“I’ll just bet!”
“Because there’s nothing he could do. Zeus killed her in a crowd of people. It can’t be undone.”
That stopped me cold. “You think Zeus did this?”
“Who else could it have been? Rachel repeated the message she delivered to you,” Moirae said with uncharacteristic understanding.
I sighed and shook my head, looking away from Moirae. It was hard to look at her long. She looked dizzyingly average—middle-aged with brown hair and eyes and ambiguously tan skin. Her eyes darted around like she was hearing things we couldn’t.
Mostly because she could. The past, present, and future all warred for attention in the mind of this schizophrenic embodiment of the fates.
There was no explaining that Zeus had never been there. Moirae wouldn’t have seen anything. She saw the past, present, and future of every human she encountered, unless they’d been touched by a god. Rachel would have been invisible to her when she died. I doubted Rachel knew who Thanatos was to accuse him. Even if she happened to spot him, it wasn’t uncommon for souls to accuse the Reapers who collected their souls of killing them.
“Cassandra, did you see what happened?” I asked, fiddling with my necklace. Cassandra could see almost everything that was coming, including the divine.
“I didn’t.” She pulled on a strand of her dark hair, a nervous gesture.
“You guys think Zeus killed someone but Cassandra didn’t see it? That doesn’t seem weird to anyone?”
“There was a plane crash.” Cassandra crossed her leg and leaned back, putting her hands behind her head. “I can only see one thing at a time. It’s not often I see human actions rather than the divine, but it does happen.”
“Isn’t Zeus lord of the skies?” I asked pointedly.
“It was one death against hundreds.” Cassandra’s dark eyes flickered, but she kept her voice even. I could tell she wanted to be annoyed but was trying to be sympathetic.
I paused. What would it be like to see the things Cassandra saw? I’d gotten a taste of it in the last week with the Reapers killing people all around me, but those deaths, however disturbing, weren’t violent. Plus, I knew on an intellectual level that they were already on the list to die that day. The Reapers couldn’t afford to attract attention by taking someone who wasn’t on the list…Or so I’d thought.
Rachel wasn’t on the list.
My shoulders drooped; the anger that had been fueling me was spent. I was barely hanging on. Tears pricked my eyes. I hadn’t liked Rachel very much, but I didn’t want her to die.
“I know it’s frightening to think that Zeus may have been so close to you.” Hades moved close to me and clasped my shoulder. “Thanatos has generously offered up some of his Reapers to act as guards.”
You’re supposed to protect me! I wanted to scream. Not throw me to the wolves. How could he be so blind to Thanatos’ betrayal? Why hadn’t he figured out what was wrong and fixed it?
Some of my rage must have shown on my face because Hades drew back in confusion. “It’s a great solution. Only gods can see them, so they shouldn’t interfere with your day-to-day activities. They can keep an eye on Aphrodite as well, and any of your friends or family.”
“No!”
“If Zeus wants you to swear fealty, he’ll stop at nothing—”
I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. “Why would he want me to swear fealty? He had my powers; he gave them to me.”
Anger flashed in Hades’ eyes, quickly doused. He didn’t like being yelled at, but my friend had just died so he was going to let it pass.
I glowered at him. He had no idea why I was upset, and in this moment I almost hated him for it.
Hades took a deep breath. “He had a third of your powers. I don’t think he’s coming after you for your charm. But having control of the Earth and Underworld would have some appeal to him.”
I narrowed my eyes at the sarcasm he’d let slip through. “I don’t have control—”
“You have a legitimate right to both realms. With you, Zeus could gain access to both. He doesn’t need much in the way of permission to enter the living realm, but my realm…”
My heart gave an uncomfortable thump. “He could come here?”
“I would ask you to stay down here, for safety, but…”
“We don’t know how long Zeus will be a threat,” I finished. Zeus wasn’t restricted to a single season like Boreas. I couldn’t live my whole life in the Underworld. And I couldn’t tell Hades why I didn’t want Thanatos’ Reapers shadowing me. I sighed and sat down on my throne. I felt a hand touch my shoulder and looked up to see Cassandra’s concerned face.
