by T. G. Ayer
"Co-ed dorms too." Ash wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Not that there is even a decent guy to be found. Just Flash but he has the hots for anything that smiles at him."
"And you are in danger," Ling said.
"Marcellus decided to pin the whole thing on you. He told the council that you blamed him for Patrick's death and wanted revenge. That's why you apparently stole his treasures and left Greylock. He vowed to follow you."
"The council ... did they believe him?" I asked, curious as to where the Brotherhood's loyalties lay. How strong was their faith in their rabid new leader?
"Some do, some don't. So we thought it was best we find you. He's got his dogs looking for you and I think they may have tracked Castor here already."
"No. They didn't need to follow Castor. They would have already known I was here."
"How would they know where you were headed?" Ling asked, confused.
"Because of the Seals," Evie said, watching the girls' expressions.
Ling's eyes widened. "So you found out what the Seals were for?" she asked.
"Yeah, I found out," Evie said dryly as she slumped into the back of the sofa. She was still angry with herself for walking right into the mess she was now stuck in.
"What's that supposed to mean? We didn't come all this way to get one of your vague answers Eves." Ash sat up, glaring at Evie.
"Okay, calm down. I'll tell you." Evie pulled back her sleeve to reveal the angelic script engraved into her skin. The dark markings shimmered in the rooms cool light. At least they had the sense not to writhe around on her hand and freak the girls out. Both her friends stared at the engravings in dead silence.
"What the hell are those?" Ash breathed the question out raggedly.
"The Mark of Hades." Julian's voice rang out with Evie's intended words.
"What is the Mark of Hades?" Ling spoke the name emphasizing the words in an irreverently mocking tone.
Julian merely smiled at her tone. "It means you now address the Ruler of the Underworld."
Both girls stared at Evie as if she's just grown another head.
"What the hell is he talking about?" Ash whispered her eyes so dark that Evie began to worry. Glamor faded under extreme stress. And this pretty much counted as extreme stress.
"No need to whisper Ash, this is Julian. Or rather, this is Hades." Evie looked at Julian as she spoke, and he stared back as if daring her to tell her story. "Julian has been ruler of Hades for the last two thousand years."
The girls were silent, which didn't happen often. Ash was pale, and her wings began to shimmer in the air behind her. Ash, for all her projected badness, always reacted like this in times of serious stress. Now it meant Evie had to get them away from Julian immediately, if only to prevent him from seeing the Apsara's wings. Evie also had to ensure the girls both knew that no-one in the Underworld must know they were Nephilim.
She grabbed their arms and ushered them out of the room. "Sorry, Julian. They both look like they need to rest. I'll take them to my room."
Julian nodded although a frown marred his brow. "I understand. This must be a lot to process." Evie glanced over her shoulder as they left the room to see Julian staring at them, a strange look on his face.
She shuddered, hoping he hadn't seen Ash's glamored wings.
Once the girls were safely ensconced in Evie's rooms, she guided them to a set of sofas arranged beside her gigantic bed. She sat with them, until she was sure Ash had calmed down.
A few minutes later a knock sounded at the door and it swung open. Two fauns entered bearing trays of food and drink, which they lay on the low table in front of the sofas. Only when they left did the stiff silence dissipate.
"Food," said Ling.
"Is it safe?" asked Ash, ever the wary one.
"Of course it is. I'm still alive aren't I?"
The girls hesitated only a moment more before descending on the trays. Finger sandwiches, egg and mayo, tuna, ham, and a variety of small cakes and biscuits. And tea, coffee and juice. Pollo had thought of everything. She ought to thank him and decided she would as soon as she ceased being pissed off at him.
Their hunger sated, the girls turned their attention to Evie.
"What's the hot guy talking about you being the Ruler of the Underworld?" Ling asked sharply.
