Page 79 of Dead End

“Naturally. When you live among gods, your viewpoint will undoubtedly be skewed.”

I slid off the chair before I walked away with a sore butt. “Thank you for defending me.” I knew it was in her best interest given her strong desire to leave, but it was still good to know she had my back.

“We’re family, Melinoe. That doesn’t necessarily mean something to every god, but it certainly means something to me.”

“I appreciate you, Aunt Hestia. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve scheduled my first meeting in this very room for later today.”

“May I ask with whom?”

“The Erinyes. I ran into them after breakfast.”

“And how were you received?”

I shrugged. “They were determined to get me here. Now I’m here. I guess they win.”

Hestia bit back a smile. “Tread carefully with them, my darling. They’re loyal to the underworld, but you can only push them so far before they push back.”

“Noted.”

“Are you busy now? How would you feel about a tour of the Asphodel Meadows?” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Or would you prefer to start with Elysium? More celebrities there.”

The majority of souls were placed in the meadows. “Asphodel sounds good to me. Would you like to eat first?”

“I ate during the meeting, but thank you. It lends a certain air of authority when you spew pastry crumbs at your visitors while you lambast them for their ignorance.”

I laughed. “Pastries are the perfect accompaniment for a good, old-fashioned lambasting.”

I exited the throne room with Hestia and walked along the corridor. The interior was illuminated by blazing torches affixed to the walls until we reached the great outdoors. Here the walkways were lit by glowing asphodels, just like the path that led to the underworld gate.

“Fair warning, my dear,” Hestia said. “Asphodel Meadows isn’t the most upbeat place. The souls that dwell there have no memories of their former lives. They’re mere shells of their former selves.”

“Sounds depressing.”

“I suppose that depends on the life you left behind.”

I tried not to think of mine; it was already consuming enough of my waking hours, which reminded me… “Have we received any messages from another realm?”

Hestia gave me a curious look. “Expecting a love letter?”

“Not quite.” What I expected was some form of acknowledgement that The Corporation knew I was here. Their silence confused me. Then again, it was possible they were still recovering from Unas and would be in touch once they had a revised game plan. Although I didn’t look forward to that eventuality, somehow their silence seemed even worse.

Three o’clock rolled around, or 1500 hours, given my current location. I made sure to get settled in the throne room before my guests arrived. I’d only intended to have a single attendant, but Hestia had insisted I keep two guardswith me at all times when meeting with my subjects, so now I was joined in the throne room by one attendant, two guards, and three furies. The Erinyes bowed at the foot of my throne.

“Thank you for coming,” I said, hoping to start off on a positive note. The straight lines of their mouths told me all I needed to know about their current excitement level.

“Ask your questions,” Tisiphone barked. “We have work to do.”

I sat in silence until they started to fidget. Finally, I spoke. “As your queen, I’ll decide when to begin.”

Jaw stiff, Tisiphone bowed her head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I want to know how we decide who gets punished in Tartarus and what that punishment should be.”

“Why does it matter?” Alecto asked.

“I believe I am the one asking the questions.”

Meg stepped forward. “Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus judge the souls together, and then Minos chooses their final place.”

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