Chapter Thirty-Four
Hades led me from the throne room along a narrow passageway. “I cannot offer you accommodations such as you may be used to, but until Persephone makes her journey to me, you may use her rooms as your own.”
“Thank you.” I hesitated, not wanting to ask a foolish question. “What will I do while I am here?”
He glanced at me, almost smiling. “I seem to recall that you are highly desirable to certain gods, including that old crone Hecate.” I nodded nervously. “Rest assured that none can harm you here. Persephone sent you to me to seek sanctuary, and I gladly offer it. While you are here, you will practice your magic.”
“Thank you. If I had time to practice—” I broke off, not wanting to think about Rochelle and Hecate hunting me and waiting for me back in the world. Things wouldn’t be pretty once I went home, but I was determined to do better the next time I had to face Rochelle. Hades nodded, hearing my thoughts.
“When you leave my realm, you will again have adversaries to face. But for now, little Witch, you have time to rest, to strengthen, and to learn.” We had reached a carved wooden door fitted snugly into the cave wall. “I’ll leave you here to get your bearings. Feel free to use anything in these rooms.”
I hesitated for a moment. “What will I do for food?” I didn’t want to offend him, but I needed to ask; what if he decided he wanted to keep me there in the Underworld? I wouldn’t fall for the same trick that had bound Persephone.
Hades chuckled. “Don’t worry, I have no desire to trap a second wife. I will have some brought from aboveground.” I must have looked skeptical, because he sighed in exasperation. “Witch, I am not one for breaking faith. I have offered you sanctuary because of my wife, and I will not renege on that promise. As long as you are in my realm, you will be safe from all harm.”
“Thank you. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I tried to smile.
Hades looked sad. “Mortals rarely trust me. I should not have expected otherwise.”
Without another word he turned and stalked back toward the throne room. I felt bad for him, and I resolved that I would try to trust him. He’d been kind to me so far, and just because I had started to be suspicious of everyone didn’t mean that they were all out to get me. Hades had no reason to be my enemy, and from the way he had talked about Hecate, I wondered if he might even be my ally. It must be hard to be a god who no one trusts. I doubted that any Witches ever took Hades as a patron. Was it lonely? He seemed lonely, but maybe that was just because Persephone wasn’t here. Either way, I liked him. When he was out of sight, I opened the door to Persephone’s rooms.
The smell of dust rushed to greet me, and I coughed. Cautiously, I entered the room. Dried flowers were everywhere, arranged in vases, hanging from the ceiling, strewn across the floor. It looked like a postponed funeral, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for Persephone. Obviously, she missed her life aboveground: she’d tried to recreate springtime here in her cave, but the flowers were brown and battered. Petals and leaves crunched under my feet as I explored the vast chambers.
The ceiling of the first room was so high I almost couldn’t see it. It must have reached all the way to the top surface of the earth, because a jagged skylight cut into the ceiling allowed a patch of natural light into the room. There were candle stubs on the furniture, and an unlit torch waited by the door that led into the next room.
That room was darker; evidently, Hades’ architect had only felt like installing one skylight. Squinting, I waited while my eyes adjusted to the dim light, but the room didn’t look very interesting. There wasn’t much in it, just a full-length mirror in an ornate wooden frame, and a simple square table. The surface of the table was empty, but something on the floor caught my eye. It was blurry, but I could just make out the smudged outline of a white circle in the center of the floor. I didn’t walk near the circle; I recognized a magical workspace when I saw one, and I didn’t know what kind of protections Persephone might have left in place. Crossing the room carefully, I passed through another doorway.
The third room had an odd, bluish light. It took me a minute to realize that instead of a skylight, this room boasted a wall of glass looking out over a river. I assumed it must be the Styx, but the part that flowed beneath Persephone’s chamber looked nothing like the inky water that had brought me to Hades. Here, the river was crystal clear, and the banks were awash with color. At first, I thought the colors were flowers, blossoming impossibly underground, but then a sparkle caught my eye. The banks of the river were lined with piles of gemstones, like the ones in the walls of Hades’ throne room.
As I stared at the gems in amazement, a figure caught my eye. I couldn’t tell whether it was a man or a woman, but whoever it was looked too frail to be pushing such a large wheelbarrow. The figure stopped at the bank, overturned the wheelbarrow, and moved off. As it moved, it flickered like a dying lightbulb, and I wondered if I had just spotted one of the dead. I made a mental note to ask Hades about the worker with the wheelbarrow, then turned to continue my explorations.
There was a low, arched doorway leading out of the room, and I had to duck to avoid hitting my head. The cavern I now found myself in was almost perfectly circular, and the walls sparkled with veins of gold. I stood in the center of the room and turned in a slow circle, marveling at the wealth that surrounded me. The room didn’t have any furniture, but rich red pillows covered the floor invitingly. Feeling my shoulders relax for the first time in weeks, I sank to the floor and curled up like a cat on the cushions. I was asleep almost instantly.
I don’t know how long I slept, but when I finally woke up, I had a disorienting moment of fear. I couldn’t remember anything for an instant: not where I was, not even who I was. The sensation passed almost instantly, and I wondered if I’d imagined it. Maybe the Underworld was playing tricks with my memory. I shook myself and stood up. The room was dark, but every so often the gold in the walls would reflect a shimmer of light from the adjoining room. Remembering the view of the river, I went back to the window in that room.
The gems that had been piled haphazardly when I first arrived were now arranged into beautiful patterns. Hypnotic swirls of rubies skirted around geometric patches of sapphires, and I stared, transfixed. It was like a sand painting or a mosaic made from precious stones. I’d never seen anything like it.
“Do you think she will like it?” Hades spoke from behind me, and I jumped, startled. He hesitated in the doorway between the magic room and this one, and I looked at him curiously.
“Who?” I asked dumbly.
He sighed, still lingering at the entrance to the room. “Persephone.”
I looked out the window again. “It’s amazing.”
“But will it please her?” he asked anxiously.
I didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know her that well. I mean, I just met her when I declared—” I broke off.
His face fell, and I felt like I had just told a child that he would never get a puppy. I took a few steps toward him, trying to think of something to say.
When I moved, his eyes refocused and the vulnerability I thought I had seen was gone instantly, replaced by his imposing, immovable mask. “How do you find your accommodations?”
I crossed my arms. “Fine. But I still don’t know what I should do here.”
“Use the golden room for sleep, as I see you already have.” I self-consciously ran my hand through my hair, trying to imagine what I must look like. “For magic, work in this space.” He gestured to the room behind him.
“Um,” I interjected, “not to be rude, but isn’t that her workspace? Witches don’t usually share their magic with anyone.”