by Brea Essex
I nodded. “I think I understand. It’s a very delicate balance, isn’t it? I need to focus on myself and those whom I love, as well as strangers—and also the dead. It’s all overwhelming.”
“It can be,” she admitted. “And finding a balance will take time. You may feel as though you’re being pulled in all directions for a while. Just try not to do too much at once; otherwise, you might lose your mind. Just as with magick, just as with the elements, you need to find equilibrium. All of that will come with practice. Be patient, for it will not happen suddenly.”
“I’ll certainly try to be patient,” I told her.
The scenery shifted without warning. We were no longer standing in the graveyard. Instead, the yew trees that we had first seen upon our arrival to Hecate’s dwelling once more surrounded us.
“How did you do that?” I asked incredulously.
She smiled. “I’m a goddess, remember?”
“Will I ever be able to do anything like that?”
“Perhaps. With time and practice, you should be able to accomplish just about anything you set your mind to.”
“So, what’s next? Are we going to practice more with the elements?”
She shook her head. “No. It is time for you to go.”
“Seriously? Already? But I haven’t even learned that much.”
“Ah, but there is where you are wrong. You’ve learned much more than you think.” She handed me a small book. It was bound in supple brown leather. No title marked the cover. “Carry this with you. It will further your instruction. If you have a need, it will help you meet it.”
“Uh, okay.” I took the book and shoved it into the back pocket of my jeans. It fit perfectly. “Thanks.”
“No need to thank me, Rhiannon. It’s been quite some time since I had the privilege to train a necromancer, especially one as young and gifted as you.”
I felt a flush rise in my cheeks. “Thank you, goddess.”
She clapped her hands together. The sharp sound echoed through the trees, sending birds swirling into the air. “Now then.” She gestured to Zac where he stood several feet away. “Come join us, Zayin.” After he approached, she continued. “I believe you seek the Underworld. Is that correct?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Zac said. The gloomy look on his face registered his unhappiness. “Hades is the only one left who can help us locate his Helm. We believe it’s in the Underworld with him. If not, hopefully he will be willing to tell us where it’s hidden.”
“I wish you luck in your quest. You must stop this Necrovorst at all costs. Whether you like it or not, the fate of the world rests squarely on your shoulders.”
“Yeah, yeah, we know all that,” Zac told her.
“I’m not sure that you do. This is far more grave than you understand.”
“What do you mean?” Zac asked suspiciously. “Did someone leave information out of the welcome packets?”
I shot a glare at him. His mouth was going to get us both in trouble one of these days. He at least had the grace to look sheepish. “How, exactly, is it more grave than we understand?” I asked.
“The Necrovorst’s actions not only affect this world, but the next. Imagine the upheaval in the afterlife if all the bodies of those dear, departed souls are suddenly resurrected… without their spirits. Those that were formerly at rest will find themselves adrift, wandering in unrest. They might very well be sucked into the shadow lands; lost forever in the darkness as the demons inhabit their rotting corpses.”
“That sounds terrible. I can’t imagine how horrible that must feel.”
Zac held up a hand. “We already knew that. At least, I did. What could possibly be worse than that?”
“More things than you could imagine,” Hecate answered cryptically.
“Care to elaborate?” Zac asked her.
“I cannot say more than I have already. You will understand in time, believe me. Just be on your guard. Continue down the path you are going.” She turned toward me. “Remember what I have taught you. Study the book I have given you. It contains much wisdom and will aid you in your search.” She looked at Zac, then back to me. “Now, you must go. My blessings go with you. I will bring you to the entrance to the Underworld. From there, you will be on your own. Farewell.”
“Wait, I have more questions!” I exclaimed.
It was too late. I felt a jerk and the scenery blurred. The forest disappeared from view.
She was gone.
Thirteen
We stood at the entrance to Hades. “I recognize this. This is where Orpheus descended into the Underworld to try and get Eurydice back,” Zac told me.
"He lost her, didn't he?"
"Yes. He looked back too soon."
"Promise me something, then."
Zac offered me a soft smile, although worry reflected in his eyes. "You know I'd promise you anything."
"If Hades offers us the same deal, promise you won't look back until we're both on the surface."
"I don't think it will be a problem. Neither one of us are dead."
"Well, you sort of are."
His mouth set in a grim line. "Yes. Hopefully that won't be an issue."
We began our descent silently. As soon as we started to walk down the gentle slope of the tunnel, we were plunged into instant blackness. I looked back as the light from the opening shrank to a pinprick.
Zac placed a hand on my arm. "Don't worry; we'll find our way back. Just try not to look back again until we're out of here. That's dangerous behavior down here, like I just said."
I only nodded, not quite trusting my voice. This whole place was making me nervous.
The journey was rough. I stumbled and tripped more than once in the dark. Zac couldn't see me, and therefore couldn’t help me when I fell. I managed to catch my balance more often than not, but I occasionally crashed into the stalagmites that lined the path. A few times I hit the cave wall.
