Page 33 of Until Death
Of course, I should have guessed as much.
I chew my lip, feeling a pang of guilt at the thought of having dragged all these innocent women into this mess. They don’t deserve to be caught up in Hades' twisted games.
"I'm sorry," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to get you all involved in—”
“Nonsense,” Lilia interrupts. “This is Hades’ doing, not yours. I … I only wish to advise you not to give up on love so quickly, and certainly not in favor of the king.”
“Excuse me,” I say, blinking at her in surprise.
“Forgive my forwardness, but my husband tends to the gardens and last night—"
Suddenly, darkness sweeps through the room. Several women cry out in fear, drowning out Lilia’s voice, as they all step closer to one another.
A strange heaviness falls over the room as a soft glow fills the space around us before pooling in the center of the room. Slowly, a figure materializes before the light rushes out to fill the room again, revealing Persephone in a burst of soft petals.
Uneasy relief washes over me as I watch her gaze sweep over the room.
I force myself to remain rooted to the spot, despite my urge to rush toward her and tell her everything. Something doesn’t feel quite right, and I need to see what happens next before I reveal myself to Persephone.
So, I wait and watch as she takes several steps forward.
As Persephone moves away from the center of the room, flowers bloom in the wake of her footsteps. But the further she moves away from them, the quicker they wither away back into nothingness.
Vines snake up around her bare legs, twisting about her calves without hindering a single step as she glances about the room. Though her lips are pulled into a smile, it does little to hide the sharpness lurking within her eyes.
There's an anger ... a bitterness to her that I haven't seen before.
I take a step back just as Lilia shifts slightly to get a better view of Persephone; and although I can still just make her out around the tall woman, I'm momentarily hidden from the goddess' view.
I do my best to calm my thudding heart as I wait for her to speak. To let us know why we've been brought here in the middle of the night.
Persephone stops a few feet away from the other women, the strange light spilling over her giving her an eerie but not quite ethereal glow.
The vines and flowers continue to burst to life at her feet, wrapping around her legs and clothing her in foliage nearly halfway up her torso. Still, it’s strange to watch as the flowers die nearly as quickly as they bloom, only to immediately be replaced by a new bud.
I don’t recall seeing this happen the last time I saw her. Nor do I recall her seeming so out of control with her emotions.
She’s definitely not acting like any version of herself that I know.
The tension in the room grows, curiosity mixing with anxious anticipation as the women begin to shift uncomfortably on their feet.
Still, Persephone remains silent as her eyes slowly move over the room yet again.
“I know what Hades’ intentions are with you,” she says, finally breaking the uneasy quiet even as her words weigh heavily in the air. “And I know that one among you has already caught his eye. I not your queen?! Would you betray my kindness to become my husband’s second wife?”
Her voice rings through the room, causing everyone to flinch. Persephone holds up a hand as she takes a deep breath to calm herself.
“And yet, as is the way of my husband, I have no say in the matter. So, I have decided to help prepare you for your future role.”
Shock hits me as I try to make sense of what I just heard.
Why would she even agree to help her husband find a new lover? Wouldn’t that put her own place at court, her very life, in danger?
This makes no sense to me. Surely, she cannot mean what she says.
Or, perhaps like us, she has no choice.
“Now, I will tell you why I have gathered you all here. Every day that you remain in this palace, after my husband has retired for the night, you will be brought here to me,” she says, slowly pacing in front of us. “And every night, I will instruct you in what it takes to please Hades. After which, one of you will be sent up to him.”
