Persephone Read online

  “Bye, Bob,” Charon said, snapping his fingers. Bob vanished. “Okay, so here’s what you did wrong.” Charon launched into a lecture.

  I slowly rose to my feet, watching Charon with disbelief. “You’re not letting him go, are you?”

  “I considered it.” Charon’s eyes were bright with mischief. “And then I realized I don’t have the power to authorize something like that. Lighten up, Persephone. It wouldn’t be Hell if they couldn’t experience false hope. Can you run?”

  “I am capable of running,” I replied, confused by the rapid change of topic. “Sure.”

  “Fast, for long distances?”

  I frowned. Every year in gym class we trained for the Presidential Fitness Award and ran a mile on the track. Melissa and I typically came in the bottom tenth of the class, but we’d never tried to do better. We’d run for a minute so our teacher couldn’t say we hadn’t tried and walk and talk the rest of the time.

  “Maybe.”

  Charon shook his head. “That won’t do. You need to run every day.”

  “Why?”

  “Every technique I’m going to teach you is about getting away. If you can’t run from your assailant, then it’s a waste of time.”

  I thought of my nightmare last night and shuddered. “What if I can’t get away?”

  “If it’s a mortal, you kick their ass. If it’s anything more than a minor deity, you’re screwed.”

  I frowned. “We have to have some kind of weakness.”

  “Yeah, our kids. You know that whole created-not-born thing?”

  I nodded.

  “When gods conceive, they give their children part of their power. Literally. From what I can tell, Demeter gave you a major chunk of hers, and Zeus probably just gave you your charming personality.” He smiled at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. “Regardless of how much power a god gets from their parents, it was once a part of their parent, so their parents are vulnerable to them.”

  All the myths I’d heard where the parents were convinced their children were going to kill them suddenly made a lot more sense.

  “That doesn’t help you, though. You come up against a god, run the other way and pray they can’t teleport.”

  With that cheerful thought, he worked out a training schedule for me. I was supposed to walk for five minutes, then jog for thirty seconds, increasing the intervals of jogging time over the course of a few weeks, then gradually building up speed and distance. Charon helped me connect my phone to the Underworld’s network and download a jogging app some tech savvy soul had created. He offered to help me create a room with an indoor track, but I declined in favor of finding one outdoors. I was still shaken by the fight and wanted to get as far away from Charon as possible.

  The Underworld had no shortage of beautiful trails cutting through dense forests of elms, maples, pines, and oaks. Thanatos showed me a path that wound around a picturesque lake, bordered by live oaks draped with Spanish moss. I put on my headphones and started my playlist, letting the program guide me from walk to run.

  I fell into the rhythm without any trouble, leaving my mind free to wander. I didn’t like the idea of being defenseless against anyone. What if I couldn’t run? What if Boreas could teleport? I paused with a sudden thought. Could I teleport? I’d have to ask Hades later, but if I could, was there even any point in building up running endurance?

  Maybe insisting on self-defense lessons was silly. Hades seemed to think so, and Charon had pretty much just confirmed it would be useless if I was in any real danger.

  Pirithous is human. He can still hurt me. People, guys in particular, had been acting strange around me. I hadn’t felt safe in a while. It would be nice to know I could handle myself if some crazy situation came up. My mind flashed to Helen and I wondered if that was something we had in common.

  I finished running and dropped by my room for a shower, changing into a green dress before heading to dinner. I left the table afterward with every intention of going to bed, but Hades pulled me aside for what he called Goddess 101.

  “I thought you needed time for yourself after dinner,” I said as he led me into his library.

  “Who said this was going to take long?” He motioned for me to sit in one of the two high-backed leather chairs. “I can’t know what you’re going to be able to do, but we can make a few educated guesses. You’re Zeus’ daughter, so you most likely got the same thing from him he gave the rest of his children.” He smiled at me. “Charm.”

  “Charm?” I repeated in disbelief. I thought back to Charon’s compliment that I’d inherited Zeus’ charming personality. “That’s seriously something you can inherit?”

