Persephone

  A hand touched my shoulder and I jumped.

  “It’s okay.” Hades’ voice was reassuring. “He’s not going to find you here.”

  I swallowed hard. “If no gods can come down here—”

  “Most,” Cassandra interjected.

  I froze. Hades shot her an annoyed look. “You’re not helping.” He returned his attention to me. “Without my permission. And that’s a one-way trip. The only gods who can go back and forth are you, me, Thanatos, and Hecate.”

  “I haven’t seen Hecate in years,” Cassandra mused. “She’s still avoiding Moirae. Hermes used to be able to cross realms, but he died.” She returned Hades’ death glare. “Fine, not helping. Got it.”

  “So how could he have spies?”

  Hades sighed. “Anytime I leave the Underworld, it creates an entrance to this realm. Generally only gods or gifted humans can see it. Humans cannot enter except by death, and gods cannot enter except by invitation.”

  “So how—”

  “Demigods.” Cassandra chimed in. “They kind of fall into a gray area.”

  “Which is why all entrances lead to Tartarus,” Hades explained. “That in itself is enough to dissuade most of them. Furthermore, they can’t cross the river if they fall below a certain moral standard. Since Boreas is one of the few gods out there still reproducing, it stands to reason he has some spies among us.”

  “They wouldn’t dare attack you. Hades is a fierce god.” Cassandra rolled her eyes when Hades grinned. “Sort of. No one is going to touch you if they think they would have him to deal with afterward. He does have the unique ability to kill you and then torture you.”

  Hades chuckled, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. “Of course, we’re being excessively cautious. Once Boreas knows you’re spoken for, he should simply move on. However interested he is in you, you’re not worth taking on a god of my caliber.”

  “Uh, thanks.” I grimaced. “I feel safer already. If you’re such a powerful god, why do you let spies in your kingdom?”

  Hades gave me a savage grin. His footsteps echoed in the large room when he walked over to his throne. “I’ve got nothing to hide. Let them see how far they’ve fallen. And in this case it serves our purposes.” He sobered. “Nonetheless, you’ll need a guard. Do we need to add dance lessons into your—” he suppressed a laugh “—combat training?”

  His voice was so smug I was tempted to punch him in the face. I liked him better when he was worried about me and being comforting. Not when he was being an arrogant jerk. “Melissa and I took cotillion classes a couple of years ago.”

  Hades snorted. “Of course you did.”

  “Shut up!”

  His eyebrows shot up. He pushed off the throne and straightened his spine. The air seemed to grow heavy and darken, crackling with an electric charge.

  “Shut up?” he demanded. “Have you forgotten who you are speaking to? I rule a third of creation! I am the most powerful god left in this world, and I will not be ordered about by an infant!”

  I saw Cassandra’s throat bob as she swallowed hard. She stared at the ground fiercely. A part of me felt like diving underneath the throne and hiding like a small child, but something deep within me responded to his show of power.

  I straightened my back, tilted my chin up, and narrowed my eyes at him. “Wow, it is shocking you weren’t already married. Look—” I cut him off before he could speak. “I appreciate your saving me and going through all of this effort to make sure the people I care about are safe, but that doesn’t give you the right to mock me or to yell at me. Got it? I may not rule a third of creation—”

  “Actually—” Cassandra interjected, but a withering glare from Hades cut her off.

  “See to it she’s prepared for the ball. I have much to attend to.”

  “Wait a minute!” I protested. “What the hell is Brumalia?”

  “Now, Cassandra,” Hades growled.

  “Sure thing. We were just wrapping up our tour.” Cassandra grabbed my hand and hustled me down the hall. “Bye now!”

  Chapter IX

  Cassandra led me through the rest of the tour fast, but I didn’t mind. I was too busy seething with rage at Hades. I didn’t know what it was about him that set me off, but something just made me want to wipe the self-satisfied smirk off his face.

