Page 78 of Dead End

Alecto was the first to bow. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

I didn’t have a corner office, but I did have a throne room. Posy would approve. The image of her severed head flashed in my mind, wiping the smile from my face.

I forced myself back to the conversation at hand. “Three o’clock in the throne room.”

“Do you mean 1500 hours?” Meg asked.

Right. We used a twenty-four-hour clock in the underworld. Well, I was accustomed to that from my years in London. “Yes, that’s what I meant.”

Alecto looked at her sisters. “We have that thing at 1500 hours, don’t we?”

I didn’t give them a chance to play that game. “Then I’m afraid you’ll have to reschedule. The throne beckons.” I sailed past the trio without giving them a chance to object and continued to the throne room.

Hestia stood beside the throne while two attendants adjusted the legs of the chair.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’ve instructed the servants to adjust the chair for your height. I’ll use the footrest as a step while I’m still here.”

Hestia was a good three inches shorter than I was. “That’s very considerate, thank you.”

“It’s the first of many tasks. I trust breakfast was to your liking.”

“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry you missed it. You were called to a meeting?”

She waved a hand. “It’s over now. I’m focused on other tasks this morning, such as your throne.” Her gaze skated to the worker bees. “Is it done?”

The attendants retreated from the throne with bowed heads.

Hestia gestured to the chair. “Care to try it out?”

It seemed rude to refuse. I climbed into the chair and sat. The seat felt too big and too cold; I wasn’t certain I’d ever get used to it.

“The height is perfect, thank you.”

Hestia gave the attendants a pleased smile. “Well done. You may leave us.”

The attendants took their sweet time as they ambled toward the exit, likely hopeful to overhear snippets of what was sure to be a juicy conversation.

“The meeting was about you, as I’m sure you’ve already surmised.”

“I figured. Someone wants to know what to put in my welcome basket?”

Hestia grunted her amusement. “If only. They’re questioning my decision to hand over authority to you. Imagine! Questioning the authority of the rightful heir to the throne.”

“Who was it?”

Her gaze flicked to me. “I think it’s best that I keep that information to myself for the moment. If I sense it becoming a genuine danger, I’ll let you know.”

“Is it because of my long absence?”

“No. It seems your humanity is an issue for them. That this version of you was raised in the mortal world. They deem you unsuitable.”

“I would think that’s a benefit rather than a detriment. Who better to rule over the afterlife of human souls than one who lived as one of them?”

“That was my precise argument.”

“But they think it makes me weak.”

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