I looked at her and sighed, not bothering to remind her that Julian had a name. "Something happened when I brought the Seals to the Underworld. Before I got to Julian I ended up in a room with a huge stone table. Then the seals began to sing and spin around the table and all of a sudden I'm dragged onto the table with the symbols being seared into my skin. To cut a long story short there was some kind of transformation ritual and the Markings ended up engraved on my arm."
"But how can something like that just happen? Just because you were carrying the Seals shouldn't mean you get bloody job of the head honcho."
I snorted. "There is a safeguard. One final piece that acted as a key to the whole process. Julian was certain they had hidden the final piece to ensure the Seals could not accidentally be used to transfer the mantle. Just my luck I had the final piece with me."
"What?"
"You have the most amazing luck, don't you?" snapped Ash, finally pulling out of her subdued state.
"The piece was around my neck. Has been for hundreds of years. It was the medallion my father left for me." Evie pulled the thong out of the neck of her shirt and showed the girls the medallion. It was the most drab and unassuming piece, a dull metal circle inscribed with glyphs. Hard to understand it had been so vital to the transformation. "It closed the deal. Julian found me when it was over. I had almost passed out."
"So you were the key?" asked Ling in disbelief. "You're saying the next King of Hades would have needed that last piece to complete the transformation." When Evie nodded, Ling scoffed and shook her head. "So I take it the pygmy knew nothing about that?"
Evie shook her head. "The only problem now is that Julian is no longer Hades."
"What's the big deal about that?"
Evie sighed. "He is now mortal."
"This is just perfect." Ling managed to sound both angry and sad at the same time. Evie knew exactly how she felt.
"I have no idea how to get out of this apart from patiently biding my time until the Ascension Ceremony."
"Why would you want to?" asked Ash.
"Do you have any idea what I've been through and what's in store for me if I don't find a way out?"
Ash just glared at her with a raised eyebrow implying she was over-reacting.
Ling held up a hand. "Hey, calm down. At least we've found out who is really after the Seals…"
Evie raised her eyebrows and waited. "Who could it be besides Marcellus?" But even as Evie spoke she knew the answer.
"Daniel," said Ling. She sat back, a satisfied smile on her face.
Evie wasn't shocked. Daniel had been the most unlikely possibility. But on hearing his name her thoughts went right back to the night she'd been stuck in his office and overheard Marcellus confirm he had just killed Patrick. She'd found it odd then that the roles seemed to have been reversed but it had not struck her in any way besides being unusual.
"You know, that might not be so unbelievable. For a long time Daniel maintained the bumbling assistant facade, but when I overheard them speak the tone of voice he used with Marcellus was definitely one of authority." Evie nodded, turning the idea around and around in her head.
"And Daniel is after the Seals because he wants to be the next Hades?" asked Ash, her tone confirming she didn't think it so plausible.
"You are a smart cookie, you know that?" Ling remarked. Ash just mouthed 'Whatever' at her.
"That's why you guys raced here? To tell me about your suspicions concerning Daniel?"
"Yes, and about Marcellus." Ash replied as she got to her feet and inspected the room. She seemed to be drawn toward the tendrils of steam sneaking around the wall to the hot-pool.
Evie smiled. "Well, Marcellus
is no longer a problem. He won't be bothering anyone anytime soon."
That got both girls attention. "What do you mean?" asked Ash. She spun around and stared at Evie. "What happened to him?"
"Let's just say he got his just desserts." Evie snickered.
"You're holding back." Ling tugged her arm, her eyes threatening Evie with dire consequences. As usual Ling loved drama.
"Okay, okay," Evie raised her hands in mock defense. "If you must know, he came down here to kill me and get the Seals but became Chimera chow instead."
"A Chimera ate him?" Ling's eyebrows greeted her hairline. "Eh, you mean he's dead?"
"You mean the Chimera is real?" asked Ash, her face a bit too pale to be healthy for a girl with her dusky complexion.
At Ash's question all three girls burst out laughing.
"Look, I'll have to tell you the whole story. Right now I have to speak to Julian about Daniel. He needs to know that someone is so dead set on getting the Seals that he is actually coming down to the Underworld. You girls get some rest."
