by S. E. Babin
“Against what? I have no idea what could go wrong. Angels? Demons? Gremlins?” I paused. “Reanimated T-rex’s? I wouldn’t put any of that out of play because my luck this week has just plain sucked.”
Hades grinned, his teeth a flash of white against the tan of his skin. “I’d love to see a zombie T-rex. Certain things you never get to see in the Underworld.”
"Maybe that's how I die," I mused. "As a t-rex's pre-dinner snack."
Hades laughed before he could stop himself. "You shouldn't joke about dying, Abby. It really isn't funny."
"Atropos visited me a few days ago." I hadn't told anyone of the surprise morning visit. I was still mulling over her words. She'd said a whole lot without ever saying a word.
Interest sparked in his silver gaze. "And to what do we owe her visit to?"
I shrugged. "Not really sure." I looked up at him. "By the way, she can totally control those freaky teeth. Atropos looks like a supermodel when she attempts to be normal."
"Normal is a relative word," he said lightly. "None of us are by any definition normal."
"True." I walked over to where my sweater was slung across the chair and shrugged it on. "Something is going to go wrong today, Hades." I met his gaze. "And I don't think it's going to be the cake."
His eyes were serious but his tone light as he said, "Let's just hope it's the t-rex. I can't imagine any more valiant death than by a zombie dinosaur."
"Right? So much cooler than death by magic."
I left him standing by the door staring after me as I walked to the back of the rooms to have a couple minutes of privacy. Once I reached my dressing room, I opened the door and headed over to the first chair I saw. You could always tell people had money by the wedding quarters. This was only a chapel, but the area for the wedding party was massive. Tables were set up offering munchies and wine, and the dressing rooms were so large you could probably hold the wedding inside of them.
I didn't mind. It was more room to veg out. We'd heard Persephone rummaging around and yelling at everyone from inside her own quarters, and Artie and I did our best to stay away from her. Weddings were already stressful, but Persephone seemed to have a hair trigger personality.
I sank into the chair, kicked off those ridiculous boots, and sighed in relief as I shut my eyes. Quiet. At last.
"You look comfortable."
I cracked one eye open and used it to glare at the older gentleman standing in front of me.
"Don't you have an angel to string up?" I said.
God shrugged and took a seat, uninvited. "He was only doing what he thought was best."
"Ah, yes. Murdering all of us would be best for everyone, would it? Gosh. I thought so too."
"Your sarcasm is duly noted. Although most people would be quivering in fear if I visited them."
"Well, I'm not everyone and Hades told me all about your little scheme to throw us together."
He grinned at me, the full bushy beard on his face riding up to almost his eyes. He hooked a finger at the door. "And look how well it's working out."
"It's not working out at all," I said. "Hades and I will renegotiate my contract, and I will keep my distance."
God kicked his feet up and steepled his fingers together. "You're still worried about those games, aren't you?"
I pinched the space between my brows. "Will you please go away?"
"You got yourself into a real pickle, and you haven't even asked anyone to fix it for you, have you?"
I dropped my hand and stared at him. "Why would I ask someone to fix it? I got myself into this mess. It's my ordeal to fix."
"All of us need some help sometimes," he said, staring at me with ancient eyes.
"I've already asked for all the favors I can afford," I said.
"You've never asked for a single favor involving yourself." He lifted his hands and studied his nails for a moment. Like God ever got dirty nails. "Perhaps if you asked me, I'd be so inclined to assist you."
I thought of Typhon. Regardless of his methods, he was still a friend. I wouldn't sic God on him. Plus I didn't like other people cleaning up my messes. "Your offer is noted, but I decline."
Something scary flashed in his eyes. "I insist."
I held his gaze. "I. Decline."
"You do know that I am not my son and that I do not have to ask your permission to do anything? If I want to assist you, I will."
My nostrils flared. "I think I've had quite enough of your assistance." I sat up straighter. "And, as I do recall, I think you owe me one."