“I never knew you were this clumsy,” Zac’s voice murmured at my side.
“I’m not!” I hissed back. “It’s just so damn dark in here. I can’t see where I’m going.”
“I don’t suppose you know how to conjure up a light to guide you.”
He knew I didn’t. For some reason, I hadn’t thought to ask Hecate how to do that during my training. “You’d think she would have volunteered the information,” I muttered to myself.
“Who?”
“Hecate. She knew we were going down here, but she didn’t think to teach me that.”
I felt a small rush of air next to me. Zac’s arm brushed my side. I was guessing he had shrugged his shoulders, but who knew what was going on in the pitch black. “She probably didn’t think of it, or assumed you would ask if you had wanted to know.” He was silent for a moment. “Think it’s in that little book of yours?”
“Well, if it is, it would be kind of hard to read in the dark, now wouldn’t it?”
“Kind of a catch-twenty-two, isn’t it?”
I didn’t bother to answer.
At last, the dark began to lighten almost imperceptibly. The light had a reddish cast to it. Stereotypical, I thought.
“Wait,” Zac whispered suddenly.
I stopped walking and glanced in his direction. I could just make out his silhouette. “Why?”
“Look.” He pointed.
I narrowed my eyes as I tried to see what he was pointing at. I could just make out a figure standing a few feet away from us. Robed and cowled, the sight of the person… or whatever it was… made me shiver.
Zac approached the being, despite my whispered protestations. “Charon,” he said, and bowed.
No answer came from within the robe. It simply extended a hand. Zac dug in his pocket and then deposited something into the hand. Whatever it was flashed in the dull red light. Zac stepped away, back toward me.
“Who is that?” I whispered.
“Charon. Guardian of the gates of the Underworld.”
“What did you give him?”
“Drachmas. Greek coins. We need them to buy passage to the rest of the Underworld.”
“Where’d you get those?” I asked, still staring at Charon. In turn, he stared at the coins in his hand.
“Hermes snuck them to me.”
Now I looked at him. “How’d I miss that?”
“You were occupied. Listening to Hera and Aphrodite plead with Zeus.”
I thought about that for a moment. “I thought Hermes wasn’t on our side? Didn’t he tell us not to attempt this?”
“He did. I think it was more worry for our safety, rather than being against our mission. He goes back and forth from the Underworld all the time. He knows that few humans make it out alive.”
“So, he gave us the coins to help?”
“Yep. Apparently so. He made sure to do it while Zeus wasn’t paying attention.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t see that. Do you think it’s enough, though? Will he let us pass?”
“Hopefully.”
We turned back toward Charon. He was done staring at the coins. He had lowered his hand and had stepped aside.
“I guess that’s our cue,” Zac said.
We walked past Charon with no further protest from him. We descended deeper still. I began to think we would never reach Hades’ dwelling.
Abruptly, the tunnel we were walking through spilled out into a large chamber. It too was lit with the red light, but this glowed brighter. A river wound its way through the cavern.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing at the river.
“The River Styx. Traditionally, Charon ferries the souls of the dead across the river. Since we’re not dead, I guess he decided he didn’t need to take us to the other side.”
“So, how do we get across then?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Jump?”
I gave him a deprecating look. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t look that wide. Besides, I highly doubt there’s a bridge. Why, what do you suggest: hijacking Charon’s ferry?”
“That might be a better idea than trying to jump across. You might be able to make it, but I really don’t think I could.”
“Oh, you could do it,” Zac reassured me, waving his hand in the air as if to brush off my concerns. “I bet you’re more agile than you think, especially after all those years of rock climbing you claim you did.”
I bristled. “I did do rock climbing, practically since I was old enough to climb. How do you think I ended up in the hospital, in a coma, with these crazy powers?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Do you regret your accident? Do you wish you didn’t have your powers?”
“In a way, I wish I hadn’t had the accident, yes. The fall itself was scary, as well as waking up in the hospital and not being entirely sure as to what was going on. But no, I don’t wish I didn’t have my powers. I’m a little overwhelmed by this whole quest, trying to stop The Necrovorst. It’s difficult to learn about how to control the elements, cast spells, and speak to ghosts. But I’m glad I have my powers. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have you. I wouldn’t be able to see you, I wouldn’t be able to talk to you. Most importantly, I wouldn’t be able to help you. One day, this will all be over, and we can be together.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“For what?”
“For helping me. For standing by me, despite your fear, despite how difficult this is.”
“Of course.” I stared out at the river looming before us. “So, you really think we should try to jump across? What will happen to us if we fall in?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll die, for real this time.” He turned and grinned at me. “Stealing Charon’s ferry is looking better and better.”
“Won’t we get in trouble for that?”
“We could get in trouble just for being here. Why not live a little? Besides, you can control water now, right? Even though this river is in Hades, it’s still water. I bet you can use your magick to get us across to the other side in it, then send it back to the proper side.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” I said slowly. “I guess I could try.”
