked like a walking skeleton, with cracked and dried skin hanging off his bones. He didn’t have an ounce of fat or muscle left on his body. I recoiled when I saw that his eyes were yellow and his hair was falling out in patches.
“What happened?” The question was ridiculous. I shouldn’t care what happened to him; I should be running. But the change was so drastic, so far beyond my comprehension, that the question just slipped out. I took a small step backward toward the river, hoping Pirithous wouldn’t notice.
“I followed a tip on where to find you, and met a woman named Doso. Turns out she was your mother in disguise. She cursed me with eternal hunger.” He laughed bitterly. “I eat all day, and it doesn’t matter. I’m starving!”
I couldn’t reconcile the image of my loving mother causing a person—any person—enough suffering to look as bad as Pirithous did right now. “My mom made you starve to death?” I asked, taking another small step. My foot brushed against the water, the freezing heat searing my toes.
“Oh, she won’t let me die that easily. Luckily, someone else took an interest in me. He showed me this entrance to the Underworld. Didn’t know I’d be walking through Hell, but the people here didn’t bother me. I guess when you look like this—” Pirithous held up his arm, and I shuddered when I realized I could see the skin between his bones touching. Every vein strained against the gaunt flesh, a landscape of blue bumps. The bones protruded from his paper-thin skin. “—they figure you belong in Hell.”
“You came here for me?” I needed to keep him talking. If he got distracted enough I could make it across the river. I’d be free as soon as I got onto the shore. I just needed to find the strength to run.
“I couldn’t cross the river.” His bony fingers dug into my arm. “So I watched and waited. You came.” He grinned, the action stretching his skin even tighter across his face. “I knew you would.”
I yanked my arm free, rubbing it in disgust. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet? My mother didn’t put this curse on you because you asked me out for coffee. This kidnapping thing is never going to end well for you.”
“Oh, I don’t want you anymore.”
Something was draining my energy, but it had to be affecting Pirithous too. I thought fast. I was weaker than usual but that didn’t mean I was at a disadvantage.
“Then what? Revenge? You can’t kill a goddess,” I said, with more bravado than I felt. Every word I spoke left my lips reluctantly. All I wanted to do was curl up in the sand and go to sleep. Only fear kept me on my feet.
“I found another god interested in your whereabouts. He approached me after your mother cursed me. Said if I could bring you back, he’d fix me.”
“Boreas,” I guessed, the name sending a fresh flow of terror through my veins. I fought to keep it from showing on my face. I took another microscopic step into the water.
Pirithous’ hand shot out to grab me, but I shook him off easily. Rage danced through his eyes. He obviously knew Tartarus made us both too weak to put up much of a struggle. However, I was mere feet away from freedom, whereas he had an entire dimension of hell to drag me through before reaching the surface.
“What was your plan here?” I demanded. “Drag me through Hell kicking and screaming? You think you have the strength for that?”
“I’m starving,” Pirithous snapped. “I’ll—”
“Are you going for the sympathy vote here? I couldn’t care less whether you live or die. You ruined my life. As far as I’m concerned, you brought this on yourself.”
I reached out and shoved his emaciated shoulders, knocking him to the ground. I turned and splashed through the flames.
Pirithous dove for me, dragging me back onto shore with surprising strength. I pushed against him, pulling him through the fire. The fire froze my insides, sending me gasping in shock.
“I’ll just have to ask for help!” Pirithous hissed. He turned and yelled at the top of his lungs. “Hey fellas, I’ve got a live one!”
In a rush of strength, he heaved me onto the shore. I hit the sand and rolled out from under him, springing to my feet. Someone cackled. I turned and saw strange hunched creatures approaching us. They were small, twisted, and bent over to the height of a five-year-old child. Their hairless bodies shuffled toward us, dark eyes glittering with malice. Their skin was bleached, and their noses had collapsed in on their faces. Horror washed over me as I remembered these creatures had once been human.
My blood froze in my veins as I recognized all of the “Bobs” Charon had pulled from Tartarus for my self-defense class.
“Oh shit.” Their eyes glittered with hatred when they recognized me. This had to be a huge realm. How could they possibly all be here?
“Well, now, how did you end up on this side of the river?” Bob wheezed, black lips opening to reveal sharp nasty teeth.
I tried to back away, but Pirithous held me in place. I squirmed, trying to get free as more monsters surrounded me.
“This one’s got spirit,” another one taunted.
“Not for long,” one laughed, reaching out to touch my face. I shrieked, squirming away from his hand.
“Now, now,” he said. “That’s not the way a lady behaves.” He slapped me so hard I yelped in indignation.
“Make that noise again,” one hissed, salivating. “I liked it.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as he stroked my shoulder. My heart was trying to beat right out of my chest. I shuddered at his touch, fear making me hypersensitive to the sensation. Oh gods, help me! I felt them move in closer around me.
Another soul touched me and I lashed out. I kicked Pirithous in the shins. The brittle bone snapped when I kicked it. I slammed my head back, smashing in his nose, and drove my elbow into Pirithous??
? gut. He howled, falling to a heap behind me. The souls surged forward, knocking me to the ground.
“No!” I managed to free one of my hands and throw a punch but they quickly wrestled it back to the ground. I was pinned.
Pirithous smiled his creepy skeletal grin and leaned close to my face. “Not so confident now, are you?”
I lunged forward, teeth tearing at a chunk of his throat. He yelped. His fist drew back and smashed into my face. “You stupid bitch!” His hands closed around my throat.
“Hey, leave her conscious,” one of the souls protested. “It’s more fun when they struggle.” Its hand snaked up my thigh and I twisted, trying to squirm my way free. For a second all I could hear was the souls laughing. Then the wind picked up, whipping around with such intensity that Pirithous stumbled forward.
“Get your hands off my wife!” Hades thundered, appearing in our midst with his cloak flapping.
The dead scattered. Hades caught the squirming figure that had touched me by the throat. “I’m going to send you to a place so horrific you’ll think the fifty years you spent here were a vacation.” He snapped his fingers, and it vanished.
Hades pulled me close, casting a glare out over the landscape for any stragglers.
“Moirae can deal with the rest. Are you all right?” he asked, concern gathering in his eyes. He untied his black cape and set it gently on my wet shoulders. I pulled it around myself, shivering.
“Forgive me,” Pirithous begged, prostrating himself before Hades. “I am desperate, my lord. Grant me death, grant me anything, but make this hunger stop.”
Hades looked him up and down. “Demeter’s handiwork, I take it?”
I shrugged.
“Very well.” Hades snapped his fingers. The Underworld rushed past us in a nauseating whirl. When it stabilized around us I saw we were standing in the banquet room.
“Eat.” He motioned Pirithous toward the banquet table. “I’ll deal with you later.”