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. He was 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 and your 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.

Stepping up to the basin, I stared into the still red water that reminded me of blood. Actually, it was thick like blood, and there was a faint metallic scent. Ew.

A second passed, and then I said, “Solaris.”

Nothing happened at first, and then the water rippled as if I had blown a soft breath upon it. Part of me expected her face to appear in the basin, but the water settled again. Then there was a sudden fissure of energy that crawled up the walls and rolled over the floors. Tiny hairs on my body rose and a shudder worked its way across me. There was a soft gasp of surprise and I turned.

Solaris had arrived.