by Joan Holub
Alarmed, Hades tried to rush the girls back on board the ferryboat for the return trip out of the Underworld. “You’ve got to get out of here before—”
“Too late,” Charon said in his mournful voice. He looked skyward.
Hades glanced up too, knowing what he’d see. The Furies. They were back. The three women with wild hair and belts made out of live snakes were flying overhead, eyeing the mortal girls.
Waving up at them, Hades forced a grin, trying to keep things light. “Hey! Thanks for dropping by, but I’ve got things covered. These girls don’t need to be punished. Turns out they’re not shades after all. They don’t belong here, so I’ll just send them on home.”
The Furies shook their heads, their snakes hissing.
“Negatory on the sending them home,” said Alecto.
“You know the rules,” said Megaera.
“Once someone’s in the Underworld, they’re in,” said Tisiphone.
“For all eternity,” the flying Furies chorused together.
The two mortal trespassers clung to each other, their faces scared now.
“Aw, they didn’t know what would happen. Let them go,” Hades told the Furies, trying to sound calm and reasonable. “That way they can warn their other mortal friends to stay away from the Underworld until they’re actually dead.”
“Right, girls?” He eyed the trespassers, who nodded quickly.
The Furies didn’t want to let the girls go, but eventually their sense of fairness made them agree.
“All right,” said Tisiphone. “They can leave.”
“On one condition,” added Alecto.
“That we get first crack at deciding on punishments for any other trespassers in the future,” said Megaera.
Hades nodded. “Deal!” Since the Furies always added a condition to any pact they made, he’d been expecting something like this.
Now that the two girls had been set free, Charon ferried them back to safety. Meanwhile, Hades flew to the the far bank of the River Styx and got busy posting signs to keep other trespassers away. His signs said things like: IF YOU’RE NOT A SHADE—SHOO! KEEP OUT, UNLESS YOU’RE DEAD! DO NOT ENTER BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER GET OUT!
He staked all the signs in the ground and then stood back to survey them. “That should keep anyone else from trying to sneak in,” he said to Midnight. “I hope.”
Even after his work was done, he really didn’t feel like returning to the Academy. Classes were almost over for the day anyway. So instead he mounted Midnight and escaped deeper into the Underworld. He went all the way to the brink of Tartarus, where he could be alone. Just him, the rivers of lava, and his gloomy thoughts about what had happened with Persephone.
11
Free Spiri ts
Persephone
PERSEPHONE SAT ON THE SPARE bed in Artemis’s dorm room after school on Friday and plucked the strings on the lyre she was holding.
Owooo! Artemis’s three hounds howled. Over at her desk Artemis looked up from the arrow tips she was filing, and winced.
It wasn’t the dogs’ howling that was making her cringe, Persephone knew. It was the sour notes coming from the lyre she held in her hands. With Eurydice’s encouragement, she had taken up the instrument on Wednesday. Now it was Friday, and in her own opinion she’d only gotten worse. Even though she’d been practicing every spare minute—for over two whole days!
A quick knock sounded at the door, and Athena peeked inside. Her eyes went to Persephone. “Did you switch to a Music-ology class when I wasn’t looking?”
Persephone grinned at Athena and set the lyre she’d been playing—well, attempting to play—back in its case on the end of the bed. “So, what do you think of my chances as a future rock star?” she asked teasingly.
“Um,” Athena hedged.
“Well,” Artemis mumbled.
“Just kidding. I know I’m bad,” Persephone admitted. “I’m all green thumbs. Good at gardening. Not at music!”
“Well, we can’t be good at everything, I guess,” said Athena.
Artemis nodded. “Yeah, I can sing a little, but I’m not nearly as musical as Apollo. He got most of the family talent in that area. He’s naturally gifted.”
“On the other hand he and his band members spend hours practicing, right?” Athena noted. She glanced at Persephone. “Are you willing to practice as long and hard as they do to become good on an instrument?”
“We kind of hope not,” Artemis joked, before Persephone could answer. “I’m not sure my dogs’ ears can take it if you keep practicing.”
