Текст книги "Apollyon"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

CHAPTER 24

When I opened my eyes again, Aiden was still asleep, and although the cord hummed softly in my stomach, Seth was gone for now. I climbed to my feet and quickly scanned the cave. Everything was the same—not exactly the Hilton Hotel, but safe.

Swallowing down the lump that felt like a permanent fixture in my throat, I shuffled over to Aiden and sat beside him, pulling my knees to my chest. Gods, I didn’t know what was worse—if Seth was completely gone and there was no hope for him, or if there were a part of him still in there somewhere. Either way, wondering about it was hopeless. Right now I was on a mission to discover a way to destroy Seth. So did it matter? In the end, I couldn’t allow him to transfer power from me. Too many lives rested on stopping him.

Aiden must’ve been the proud owner of an internal clock, because when the sky started to turn orange beyond the irregular holes in the roof of the cavern, he stretched like a jungle cat coming awake from an afternoon nap.

He sat up fluidly and leaned over, placing his hands on either side of my bent knees. Heat rolled off his bare chest. He pressed his lips to the sensitive space beneath my ear and murmured, “Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

“I’m guessing we weren’t overrun by spiders?” Aiden popped to his feet and stretched again, raising his arms, his back bowing.

“No.”

He sent me a look over his shoulder and then bent down, grabbing his shirt off the bag. “You hanging in there?”

I nodded.

As we ate a quick breakfast of gerbil food and got ready to head back out into the tunnel, I debated on what to tell Aiden. I couldn’t hide the fact that I’d had some sort of interaction with Seth again, but I wasn’t sure how to put what I was feeling into words that anyone could understand.

When he handed me the musty-smelling cloak, I finally said something. “I saw Seth last night.”

Aiden stilled, hands clenching his own cloak. “Okay.”

I focused on his shoulder. “I know I should’ve said something earlier.”

“Yes. You should have.”

A flush stained my cheeks. “I didn’t really see him. Not like last time. He talked to me through the connection. He doesn’t know what we’re doing. He asked, but I didn’t say anything.”

“Of course.” He slipped on the cloak with quick, stiff movements. “What did he want?”

I shifted my weight uncomfortably. “I think he just wanted… to talk.”

“To talk?” Disbelief colored his tone.

“Yeah, he… I think there’s a part of him still there. You know, a part of him that’s confused, but he really believes that Lucian cares for him.” I trailed off, shaking my head. “It doesn’t matter. You ready?”

Aiden studied me a moment, then nodded. With our hoods in place, we left the little slice of peace behind and ventured out into the dark, narrow tunnels, traveling them in silence. Since I couldn’t see Aiden’s face or his eyes, I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I was sure it had something to do with Seth. It was what I was thinking about as we navigated the darkness, with only our footsteps echoing in the silence.

I wished that I had seen what was happening to Seth before it had become too late, noticed how the aether and akasha had been affecting him. Most of all, I wished I had seen how badly he needed someone—someone who accepted him, even loved him. Instead I had been so wrapped up in my own problems I hadn’t seen what everything had been doing to him.

What I’d been doing to him.

In a way, I had seriously failed Seth.

After two hours of nonstop walking in the dark, a small speck of orange light shone ahead, and the closer we got, the larger the spot became until we could see the world outside the cavern.

“Finally,” Aiden muttered.

He stopped at the rough, irregular opening and peered out over the sloping hill that led into a thick mist that blanketed the orange sky. “The Vale of Mourning,” Aiden said. “We’re close to the Plain of Judgment.”

“Hopefully Apollo got word to Caleb.” I stepped out. The drab grass crunched under my boots. “It shouldn’t take long.”

And it didn’t, taking only a half an hour to get down the hill and to enter the mist, which gave way like stirred smoke, revealing the Vale.

The place was as depressing as it sounded.

