Page 46 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
I couldn’t stop the small smile of victory that he’d lost the stare off, though. Childish, but satisfying.
I needed to go outside and create more flowers. Take my mind off the infuriatingly gorgeous god. ‘I’ll fill your kingdom with a million blooms, you moron,’ I muttered to myself. I stormed outside in a horny huff, making my way through the meadow towards the river. Waterlilies. I needed waterlilies. Or perhaps marsh marigolds and calla lilies?
Outside, the ethereal amethyst and silver sky glistened like star-fire, and as the grasses and blooming flowers brushed against my lower legs, my rage dissipated into ‘slightly pissed off” instead of ‘I want to punch you in the nuts’. After about an hour, I reached the river and glanced across where the other side still looked desolate. Damn it. I needed to get across. This place needed cheering up so badly.
I shucked off my trainers, and as I dipped my foot towards the water, a soft, melodic voice behind me said, ‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you.’ I shrieked and spun around.
A young girl stood behind me. Her eyes were a deep blue, like lapis lazuli, matching her flowing blue hair and, you guessed it, the same colour dress. She was otherworldly beautiful. As she studied me, I felt all kinds of self-conscious, dressed in my crop top and yoga pants.
‘Erm, hi,’ I stuttered. ‘I’m?—’
‘I know who you are.’ She lifted her chin as she narrowed her eyes.
‘Oh, right.’ I shifted from foot to foot but felt no bad energy from her; I didn’t think she’d harm me. ‘And you are?’
‘Styx. My name is Styx.’
‘Like the river?’ My eyebrows creased.
‘Yes. I am the goddess of the river. We are as one.’
She definitely wasn’t very chatty, but then again, neither was I. I was never good at small talk. ‘I was wondering, if you wouldn’t mind, if I could create some flowers for the riverbanks. I mean, if you?—’
She cut me off as she squealed and clapped her hands. ‘Flowers? On my river? Really?’
I nodded enthusiastically as I watched her bounce on her toes. ‘If that’s alright?’
‘Yes!’ She nodded back like a broken bobblehead. Her smile radiated pure joy and lit up her face like the sun breaking through dark thunderclouds.
‘Let’s do it, then.’ I grinned, feeling my flora magic thrumming beneath my skin. I knelt, placing my hands in the black sand of the riverbank, where the water lapped gently. My flora magic pulsed through my veins like a symphony of energy as I envisioned an abundance of flowers that loved water. The vibrancy of the magic shimmered through my veins and sparkled across my skin, enveloping me in a euphoric rush. I didn’t hold back; I released a burst of pure flora magic and heard Styx gasp. The riverbanksexplodedinto a plethora of colour, and a smile tugged at my lips—no waterlilies, but good enough.
‘Fates! That was amazing!’ Styx screeched. ‘Look at my beautiful river.’
A hum of pleasure pulsated through me as I took in the vibrant array of flora, and, for the first time in a long time, I felt needed—really needed. Then, my mind switched to Hades, and I buried the thought.
‘Can I reach the ground on the other side of the river? I can sense life there, waiting to be reborn. It’s so desolate.’ I turned to Styx.
‘Hmm, well, Hades will be very angry if I take you there.’ My face dropped, and she relented. ‘I can help you cross the river. But you must be careful on the side of the dead.’
‘The dead?’ I whispered.
‘They will not hurt you,’ she assured me. ‘I will wait for you to call me and bring you back. But it would be best if you stayed near the river. Do not wander.’
‘Great! I’ll stay near the river. Promise.’ I gave her a wobbly smile. I was a tad unnerved, but as Grandma always said, it’s the living you should be scared of, not the dead.
We waded into the water, and Styx swam across alongside me, the water cooling my flesh. It was further than I thought, and I was exhausted by the time we reached the riverbank.
‘Call me!’ Styx vanished beneath the water with a wave of her hand, and I was alone. Plopping down on my backside, I panted and closed my eyes. Gods, Idespisedswimming.
‘Excuse me.’ I jerked as I opened my eyes to find a man standing before me. ‘I think I’m lost. I can’t find my wife or child. I don’t know why I’m here. This place is strange. Barren. I don’t like it. I need to get home.’
‘I—’ The words died in my throat as the man faded away. Freaked out, I jumped up, and suddenly, I was flying, reeling, falling, and being tossed left and right.
And then there was nothing.
‘Hmmm, a pretty little snack.’The low, raspy voice penetrated my mind. My eyes slowly opened, and I groaned. My visionswam, and the piercing headache felt like a rusty knife scraping at my brain. With a grunt, I pushed myself into a sitting position and grimaced as I touched the back of my head—it was wet. What happened? Where was I? My whole body was banged up; the pain was so intense I couldn’t be certain which bones were broken, but I was pretty sure some were.
‘You’re awake. At last.’