His expression changed from secure to wary. "And why would you think that?"
I gave a shark grin. "We are both aware the spell Morgana had you under. Who do you think shattered the staff allowing your power to be restored?"
He blinked and his gaze narrowed at me. "Coincidence."
It was my turn to be secure. "If coincidence is me telling the Huntress to destroy the staff, then sure."
"I owe you nothing."
I shrugged. "A thank you would have been perfectly acceptable, but now you're annoying me. So maybe I'll call you on it in the future. It is not unheard of us to switch sides if we need to. And I know just the people who can get Morgana another staff."
God stood. "You wouldn't."
I stood as well and even though he towered over me, I didn't care. I tilted my head to look up at him. "I've had quite enough of your assistance and meddling matchmaking. It's my choice where I go and what I do. And whom I choose to do it with. You may keep trying to throw us together and there may be a prophecy, but here's the thing about prophecies. Free will and choices are involved. There's always another way." I poked him in the chest. "Now butt out."
God gave me a long, lingering glance and blipped out of my dressing room.
I sank back into the chair and let out a slow breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Artie pushed open the door and came in to sit beside me. "I don't know if you should have done that," she said. "I don't think that's going to end well for you."
"Does it ever?" I asked her, then snorted because what the hell. I had a feeling things were going to go south soon anyway.
Artie stood and held a hand out to me. I took it and stood up, smoothing out the lace of my dress.
"The music is starting up. We're due to go out any minute," she said.
"Super."
Chapter 22
No undue stress occurred during the time all of us walked down the aisle and stood in our positions at the front of the chapel. No one tripped. No one had a wardrobe malfunction. The bride and groom showed up. The priest was on time.
Everything appeared normal.
But I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Persephone looked breathtaking in her gown. She and Hamilton made a striking couple as she took his arm. No one walked her down the aisle, and that made me sad, but I couldn't imagine her mother being very happy with how things turned out.
Whether or not Demeter even knew was hard to say. The bride was going to have some explaining to do over the next holiday dinner.
The priest greeted the couple with a smile and opened up the good book ready to start the ceremony.
My breathing accelerated rapidly as the collar the man wore slid open and a chain with a stone eerily similar to the one we wore dipped into the hollow of his neck.
I gently reached over and touched Hades’ thigh to get his attention without moving my head away from the couple and the supposed priest. I saw his attention come to the spot I saw and heard his soft gasp of air.
Persephone, caught up with Hamilton, was oblivious. If we raised magic against this person in the room, we would all be in serious trouble. It was bad enough Percy had to be memory wiped. One of our most enforced laws was to not use magic when humans were around.
Who was this person and why were they wearing a power dampening amulet? Artie's gaze followed both of ours. I tilted my head a little bit and from the corner of my eye, I saw her stiffen in recognit
ion.
The person posing as a priest droned on for a little while, but before he said the magic words to make the two husband and wife, he sent off a massive blast of magic that froze the entire room, including Hamilton. Everyone except for us, the only immortals in the room.
Regardless of who this person was, we would have to defend ourselves and try to do our best to avoid collateral damage.
Persephone blinked in surprise and her gaze narrowed at the man. "Reveal yourself," she hissed.
"With pleasure," he said and dropped his glamour to reveal the same, tall handsome man I'd seen on Halloween.
"Trip," Artemis breathed in surprise.
He glanced her way and winked. "Always nice to see you, Huntress. But this is a terrible time to catch up."
Artie sent a sympathetic glance Persephone's way. Trip was here representing Demeter. Persephone's number was up, and it was time to pay the piper.
"You know why I'm here," he said to her.
"I will not go," she said, still holding the massive bouquet of flowers she'd spent an arm and a leg on.
Trip spread his hands out. "I am sympathetic to your plight, daughter of Demeter, but you know where my allegiance lay. And it is not with you."