Bare trees dotted the landscape. Their branches curled down at the ends, as if weighted by the suffering that seeped into the air. Slabs of gray rock rose from the dull grass and a small creek, its water dark and moody, parted the plain.

People were everywhere.

Some were by the creek, lying listlessly on their sides. Their fingers trailed into the water, their bodies shuddering over and over again with deep, heavy sighs. Others were perched upon rocks, sobbing openly, hands clutched to their chests. A few sat at the bases of trees, tucked into balls as they cried out.

The Vale of Mourning was a cesspool of heartbreak and suffering—the final resting place of those who’d died unhappily in love.

I couldn’t get past these people fast enough. Although no one approached us, as they seemed too lost in their misery to even notice us, the lump that had been in my throat all morning grew rapidly. Depression was the air that was breathed here. Sorrow filled the river. Grief rooted the dead trees in place.

Even Aiden’s steps seemed heavier, as if we were walking through the rain-soaked Asphodel Field.

“I don’t want to be here,” I said finally, drifting closer to him.

Aiden reached out, finding my hand under my cloak. “I know. We’re almost through.”

A man turned his tear-streaked face to the sky, letting out a hoarse cry. Near him, a woman collapsed onto the ground, sobbing and spitting hysterical, unintelligible words that no one was listening to. That was probably the suckiest part about the Vale. All these souls were here because of unhappy love, but no one cared. They were alone in their misery, as they probably had been in life.

But we weren’t a part of the Vale, so we traveled on, able to do what these poor souls had been unable to do in life and death. We moved on, past the wants and needs that never had come to fruition, beyond love that had been lost, or never had been theirs to hold.

Some of the weight lifted along with the mist, and before us was a cobblestone road that honestly came out of nowhere as the skies cleared to the odd burnt orange. But we weren’t alone. Hundreds, if not thousands, of souls traveled the same path as us. All kinds of people—young and old, pure and half—traveled toward their Judgment. Picking out the Sentinels and Guards was easy, even though their uniforms weren’t covered in gore like they had been when I’d been in limbo. These souls all had been buried.

Aiden and I stuck out.

Very few of the souls traveling wore cloaks of any kind, since obviously that wasn’t the fashion trend above ground. If anyone had passed away in a cloak, I’d be curious to as how and why. Most were in street clothing. Some even had ball caps on, and maybe we should’ve stashed away some of those. Someone was even rocking a cowboy hat.

Anyway, this wasn’t good.

Hades’ guards were posted along the road, atop their black warhorses. They kept the travelers in order and the path moving. It was probably an endless, boring job.

We moved toward the center of the group, hoping to get lost in the masses of tall Sentinels. Some of them passed cursory glances at us, but no one spoke to us. At the sound of a low nicker and approaching hoofs, my heart tripped up as I placed my hand on the dagger under my cloak. I felt Aiden move to do the same thing.

But the large warhorse blew past us, the guard riding low over the back. People darted out of the way; if they hadn’t, they’d have been trampled under the powerful hooves.

Unease blossomed in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn’t like we could turn back now.

Nearing the Plain of Judgment, it was hard not to notice the low reddish glow spreading across the horizon, and the further we traveled, the larger the… the firegrew.

Tartarus.

Whoa, I so didn’t want to be anywhere near that place. And I really hoped that we wouldn’t get caught and tossed into Tartarus.

My heart was throwing itself against my ribs by the time we entered the open plains of Judgment. The mass of people crowding the crossroads was enormous and guards were everywhere, positioned just in case someone doomed for Tartarus tried to make a run for it.

Aiden stayed close to my side. “You don’t happen to see Caleb?”

I laughed dryly as I scanned over the people. The crowd was so thick I had no idea how I could see anyone in the throng. And I had a hard time not staring at the palace, which seemed way too close.

More of a medieval fortress than a home, Hades’ palace rose like the mountains we’d traveled through, casting a dark shadow across the Plain of Judgment. Four turrets reached into the orangey sky, one from each corner of the stronghold.

