Page 31 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘Yes. I can’t exactly tell you what happened to you… that’s down to Hades, sorry.’ Tee’s brow furrowed. ‘But I can tell you that rebirth is a possibility. Souls in the Underworld have the option to reincarnate. They drink from the river Lethe to forget their former lives and are propelled towards new birth; they arereincarnated. Many choose that path. It keeps the circle of life going.’
‘Oh,’ I muttered. ‘But I didn’t drink from the Lethe?’ Tee shook her head, and confusion addled my brain. If IwerePersephone, then just… how the fuck? I clenched my jaw as she continued.
‘You were reborn to Hermione’s daughter, who, as you know, died in childbirth.’
‘My mother, yes.’ I swallowed roughly.
‘Your grandmother at the time was the High Priestess of the New York High Coven.’ I gave a brief nod, and Tee hesitated for a heartbeat. ‘You’re not a witch, Sephy.’
I shot from my seat. ‘Of course I’m a witch.’ I gritted my teeth. ‘This is bullshit.’
‘Your flora magic… Your dark power. It’s what you had before. You’re a goddess… Not a witch.’
‘No. No. I’m a witch. My grandmother taught me about magic. Taught me how to manage my dark magic.’ I shook my head in vehement denial.
‘She taught you to suppress your power, Sephy. She had no idea what it truly was, but you need to be able to control the shadow magic. You’re a goddess. A goddess of immense power. The goddess of spring, life, and fertility, among other things.’
I was torn between disbelief and an impending hysterical meltdown as panic sliced through my chest, sending adrenaline pumping through my veins. I wasn’t a witch… I was a deity.
‘Shadow magic?’ She nodded. ‘I’mactuallya goddess?’ I muttered in disbelief. ‘All this time…’
‘You didn’t believe me. I know.’
Well, this was just the tip of the fucked-up iceberg. ‘What otherthings?’ I whispered.
Tee shifted in her seat. ‘Your name means Bringer of Death?—’
‘What? Am I… Was I evil?’ I gasped.
Tee smiled kindly. ‘You’ve never been cruel, Persephone. Not once. You’ve always been fair and kind. But you have a darker side.’ My gaze shot to hers, my eyes widening. ‘You can heal and create life, but you can also take life away. That’s why we need to work on controlling your power.’ I nodded wordlessly, glancing down at my clenched fists. ‘You are also the goddess of reincarnation and ghosts.’
‘I can heal?’ She nodded at my question.
‘Your powers are growing again, Sephy. I can feel them.’
‘I can’t even…’ I whispered, my mind a spinning vortex. ‘And reincarnation and ghosts?’ I breathed, frowning.
‘And mistress of the Furies.’
‘TheFuries?’Tee nodded with amusement.
‘Let’s not overload your brain. I'll fill you in on everything you need to know as we train, alright? We have a lot of work to do on this shadow magic of yours. You’ve got to get it under control.’
‘Shadow magic?’ I repeated again as I shook my head slightly; my life was going from crazy-la-la to straight Insanity-land.
‘Here.’ Tee refilled my glass of nectar, which I sipped. It tempered my jangled nerves and helped clear my spinning head. I sat there, mulling over her words for… I wasn’t sure how long, only that it felt like forever.
I’m not a witch; I’m a goddess. A real-life goddess.But that didn’t erase the truth: the gods had slaughtered so many with magic.
Tee roused me from my reverie. ‘Getting back to what you asked about. Okay, yes, Hades has sort of kidnapped you.’
‘Sort of? Really?’ I let out a sharp laugh.
‘Well, the daft, grumpy bugger rushed into it without thinking it through properly; he was so desperate to get you back, and now look at the mess we’re in.’
I closed my eyes, my heart sped up, and as I took another drink, I felt a slight tremor in my hands. It was true; I was in a giant dumpster fire of a situation as far as the gods were concerned.
‘But when he lost you the first time…’ She hesitated, and my eyes snapped to hers. ‘He exploded with rage, Sephy. He killed thousands of innocents.’