Chapter 4
The news that Daniel was on the way to claim the Seals did not send Julian into a mad panic. Instead he sat down beside Evie and said, "We need to find a way to get you out of the hold of the spell." His forehead was marred by the ripples of a worried frown.
"I thought you said there wasn't a way to do that." Evie gave Julian her full attention, especially now that he was suggesting a possible way out from this fiasco.
"I have been thinking, especially since Sef's been so upset with you being the new Ruler." He rose and went to a glass-fronted bookshelf which he unlocked with a tiny gold key. He retrieved a book, so heavy he had to carry it in both his arms. When he sat he balanced the weight of it on his lap.
I snorted. "She's only upset because you’re now mortal, and she can't legitimately get her claws into you since she is no longer your consort. With Hades out of the picture you were obviously her next choice." Evie knew she was taking a huge chance by voicing her opinions to Julian about Persephone. A few kisses didn't mean she had the right to challenge him on his relationship choices. They were close but not there yet. But she was curious about Julian's emotional attachment to Hade's scorned Queen.
"She will have a very long wait if that is her goal," said Julian without even glancing up from his tome. "There is no way, in this hell or others, that I would want to take Persephone as a consort. Or to have to face the music when Hades does finally return. I am here only on a temporary basis anyway."
Evie's stomach tightened at his words. He was saying he had no interest in the goddess and Evie hoped he spoke the truth. "I've been reading up as much as I can. There is almost nothing about this kind of spell or binding. Except this-" Julian turned the book toward her so she could read the ancient script. Evie looked at the mess of words and then back at Julian, wanting to laugh. The writing was ancient Greek or something close.
"Translation please?" She raised an eyebrow at him, softening it with a small smile.
"Oh. Sorry about that." He turned the book around and flipped a page, shifting close to Evie to study it. "I keep forgetting that not everyone else speaks eighteen languages."
"Showoff," Evie muttered.
"What?" Julian glanced up at her, the blank look in his eyes making it clear he was already deep within the words of the book.
"Oh, nothing," she responded. Turning her gaze to the page she pretended to be deep into the script too. He'd see right through that but she didn't care.
Julian continued, oblivious to her fake examination of the words. "What I have found is that the power of the mantle can be transferred to a willing recipient only if the giver- that will be you- and the receiver - a suitable other person- are in mutual understanding."
Silence fell upon Evie's ears and for a moment she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Is this for real?" she breathed the question softly, as if afraid saying it out loud may destroy the fragile glimmer of a possibility of freedom.
"Yes, it says it right here." He nodded stabbing an elegantly sexy finger at the aged paper.
Evie's eyes went from word to finger to Julian's face. "But how can we be sure?" She knew she was hesitant, just in case reality was on its way to douse her with the truth. "Hades used this once on you and I'm only the second person to receive the mantle. How can we be sure it is safe?"
Julian shrugged. But from the look in his eyes Evie could tell he was worried too. "We can't. But trust this book; it is one of the Books of Fate. Many were said to be destroyed but I saved a few and brought them with me. There are mysteries explained in these books that make them extremely dangerous in the hands of the wrong person."
"Is that why so many of the books were destroyed?" The thought of the destruction of any book galled her.
"Yes. Humans are notorious for their greed. And their vanity."
"Like Marcellus and Daniel," said Evie scorn dripping from her words.
"Exactly. We both know where Marcellus is so that sorts one of your problems out."
"Yeah. That." Evie cringed at the memory of Marcellus's last screams before the Chimera had killed him.
Julian didn't seem in the least bit concerned that he sat beside a killer. "We just need to be in the right place at the right time when Daniel arrives."
"I'm still curious as to why Daniel desires the mantle." Evie frowned. "He's always seemed the underling, but it's clear now that he has another agenda."
Julian grunted. "The job of ruling the Underworld is all-encompassing. The myths about Hades made it look like it was a simple task encompassing stealing young maidens and tricking the sons of the Gods into remaining here forever. Most of those tales were just that, tales." He shook his head in disgust.