Persephone giggled. “Don’t worry. I just wanted to try something new is all. Break out of my dependable box.” Also, she’d been trying to take her mind off Hades. The two of them hadn’t talked since the concert last Tuesday.
“Are you still thinking about that Teen Scrollazine poll?” Athena asked in surprise. She came in and sat down on one of Artemis’s desk chairs. “I’d forgotten all about it.”
“She’s not the only one obsessing over it. Ares’ and Apollo’s egos have swollen to twice normal size ever since they were voted Handsomest and Best Musician,” complained Artemis.
“Being voted Strongest has gone to Heracles’ head too,” said Athena. “He keeps walking around flexing his muscles. What about Hades?”
The two girls looked at Persephone.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “We haven’t talked at all in the last few days. Hades told me he doesn’t like how I’ve been acting since Eurydice and Orpheus came.”
Athena’s and Artemis’s expressions became concerned.
“Maybe he’s jealous or something. Maybe he thinks you have a crush on Orpheus,” Artemis suggested.
“Who doesn’t?” said Persephone, eyeing the Orpheus poster hanging on Artemis’s wall. Then she flopped over to lie on her side. Propping herself up on one elbow, she gazed at her friends. “It’s not a real crush, though. It’s only for fun. Like crushing on a hero you read about in a bookscroll. Know what I mean?”
“Of course,” Athena said.
Artemis nodded.
“Besides, that’s not the problem,” Persephone went on. “Hades isn’t jealous or anything. He just thinks maybe Eurydice is a bad influence, and so he—”
Suddenly the door burst open, and Aphrodite came in without even knocking. She shot Persephone a worried glance. “Have you seen our kitten?”
Persephone sat up. “Adonis? No. He’s not in your room?”
She’d brought Adonis here to the dorm when she’d decided to stay with Artemis the rest of the week. By now, he got along fine with Artemis’s rambunctious dogs, but the idea of leaving the four pets unsupervised in this room together while the girls were in class had made Persephone a little nervous. So she’d left the kitten in Aphrodite’s care instead.
“I checked just now,” said Aphrodite. “He’s not there. Eurydice was supposed to go by to feed and play with him while I was gone, then come and meet me at the Supernatural Market for nectar shakes. But she never showed up. The rest of you were invited too. She didn’t tell you?”
“I haven’t seen her all day,” said Persephone, growing worried. Eurydice had better be taking good care of Adonis—wherever she’d gone off to with him. And she should’ve asked permission before taking him anywhere!
“I haven’t seen her either,” said Athena.
“I did,” Artemis told them. “About an hour or so ago. She was walking down the hall with somebody. Their backs were to me, though, and I wasn’t paying all that much attention, so I’m not sure who she was with.”
Aphrodite went over to the window and scanned the courtyard below. “I don’t see her anywhere.” She turned her head toward Artemis. “She only stayed with me Tuesday night, then spent Wednesday with Iris and Thursday with Atë. Was she with one of them maybe?”
This was all news to Persephone. Lots of girls from the dorm had been hanging out in Aphrodite’s room after class this week having fun till bedtime, including Euryd
ice. She’d thought the girl had slept over there the last three nights as planned.
She’d simply assumed that Eurydice preferred Aphrodite’s company to hers. But apparently that pink-haired girl was even more fickle than Persephone had realized! Being a free spirit was one thing, but hurting people’s feelings and letting them down really wasn’t very nice.
“Atë! That’s who it was,” Artemis told Aphrodite. “I didn’t see Adonis with them. But I do remember that Eurydice was carrying that woven bag of yours. The one with the ginormous flower on it.”
Aphrodite turned from the window, her face even more concerned now. “That’s the bag I sometimes carry Adonis in! Oh, I really don’t like the idea of her taking him off somewhere. She’s just not very . . . responsible.”
Hearing the worry in Aphrodite’s voice, Persephone got even more worried. Because Aphrodite was right. Eurydice was not a responsible person.
“I’m sure Eurydice and Adonis are around here somewhere,” Athena said reassuringly. She headed for the door. “Let’s go look for them.”
The four friends split up so they could cover more area and search more quickly. Athena took the classroom floors. Artemis said she’d try the gym and sports fields.