We climbed into the ferry, which floated in the river at the end of a short dock. It wasn’t tied up. I supposed the magick of the place kept it from floating away.
“Are you ready?” Zac asked me.
“I guess so,” I answered hesitantly. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes so I could better concentrate. I thought about the current, willing it to push the craft we were standing in across the river to the opposite bank.
“You’re doing it!” Zac’s voice was quiet, but excited.
I didn’t dare open my eyes. It might break my concentration, and we certainly couldn’t afford that right now. Instead, I focused on the slight sway of the boat as the current carried us to the other side. Finally, I felt a slight bump, and the ferry rocked back. We had reached the opposite shore.
Smiling, I opened my eyes to see my success. Zac jumped out onto the dirt that made up the bank and reached a hand down to me. I took it gratefully. I was shaking slightly from the effort of forcing the boat across. He helped me out of the ferry. Once I stood on solid ground, I felt like flinging myself face down and kissing the soil. I restrained my instinct with some difficulty. We didn’t have time for it, and I didn’t want Zac to know how much I had been weakened.
It took me longer to send the ferry back to the opposite shore than it had to bring us across. Despite it now weighing less since we were no longer in it, I was so tired that it was a lot harder than I had anticipated. Still, I needed to return it so no one would know we had taken it.
“Are you all right?” Zac asked when I had finished sending the boat back to the other shore.
“Of course I am. Why do you ask?”
“Well, your face is flushed, and you’re sweating along your hairline.”
I reached up and ran the back of my arm across my forehead, wiping away the incriminating moisture. I gave Zac a weary smile. “I’m fine. I promise. I’m good to go.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” he replied doubtfully.
“I’m sure. We need to get this done.” I hated lying to him, but I didn’t want to worry him. This was too important.
We turned away from the river. The opposite side of the cavern had previously stood empty. Now three gates reared toward the rocky ceiling.
“Oh, jeeze. Now what?” I asked, although the question was mostly rhetorical.
“Uh, I think those are the gates that the dead enter through to Hades.”
“I thought we were in Hades.”
“I guess you’d call it Hades Proper, or something to that extent. You know, the main part of the Underworld, where Hades’ throne is located and the souls of the dead dwell.”
“Oh.” I didn’t really want to think about being faced with all those ghosts. Were they still ghosts if they were in the Underworld, and not up on the Earth’s surface? Would they all want to talk to me, or for me to do something for them? “If those are the gates they enter through, why isn’t anyone there? You’d think there would be lines or something.”
“Yeah, you’d think so.” Zac sounded slightly confused. “I don’t know why there isn’t anyone there.” He leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better glimpse at the gates in the distance. “There doesn’t seem to be any guards there, either. I would have thought that Cerebus would be there, at the very least.”
“Too many names to remember! Now who the hell is Cerebus?”
“He’s a three-headed dog. Think of him as the giant guard dog of the Underworld.”
“Three heads? Seriously? That sounds completely creepy.”
“Things are different down here than they are on the surface.”
“Yeah, you’re telling me,” I muttered.
We headed toward the gates, glancing around for someone, anyone. The entire cavern seemed deserted.
“Which gate do we go through?” I asked when we finally reached
them.
Zac snapped his eyes shut, screwing his face up in concentration. “Let’s see… if I remember correctly, we’re supposed to enter through the middle gate. I think that’s the one for the general dead populace. One of the others leads to Tartarus, and the last to Elysium.”
“Ugh, I don’t even want to know what those are.”
“One’s for the evil dead—what people think of when they think of Hell. The other is for heroes—the really good guys,” Zac informed me.
“Got it. So, even though we’re not dead, we’re still supposed to go through the middle gate?”
“Well, we have to get through somehow, right? I don’t see any other entrance.”
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “All right. Let’s go see Hades.”
“This ought to be fun,” Zac said.
“I hope that was sarcasm.”
“Of course it was. Would you expect anything else to come out of my mouth?”
“No, I guess not.”
The gate stood wide open, as if welcoming us. We passed through with absolutely no problems. “You know, I thought this would be harder,” I said.
“Don’t jinx us. We’re not out of here yet. We still have to face Hades.”
A wide hall was past the gate we had gone through. “I guess this is the way we’re supposed to go,” I said.
We followed the hall, which was made of the same rock that had surrounded us in the tunnel from the entrance. However, this corridor was lit with what looked like torches at first glance. As we passed one, I took a closer look. They were actually propane lanterns shaped to look like torches. I wondered where they got the propane to refill them. Did they have an emissary they sent to the surface to buy it? Did Hermes bring it when he journeyed down here?
I was so distracted by wondering about the torches, I didn’t notice we had reached the end of the hall. Zac nudged me in the ribs, and I turned my attention toward the looming figure in the center of the elaborate room carved of stone that we now approached.