Page 18 of Taking Orders in the Underworld

“A visit to this Watering Hole of yours.”

CHAPTER SEVEN: For night only

The journey back to Asphodel Meadows seemed to take half the amount of time with Tomas as company, though watching him attempt to cross Phlegethon’s fires had taken up quite a bit of that time. Mainly because Nika was curious as to how he had crossed the first time and was quite content to watch him balance precariously on rocks on the way back until she’d had to save him from falling in.

Eventually, he’d made it across, and together they continued their journey. This time they went through the Plains of Judgement (for they were coming in the opposite direction of those that were there to be judged and would not be confused with the others), and crossed in front of the palace of Hades and Persephone, which sat on a sprawling acreage of land hidden behind black bars that were decorated in growing vines and blood-red roses. Then, they simply passed the border and they were back in the meadows.

Tar and sand and grass gave way to the smooth, worn cobbled streets Nika had become accustomed to. She caught herself breathing a deep sigh of relief at being back. Tomas sent her a grin, which she ignored – he couldn’t expect her to suddenly become some happy-go-lucky-fucking-skipping-spirit – and together they headed straight for the pub.

Of course, given that the time they got back was mid-afternoon, most of the team were on their break between the rush hours, leaving only Savvas to greet them as they entered the restaurant.

“Well, well, well … what do we have here? Where did you find this bedraggled monster, Tomas?”

Nika scowled. “Call me bedraggled again and I’ll drown you in your own vat of wine.”

Savvas laughed goodnaturedly, before coming around the bar and squeezing Nika into a hug. She hugged him in return.

“It’s good to see you,” she muttered in his ear, his beard scratching against her cheek.

“It’s good to see you, too. I take it you’ve got a plan to get us out of this mess?”

Nika pulled back and looked around at the empty place she called home. “How bad is it? Truly?”

“Everyone’s been offered three hours off, one person dropped from the lunch rota, another from the dinner service. It’s been like this ever since you left.”

“Garth up in his office?”

“Yup.”

“Well then, let’s go and sort this mess out, shall we?”

At the end of the galley bar, to the right of The Nook, there was a staircase that led to the second story where all patrons could find the plumbing. It was also where the staff could find their lockers, and where Nika found Garth, in a tiny shoebox of a back office, crunching token ticket numbers at his desk.

“Going well for you, is it?” Nika asked, leaning against the door jamb.

Garth pulled his thick strands of black hair back from his hands and regarded her. A heavy uneasiness fell between them.

“So, you’re back.”

“I am.”

“Here to officially tender your resignation?” Garth crossed his arms, those silver scales rippling with the effort. Defensive.

“You really think I’d do that? After all this time? After all the things we’ve been through over the years working here?”

“No,” Garth eventually said.

It was Garth who had been the one to see Nika was just a lost little spirit from Tartarus who hadn’t known what she’d wanted, only what shedidn’twant. Unbeknownst to Nika at the time, Garth had known what the pressures of family obligation and expectation could do to a Soul: how it could crush them under the weight of responsibility. His great-great grandfather, after all, had been the one to set the libation agreement with Zeus, for no other reason than he was a greedy bastard who wanted more fame, more attention, and more accolades.

When Garth had agreed to give her a trial run, despite the fact she had no experience, he had pulled Nika from the crumbling wreckage of expectations she had always believed herself destined for.

“Well then,” Nika cleared her throat, blinking back tears for the second time in two days –whatever had gotten into her? – “you’ll be pleased to hear the news I bring.”

“Oh?”

“Orpheus is coming to play here. Tomorrow night.”

Garth blinked at her once, slowly. Then again.

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