by Holly Hook
“That works,” Ronin said with a nod.
We followed Wendy, and even in her wake, the eerie chill hung in the air, penetrating to my bones. Ronin slipped his hand into mine, and his electricity flowed into me, but it was weakened. Dulled. This place was slowly sucking the life from us.
Ronin frowned. He turned his gaze down to a bush with white flowers. The flowers themselves gave off a pale, sickly glow. I wanted to do anything but touch them.
“Is this the herb?” Maria asked, appearing on the other side of it.
“Yes. Do not pick it,” Wendy ordered.
Maria furrowed her brows. “Is that the truth?”
I nodded to Maria. Ronin shook his head at me as he realized what I was about to do. But I wrenched my hand from his before he could tighten his grasp, marching towards another asphodel plant. The air turned to ice as I brushed more spirits and every hair stood on end. But if anyone could test the theory, it was me.
I wrapped my hand around the stem of a flower.
My knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground.
“Giselle!” Ronin shouted.
I was ice.
And not even dark ice.
Weak.
Unable to breathe.
Wendy sighed and rushed over to me. “I told you it could be deadly. Let go. The only reason you're not dead yet is the fact that you're not like the rest of us. Geez. Trust issues, much?” Wendy seized my hand and removed it from the plant, and instantly a bit of warm life pumped through my limbs.
“That's Giselle for you. And yes, we all have trust issues.” Ronin wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me to my feet.
I rose, taking a breath. "Okay. I feel stupid now."
And Wendy took my place, wrapping her hand around the stem. She grimaced, but plucked the deadly flower off the stem and twirled it in her fingers. “This is why you need me. And I have to admit I don't blame any of you for not trusting me. But now you have a reason, don't you?” She flicked the flower to the ground, where it began to glow again.
We'd stopped. “Okay,” Maria said. “Only you can pick this stuff for us. Fair enough.”
I steadied my legs. My knees still shook but I was healing fast, as I always did, and getting my strength back. We continued towards the distant palace. Distance continued to be strange down here. So did time. The field looked to be just a few miles across, but felt much larger and much smaller. I had to close my eyes before the confusion and dizziness overtook me, letting Ronin guide the way.
“It's getting to me, too,” he whispered in my ear. "We're getting close."
I opened my eyes.
The palace.
It now appeared to be just a footfall field away. Made of black marble and pillars, much like Cursed Academy was, Hades's palace spread out to both ways far as I could see, merging with the thin fog at the sides. Just staring at the building made me dizzy again and I leaned on Ronin. The horror hit me in the chest as I stared at the black pillars, all encrusted with more jewels than I had ever seen in my life. They shone in the pale light. The palace would have looked cool if we didn't have to go into it. I tried to stand on my toes to see over the building, but the wall of the vast chamber arched down behind it. Wendy was right. There was no entrance to Elysium that would be easily accessible.
"How hard is this going to be?" I asked Wendy.
She still stood in front of us and I detected nerves. We all stopped. Maria breathed heavily. Wendy hiked her shoulders almost up to her ears. Even she didn't want to face her distant ancestor. Then again, Ronin didn't even like facing his father.
"I don't know. Hades doesn't often have visitors. Nor does he often leave the Underworld."
I gulped for Wendy's sake. She had the unspoken task of walking in there first. The thing was, I couldn't see a door. Just a long, solid wall behind those infinite pillars.
But if Wendy could, she didn't say. She set off again, and even without brandishing her sword the few spirits left near the palace parted for her, giving us space to walk through. I followed, throat drying. I asked Maria if they had stolen any supplies from Gramp's Convenience Store, and she reached into her bulging backpack and produced a Coke. I gulped it down and passed out more cans to the others.
"Always prepared," I said, slugging Maria on the arm.
"Well, there's nothing to eat and drink down here."
The tall grass and the deadly white flowers thinned. The air cleared this close to the palace, though a sense of dread hung in the air and begged me to turn back. I tensed, letting Ronin wrap his arm around me. He was shaking, too. Yes, Ronin was trembling. Good sign.
