Page 41 of Monster Song
Barbatos squeezed me back.
“You got it, River.”
Lis suddenly jumped off the table like she didn’t have internal bleeding. She bounded over to Cerberus, and they rubbed up against each other. Barbatos just smiled at them.
“Lis wants to stay here too. She likes Cerberus.”
“He likes her too. They keep talking about puppies.”
“I wouldn’t mind one of those puppies.”
“That’s up to the proud parents.”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s get you back to your mates. Persephone is awake, and Kimon is going crazy knowing you were the one who killed Demeter.”
I’ll bet he was. I’ll bet they were all furious with me. I’ll bet they were all furious with Solron for bringing me into that shadow.
“Where is Solron?” I asked.
Barbatos just laughed.
“Helping fill the jails. There were some people that bet that weren’t at the arena that night. Between them and the rest of Demeter’s army, Hades will have a full jail.”
I’ll bet Solron was having a blast, but for now, I wanted to get back to my monsters.
Chapter 23
River
W
hen I stepped through the portal my father opened, I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. This wasn’t the same castle I had been staying in, and it wasn’t as gloomy here. The palace I was staying in was opulent, but it always seemed to be dark outside. The sun was red, and it was always cloudy out.
The moon was glowing brightly and there appeared to be a million stars in the sky. Even the air seemed less stifling. The castle was teeming with everyone who had joined in on the fight, but I zeroed in on my monsters. They were huddled around something with Hades. Pavlina seemed fine, but her arm was in a sling.
“I thought you said you healed her?” I asked Charley.
Charley just rolled her eyes like I knew a damned thing about magical healing.
“I hit her with witch magic, and all of us were trained in healing by the water demons in Hell, but it’s not the same as the way Hades would heal himself. She will still be sore for a few days, so she needs the sling.”
I nodded.
“Thank you. I just don’t know a damned thing about healing outside of surgery and medication.”
Charley just shrugged.
“Some things still need that in Hell. Magic can’t fix everything, and some people misuse it. I spent a lot of time in a shitty jail because I thought I was doing a good thing with a spell. It’s not the answer to every solution, and some things are better left the way they are.”
Kimon looked up and noticed me. It was like he let out the breath he was holding. He opened his arms, and I ran to him. I was in this massive hug with all my monsters, but where was Hephaestus? Why wasn’t he back yet?
“Now, now. You have to introduce me to the woman that made Demos and Pavlina call a truce.”
I looked down at the sofa. Persephone was finally awake, and Hades was doting on her. What was I supposed to say to her now that she was awake? Technically, I killed her mom. Should I apologize for that? I wasn’t really sorry about it, but Demeter also wasn’t my mother.
“My love, this is River,” Hades said. “I asked an oracle, and she directed me towards River. We couldn’t have saved you without her or the help she brought.”
Did Persephone not know Demeter was dead? Oh, shit, please tell me I didn’t just walk in on an introduction like that. Persephone was still a little groggy and goofy from being drugged, but if she cared one iota about her mother, she would perk right up when she found out what I did, and she outranked me here. She just laughed and caressed Hades' cheek.