Although I hoped Elysian Fields offered better scenery, I couldn’t imagine waking every morning and looking out one of the many windows to see… all of this.

Focusing on the important stuff, I joined Aiden in the search to find the familiar blond head. There were a lot of blonds, but none of them were Caleb.

“What if word hasn’t gotten to him?” I asked Aiden, afraid to say Apollo’s name down here.

“He has to know,” he assured me, scanning the rapidly increasing pile of people. “Gods, how many people do they process here in a day?”

Thousands, it appeared.

Proceeding forward, I realized I was pretty useless in the search for Caleb. Being so short, all I could see were backs of heads. My unease grew unchecked. The longer we were here, the more dangerous it was. I thought back to the guard who had raced ahead. My mouth went dry. We needed to find Caleb and we needed—

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

Sucking in a sharp breath, my fingers twitched around the handle of the dagger as I spun around, ready to use the blade if need be.

“Geez, don’t stab me. I think we’ve had enough of that going on between the two of us.”

I stumbled back as the familiar voice sunk in. He wore a baseball cap pulled low and a hoodie tucked over it, but wisps of blond hair poked around the edges. A wild grin shone from underneath the shadow of the cap.

“Caleb.” My voice sounded hoarse.

Seconds away from tackling him to the ground, I was stopped when Aiden gripped my shoulder. “I know you want to,” he said in a low voice, “but it would draw attention.”

“Yeah, it would.” Caleb nodded. “So let’s keeping the hugging and crying to a minimum.”

I was already on the verge of crying, so thank the gods the hood hid that. Stepping away from Aiden, I stopped in front of Caleb. “I am so glad to see you again.”

“And I’m happy to see you…” He lifted his hand, as if he would touch me, but stopped. “It’s also good to see you back to normal.”

I winced. “Yeah, about that… sorry?”

Caleb chuckled. “It’s all good in the hood. Come, we’ve got to do this quickly.” He gestured toward the road leading to Hades’ palace. “I’m surprised you guys even made it this far without getting caught. The whole Underworld is in a tizzy over what’s been going on topside.”

“I imagine that’s why they’re so busy down here,” Aiden commented.

“Yep.” Caleb shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. “A lot of Sentinels and pures coming through here. Sort of blows, you know?”

“Yeah, it blows real bad. So why would we—?”

Without warning, the ground trembled violently and a great, terrible roar cracked overhead, shaking me to the bone.

I turned, as did everyone else, toward Tartarus. The smell of sulfur grew until it was thick and choking. Fear exploded in my gut. Aiden was beside me in an instant, his hand pressing into my back. “What’s happening?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” Caleb responded, totally nonplussed.

I shot him a look, but then a ball of fire flew straight into the air over Tartarus, twisting and churning as embers flew in every direction. The fire shifted, morphing as it continued to stream into the sky.

The funnel of fire stilled for a moment.

On each side, the fire grew, spreading into giant wings that seemed to reach all corners of the Underworld. In the center, a dragon’s head appeared. The mouth opened, omitting another bloodcurdling scream, and then it swooped down. The impact shook the ground as the fiery tail whipped through the air.

Then it quieted.

“Holy Hades,” I mumbled.

“It’s like the welcome party for those sentenced to Tartarus,” Caleb explained. “Happens every time a group arrives in there. You get used to it after a while.”

“What the hell…” I muttered. There was no way I’d grow used to seeing that.

“Come on, we’ve got to go.” Caleb slid in front of us. “It could take years to find Solaris, but I knowjust the thing that—”

Four black stallions parted the crowd, their riders tall and imposing, garbed in leather. Swords—freaking swords—were leveled out from their sides. They surrounded us in seconds, herding the three of us until our backs pressed against one another.

Aiden reached for his dagger and ended up with the business end of a sword pointed at his throat. The look on the guard’s face screamed he was neither afraid nor above using it.