Aphrodite and Persephone began checking the rooms up and down the girls’ dorm hall. As they were knocking on doors, Atë appeared in the hall.
“Thank godness I found you!” she told them breathlessly. “I flew Eurydice down to the Underworld by winged sandal and she hasn’t come back out. It’s been almost an hour, and I’m getting panicked.”
“What? She can’t go into the Underworld!” said Persephone. “She’s mortal. And not dead. Why would she— Wait a minute! You didn’t dare her to go there, did you?”
Atë looked away. “Um, maybe. We were playing with your kitten. Then we started playing Truth or Dare, and she—”
“Did she take Adonis with her?” Aphrodite demanded.
“Yeah, I guess,” Atë admitted. “She said you’d told her to take care of him.”
Persephone grabbed Aphrodite’s arm. “She can’t make her sandals fly on her own. C’mon. We have to go after her!” Together they dashed downstairs, where they kicked off their sandals so hard that the sandals hit the wall just inside MOA’s front doors. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Then the girls snatched some winged sandals from the basket and hurried outside.
As Persephone was slipping on her flying sandals, she saw that Atë had followed them. “Find Athena and Artemis and tell them Aphrodite and I have gone to the Underworld, okay?” she told the spirit-goddess.
“Okay,” said Atë. She shifted from one foot to the other, clasping her hands together. “I have to tell you something else. But it wasn’t my fault!”
Persephone’s breath caught with fear. Suspicious, she jumped up. Her sandals hovered a few inches above the ground, their wings gently flapping as she gripped Atë’s arm and studied her face. “Please tell me you didn’t dare Eurydice to do something even dumber than entering the Underworld.”
Behind them one of MOA’s front doors had opened while she’d spoken. Orpheus had come outside and overheard. “What?” he exploded. “Eurydice is in the Underworld?”
Atë looked even more nervous now. “Well, I might’ve suggested or maybe even kind of dared her to dance in the Forbidden Meadow,” she admitted reluctantly. “But I was joking. I never expected her to take the idea seriously!”
“Are you bonkers!” Orpheus yelled. “There are nests of poisonous snakes in that meadow! Hades told me so himself.” His hand was white-knuckled where it clenched his lyre. It was slung low at his hip, suspended from a strap that looped around his neck.
Atë gasped and pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Oh! I—I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
“ ‘Sorry’ isn’t much help now. I only hope she didn’t take Adonis there too!” Aphrodite said. She was so upset, her face wore a deep frown, an expression she usually avoided for fear of wrinkles.
“Let’s get moving,” Persephone urged.
“Wait for me,” said Orpheus. While they’d been speaking, he’d ducked inside and grabbed a pair of winged sandals too. Now he insisted on going with them.
“You can’t enter the Underworld,” Persephone told him. “You’re mortal.”
“Just let me come as far as I can,” he pleaded. “I need to know Eurydice is all right the minute you have news.”
Giving in, they waited for him to slip on his sandals. Atë seemed relieved that she wasn’t going to have to personally deal with the trouble she’d caused. She slinked away now, leaving them to it.
Soon Orpheus stood between Aphrodite and Persephone, holding tight to their hands. The three of them zoomed from the Academy, through the forest, and down to Earth.
As they neared the River Styx, Persephone studied the warning signs posted below on the near bank of the river, opposite from the Underworld. They were new, obviously meant to keep trespassers away. Apparently Eurydice had ignored them.
To Persephone’s surprise Hades was down there too, talking to some of the mortal girls who were still hanging around in spite of the signs. After gliding to a landing near him, she, Aphrodite, and Orpheus started asking anxious questions all at the same time. “Have you seen Eurydice? Or Adonis?”
When Hades shook his head, Persephone explained in as few words as possible what they feared Eurydice had done.
“Godsamighty!” he exclaimed.
“We have to find her!” said Orpheus. He looked as upset as Persephone felt.
Quickly Hades whistled for his chariot. When it arrived, Persephone and Aphrodite jumped inside with him. Orpheus tried to climb in too.
“Sorry. You can’t come,” said Hades, blocking his way.