  “Charisma, or whatever you like to call it. Something you said yesterday leads me to believe it’s already taking effect.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “At the height of his power, Zeus was…” Hades paused as if searching for the right words. “He was unstoppable. Everyone listened to him, and everyone loved him. The gods trusted him without question. Humans reacted to him by becoming jealous, possessive, aggressive, or enamored. Zeus brought out whatever was at their heart, their basest instincts. It was chaos.”

  My throat felt dry. “How is that charm?”

  “If you can knock a person off balance, you can control them. Zeus thrived on chaos. The more irrational everyone around him became, the more he was able to control. That’s not his only power, of course, but it’s all he’s ever given his children.”

  “Great,” I muttered. “So that’s what happened to everyone after last spring? That’s a sucky power.”

  “Not if you can control it.”

  My eyes met his and I dared to hope. “Can I?”

  “You’re lucky. A demigod can’t control their charisma. I don’t need to tell you how careful you need to be with this ability. Humans are helpless against it. It won’t work on the dead, but topside it is very powerful.”

  I shifted, uncomfortable with the idea of controlling people. “How do I turn it off?”

  “We’ll work on that, but first we need to go over what’s going to happen tomorrow night.”

  I tensed, waiting for a lecture on etiquette. Instead, he took my hands in his and looked me in the eye, the expression on his face serious.

  “The souls are going to worship you. It’s only natural. You’re their queen, and a goddess. If you begin to experience any headaches or discomfort—anything at all—tell me immediately.”

  I nodded, eyes wide. “Why?”

  Hades started to respond, but a knock on the door cut him off.

  “Hades.” Hypnos opened the door. “My apologies, but I need your opinion for security tomorrow night.”

  Hades nodded, and Hypnos entered the room. “I’ll see you at the ball tomorrow, Persephone,” Hades said. “Have a good night.”

  I blinked at my dismissal and left the room feeling numb.

  Chapter XII

  “You’re going to be fine.” Hades winced at the death grip I had on his arm. “We’re going to walk through the door, they’ll clap, we’ll dance, and then you can follow me around while I make small talk. They’re just dead people. Nothing to be afraid of.”

  If it had been any other time I might have laughed and told him how many things were wrong with his last sentence, but instead I shook my head. “It’s not them. It’s the people who might be alive that worry me.”

  “No one’s going to hurt you.” He studied me, eyes flicking back and forth over my face. “You’re pale. Are you really that nervous?”

  I shook my head. “I’m not sleeping well.” I’d had a nightmare every night since I’d arrived in the Underworld. I shivered at the memory. They were getting worse.

  “Why not?” Hades asked.

  I opened my mouth to explain, but our names were announced and the doors burst open, revealing the largest crowd I’d ever seen. The applause was thunderous. My eyes scanned the room, pausing at the shado
w-enshrouded Reapers. I hadn’t realized there were so many of them. I scanned the mass of souls for Boreas’ spies.

  A Lethian gave us glasses of champagne and we raised them to the crowd. Hades and I took a sip and the crowd roared.

  “You’re popular,” I muttered through a smile.

  His grin broadened. “You seem surprised.”

  “No, it makes sense,” I said, unable to resist a jab at his ego. “With a snap of your fingers, you could send them all to Tartarus. Even I would want to stay on your good side.”

  “I could send you to Tartarus,” Hades teased.

  “You’re too frightened by my mother.”

  “There is that.” He held out his hand. “Dance with me?”

  Another Lethian took our glasses, and I took Hades’ hand and let him lead me into a waltz. I studied Hades, reconsidering my jest. While I didn’t doubt fear accounted for a large part of his worship, I knew there was more to it. The souls genuinely seemed to like Hades. From what I’d seen, he was a fair and just ruler, full of kindness and consideration for his people.

  So why did he annoy me so much?

  “There’s too many people,” I realized. “The spies could be anywhere.”