“Crap,” I muttered.

We were so screwed.

CHAPTER 25

The guard’s arm didn’t tremble. “Move, and you will not move again.”

Aiden froze, and I don’t think I breathed. I was pretty sure Caleb wasn’t breathing either, but then again, he didn’t need to breathe, being that he was dead. But that didn’t mean he would go without punishment. We were caught. Hewas caught, and all I could think of was the dragon we’d seen. Guilt tore through me like a wildfire.

The guard eyeballed Aiden. “Raise your hands.”

“You told me not to move, so I’m not sure how I can raise my hands,” was Aiden’s dry response.

I bit back a laugh that wouldn’t have been appreciated.

Not amused, the guard slipped the sword inside Aiden’s hood. The sword tipped up, easing the material back. The guard smiled when Aiden’s face was revealed and a thin trickle of blood seeped down his cheek.

Hot and fiery rage burned, and I wanted nothing more than to knock the ass off his horse, but the sword was too close to the skin of Aiden’s neck.

“Raise your hands,” the guard seethed.

A smirk crossed his lips as he slowly raised his hands. “Is this good enough?”

“The three of you are to come with us,” another guard announced as he sheathed his sword. “If you do not obey, we have been given permission to use any method needed. Please be assured that a death in the Underworld is the same as topside.”

The guards turned pale eyes beyond me to Caleb. “And there are things worse than death here, boy. You should’ve have thought about that.”

Caleb said nothing, but we had to do something. We couldn’t let them take us wherever they planned to take us. Problem was, only Caleb knew how to get Aiden and me out of the Underworld, and it wasn’t like we could really ask him that right now. And I wasn’t leaving Caleb to face this alone.

So yeah, like I said, we were screwed.

A guard on foot came between the two horses and headed straight for me. Aiden moved only a fraction of an inch, and the tip of the sword pricked his skin.

“We’re back to the not moving part again.” The guard smirked. “Is that good for you?”

Aiden glared at the guard and heat poured off him. The guard’s smile tipped up in response.

The one in front of me grabbed a fistful of my hood and wrenched it back. His ice-blue eyes narrowed. “It’s them.”

My heart dropped to my toes. He said it like someone had been expecting us, and that was so not good. I tried to keep the panic out of my face, but it must have been evident, because the guard laughed as he turned back.

“Disarm them all,” he said. “And then we must go.”

The disarming part took seconds. Our cloaks were removed, daggers stripped away. Aiden’s backpack was taken hostage. I passed Aiden a glance, but he stared ahead, his jaw set in a rigid line. Crap on a cracker, this was bad. Caleb seemed resigned, though, his shoulders slumped, as if he knew what punishment was coming.

Watching the backs of the guards, I wondered how quickly I could take them all out so the three of us could make a run for it. But that would probably require akasha, and where would Caleb hide down here? Where would we go? And to come this far, only to lose it all? I couldn’t even come to grips with it. A cold knot of fear sat heavy in my stomach.

With dread raking deeper and deeper with each step, we could do nothing else but follow the guards to Hades’ palace.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to Caleb.

He shrugged. “Like old times, though.”

“Yeah, but this is different. There’s a dragon made of fire that will—”

“No talking.” The guard who liked to play with his sword rode up beside us. “Or I will make it that none of you can talk again.”

Like my father? Sweet, hot rage exploded. My mouth opened, but Aiden’s warning glare closed it. We were herded toward the palace in silence. Two guards on horses in front of us, two behind us, and one on the ground made it impossible to do a damn thing.

And then the gates to the palace were swinging open and we were ushered in across a sparse courtyard. Everything was happening so fast. My heart pounded; sweat dotted my brow. I felt naked without the damn cloak, and there was a freaking hellhound sleeping on its back by the entrance, its meaty paws kicking in the air as it dreamt of chasing souls or whatever hellhounds dreamt of.