"Where's the entrance?" Cal asked.
He had a point. There were no archways in this bizarre structure. I feared we'd have to turn back and worse, that Wendy wouldn't pick that precious flower for us on the way.
"Shut up," Wendy said. "I'm trying to feel this place out. It's not welcoming."
"Obviously," Mikey said.
Wendy stood off to the side a bit, surveying, and pointed to the wall to our left. "There's an entrance. You can't see it, but I can feel it."
"That's a solid wall," I said.
Wendy grinned at me. "Or is it? Watch."
She marched up the black steps of the palace, arm out, and I feared some kind of magic would strike her down. But nothing happened. Wendy walked between two jeweled pillars, all of which reflected her in tiny pieces, and placed her hand on the marble wall.
And to my shock, the wall rippled. She stuck her hand inside and pulled it back out. "See? Don't tell me you're cowards." A grin spread across her face. I wondered if it was just a mask. Wendy wasn't one to show her emotions.
"Well, who's first?" Mikey asked. "It's clear Wendy's looking forward to this, so we should be, too."
"Me," I blurted.
Ronin sighed. But he held back. Me going in after Wendy made sense. I was hard to kill.
Reluctantly, Ronin released my hand.
And I stepped forward to join Wendy. The marble under my feet was so cold that the bitterness soaked through my shoes and I curled my toes. My breath spiraled in front of my face.
Wendy, in one fluid motion, stepped through the wall. The black marble rippled in her wake and snapped back into place.
I held my breath, closed my eyes, and did the same.
Chapter Eighteen
The palace was even colder on the inside. Well, I should have expected that. When I opened my eyes, I realized we stood in another vast space, with domed ceiling sections and dozens more jeweled pillars scattered around the room with zero order. More of the pale green fog hung in the ballroom of gloom. The light that was nowhere and everywhere existed here, too. More dizziness swept over me before Wendy grabbed my arm to steady me.
"It's weird. I know. And it's getting to me, too," she said. "We need to find Hades and reason with him. With luck, he'll sympathize with my quest."
Was she being nice? Or just hopeful?
But as Ronin stepped through the liquid wall, feet slapping the black floor, she let go and I staggered.
Ronin caught me. "Thanks," I said.
I watched as Maria, then Cal, then Mikey came through the liquid wall. Cal whistled as he surveyed the space. "Someone needs to do something about the decor in here."
"We just have to walk through it," Wendy said. "Come on. Hades can't be far now. I sense the palace isn't as big as it seems. Keep your eyes on the floor."
My nerves did a furious dance as I followed. At least there were no spirits in here.
The pillars seemed to change distance from each other constantly and I couldn't get my bearings as we crossed the big room, feet slapping against the cold marble. Maria wrapped her arms around herself. Wendy led us around a pair of pillars and walked us right towards a massive archway. I hadn't seen it before despite it seeming to be right inside the doorway. Inside, the fog cleared, and as we neared, I linked hands with Ronin once again and stayed close. Down here, I felt no power. And if I did, it w
ould be the dark, scary kind.
I thought of what I might have to do and almost hurled up the Coke I'd drank.
And without a word, our small group stepped through the archway.
A wave of the most horrific dread I could imagine swept over me. I gasped from the sheer power and force of it. Ronin pulled me close to his body, but he could do little to shield me from the sensation. A low thrum came from everywhere and nowhere.
"Whoa," Mikey said.
"Not good," Maria hissed.
Wendy, who had walked in before us, sank to one knee as I took in the room. While Hades's throne room was more sane than the rest of the palace and the entire Underworld, it gave me the sense that I had stepped into a new bubble of the universe. A massive dome adorned with jewels spread overhead, glittering like a million dark stars. Lush plants, some heavy with colorful flowers and black leaves, surrounded us. If there was an entrance to Elysium here, I couldn't see it. Just more solid walls. We'd have to rely on Wendy for that, too.
Unless--
"Rise."