  “Just don’t wander off with a demigod and you’ll be fine.”

  “How will I know who’s a demigod?”

  “By sight. As halflings, they’ll have ichor running through their veins.” I looked at him blankly and he sighed. “The golden blood of the gods?”

  “I have gold blood?” I asked incredulously. At this point, why not, I thought ruefully. Hell, I can probably fly.

  “Not in color,” Hades clarified. “In essence. Though it does affect their appearance.”

  “How?”

  “They look gold.” At my disbelieving look he sighed again. I thought about offering him an inhaler, but he continued. “Gold hair, skin, eyes—they practically glow. Surely you’ve met a demigod, either here or on the surface. It’s a useful marker we decided on long ago. Accidentally killing or cursing another god’s child is rife with political complications.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said dryly. The ability to identify a threat made me feel safer. I let myself enjoy the dance, my blue dress swishing around my feet. The dress had an open back, and Hades’ hand gently guiding me through the steps felt strangely intimate.

  He looked good tonight. Who am I kidding, he always looks good. His tailored black suit emphasized his broad shoulders. His tie was the same blue shade as his eyes, almost neon blue. Human eyes were never that bright in color. I thought of my eyes. I’d always thought they were normal, but now I knew their unnatural brightness marked my divinity.

  The thought raised a flag in my mind, dragging a half-forgotten memory to the forefront of my brain. Hades’ hand shifted, sending shivers up my spine. Heat flooded my cheeks as I realized I’d been staring into his eyes the entire dance.

  My mouth went dry. He led me through a turn, pressing my body against his. He cleared his throat, subtly adjusting our positions. To distract myself, I scanned the room, looking for gold eyes. The memory came back to me, and my back stiffened. Hades looked at me in concern.

  “I’m an idiot.” Gold eyes. How had I missed that, especially after seeing Helen? I’d seen the color before. “Pirithous,” I whispered. “He’s a demigod! That can’t be coincidence, can it? Boreas attacked me the next day. That’s his dad! He’s a spy, and he’s probably down here right now.” I was feeling more panicked by the second.

  “Your mother would have mentioned it.”

  “She only saw him from behind for a second, and then only on the computer monitor which is all messed up because of that vase I spilled last summer, and everything kind of looks blue, which is ridiculous—”

  “Persephone,” Hades interrupted gently.

  “He said someone sent him! I just didn’t listen because I thought he was crazy or I was in a coma—”

  “A coma?”

  “It makes a lot of sense if you think about it, except I’m not really creative enough to dream all this up. Ohmigod, Orpheus! He has gold eyes too! Oh, but he can’t be working with Boreas, he tried to help me. Or did he?”

  I closed my mouth with a snap. I’d been rambling a mile a minute like a crazy person. Thankfully no one seemed to have noticed. Or they were too polite to stare.

  Hades ignored my random rant. “Even if either of them is down here, they can’t hurt you. Demigods are harmless. They’re barely more than gifted humans.”

  I nodded, trying to bury my fear.

  Hades studied my face for a moment and sighed, motioning for our drinks. “Will you just try to have fun? It’s the best night of the year.”

  “Fine.” I sighed, mocking him, and took a sip from my glass. “Mmm…this is sweet. What is it?” I took a longer sip.

  “Yours? Sparkling white grape juice.” He grinned. “Did I mention that I’m afraid of your mother?”

  I rolled my eyes and finished the glass. It didn’t taste like any grape juice I’d ever had, but that wasn’t surprising. Everything in the Underworld had a richer flavor. Hades made his way around the room, greeting the souls between dances. I stayed close, keeping an eye on the ballroom for any demigods. When another glass found its way into my hand I smiled. I could get used to having servants.

  The next time Hades invited me to dance a grin stretched across my face. My teeth felt tingly, and all the dancing was making me dizzy. As he led me through the simple motions I gave him an appraising look.

  “You look nice tonight.”

  Surprise flitted across Hades’ face. “Thank you. You look lovely as well.”