"Triptolemus, please don't do this. I am old enough to make my own decisions. This is what I want."
Trip's gaze softened. He wasn't lying. He did feel for her.
But I knew as well as he did who was going to win this fight, and it wasn't Persephone.
"Your mother has been watching you for months. She bid her time and bit her tongue even as she watched you walk down a path there was no return from. The babe is not of mortal birth. You cannot continue to deceive her. She can be all-knowing."
Anger filled her face and her skin began to crackle with magic. I took an involuntary step back.
Trip's shoulders sagged. "Do not do this. You will not win."
"I'll die trying," she hissed and from the look on her face, I knew she would.
I stepped forward. "Isn't there something that could be worked out?" I pleaded. "Something that would appease Demeter and perhaps allow Persephone to stay?"
He sighed. "I am merely her priest and here on her instructions." He paused. "But I can tell you that the only thing to please Demeter would be total control of the Underworld." His gaze flicked to the left of my shoulder and when it met mine again, there was a warning there.
Someone was behind me.
Trip turned to Artie. "Perhaps soon we will meet again." Again his eyes darted to that space behind me. "Until then, I would duck."
He reached over, grabbed Persephone and blinked from the room.
All of us hit the deck just as a massive cloud of dark magic sailed over us.
Morgana was back. And from the look of it, even angrier than last time. I scrambled to my feet before she had the chance to gather more magic.
"Morgana!"
She stood there, resplendent in her dark robes, anger flashing in her dark gaze. "Release the Codex and I will let you all walk away."
Hades came to his feet. "Accept defeat. The book is in my possession where it belongs. And it will remain there throughout all time."
Another presence made itself known in the room. Demeter strode forward, an older woman with ancient power and one who had a sometimes acrimonious relationship with her son-in-law. She stepped up to him and forced him to look down on her. But she didn't seem intimidated at all. Amused maybe.
I couldn’t believe those two cows were actually working together. I'd been convinced neither one of them wanted to share power, but when there was one common enemy...
I should have expected this.
"I know your secret," Demeter whispered.
I froze in place.
Hades' eyes flashed silver and a tic started on the right side of his jaw. "And?" he asked, way calmer than I would have been.
"Morgana was lovely enough to put it together for me. After all, why would you have such a priceless treasure? A book of Lucifer given to the god of the Underworld? Unheard of." She turned away and swayed back over to Morgana. "But not if you were the Morningstar himself." She grinned at him. "Such fine trickery you involved my daughter in. Tell me, does she know?"
Hades remained silent.
Demeter laughed. "I guess it doesn't matter after all. My daughter was never yours in the first place." She placed a hand over her heart. "I have to admit. That one took me by surprise. Your father is the wily sort, isn't he? Perhaps we could meet one day."
"Why are you doing this?" Hades demanded. "I've done nothing to you."
Morgana grinned an evil grin. "You never had to do anything. You have something we want. And we'd like to take it. That's all we needed."
Demeter sent Morgana a withering glare. "Perhaps that is Morgana's reason. Mine is a little different. Persephone is entitled to be Queen. And she thought she was once. Until you...changed." One eyebrow rose. "And it took me centuries to figure out why."
"I'll give you nothing," Hades said quietly.
"Ah, but you will. And if you don't Aphrodite here will die."
What? "Uh. No I won't," I said.
"Mmm, I beg to differ," Demeter said. "How's that dress?" she asked me. "Is it a little itchy?"
The itch in my arm had gotten a little worse and I was dying to scratch it. "It's fine," I snapped.
Morgana laughed. "Liar."
I bent my head to study the dress. I could feel no magic pulsing from it. No spell was evident that I could find.
"It was easy," she said and watched me as I tried to figure out what the hell she had done. I felt around and could discover nothing. I felt fine. The only thing was the niggling sense of dread I felt all day, but that was intuition and not magic.
"Poison," Morgana said.