“Was she your friend?”
That was complicated. Rachel and I had been friends until I’d accidentally charmed her. I’d managed to undo the charm, but nothing could make up for the months of time we’d had to grow apart. Now that I had control of my powers, everyone was friendly to me again, but no one was close. “I don’t have many friends.”
“She’ll be fine down here,” Moirae said. “After a brief period of adjustment.”
“Thank you.” I stood, brushing off my dress. “I should get back to the surface. Mom’ll be freaking out.”
“Moirae, Cassandra, can we have a moment?” Hades asked. They nodded and left the throne room. “I think you should stay just a few days.”
“No. I’m not hiding again.”
“Then let me come with you.”
Panic flooded my chest. “You can’t leave the Underworld unprotected.”
A muscle jerked in Hades’ jaw. “He can’t come here, but he can come after you! Look, I know you want space, but if anything happened to you…”
I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “I have to go.” I stumbled away from him. “I can’t- you can’t, just…Stay. Please, stay.”
Frustration flickered over his face. “I don’t think the Reapers are going to be enough to protect you. I know you’re still upset with me, but this is bigger than us.”
I searched desperately for a reason, any reason, that didn’t correlate to Thanatos. “You don’t have my mom’s permission—”
“She wants to protect you as badly as I do. I’m sure she’ll allow it.”
“Just take a hint, would you! I don’t want you protecting me, and I don’t want you in my realm.” The words burst out of me. “Just stay here!” I didn’t wait for a reaction. I teleported to Tartarus and left the Underworld.
I’d barely surfaced in Memorial Park when I heard Joel calling my name. “Kora!”
I stared at him as he crossed the wooden bridge. I felt disoriented, out of place. I didn’t belong in this park, filled with life. The sky was too blue, the cherry blossom trees were too vibrant. Children laughed and played on the playground behind me. Their laughter was jarring; it felt wrong.
“Where did you come from?” Joel asked.
“I …” I looked behind me, toward the parking lot.
Joel caught my hand. “Is it true? What happened to Rachel? I didn’t know her well…But she…I mean, I knew her.” He looked upset. “What happened? Are you okay?”
I burst into tears. I couldn’t take this anymore. If one more person asked if I was okay…
“Hey, hey…” Joel said soothingly. He drew me to him in a tight embrace.
I clung to him, crying for everything I’d lost and everyone I was probably going to lose.
Chapter XIII
“It’s disgusting,” Melissa said.
“Huh?” I asked. I was supposed to be shopping. That’s why we were at the mall, but all I could concentrate on were the Reapers. They followed me everywhere. But at least in public, they didn’t touch me.
I shuddered at the thought and clutched my necklace. I was defenseless against the Reapers. Their touch tore at my soul. If one of them so much as brushed against me, the pain was bad enough for me to bawl my eyes out.
“That!” Melissa motioned to the food court where Aphrodite sat on a tabl
e surrounded by a bunch of guys. “I think some of those guys even have girlfriends.”
I eyed the glowering girls scattered around the food court and had to agree. I turned my attention to the As Seen On TV store. Maybe I would buy some pajama jeans. It wasn’t the type of thing I normally wore, but I wasn’t sleeping much anymore. Anything pajama sounded comfortable to me.
“Persephone, you have to do something about this. It’s like date rape.”
I fought to keep the irritation out of my voice. “For the thousandth time, she’s not charming them.”
“Sure, they just drop everything and follow her because she’s pretty,” Melissa snapped.
“Pretty much.”
She snorted and walked towards Macy’s.
“Melissa, where are you going?” I hurried after her. “Aphrodite’s still back there, we can’t just—”
“She doesn’t need a babysitter. She’s perfectly capable of lifting one of those well-manicured hands to call your cell phone. She might even deign to follow us. Isn’t that a crazy idea? Instead of waiting around for her all day, we could actually get our shopping done.”
“You make it sound like a chore. Shopping is supposed to be fun.”