An immortal's voice, low and dangerous, boomed through the room, filling every square inch. The dark god himself sat slouched in his dark throne. He hadn't bothered with a pedestal, but sat eye-level with us, and unlike the other Olympians, who had modernized, Hades stuck to tradition. A black robe, thick with lush fabric, covered his muscular body and trailed down to the floor. Hades had sharp, golden-flecked eyes like every god, and a neat, dark beard that covered his chin and ran up to his ears. The god had neatly groomed dark hair, somewhat like Zeus's, but without the gray, distinguished streaks of his brother. I got the air of the rebellious younger brother, even though Hades was technically older than Zeus, right?
Wendy rose. She had left her sword on the floor as if she were making an offering. Hades surveyed her with patience I hadn't expected. His stony gaze softened. Maybe we had a chance.
"What brings you to my palace?" All his attention stayed on Wendy. I saw her attitude in the way he narrowed his eyebrows. Like Wendy, Hades was kicked down. Angry.
I flinched and held my breath. A show of weakness, but I couldn't help it. I looked to Maria, but she'd paled five shades.
Wendy spoke. "As you must know, your own descendants are not being treated well in the surface world."
Hades frowned and nodded. "Yes. I am well aware. What is your request?" Impatience rose.
My jaw dropped. He was accepting Wendy.
She put her shoulders back. "To access the River Lethe."
Hades shifted forward in his throne, which also sparkled with jewels. They flashed with angry green light as he lifted one eyebrow. "The River Lethe? To approach, you must be accepted into Elysium or dead and prepared to reincarnate." As he spoke, his words darkened. The light in the room dropped two levels.
I shuddered.
We were not worthy.
"Please, sir," Wendy said, dropping to one knee again. "I need to get into Olympian Academy, and the only way to do so is to make Prometheus forget about--"
Hades rose with a mighty whoosh.
Green magic flared at the bottom of his robe, billowing out and vanishing right before it reached Wendy. "You wish to join with those who would spit on you?"
"Uh, oh," Ronin hissed in my ear. He seized my arm and pulled me back so that I bumped into Maria. Mikey and Cal had already retreated to the archway of the throne room. We might have to run.
"N...no," Wendy stammered. "I just thought that since you're an Olympian--"
"I am not even welcome in Olympus," Hades roared. He balled his fists and paced before his throne. The surrounding gemstones all flared with angry green light. "What makes you think that you would be? You are dark, my descendant. Be the thorn in their sides. Join those who would end their horrific rule."
Wendy choked. She looked back at me, grasping her sword and backpedaling. "Are you talking about the Lower Order?"
My breath escaped my lungs as she waited for Hades's answer.
"Perhaps."
The word fell like a dark hammer. Green flashed in the god's eyes.
And Wendy stayed silent for what felt like eternity. Though her back was to me, I could imagine her shock.
"Are you with them?"
"No. I am bound by the Oath," he said. "You are not to join your enemies. Now get out."
I gulped. Ronin pulled me to the door. This was the end of everything if I didn't move.
Maria shook her head at me. Heck no.
We had to open the gate, wherever it was.
"Ronin." I mouthed his name, pleading with my eyes, but the hero remained. The real Chaos Dagger hung on his belt. I let my gaze drop to it. We could leave now and get out of here intact. I didn't have to do this.
Only I did.
With my free arm, I seized my Chaos Dagger from Ronin's belt, pulling it out before he could stop me. Ronin's eyes widened in horror and regret. "Giselle! No!"
I needed the strength to break away. That was all. Icy plasma surged into my limbs, my torso, and then my head, threatening to drown me. I wrenched from Ronin's grasp and dropped the dagger, hoping it wasn't too late to hold back my maturity.
Hades eyed me as his pupils widened.
I charged him as the plasma began to die.
"No!" Wendy shouted, reaching for me as I seized the god's black-sleeved arm, blinked, and filled with an eerie green glow. A vast chill. I breathed in, drawing the power of Hades into myself, and let go before I could send his own power back into him. The god staggered and backpedaled into his throne, shaking. His eyes widened in shock as he collapsed, mouthing my name.
He knew who I was.