Guards dismounted from their horses and strode toward the entrance, pulling open the palace doors. The guys on either side of me seemed to be handling all of this better than me, or they were just better at pretending not to be one step from spazzing out, but Caleb probably wasn’t blown away by Hades’ palace like I was.

After all, he played Wii with the gods here.

But Hades’ palace was… opulent.

Gold and titanium plated everything—the walls, ceiling, furniture, and even the floor. Hades’ symbols were everywhere. The bull and the two-prong spears were engraved into the floors, stitched into the elegant tapestries. Black velvet chaise lounges filled the great hall, but it was the covered thrones occupying the dais that caught and held my attention. They were truly fit for a king and queen, but it was also what was near them.

Slumbering beside them were smaller hellhounds—maybe puppy hellhounds. Their multiple heads rested on their paws, and acid drool pooled under the lolled tongues.

The guards stopped and, without any words, dropped onto one knee and lowered their heads. A second later, the floor-to-ceiling gold and titanium doors next to the thrones swung open. Even though Hades was supposed to be in Olympus, I fully expected the god to come strolling through the doors, ready to toss the three of us into the fiery pits of Tartarus.

Weak in the knees, I forced myself to keep my eyes trained forward. Sentinels didn’t feel fear… my rosy half-blood butt.

But as the figure drew nearer, I knew it wasn’t Hades. It wasn’t even a guy. It was a female—and it was a goddess.

She was beautiful—tall, damn near seven feet. Waves of curly red hair fell to an impossibly narrow waist. Her eyes were all white, cheekbones high, lips plump, and nose pert.

And she was practically naked.

Her white gown was gauzy and completely see-through. I got a good idea of her bra size… if she’d been wearing one, which she wasn’t. Underwear must be optional down here.

Aiden was staring. So was Caleb, although he looked like he was quite used to all this… woman on display. Hell, even I was staring.

She crossed the great hall, her long legs parting the chiffon of her skirt, playing peekaboo. Dear gods, I felt my cheeks start to burn, but I still couldn’t look away. As she neared, her all-white eyes flared, and then dimmed. Two bright, emerald-colored eyes appeared.

Caleb relaxed beside me, a slow smile creeping across his handsome face—the face I’d missed so much. “Hello, Persephone.”

My eyes widened on the beautiful goddess. So this was the infamous Persephone. Even though I was Team Boy, I could see why Hades had become so enamored with her, going as far as to pluck her away and bring her down to the Underworld.

The first guard, not the one who’d cut Aiden, lifted his head. “We apprehended them as you wished.”

“Apprehended” was so not a warm and fuzzy word.

“You three look surprised.” Persephone’s lush lips were tilted with mischief. “These are my personal guards and they’ve been keeping an eye out for you. I’ve been expecting you.”

“How?” I asked, stunned.

Persephone smiled. “Caleb and I play Super Mario Kart every day at one, and when he cancelled on me I knew something was up.”

I looked at Caleb slowly.

He shrugged. “It’s not my fault she’s observant.”

“And very bored when my husband is in Olympus. Caleb keeps me company.”

I so hoped it was the platonic type of company, because Hades wasn’t known for his forgiving nature.

“Guards, you may leave us now.” When they hesitated, she laughed. “I am fine. Please leave and do not speak of this to anyone.”

One by one, they filed out of the room, sword guy eyeing Aiden like he wanted to slice his other cheek. Aiden held his stare as a smirk crossed his lips.

Men. Sigh.

Once the palace doors closed behind them, Persephone clapped her hands together. “I asked a few questions of a little nymph who had come into the Underworld just a few days ago—one of Apollo’s nymphs. And it doesn’t take a weather scientist to figure out it had something to do with his lineage.”

“It’s rocket scientist,” Caleb corrected as he tugged down his hood and pulled off his cap.