  “I always kind of figured you’d be ugly.”

  Hades blinked. “Excuse me?”

  I giggled. “Well, you know, in books and movies you’re always, like, deformed or something crazy. You know, like a reflection of your soul?”

  “Ah, I take it you mean my ugly and deformed soul?” Hades kept his voice light. He held me at arm’s length and gave me a quick once-over. I felt a ping of power pulse through me.

  “No. That’s not what I meant.” I touched my hand to my forehead, trying to make sense of my jumbled thoughts. “I don’t think you or your soul is ugly. You’re actually pretty hot.”

  Hades raised an eyebrow. “I see. Not so fast.” Hades intercepted a champagne glass from a tall Lethian and studied the liquid carefully. After a cautious sniff he took a small sip, and his eyes widened.

  “Something wrong?”

  I jumped at the sound of Thanatos’ voice. I hadn’t realized he was behind me.

  “Somehow Persephone was given ambrosia instead of grape juice,” Hades replied.

  Thanatos raised an eyebrow. “How much did she drink?”

  “Is this a god thing?” I asked, growing annoyed. “Talking about people like they aren’t standing right there? What’s ambrosia? Some kind of poison?” The thought should have alarmed me, but I found it very difficult to care at the moment. Everyone looked so nice, and the music was so pretty.

  “It’s just a divine drink,” Hades assured me. “It’s not poisonous. Well, not in the traditional sense of the word.”

  “Do you think someone gave it to me on purpose?”

  Hades frowned. “I can’t imagine what purpose it would serve. It was probably just a mix-up, but Thanatos, would you mind interviewing the Lethians who were in charge of our drinks?”

  “Sure. Did you want me to take her to her rooms?”

  Hades stared at me, considering. “Do you drink? In the living realm, I mean?”

  I shook my head. “I’m boring. Mom always asks me to promise her not to drink anytime I go out.”

  “Demeter does that?” Hades asked, sounding surprised.

  Thanatos let out a low whistle and shook his head.

  My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t lie. My mom wasn’t lax. She didn’t trust me. She just knew if I promised not to drink, I physically wouldn’t be able to do it.


  “That bitch!”

  Thanatos snorted, and Hades raised an eyebrow.

  “Water for her.” He motioned to a Lethian for a refill.

  When our glasses arrived, Hades tested my drink before passing it to me. “I’ve got her, Thanatos. Go on.”

  Thanatos studied me, looking so serious that I giggled. “Hades, she’ll only embarrass herself. Let me get her out of the—”

  “She is right here and she doesn’t want to go back to her room. She wants to dance and have fun.”

  “Yes, Thanatos, you’re being rude.” Hades’ lips twitched as though he was suppressing a grin. “See to the Lethians.”

  “I really don’t think—”

  “What exactly are you worried about?” Hades asked.

  “You’re a lot taller than Thanatos,” I observed.

  Thanatos met Hades’ eyes with an unreadable expression on his face. “If someone got close enough to switch her drink—”

  “To what end?”

  “Compromise her judgment? Lower her guard? Should I go on? She’s vulnerable.”

  “She is right here,” I grumbled.

  “Yes, you are.” Hades grinned. “I need you to stay with me until you’re safe in your room. Would you be willing to do that?”

  “Sure.”

  Hades gave Thanatos a look. “Satisfied?”

  Thanatos made a noncommittal noise and signaled a Lethian from the crowd.

  Hades shook his head when Thanatos disappeared into the crowd. “He worries too much.”

  “You’re not worried?”

  Something flickered in Hades’ eyes but it was gone before I could interpret it. “It was probably an innocent mistake. But still…I’d rather not have you out of my sight.” He held out his hand. “Still want to dance?”

  Time passed in a blur of color and light. People laughed and danced around us, the spinning arcs of the skirts making me dizzy.

  “I can’t dance another step.” I giggled, clinging to Hades so I wouldn’t trip and fall.