Persephone leaned forward. “They would not know you were gone, Darlena. Your parents would not miss you. Life for them would go on as before.”
“How do you plan to make that work?” I was afraid I wouldn’t like the answer.
“I will stay in your place.”
“What?” I jumped up, the Red dust still clinging to me. “Are you crazy?”
“Is it not natural for one daughter to take the place of another?”
“But you’re a goddess! And I’m … not!”
Persephone laughed. “That much is obvious. But hear me out: If I am here, it will not only spare your parents’ feelings. Hecate and Rochelle will also focus their energies on attacking me, while you are safely away, striving to undermine chaos.”
A cold feeling had been sneaking up my spine ever since I stood up. “If you would stay here as me—”
“Is it not natural for one daughter to take the place of another?” Persephone repeated her words softly. I crumpled to the floor, my worst fears confirmed.
“You can’t be serious! I can’t go to the Underworld.”
Persephone snorted. “If you paid any attention to the seasons, child, you would realize I have not yet made my annual descent. The weather is still fair, for another few weeks at least.”
I gasped, “You want to send me to Demeter?”
Persephone nodded calmly. “Your mother is sworn to follow her. She will take care of you.”
I studied her face. “Would she know who I am?”
The goddess paused, considering. Finally, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Darlena. You would have to disguise yourself as me.” When I opened my mouth to protest, she went on. “Hecate and my mother share a close friendship, and I cannot promise you that she would not betray you if she knew that you were the Red Witch Hecate seeks.”
“How in the world am I supposed to convince Demeter that I’m you?”
“Easy.” Persephone smiled. “You must fashion a glamour.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The plane lurched and the red seat belt sign began blinking. I leaned over and tried to look out the window, but the sky was black.
I was glad to have the window seat, but I wasn’t thrilled to be sharing my armrest with a hulking businessman who smelled like he had brushed his teeth with cologne. He didn’t seem concerned with personal space, and I’d tucked myself as close to the freezing window as I could get. Thankfully, he had been asleep for most of the flight, so I hadn’t been forced to make small talk.
When I had asked Persephone why I had to take a plane, her response had been curt. “Some of us do not have enough magic to transport mortals such great distances.” I didn’t ask again, and she made all the arrangements. It was interesting to think that Aphrodite had more power than Persephone; maybe I’d been wrong to doubt her. But she never showed up, so I didn’t get a chance to ask her if she was still my patron. I threw myself into planning for my trip, and the days passed in a blur.
I chewed my lip, worrying that perhaps we hadn’t been careful enough. True, there had been no sign of Rochelle or Hecate in the days after the hurricane, but I wasn’t confident that I had escaped so easily. Besides, how would I convince a goddess that I was her daughter?
“You’ve learned the art of glamour from Aphrodite,” Persephone had said to me. “I will show you how to tie off a spell, so that it will remain without your constant attention.”
I hadn’t tried that yet; I was waiting until we landed in Athens before donning the face of a goddess. I hoped I had paid enough attention when she explained how to make the spell last. I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if it really became permanent; I couldn’t worry about that now. Until I went home, I just had to think like a goddess.
After eleven hours, the plane finally began its descent. The sky outside had grown lighter, and it was late afternoon when we landed in Athens. The wind whipped across the runway, throwing my hair into my mouth, and I rushed to get inside the terminal, not even stopping to look around. This wasn’t a sightseeing trip, I reminded myself, and I moved with determination toward the sprawling airport building.
Once I had my passport stamped, I headed for the ladies’ room. With my backpack, the only luggage I had brought, I locked myself into the large stall at the end. First, I used magic to change the backpack until it resembled a small leather drawstring bag, the type my grandfather used to keep marbles in. I checked the bag: everything, including the athame and mirror, had survived the transformation just fine. I’d glamoured my tools to get them through security; I wasn’t sure what I would do with them, but I wanted all the help I could get. Drawing a deep breath, I turned my efforts to my own appearance. It was easier than ever before, and once again, I marveled at how badly I had botched the glamour I’d tried for Justin. Thinking about him was like touching a raw wound, so I pushed the memory of his face away. He hadn’t been around since the storm, and I had to accept that I’d lost him for good.
I looked in the mirror, but all traces of my face were gone; Persephone’s sad eyes stared back at me. Once the spell was cast, I imagined I could see two shimmering ends of rope in my hands. Swiftly, I knotted the rope and it pulsed and shimmered, changing from silver to gold. I looked down at my torso, now covered in a loose green linen tunic and brown pants. The goddess had suggested that simple work clothes would be best, and I trusted her. There was a gold-and-red braided cord at my waist, and I tied my bag to it firmly. Squaring my shoulders, I whispered a third spell, for invisibility, and headed out of the airport.
Persephone had given me very detailed directions to find her mother, so I started off with some confidence. It wasn’t long before I reached the vineyard, just as Persephone had said, set into the base of a looming hillside. I glanced up at the mountain’s peak and shivered. I would be in the shadow of the Greek gods, trying to pass myself off as one of them. It hadn’t hit me until then just how dangerous this undertaking would be. My glamour had better hold!
I loosened my invisibility as I came into the vineyard, just as a figure came walking over the hill. I tensed for a moment, waiting to be discovered and punished. As she came closer, I realized that the woman approaching me reminded me of my mother. I figured out who she was in the instant before she spoke.
“There you are! We’ve been waiting for you.” Demeter reached out her hands and clasped mine.
I squeezed her hands, surprised at their warmth. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s got into me today; my mind was wandering.” I had to struggle to keep my voice from quavering.
The goddess laughed, shaking her head with a smile. My eyes were drawn to the wreath of wheat and bright red poppies she wore on her head. My mother’s patron wasn’t stunning like Aphrodite, but she was a stately woman. She looked like an earthy, tribal queen. Demeter squeezed my hand again. “That’s my little one. Always thinking. What were you thinking about?”
She looped her arm through mine and we began to walk through the vineyard. I said the first thing that popped into my mind. “I was thinking how quickly the harvest has gone.”
Her face clouded for a moment, but then she smiled again. “But it is not over yet! I will have you with me until the end of the harvest. Hades will not break his promise.” Her tone was light, but there was something bitter about her words.