She frowned. “Anyway, I figured it had something to do with you… and I had a choice. Call my husband and he’d come rushing home, but then he’d be in a tizzy, and he’s such a pain like that. Or I could just find out what you guys needed. I’m sure it will prove very interesting.”

Aiden shifted beside me, clearly caught as off-guard as I was. I glanced at Caleb and whispered, “Can we trust her?”

Caleb nodded. “She’s pretty cool, and actually this makes my job so much easier.”

The goddess raised a delicate eyebrow. “Do tell?”

“I need to see the Calling Waters.”

Calling Waters? I had never heard of such a thing, and from the look on Aiden’s face, neither had he.

“And why would you need to use the Calling Waters?” she asked, folding slender arms under her breasts, like she needed help drawing attention to them. “If you would like to see someone, Caleb, you only have to ask.”

“I know.” He dropped an arm over my shoulders, and the gaping hole that had been there since he’d died filled. “But it’s not for me. It’s for them. They need to use it.”

Persephone was quiet for a long moment. “Who do they wish to call upon?”

“Solaris,” I answered. The Calling Waters suddenly made sense—call a soul to you. “We need to talk to Solaris.”

“Because of what is happening topside with the First?” she asked.

I nodded.

Her bright gaze slid to Caleb. “And what did you plan to do? Sneak them in here to use it?”

“That was the plan.”

The goddess shook her head. “If my husband were home and you were to do something so unwise, I would not be able to stay his hand.”

A shiver danced down my spine. The last thing I wanted was for Caleb to get into eternal-damnation-type trouble.

“I know,” Caleb replied, squeezing my shoulders. “But they are worth the risk, and Solaris could possibly hold information to stop the First. And that’s what Hades wants, right? That’s what the gods want?”

“Most of them,” she murmured, her gaze slipping back to me, and then to Aiden. “But not all, it appears.”

Something struck me. “Do you know who the god is—the one who’s helping Seth and Lucian?”

She picked a glossy red curl and twirled it around one elegant finger. “If I knew such a thing, then that god would be taken care of. But I am rarely on Olympus and have little interest in the politics of who pissed off whom enough to end the world as we know it this time around.”

Aiden cleared his throat. “This happens quite a bit, then?”

Persephone smiled, and when she smiled, even I lost my breath. “More than you will ever know. The world has been on the brink of total devastation several times over for one reason or another. But now… it is like when we faced the Titans. It has gone beyond a few pretty words used to gloss over a perceived insult.” She let out a little sigh. “But anyway, I have very little to do, and if this Solaris can be of some help to you, then she will be of some help to my husband. Follow me.”

As she turned gracefully on her heel, I was too shocked to move at first. Persephone helping us was not something I’d planned on.

Aiden smiled. “This is good.”

“Way good.” I turned to Caleb. “You rock.”

“I know.” He pulled me in for a quick, tight hug. “Missed you.”

Holding him close, I swallowed the happy tears. “I missed you, too.”

Caleb kissed the top of my head, and then pulled away. “Come on. Let’s get this show on the road.”

The three of us followed behind the goddess. Poor Aiden was trying to look everywhere but at her, but underneath it all, he was a guy. Strangely, I wasn’t jealous—probably more amused than anything else, because he was doing his hardest to keep his eyes north.

Slipping my hand around his, I squeezed. When his gaze flicked to mine, I grinned and he gave me a lopsided smile of apology.

As we headed down a long, dark hallway covered with black velvet tapestries, Caleb watched Aiden and me, a strange look on his face.

“What?” I asked.

He shook his head. “You guys are really doing this—the relationship, out in the open and all?”

Aiden’s hand wrapped more firmly around mine. “I think right now the world has bigger problems than a pure and a half being in love.”

My heart did a happy dance at the last part. Just hearing him say that—the L-word—could chase away all the dark shadows and expectations.

Persephone’s throaty chuckle drifted back to us. “Isn’t that the truth? Besides, they are not the first, nor the last.”

