Chapter 15
Persephone
Asmattering of clapping met my ringing ears as I found myself standing in Hades' throne room.
“Persephone,” his voice filled my head immediately. “Are you alright?”
I nodded mutely at the vibrating smoky figure at the end of the row of thrones.
“Persephone!” I whirled at the bellowed voice and saw my brother trying to push his way through the small crowd, frantic. Hecate was yanking him back, her face set and hard.
“I'm fine, Sam,” I croaked, and he stilled, face pale. The burbling sound my voice made wasn't right, and I tentatively touched my neck. My stomach roiled as my fingers didn't meet skin, but something lumpy and wet.
I closed my eyes and concentrated, willing the wound to heal faster than it already was. I had no doubt it had been worse when Eurynomos first attacked me, or I wouldn't be still be standing. I'd be dead.
“Alright for some,” muttered Minthe and I opened my eyes. She was standing next to me, shaking. Deep dark burn wounds covered her body, and her face was as white as a sheet. I frowned at her.
“What do you mean, alright for some? You think that was fun for me? That I'm lucky I got to experience that? I just saved your life, quit giving me shit.”
“I meant that,” she said quietly, and gestured to my shoulder and neck, “I can't heal myself.”
“Oh,” I said. I cocked my head at her, then sent out a vine slowly towards her arm. She flinched when it touched, but said nothing as my vine turned gold, and I sent my healing power through it. Her lips parted in a small gasp, then the sores began to pale, then knit closed.
“Thanks,” she mumbled.
“I'm thrilled to see you two getting on,” boomed Zeus, rising from his throne with a cold smile. “If you please,” he said and raised his arm. The commentator appeared with a pop.
“So, gutsy Persephone chose to save her rival instead of living with murder on her conscience! Let's see what the judges have to say about that!” He grinned. The judges fizzled into the space in front of the thrones.
“Radamanthus?”
“One token,” the judge said.
“Aeacus?”
“One token.” The gaunt judge eyed me suspiciously as he spoke.
“Minos?”
“One token. And my respect,” said the head judge, with a small smile. I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and the three of them vanished.
“As I'd hoped, it appears that we will have quite a showdown for the last Trial,” said Zeus loudly.
“How did you know I wouldn't take both tokens and end it there?” I asked, interrupting him. He glared at me.
“Because most humans are painfully predictable, you even more so,” he said, then looked back to the crowd. “The last Trial will be the much anticipated Hell-Hound Run!”
A huge cheer went up from behind me and I looked to Hades. Skop had said I would meet Cerberus at some point. I guess this would be it.
“The Trial will be a little different than it has been for the other contestants though. Previously, the goal has been to get past all three of Hades' pets in a chariot. This time, it will be a race between the last remaining competitors. The winner will marry Hades.”
I looked at Minthe, her jaw dropping in time with mine.
“But I've already survived the Hell-Hound Run, you can't make me do it again!” she protested, her voice aghast. Abruptly she seemed to realize what she'd said and dropped fast to one knee. “Oh Zeus, I'm sorry, I am just shocked. Please forgive my outburst.”
“You shall both be allowed a team of two to ride the chariot with you. They may not be Olympians, but that is the only restriction,” Zeus continued, ignoring her completely. “We start at midday tomorrow.”
He clapped his hands together in an overly exaggerated gesture, and all the gods except Hades disappeared in a blinding flash.
“Shit!” shouted Minthe, stamping her foot as she straightened. My vine fell away from her.
“What happens in the Hell-Hound Run?” I asked her, aware that Hades was moving towards us on one side, my brother and Hecate on the other.
“As if I'd tell you,” she snarled, fixing her angry eyes on mine.
Anger swelled through me.
“Don't blame me for this! Honestly, you are the most ungrateful person I've ever fucking met!”
“You have no idea what's at stake for me. What I've given up for this.” Tears shone in her eyes.
“No, and I don't care! You want to use Hades for immortality, you won't make him happy.”