Relief poured through me. "We're immune to poison," I said thinking how dumb they were to try something like that on me.
Demeter tsked. "Not to Medusa's blood," she said and her eyes crinkled at the corners as she watched my face as realization dawned on me.
I scrabbled at my clothing, trying to rip it off, finally resorting to magic to strip myself bare. I raised my arm to look at the spot on my arm only to find it was gray.
Hard to the touch.
Stone.
Several other patches I'd been desperately trying not to itch were also beginning to turn gray. I turned my attention to Artemis, also scrambling to get the gown off of herself.
Morgana chortled. "Artemis, you're fine, darling. Just itchy lace." She shrugged. "Happens with cheap gowns sometimes."
Hades looked at me in horror, rooted to the spot, but Hermes who'd stood by silently rushed to my side. I was standing in my underwear, watching in horror as my body began to turn to stone.
"Abby," he whispered.
I swallowed hard, unable to tear my attention away from my body.
"Abby!"
His shout tore me out of my shock.
"You have to do something to stop this. Anything." His whiskey eyes pleaded with me. "I cannot help you. I don't know what to do."
Artie rushed over to me and neither Demeter nor Morgana stopped her. Probably because there wasn't anything to stop.
Her hands lit with emerald green magic and she touched them to the spot on my arm. It tingled, but changed nothing.
"She has mere minutes left. Nothing you can do, unfortunately. There is a reason Medusa is locked away, you know. Her blood is one of the few things that can kill us. It's a pity really," Demeter said.
"You've played your hand. Why should I give you the book now?" Hades asked. He looked stricken, his gaze flicking between me with concern and back to the two women with anger.
"Ah yes," Demeter said and tapped her finger to her chin. "Because I am the one with the remedy," she said. "I had what Medusa needed, and she had what I needed. But, of course, I couldn't come into it without a solution. What would happen if I touched it?" She swayed dramatically and waved a hand at me in dismissal. "No, this
was an easy way to get your attention. Anyone can threaten," she said demurely. "Few act."
I could no longer move one of my arms. "Don't do it," I whispered.
Hades shut his eyes.
"Don't do it!" I tried in vain to think of anything to save myself, but I couldn't.
"Abs," Artie's violet eyes swam with tears as the magic drained from her hands. "I can't -" she sucked in a heaving breath. "It isn't working."
And as one of my legs slowly began to turn to stone, my mother's words flashed back to me. I had to embrace this. If anyone could fight death, it was Hecate.
And I was her daughter.
The acknowledgment dawned upon me like the bright light of the midday sun.
I had to die. I swallowed hard and reached my still good arm out to Artie and dragged her into a fierce hug. Her hair covered my face, and I whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."
"Abs?" she said as she stepped away. I motioned for Hermes and he came to me. I pulled him into another hug and felt the warmth, safety, and security I always had.
"Don't do this," he said. "I know I said do something, but I don't like the look in your eyes. Do not die for him, Abby. This is not your fight."
I reached up and cupped the back of his neck, inhaling his warm scent.
"If he dies," I whisper, "we all die. Remember me."
He stepped back, his face a mask of grief.
Morgana stepped forward, her gaze curious. She knew something was up. Something not in line with her plan. But I ignored her.
I turned my attention to Hades, put everything I felt for him and my confusion about how everything wound up in my eyes. "It is foretold," I said.
His eyes grew wide with horror, and he stepped forward to reach out. Magic grew in his hands as he tried to stop me.
I touched the silvery well of death magic within my body and with zero hesitation, snuffed out the spark of immortality beating at the center of my heart.
Hades’ scream of anguish rang throughout the room as I fell.
Chapter 23
Death was painless. Or at least I couldn't remember any pain. I floated in a field of gray and silver, wisps of cool fog brushing against me. Whispers and conversations I couldn't make out filtered around me. I didn't know where I was. Nothing smelled or felt familiar. I saw no one I knew. I hoped it wasn't like this forever.