Caleb’s sky-blue eyes settled on Aiden. “And you’re not going to try to hide the relationship once everything settles down?”

The challenge in his tone had me smiling.

“Not going to happen,” Aiden told him. “It won’t be easy, but we’ll find a way.”

“Good.” Caleb’s eyes hardened. “Because if you do her wrong, I will haunt your ass until you die.”

I burst into laughter and so did Aiden, even though we both knew Caleb was being serious. Letting go of Aiden’s hand, I wrapped my arm around Caleb. “That won’t be necessary.”

The goddess stopped in front of a bronze door. With a wave of her hand, it sprang open. Good thing she was helping us out, because I had no idea how Caleb would’ve pulled that off.

At the rush of cold air, we stepped into the circular chamber. There were so many weapons on the wall – battle axes, spears, swords, and pikes. There were morbid items too, like the heads of long-forgotten animals slaughtered in the hunt and an entire section dedicated to cutoff ponytails.

I cleared my throat. “Nice… room.”

“It’s Hades’ war room.” Awe filled Aiden’s tone. “Damn.”

“The weapons are my husband’s, but…” Persephone slid a dismissive glance around the war room. “These are mostly Ares’ trophies, not my beloved’s. Hades does have a tendency to swing a little on the morbid side, but the hair…” She gestured at the sheared ponytails tacked onto the wall. “Those belong to Ares. He likes to cut the hair of those he’s conquered and then strings them up for all to see. It disturbs most of the other gods, so he keeps them here.”

Caleb’s brows rose. “Nice decorative touch, I guess.”

There was something eerily familiar about the hair. Not the whole cutting it off and hanging it on walls, because, thank the gods, that was strange to me. But there was something that poked at my memory.

“You know Ares,” Persephone said, drawing us further into the war room. “To him, everything is about war and its spoils. Peace practically emasculates him. He believes one should never turn his back on war…” She trailed off and gave a dainty shrug. “He should be thrilled now, with everything on the brink.”

“He’s probably a happy camper,” Caleb said, sliding a WTF glance my way.

I shrugged, but that weird sensation was there, nagging at me. Did Persephone mean never turn their back on Ares, a.k.a. “Mr. War,” or just on war itself?

“Here we are.” She stopped in front of a marble pedestal. Demonic faces were etched into the marble of the basin and ruby-red water filled it. “All you have to do is stand before it and call for the soul you wish to speak to—any soul—and they will be summoned here.”

“Any soul?” My breath caught as an image of my mother filled my head.

“Yes, but I can only allow you to use it once. So choose wisely.” Persephone giggled. “I feel like I’m in Indian James and the Lost Ark.”

Aiden cast his gaze to the floor, jaw flexing to hide his grin.

Caleb rolled his eyes. “It’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

“Oh.” She shrugged. “Same thing.”

My gaze dipped to the basin. My mom’s name was on the tip of my tongue, and I knew without looking at Aiden that he was thinking about his parents. Either of us would probably give anything to see them, especially after how wrong the spirits had been at the portal.

Persephone’s gaze turned knowing. “Ah, the chance to see a loved one is a hard one to pass over.”

“You would know,” Aiden said quietly.

Her smile slowly faded. “I would. Perhaps some find me selfish for the decisions I have made and the impact they have had.”

Recalling the myth of Persephone, I shook my head. “No. You were smart. You made sure that both could have you—Hades andyour mom.”

If she felt smug for how it all turned out in the end, the whole splitting of time and the seasons, she didn’t show it—surprising, since the gods weren’t a humble bunch of folks.

Turning back to the basin, she clasped her hands in front of her. “It is time to make your choice, and then you must leave.”

I looked at Aiden, who nodded. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, reflecting what I knew shone in mine. Caleb placed his hand on my shoulder. As much as I wanted to see my mom, as much as I wanted to gift Aiden with the chance to see his parents, neither of us could be that selfish.