“Happy? You seriously think you can make the Lord of Dead happy?” She gaped at me.
“I know I can.”
“Wow. You're more deluded than I thought you were.”
“And you're more of a bitch than I thought you were.” Dark smoke entered my peripheral vision and we both looked at Hades.
“Please send me home to prepare, My Lord,” said Minthe tightly, bowing her head. Hades flicked a smoke hand, and she vanished.
“Persy, what the fuck was that? I mean, you were badass, but I can't believe you really did that, my own sister—”
My brother’s words faded into noise as he barreled into me, wrapping his arms around me hard. My head was buzzing, the residual rage and shock of what I'd done to Eurynomos settling over me.
I should regret such an act of rage. I didn't have to kill Eurynomos.
I could have left him trapped while I freed Minthe.
But I had decided he would die, and nothing could have stopped me doing it.
It had been an act of wrath. The thing I feared most about this other person, this goddess, inside of me.
But I didn't regret it at all. He was not a person, he was a demon. And that meant...
“He'll regenerate,” I said to Hades. I didn't phrase it as a question but as something I'd known before I'd killed him, a defense of my actions. But I needed to hear him confirm it.
Hades nodded.
“Yes. It may take a while, but yes.” A shudder of relief rocked through me. I wasn't a murderer.
“Persy, Slayer of Demons,” said Hecate, a smile on her face. “I like that.”
“I could get used to it,” I grinned back. My grin slipped as I felt a surge of emotion through me that was not my own. Fear and desperation. Hades.
“I need a moment with Hades,” I said to Sam, extracting myself from his hug. “Then we'll prepare for the next Trial and have a drink. A large one.”
“I'll get the cocktails ready,” said Hecate.
“What's wrong?” I asked as soon as the throne room was empty. The smoke surrounding him fell away and Hades rushed at me. He scooped me up in his huge arms, planting soothing kisses across my neck and shoulder, where Eurynomos had bitten me.
“If you hadn't killed him, I would have,” he whispered, pulling away and gripping my face in his hands. “You were... incredible.”
“I wouldn't have killed him if he were a real person,” I said firmly. You sure about that? The voice inside me came from nowhere, and I forced it down. I was sure. “I ate another seed,” I told Hades.
“I can see that. The thorns are back.”
“What else can I do now?”
“Heal yourself faster,” he said, silver eyes flicking to my neck.
“I wish I could stay with you, but I have to meet with the other gods, and it can't wait.” I felt his fury rise within him, and laid my palms on his chest. He took a deep breath.
“Zeus lost control of Eurynomos. I do not want to risk him losing control of Cerberus.”
“Will Cerberus try to eat me?” I asked, as casually as I could. Hades stroked his thumb down my cheek.
“He loved you once.”
“Really? I'm more of a cat person.”
“If you become my Queen again, we can get a cat.” My reaction must have shown on my face because a broad smile spread over his.
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
“Watch me ace this Trial,” I said.
After kissing me like his life depended on it, Hades left to meet with the others gods, promising to tell me all about the hell-hounds when he returned. And show me whatever my gold vines were able to do now.
He flashed me back to my old rooms, where Hecate, Sam and Skop were waiting, with the promised cocktails.
“We can only have a quick celebratory drink now, as we have a dinner invitation,” said Hecate, passing me a glass.
“I still can't believe you killed that thing, Persy, honestly, it was crazy!” Sam interrupted. “And your neck... I thought you were going to die at one point.” He stopped speaking abruptly, a haunted look taking over his face.
“I'm OK, Sam. A demon is no match for a goddess.” I squeezed his arm encouragingly and took a long drag of my drink. It tasted divine.
“Well yeah, you proved that! You didn't tell me about the thorns.”
“I didn't have them until this morning. I ate another seed.”
“Good,” said Hecate. “That might have saved your life.”
“Told ya,” said Skop.
“And you were right,” I answered him with a reluctant nod, then turned to Hecate. “Who is the dinner invitation from?” Please not Zeus, please not Zeus, I prayed silently.