"So you didn't think about those issues when you started your ... role?"
Julian nodded, his eyes dark and serious as his memories traced his past. "Yes, I did. And that's what made it all the more shocking. Hades didn't have the time to be a playboy."
"So Sef may have been disappointed?" Evie felt slightly sorry for the goddess. Only very slightly.
"Disappointed?" Julian asked, his confusion evident in his twisted brow.
"Yeah. Carried off, swooning in the arms of a gorgeous hunk of a God only to become a trophy wife to a Ruler who had other things on his mind." Evie shook her head and clicked her tongue in mock sympathy.
"I think you may be more right than you realize," Julian mused. "This job is terribly responsible. Hades controls, or rather, tries to achieve a balance to Earthly disasters. Volcanoes, earthquakes, plate movements, geothermal activity, seabed earthquakes, landslides, the list goes on."
"So, anything to do with the underground is your deal?" asked Evie.
"Yes. Even when its under the sea. Poseidon doesn't like it when I use his waters to inspect seabed activity, but it can't be avoided. He just has to accept my trespass when it is needed. I guess you could say that he puts up with me."
"You sound like you know a lot about geology."
Yeah, another dumber question, Evie.
But she had to admit she was fascinated now that Julian had revealed exactly what he'd been up to whenever he'd run off on his sudden errands.
He nodded. "I had to learn. I didn't want to be like Hades and think that everything that happened underground was because some God sneezed or burped." Julian looked disgusted.
Evie laughed and stared at him, finding it hard to believe. "Did Hades really think that?"
"Yes. And so did many Gods and people at that time. Everything changed with science and even Gods had to relearn how the Earth really worked. Its a lot like living on a live creature. We have to learn how the planet works to adapt to its changes."
Evie was impressed at Julian's description of the interaction of gods and the planet Earth. An interesting way to put it and one that made immense sense. "Guess you'll be in charge of mining materials won't you?" she asked.
"You are smart." Julian nodded in approval. "All so
lid and liquid mined materials from diamonds to oil - that's my territory. I do my best to ensure Humans miss the deposits as much as possible. No use in letting them take everything now. Before long there will be nothing left for the future generations. And people are yet to learn the true value of diamonds and oil."
For a moment Evie was silent as she wrapped her head around Julian's role. "So it is possible that Daniel has a bigger plan than we thought. Do you think he is making a play for control of gold or oil?"
"Quite possible. Even probable."
"But how would he have found out about the real role of Hades when the myths have done such an excellent job of hiding it?"
"It's not a secret. You just have to be smart and industrious and reach the right conclusions. If you know what you are looking for you are bound to find some of the truth if not all of it. Even the old philosophers and poets told the truth in many of their works. Although they often glamorized it or downplayed it, depending on their moods of course."
"Or their political leanings?" Evie suggested.
"Yes. That too. So our only solution is the transfer of the mantle."
"Who will be willing to take that responsibility? Surely not Persephone?" Evie fairly gagged at the thought. The shrewish female as the Ruler of the Underworld? Not a very palatable thought.
"I know someone suitable for the job. Someone with previous experience."
"Er, there are only two people with previous experience and one of them hasn't found himself yet. The other, I think, is officially crazy to think I would agree." She sat back and folded her arms, staring straight ahead, her body stiff.
"Come now, Evangeline. This is the most sensible option." Julian leaned forward and pulled her around to face him.
She looked at him reluctantly, her arms tensed. "What's so sensible about it?" she demanded. "It would mean banishing you to the Underworld again for heaven knows how many more millennia." Evie shook her head, not liking the idea at all. "Probably the only good thing would come of it is you would get you immortality back." Hearing those words made Evie feel like what Julian was suggesting may be worth it. Still, it made him Hades again, stuck down here in the Netherworld. She had to admit she was being selfish; how did one have a relationship with the God of the Underworld while maintain ones own life? Maybe that just wasn't an option.