“Supposed to be being the key words.” Melissa stopped at the pretzel stand. “Hey, I have a buy one get one free thing. Want one?”
“She’s next,” a redheaded Reaper said, pointing to an elderly woman sitting on the bench. “Five grandkids. See the youngest one over there?”
I followed the Reaper’s outstretched hand to where a little girl was putting a quarter in a gumball machine.
“She gets to watch,” he added in a snide voice.
“Grandma, look!” She held up a pink gumball with triumph. “My favorite!”
“I’m not hungry,” I told Melissa. I watched the little girl run to her grandma, still chattering.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything? I didn’t see you eat lunch.”
It’s hard to eat with death breathing down your neck. “I’m sure.”
Melissa shrugged and ordered a pretzel.
“Look!” The little girl squealed in excitement. “A train!”
“Ugh.” Melissa grabbed her pretzel and a drink and started walking again. “Why do people let their kids shout like that inside?”
I stared at the little girl as she and her grandmother boarded the train that circled around the mall every few minutes. “Leave them alone.” I glared at the Reaper when I said it.
“Huh?” Melissa asked, turning around.
“They’re spending the day together, having fun. Who knows how often they see each other?”
“What are you even looking at?” Melissa waved her hand through the Reaper. “Fine, let her yell. Gods, no need to get so upset about it. You look like you’re about to cry.”
I started to explain about the Reaper then stopped. What was the point? I couldn’t explain they were stalking me without drawing attention to Thanatos, and even if I kept it to the usual business of Reapers, what would telling Melissa accomplish except to get her upset? Why burden anyone else with the knowledge of that grandma’s impending death. “Sorry,” I muttered, as we set off for Macy’s.
“Anyway,” Melissa continued. “Shopping is supposed to be fun. But nothing is fun with her around.” She paused at a display of boots and motioned for a salesperson. “Size eight, please.” She turned her attention back to me. “What’s the point of shopping for clothes when Miss Perfect over there could make a paper bag look good?”
I made a noise that could be taken for assent and slid my necklace back and forth on the chain. Melissa narrowed her eyes. “What? No impassioned speech on how I should be more patient or something? What’s with you, anyway? You’ve barely said a word since school started.”
“Sorry.” I feigned interest in a pair of heels I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing.
“Don’t apologize. Tell me what’s wrong.” Melissa snatched the shoe from my hand and looked me in the eyes. “I’m worried about you, okay?”
“Believe me, if I could tell you, I would.”
Melissa raised an eyebrow. “If you could? What do you—?”
“Hey, guys!” Aphrodite called. She hurried over to us. “Ooh, cute boots.”
Melissa slammed the boot back down on the display and stormed off toward a nearby rack of dresses.
“What’s up with her?” Aphrodite asked. She beamed at the salesman who’d brought out the shoes. “Size eight. How did you know? Oh Persephone, I met the nicest people!”
“Call her Kora in public,” Melissa snapped. She thrust a hanger at me. “You have to try this on.”
I lifted the hanger and stared at the white dress with a lacy flower pattern. “Um…okay?” I slipped into a dressing room and pulled it on. It was too loose. The neck gaped and it threatened to slide off my shoulders. When I walked out to show Melissa, she frowned.
“Aphrodite, go play with your new friends. Persephone and I need to talk.”
“You’re supposed to call her Kora in public,” Aphrodite reminded her.
Melissa shot her a murderous look.
“Fine.” Aphrodite shrugged, completely undisturbed by Melissa’s mood. “I was going to meet Jessica and Ashley for a movie anyway. They’ll bring me home.”
I watched her go with a sinking heart. She could see the Reapers, which kept them in check. If she noticed them behaving oddly, she could tell Hades or my mom. Then this would finally be over.
“What is it?” I asked Melissa as the Reapers swarmed around me.
“That’s a size two.”
“So?”
“You’re a four.”
I struggled to understand the significance of this through the Reaper’s taunting.
