Page 49 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
Cadel nodded. “Thereis a war waging somewhere in the mortal lands.”
“Dammit.”Auroraset her cup down, tapping her fingers on the table. “IsSorrowwith him?”
Cadel lowered his cup slowly, not looking atAurora. “No.”
Sorrow could bringDeathabout whenever she wanted.SocouldThane, but he’d be hard to manipulate. “Isshe in the underworld?”
Cadel ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. “Aurora, where are you going with this?Thanewill be furious if he finds out you went behind his back.Hewill never forgive you.”
“And he’ll break my heart again ifIdon’t do something.”Sheflopped back in her chair. “AndIdon’t think either of us will survive another one of those.”
“You andIor you and he?”
“Both,”Aurorasaid.
“Hel’s teeth, he was insufferable last time.Idon’t think the mortals make enough whiskey for another heartbreak like that.ButIdon’t think you should involve his mother.”
If she had another option, she would take it.Sorrowhad blamedAurorafor the curse.IfAurorahad just stayed in the heavens, then her son would have never seen her.Hewould’ve never fallen in love with her.Hewould’ve marriedPain, and all would have been well in the underworld.Theproblem with that argument was thatThanehad been in her father’s realm, something neitherSorrownorDeathknew. “Deathis the only one who can break the curse.”
“And you thinkSorrowis just going to agree to this?Shehates you as much asDeathdoes.”
“Yes.Butshe lovesThanemore.”Sorrowwas a wretched god whose tears turned into little white flowers.Aftereach ofThane’sheartbreaks,Sorrowwould come to the heavens and demand her father banAurorafromManere.Whenhe wouldn’t,Sorrowwould sob atLife’sfeet until his throne room was buried in little white flowers.
“Sorrow may seem weak, but when it comes to her son, she is not a god to be messed with,”Cadelreminded her.
“Then she andIhave that in common.”Aurorashot up from her chair.Godsoften underestimated her.Ifshe were a god likePainorLust, they would fear her wrath. “Whatother choice doIhave?Anddon’t tell me to marrySky.”
“I can’t tell you to do anything.Youare a god, andIam a dead mortal.ButIcan advise you to not piss offDeath.He’sbeen looking for a reason to punishThane.”
Death hatedThane.Maybenot hate; maybe strongly disliked what he had become.Thanewas the only child born toDeathandSorrow.Sorrowhad other children with other gods, andDeathhad many children with many gods and mortals.ButThanewas the only one who could rightfully take the underworld fromDeath.Sorrowhad made sure of that.
Cadel cocked his head. “Andyou want to give him another reason?”
“No.Ijust need you to tell me whenSorrowis alone.”Aurorasat back down in the chair.IfSorrowwouldn’t agree to help her, thenAurorawould have to go and findDeathin the mortal realm.Andthat could take forever.
“Thane is going to kill me.”Cadelhung his head.
“I don’t think that’s possible.You’realready dead,”Aurorateased.
CHAPTER24
AURORA
Aurora rarely came to the underworld, and those around her could tell.Thegods that made this dark world their home gave her a wide berth as she walked towardDeath’sfortress.Shehad tried to match the somber feel of the underworld by dressing in a gown made of the blackest silk she could find.Butthat did little to hide her heavenly home.
The stardust that clung to her lips and features shone like a beacon against the dark sky and gray buildings.Thane’smother could always tell when he had been with her.Stardustclung to all the places she had touched him.
All the places.Shesmiled at that thought.
The dead brushed by her on the cobblestone street, paying her little attention.Inlife the mortals feared the underworld.Somethought there were rivers of fire, while others thoughtDeathsat likeLifeon a mighty throne made of bones, overseeing his realm.Neitherwas true.Deathwas rarely in the underworld.Andeach mortal saw the underworld differently.
Some existed as they had in the earthly world, bringing memories of their homes and shops with them.Othersdid all the things they hadn’t done while they were alive.Somejust simply found a place to rest, sorting through unsolved issues and regrets.
Aurora saw it for what it was: a gray land with no grass or leaves on the trees.Thewarmth of the sun never cut through the heavy gray clouds that hung over the underworld.Nothinggrew here, forLifewas not allowed.
No one stopped her as she walked through the courtyard ofDeath’sfortress.Tallstone walls and heavily guarded gates kept the gods and mortals separate.Thiswas more for show than protection.Thedead didn’t care whatDeathwas doing.Thedemigods that stood guard watched her make her way through the halls of the fortress.Theywere wretched things her father had banished from the mortal lands.
The underworld was quiet in contrast to the noise and merriment that filled her father’s halls.Heryouth had been spent with plush carpets under her feet and halls lined with windows that let in the morning light.Everywall in her father’s palace was covered with art or shelves filled with books of poetry, most written about her mother.Thane’syouth had been spent in what felt like a cave.Thefew windows there were only let in small pockets of gray light.Theonly art that adorned the walls were shields and weapons.Death’sbrother wasWar.Anotherreason forThane’sbroodiness.