  Cassandra had an amused grin the remainder of the tour, and I wondered what she wasn’t telling me. Instead she filled me in on Brumalia. In the Underworld, it was kind of like a combination of a Christmas party and New Year’s ball with a keg party thrown in. Cassandra explained people in the living realm used to celebrate it until the Anglo-Saxons combined it with their holidays.

  “Luckily, there’s no need for sacrifices, because everyone is already dead.” Cassandra’s voice was too cheerful.

  I stared at her, horrified.

  “I’m kidding, Persephone. Hades was never into sacrifices.” She stopped before a door, and I realized we were at the same room I’d woken up in. “This is, of course, your room.”

  I shuddered.

  Cassandra frowned and opened the door. “Something wrong?”

  “It’s a little creepy,” I confessed. “It looks kind of like my room at home, but…different.”

  “Oh! You must have been thinking about your home while you were asleep. The room decorated itself accordingly.”

  “The room can read my mind?” I twirled my hair around my finger and backed away from the door. “That’s weird.”

  “Not exactly,” Cassandra said, walking over to my window. “It just kind of…molds itself to what you want. What kind of afterlife would this be if you had to spend all your time in a place you weren’t happy with? Home is the most important…” She trailed off, looking at the blank windows behind the curtain. “Yeah, this is creepy. Let’s redecorate.”

  “There’s nothing outside!” I cried, alarmed.

  “What would you like to be out there?”

  “I can decorate anything, any way I want, just by thinking about it?”

  Cassandra grinned. “In this room, sure. Go for it.”

  A smile formed on my face. This was going to be fun.

  “Enough!” Cassandra laughed, flopping down on my bed. “We’ve been at this for hours! It looks perfect; can we move on?”

  I looked around, unconvinced. I’d traded out the loft bed for a huge king-size bed. At home I liked the loft bed—there was something comforting about being in the air—but it didn’t feel the same here. I also switched my pink comforter out for a white down blanket, added a canopy of sheer billowing fabric to the bed, and added identical curtains to the large bay window.

  I moved the curtains aside and sat on the window seat, turning my back on the view of the flower-filled meadow to look at the rest of the room. I’d chosen a cherry shade of hardwood flooring with a matching dresser, nightstand, and bookshelf. A flat screen television was fastened to the green wall.

  The closet was my favorite part. Cassandra lent me a thick stack of magazines to look through and figure out what I wanted to wear. All I had to do was think of an outfit I liked, and it would appear in my closet.

  “What did you want to do?” I wasn’t anywhere near done, but it was nothing I couldn’t do on my own. Cassandra was clearly bored.

  “Dinner. I’m starving.”

  “You eat?”

  “Well, fine. I’m obviously not starving. It’s just an expression. Yes, we eat. All the same foods you do.” She affected a voice reminiscent of Hades. “Meals are important rituals to the souls. It grounds them in the familiar and provides a wonderful opportunity to socialize.”

  “He doesn’t talk like that!” I laughed.

  Cassandra giggled. “Just get him started on what he thinks is best for the souls. He’s all about making everyone feel right at home. Oh gods! He reads these stupid psychology books and just spouts off random psycho-babble. It’s awful!”

  I snickered. “Okay, so you can eat. Can we order pizza or something???
? I realized the question was foolish. But decorating put me in a great mood. My mind danced with thoughts of pizza, movies, and maybe popcorn for later.

  “We typically eat in the main hall. With Hades.”

  My mood crashed. “Oh. Uh, is what I have on okay?” I smoothed my dress, wondering why I cared.

  “Yeah, you look fine. I’ll show you where we go.”

  Dinner was awkward, mostly because I finally got to meet Moirae. The “Fates” were embodied in this schizophrenic woman. She was middle-aged and average height, average build, average looking—brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin so light she could be any ethnicity. She referred to herself as “we,” and apparently had three voices vying for attention in her head at any given time. The past, present, and future; the young, middle-aged, and old; and the mother, maiden, and crone in one. Good times.