“Persephone.” Melissa gripped my arms, looked straight into my eyes. “What’s going on? You have circles under your eyes.”
I’d forgotten Melissa could see through my glamour. All the priestesses could.
It’s hard to sleep after watching someone die, I wanted to snap. I knew I’d be having dreams about that little girl tonight. It’s impossible to sleep knowing there is something in your room that wants to hurt you.
“You’re not dressing like you normally do,” Melissa continued, indicating my jeans and a short-sleeve T-shirt. “Come on, Persephone, spill.”
Why couldn’t Hades see what Melissa saw? Did he? Did he just attribute it to Zeus? Our “breakup”? What did he think was causing this? Did he even notice?
“I’m sorry, Melissa.” I cast my eyes down to the floor. “I can’t tell you.”
“Of course you can’t,” she muttered. I couldn’t see her face, but her voice sounded hurt. “It’s god stuff, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but it’s not like that. I can’t tell you—”
“No, no, I understand. I’m just some human. What do I know?”
“Melissa—”
“Melissa? Kora?” Joel walked over from a display of leather wallets. “Hey!” He gave Melissa a hug and she flushed. “It’s been awhile.”
“Not for all of us. I hear you ran into Kora the other day.” She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Did you forget how to use the phone?”
“Ouch.” Joel frowned at her. “I’ve been pretty busy.” He shifted closer to me, a smile lighting up his face. “But I’ve got some free time now. Want to go to the movies?”
“Sure!” I answered quickly. Aphrodite was at the movie theater. If I stayed close to her, the Reapers would leave me alone for a little while.
Melissa was looking back and forth between the two of us. “You know, I’m not feeling well. I think I’m just going to head home. Have fun.”
She didn’t sound like she meant it. I threw her a questioning look. Being annoyed with me, I got. Best friends shouldn’t have secrets, but what had Joel done to piss her off?
All thoughts of Melissa fled my mind when a child’s scream pierced the air.
Chapter XIV
The familiar feeling of fire coursing through my veins woke me up. A hand clapped over my mouth, cutting off my scream. Two Reapers glared down at me, savage grins on their cruel faces.
“Knock it off guys,” Zachary scolded. He towered above the other two Reapers. His eyes were so dark they were almost black. Of all the Reapers I’d ever met, he was the one who most looked the part.
The pain stopped abruptly, and I scrambled away from the Reapers, breathing hard. “Zachary,” I gasped. “Long time no see.”
Zachary was the first Reaper I’d met. I’d shaken his hand and felt the pain of my soul ripping free of my body. The same pain I’d woken up to this morning and every morning since Hades had agreed to let the Reapers be my guards.
“Thanatos told us to make her suffer,” a female Reaper pointed out.
“Did he happen to mention how to avoid Demeter ripping us limb from limb if she finds us torturing her daughter while she cooks breakfast downstairs?” Zachary asked.
The Reapers stepped away from me.
I read the apology in Zachary’s eyes, and my shoulders loosened a little. The Reapers weren’t all evil. Thanatos was putting them up to this. I was sure he’d chosen his most aggressive Reapers for guard duty. I wondered how Zachary had made the cut.
I skipped breakfast and headed to school. I arrived early, but enough students were milling around to prevent another attack from the Reapers. They might not be able to see the Reapers, but even humans would notice if I hit the ground screaming in pain. There was no fighting back. Anytime I touched them, it hurt me ten times more than I could possibly hurt them. And they weren’t corporeal to anything but deities and the dead, so I couldn’t throw things at them or charm them. I was helpless, and that was really starting to piss me off.
I had small victories. I’d told Moirae I needed to take more of an interest in the day-to-day running of the Underworld. Every night she gave me a schedule of the next day’s events. I made it a point to be in the palace anytime Thanatos was supposed to be there. He dodged me easily, always managing to be somewhere else. Hades was getting really annoyed at Thanatos’ “new work ethic.” All my time in the Underworld was cutting into my schedule quite a bit, but all I needed was a second’s worth of eye contact with Thanatos to end this. If I could charm him, I could kill him.
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