I could sense two more invisible doorways, both closed, in the throne room. One, to the right of the throne, and I sensed pain, torment, and depth beyond it. Tartarus. The other, to light and peace. Elysium. I turned to the left. "Over here!"
Hades struggled to push himself off the throne. "You can't."
Open, I ordered, and the unearthly energy left, leaving me just Giselle again.
With a low thrum, the stone beyond a pair of orange and purple flowers rippled.
"Whoa," Cal said.
"Come on!" I shouted, seizing Ronin's arm.
Wendy looked at me and the door, and I read the devastation on her face. Shaking her head, she snapped out of it, and we stampeded into the new doorway. And as the last of the green energy died within me, I led the way.
Chapter Nineteen
The entryway didn't remain liquid for long. Ronin, of course, ran through with me, followed by Cal and Mikey. We emerged into an area of brighter light and tall, green grass. I whirled as I let go of Ronin. Maria yanked Wendy through last, and as I stood there, heart racing and waiting, Wendy fought to escape Maria's grasp.
Of course, the wall stopped rippling. All of Hades's power had left me. And the dark god himself stayed absent. I'd drained him for now.
"Giselle." Ronin seized my arms, crunching grass underfoot. "You just made a new enemy. Oh, shit." He hugged me tight for a second, so much I couldn't breathe.
"I know."
"Let me go!" Wendy slugged Maria on the arm, and to my shock, Maria released her. But instead of staring daggers into Maria, Wendy turned away and heaved out a sigh. She kicked at the tall grass.
She was hurt. It was clear Wendy had been looking forward to meeting Hades and getting his help and he'd burned her instead. The pain would never stop coming.
Ronin turned away from me before I could read his expression. "We need to move away from the palace."
"Yes," I said. Hades would follow us. Punish us. And he'd be ready for me this time.
Wendy glowered. "Well, you took a bunch of his power. He might take some time to regain it. Serves him right. But we need to move. We'll take as much as we want from this place." She whirled, crushing grass.
Green grass. Vibrant grass. We were in a different part of the Underworld. Wendy stormed past me.
"Wendy," I said. "I'm sorry. We're all in shock."
> "He supports the Lower Order," Wendy grumbled. "Guess I can't be too shocked. The other Olympians never treated him well. They stuck him here, after all."
Ronin released my arms. "Wow." His gaze shifted over my shoulder as he motioned for me to turn around.
And I did as we all hurried from the palace.
The light here wasn't greenish and dead like the rest of the Underworld. I felt as if we had stepped into another realm. Warmth spread over me, almost like sunshine, though a cavern ceiling still stretched well overhead. My skin warmed as I followed Wendy through the tall grass. Mikey and Cal walked beside me and Maria took up the rear. Ronin slapped his hand on my back, urging me away from the wall of the palace, and straight towards what I could only describe as some kind of heaven.
Far ahead, beyond this plain field, lush green trees dotted what looked like parks. Flowers of all colors grew everywhere and sparkling ponds of normal-looking water dotted the landscape, which seemed to stretch out to infinity. The area looked like the best summer day I could think of, and the temperature here was warm and full of life. I guessed this field was the outer rim of this place, the border. From here I couldn't see any spirits, since they were difficult to make out, but I was sure that any who ended up here wouldn't be the cold, formless type. A bit of warmth filled my chest as I swept my gaze over small marble houses, wooden cabins, colorful tents and even a couple of wooden barns in the far distance.
"When I die, I want to end up here," Ronin said.
"Stop!" Wendy held out both her hands. "Get out a jug or something. We're here."
Her sharp words halted me in my tracks. Ronin bumped into me and Maria grabbed Mikey's arm, who in turn seized Cal's arm. They formed a human chain, looking downward.
Then I saw. The ground sloped downward here, very steep, and I saw the whitish vapor rising from below. Wendy was right. The River Lethe bordered Elysium, preventing anyone from just walking over. I held my breath, remembering what Achlys had tried to do to me. At the same time, I couldn't imagine her coming here.
"Careful," Ronin warned me, creeping forward and looking down. "Yeah. That's not good. Cal, you brought the jug, right?" He punctuated that question with a frown.