  I sat next to Cassandra, and she moved me to an ornately carved wooden chair to the immediate right of where Hades would sit, heading the table. The banquet hall was surprisingly homey. I’d been expecting something as grandiose as the throne room. The floor was divided into wooden squares. The wooden paneled walls had sporadically placed paintings depicting different gods.

  Feeling out of place, I squirmed in my seat, watching as everyone else gathered around the table. Moirae turned in her chair to glare at me.

  “It’s her,” she hissed, and then nodded in agreement with herself.

  “Persephone,” I said helpfully. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “You are the reason we’re down here.”

  I looked at Cassandra for clarification and she shrugged. Leaning over, she whispered, “There’s a reason Hades keeps me around. She may be able to see the future too, but I’m way easier to talk to.”

  When I nodded in agreement, eyes wide, Cassandra laughed. “Okay, that’s not the only reason. She can’t see anyone who’s been marked.”

  “Marked?”

  “When a god gives someone a blessing or a curse, it interferes with their fate. They drop out of Moirae’s sight. She can’t see gods, either; that’s why Hades needs me.”

  I nodded again, amazed at how badly I’d misjudged Cassandra. She was without a doubt the most important soul in the underworld. No wonder she felt comfortable taunting Hades; her position here was completely safe.

  I turned back to Moirae. I was dreading the answer, but had to ask, “How am I the reason you’re down here?”

  “We are the fifth generation of Fates. We took our sisters’ place before the fall of the gods. Hecate, your mother, and you are meant to release us and be the sixth generation of Fates. Instead, you will choose to remain in the realm of the living. Hecate with her witches, your mother with her foolish crops. And you…” She sneered. “What will you do while shirking your duties?”

  I blinked. “I…uh…what? I haven’t even come into my powers yet!”

  “You will.”

  “There’s something to be said for a self-fulfilling prophecy,” I muttered, shaking my head. If she wanted to be mad at me for something I hadn’t even considered doing yet, fine. I wouldn’t have to feel bad for not stepping up as the next Fate later. Good. I didn’t want to be a Fate.

  “Making friends already?” Hades asked. I looked at him in mute appeal, and he grinned. “Persephone, allow me to introduce you to everyone. You’ve met Moirae, I see.” At my nod he continued. “This is Charon, my ferryman; Thanatos, God of Death; his twin brother Hypnos, God of Sleep; and Aeacus, Rhadamanthus—”

  “Call me Rhad,” he interjected.

  “—and Minos, my judges,” Hades finished.

  I nodded as each man stood in turn. I knew some of the names from Latin class but seeing them matched up with actual faces was unnerving.

  “And this is my—” Hades broke off and cleared his throat. “May I present my wife, Persephone.”

  I moved to stand as they had for me, but Hades put a firm hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place. They all bowed then returned to their seats. People dressed in white robes served the food. I wondered if they were the people who drank from the Lethe. Dinner chatter began on the far side of the table, seeming to revolve around Charon recounting his day on the ferry.

  I stared down at the white tablecloth, trying to remember which of the silver utensils I needed to use for the first course. A silver plate was placed before me with a fried pink oyster mushroom served with grapefruit. It was topped with an orange nasturtium blossom.

  “So…” I turned to Moirae, who glared daggers at me, and quickly turned back to Hades. “Uh, what did you do today?”

  He looked surprised by the question. “It’s barely been an hour since I last saw you.”

  “It’s called small talk,” I snapped. “You should try it some time.”

  He sighed. “Fine. I spoke with Hestia about your history lessons, arranged for you to begin self-defense lessons with Charon—”

  “What?” Charon piped up from his end of the table. “When did that happen?”

  “Just now,” Hades said around a bite of chicken. “I’m multitasking.”

  “Why does she need to learn self-defense?” Aeacus asked.

  I popped the flower into my mouth, savoring the spicy flavor. I wondered how they’d known I was a vegan. Everyone had something different on their plates. Maybe it was just a cool Underworld trick, like the rooms decorating themselves.

  “You’re going to have Charon teach her?” asked Thanatos. “He won’t be able to shut up long enough to teach her a single move. I’m way better at self-defense.”