“But—,” blustered Orpheus.
“I know you’re worried, but you have to wait here,” said Persephone. “No mortals allowed, remember?”
“We’ll do everything we can to help Eurydice. We promise,” Aphrodite told him.
Orpheus swallowed hard. “All right,” he said reluctantly. He remained on the riverbank clutching his lyre, and watched them zoom across the river.
When they reached the Underworld, their chariot flew on, passing over Cerberus and the line of shades waiting to be sorted out. Soon they were hovering above the Forbidden Meadow.
“There’s Eurydice,” said Persephone, pointing. The foolish girl was whirling and twirling down in the meadow as if she hadn’t a care in the world. The straps of the bag she’d borrowed from Aphrodite’s room hung over one of her shoulders. Adonis was cuddled in her arms!
Hades skillfully took the chariot lower, tilting it toward Eurydice when they drew near. The pink-haired girl waved, delighted to see them. She didn’t seem to understand how dangerous her situation was. Aphrodite and Persephone leaned out of the chariot as far as they dared, each reaching out a hand.
“Grab on!” Persephone called out to Eurydice.
“But don’t drop Adonis!” Aphrodite yelled.
At their words the grinning Eurydice nodded and set the kitten inside the woven bag.
Swoosh! The chariot zoomed past her, right overhead without making contact. She’d been so busy with the bag, she hadn’t lifted her hands in time to grab on. And now their rescue attempt had stirred the snakes! As the chariot circled back again, Persephone heard a warning rattle down below.
Eurydice’s head gave a jerk. “Snakes!” she screamed. Finally the girl realized what trouble she was in. Several snakes slithered close to her now, rattling their tails and hissing. Ssss. Ssss.
“Help!” Eurydice called. She looked up, reaching both arms high now. The bag holding Adonis dangled from her right shoulder.
“Hurry!” Persephone urged Hades. He was already readying the chariot for another try.
Below them the rattling sound grew louder. The snakes around the frightened girl coiled, lifting their heads and baring their fangs.
Swoosh! Persephone and Aphrodite whipped their arms out as th
e chariot dipped at a dangerous angle toward Eurydice once again. The goddessgirls each grabbed one of Eurydice’s hands in theirs.
A split second later the snakes lashed out. But they only caught air. Their pink-haired prey was gone. Rescued!
Using all their strength, Persephone and Aphrodite managed to pull Eurydice—and the bag with Adonis—safely inside the chariot. All three girls collapsed on the chariot floor and exchanged wide-eyed looks of relief.
“You okay?” Hades called back to them as he guided them away from the meadow.
“Yes,” the girls replied breathlessly.
Aphrodite took the bag from Eurydice and reached inside to check on Adonis. “What about you? Are you okay, little cutie-wootie!” she asked, petting his sleek black-and-white fur.
Persephone scooted closer so she could pet him too. “We were worried about you,” she cooed, cuddling his paws, which were as white as the Underworld’s asphodel blossoms. Loving the attention, the kitten flopped onto its back, purring and nuzzling their fingers with its pink nose.
“Um, hello? I’m safe too, if anyone cares,” said Eurydice, sounding a little annoyed at being ignored.
“How did you get into the Underworld without Charon seeing you?” Hades demanded.
Eurydice shrugged. “I used one of those potions that makes you invisible.”
Her eyes shifted to Persephone. “We learned about them in your Spell-ology class, remember? I saw one on Aphrodite’s shelf today when I was playing with Adonis. So when Atë dared me to come here with her, I just sort of borrowed the potion on a whim. Is she mad that I used it to slip away from her? It wore off right after I got into the Underworld. So no harm done, right?”
The other two girls and Hades all glared at her.
“No harm?” Hades echoed. “Unless we get very lucky, this is still going to be a disaster of huge magnitude.”
“Oh, lighten up, gloomster,” Eurydice teased. She was smiling again, not seeming to care how much trouble she’d caused or how much trouble she might still be in. Suddenly she sat up straight, concentrating very hard on whatever she was thinking about right then. “Wait.” She hummed a few notes. Then she looked around, her eyes searching the chariot.