“Morpheus and Hedone. And I think they have good news.”
Hecate flashed us to Morpheus' rooms as soon I'd gulped down my cocktail, and boy did I get some room-envy.
His rooms were just like him, ethereal and floaty and just... magical. There was no better word. The rock walls glowed with stars but of every shade of blue, and they seemed to move like liquid across the rock, just like his flowy robes.
An enormous dining table was laid for five in the middle of the reception room and in the center was a large orb that glowed with yellow light, reminding me of the sun and casting a softer atmosphere across the whole space.
Bookcases lined one wall, and an enormous tapestry covered the other. Before I could inspect it though, both Hedone and Morpheus were rising from the table to greet us.
“Persy, you were brilliant today!” beamed Hedone, kissing both of my cheeks. Familiar heat flushed through me at her touch and I felt a pang of sympathy for my brother. He would be completely bowled away by the goddess of pleasure.
To my surprise though, he kept it together pretty well, his cheeks only coloring slightly as she introduced herself. Morpheus seemed to fluster him more, the dream god's unearthly vibe leaving him stammering a bit.
“Please, sit,” Morpheus said, and we all took seats at the grand table. A satyr entered through the open door at the back of the room, carrying a tray of the delicious fizzy wine in saucer glasses.
“Sam, watch out for this stuff, it's not really meant for humans,” I said to him quietly.
“You can heal my hangover,” he grinned at me, and took a big sip. “Fuck me, that's good!”
“Yeah, all food and drink here is.” I heard the pride in my voice as I spoke, as though I was showing off something that belonged to me. Somewhere along the line, my brain had seemed to have accepted Olympus as my home.
“Persephone, I've asked you here in a somewhat formal capacity,” said Morpheus, and we all looked at him. “I would like to offer you my services in the chariot race.” I blinked at him. The chariot race. Zeus' words rushed back to me. I could have two people to help me.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Did you have a team in mind already?”
“No, not at all, I hadn't even thought about it yet,” I spluttered. “You would really risk yourself to help me?”
He chuckled.
“I'm as immortal as you can get without being an Olympian, the risk to me would be minimal,” he said gently. “And I like Hades. So no offense, but I would be doing it for him, rather than you.”
I beamed at him, my heart swelling in my chest.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” I wouldn't be alone. For the first time in this awful competition, I would have a friend by my side during a Trial. The thought was overwhelming.
“I'm assuming you were going to ask me too,” said Hecate. I snapped my head to her.
“Really?”
“Gods yeah. Same reason as Morpheus. I can't be dealing with a depressed Hades as a boss,” she shrugged. Her voice was as indifferent as her body language, but her eyes sparkled with something else. Excitement?
She had been there, with me or near me, every single step of this journey. I'd seen her pale when discovering how dangerous my tasks were, seen the concern in her face when I'd been injured, seen her determination when we trained. She cared about me, I was sure.
“Will I be allowed to have two people from the Underworld to help me? Surely the hell-hounds know you two? I mean, Hades wasn't even allowed to talk to me before the last Trial.”
“Actually, I have the good fortune to never have to deal with the hounds,” said Morpheus dryly.
“I see them every day, but it won't matter. They'll be under Zeus' control, and there's nothing we can tell you about them that will help. And besides, Minthe has an advantage too. She's already done this Trial once.” Hecate said.
That sounded more like a punishment than an advantage to me.
“But by that logic, if Eurynomos was under Zeus' control, why wasn't I allowed to talk to you or Hades last night?”
“Many of the demons in the Underworld can be bribed. If you know what to offer them, they'll do anything you ask. The hounds can't be bribed though, they're too well trained.”
“Oh. What does Eurynomos like?”
“Chocolate.”
“You're joking,” I said, staring at Hecate. She shrugged. “You mean I could have avoided all that shit if I'd just offered him some fucking chocolate?”
“The Underworld is a fucked up place, Persy.”