  “Not everyone can kill someone just by touching them,” Hypnos pointed out.

  “You’ll be busy guarding Persephone any time she leaves the palace.” He looked at me. “You’re perfectly safe in all but the public areas of the palace. Only certain souls can enter the living quarters. Just stay out of the public sections, the ballroom, the front lobby, the banquet hall, and the court room, unless either myself, Cassandra, or Thanatos are with you.”

  “Hah!” Thanatos laughed at Charon. “You may be the self-defense guru, or whatever, but I’m the one people want around if there’s any real trouble.” He looked at Hades. “I’m going to need to recruit more Reapers to cover my shift.”

  “What?” Cassandra snapped. “You have too many Reapers already! One of them nearly killed Persephone today.” She saw my eyes widen and sighed. “Fine, not nearly killed. Gods, you deities need to learn to appreciate a good exaggeration.”

  “I’m well aware of what happened this afternoon.” Thanatos yawned. “And since my Reapers are banned from the living quarters, that means I have to distribute the list. If I’m also expected to act as a guard, then I’ll need more Reapers to keep things moving smoothly.”

  “And last week?” Cassandra asked. “What was the reason then?”

  “You guys won’t believe who I met on the ferry today,” Charon said from his side of the table.

  “Who?” Minos asked.

  “Okay, you guys remember that movie with the…”

  I didn’t get to hear the rest of his sentence because Thanatos drowned him out. “More people are dying every day. I need help.”

  I shifted closer to Charon, but couldn’t hear him over Cassandra.

  “Bull! You only had a handful of Reapers during the plague!”

  “And maybe a tenth of the population,” he retorted.

  “How many do you need?” Hades asked.

  Cassandra sighed loudly and sat back in her seat. Heads shook around the table, and I caught more than a few amused grins. Cassandra seemed to be the only one who was bothered by the Reapers.

  “A hundred?”

  “You get fifty. And keep them out of the palace, would you?”

  Thanatos grinned and took a bite of his steak. I studied him closely. He wore black robes, grim-reaper style. His dark hair was pulled back from his narrow face. His dark eyes met mine from across the table and I gulped, staring hard at the soup before me. I didn’t want Death shadowing me. I
glanced at his twin brother, Hypnos. He looked just like Thanatos, only his robes, eyes, and hair were grey. Not old-people grey; more like the color of smoke.

  Charon laughed. “Give us a week, Thanatos. Persephone will be able to kick your bony ass across the Styx.”

  The table erupted into cacophony. Everyone was talking over everyone else, adding wagers and jesting with each other. Lethians deftly ducked between the dueling deities, serving the main course. A plate of corn-filled phyllo tulips and eggplant topped with tomato sauce was put in front of me and I took a nervous bite.

  “You’re on!” Thanatos replied. He gave me a devilish grin. “One week, Persephone.”

  “That’s okay,” I squeaked. I didn’t want to go hand to hand against Death.

  No one heard me. Hades’ eyes glittered in amusement. He gave me a look that said see what you started? as plainly as if he had spoken.

  “I’m also trying to clear my schedule to teach you about your abilities.” Hades smiled wryly. “And I’ve still got to prepare for Brumalia. You’re keeping me busy.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be any trouble.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t apologize. It’s a welcome diversion.”

  “Then thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, seeming pleased.

  “Well, since no one else is asking,” Charon called from the end of the table, “I suppose it’s up to me. Hades, when did you get a wife?”

  Everyone laughed. “You miss everything.” Cassandra snickered.

  “Damn those needy souls,” Charon joked, sliding an easy grin my way, his gray eyes twinkling. “So what happened? Hades sweep you off your feet?”

  “You could say that.” I glanced at Hades. I wasn’t sure what I was allowed to disclose.

  “See, I had this vision—” Cassandra began.

  “Always visions with you,” Thanatos groaned.

  “—that Persephone was in trouble. So I calmly told Hades—”

  “If by calmly you mean burst into the throne room shrieking like a banshee,” Hades teased.