“You have entered here as a guest, but you are now abusing my hospitality. You will leave now, or I will fetch Cerberus.”
I paused, barely daring to breathe, listening for Hecate’s response.
“Fine, Hades. Let it be that way. I’ll leave. But it would be wise to tell your little pet,” she spat, “that the longer she hides here, the more harm she will cause. And,” she said, raising her voice to carry to where I stood, “if she attempts to meddle in the chaos of the world again, those she loves will very shortly be joining the ranks of your subjects across the river. Like the little boy your wife took such a liking to.”
Her words hung in the air unanswered, and I recognized the foul smell of sulfur burning, the scent I had learned to associate with the Queen of Witches. Was she gone? I hesitated a moment, then stepped into the throne room, my fists clenched. The goddess was nowhere in sight.
Hades looked at me, unsurprised. “You have your answer about the boy.”
I nodded. “That’s what I was afraid of.” I was sad to know that he had died, but I wasn’t really surprised. I only hoped she hadn’t done anything to my family yet.
Hades rose from the throne and crossed to me. “And you heard most of that conversation?”
I nodded again.
“What are you planning to do, little Witch?”
It was an easy choice. I looked him in the eye, unflinching. “I have to go back. I have to protect my family.”
He frowned slightly. “That might not be possible.”
Squaring my shoulders, I said, “I know.” I had a good idea of what I was up against with Hecate, but I wouldn’t hide in the Underworld, letting her do whatever she wanted on earth. I had to try to balance chaos, and I needed to keep my family safe. They would always be in danger now because of me, but at least if I were home, I could do something to protect them. Here, I was powerless.
Hades put his hand on my shoulder. “I offered you sanctuary, and that offer still stands, for as long as you desire it.”
“But you can’t protect them from Hecate. And you can’t work Red magic. I’m the only one who can do that.”
Hades raised his hand warningly. “No. Never think so much of yourself that you believe that you alone possess any powers. Remember that there is balance, even within Red magic.”
I sighed. “You’re right. There are three of us. But right now, I’m the only one I know who can do anything to stop Hecate.”
“It might be wise of you to seek the others like you and win their support.”
I nodded. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to find the other Reds, but there wasn’t time for that right now. Hecate had threatened my parents. “First, I have to go home.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
The house was still standing, but the flowers along the front walk were dead and the yard looked like it hadn’t been mowed in weeks. I used my key and entered through the kitchen, bracing myself to face my parents. I had a lot of explaining to do.
“Mom? Dad?” I called. “I’m home. I need to talk to you.”
The house answered me with stillness. I moved through the kitchen into the living room, turning on the lights as I went.
Heading up the stairs, I felt my stomach spinning around in circles. The house felt empty; was I too late? Had Hecate already made good on her threat?
“Mom? Are you in here?” I opened the door to my parents’ bedroom. The bed was made and a basket of neatly folded laundry sat on it, but there was no sign of my parents. I entered the room and looked under the bed.
“Xerxes, buddy, where are you hiding?” No green eyes glowed up at me, and no sound greeted my voice. Everything was eerily still.
Truly frightened now, I opened the door to my bedroom. The desk lamp was already on, illuminating my large volume of Shakespeare open on the desk. I crossed to it, looking down. The book was opened to the last scene of King Lear, when Lear discovers that his daughter has been killed trying to save him. There was a red sticky note in the middle of the page.
Swallowing hard, I picked it up. “You or them,” it read, “your choice. Meet me at Trin.”
I recognized Rochelle’s handwriting from the countless notes we’d passed in class. I should have expected her to do something like this, but I’d been so focused on Hecate that I’d almost forgotten about Rochelle’s betrayal. But Hecate couldn’t act alone, I reminded myself, and Rochelle was more than willing to be her pawn. I crumpled up the note and sat on the edge of my bed, trying to think.
Rochelle had my parents, and I knew now that she wouldn’t hesitate to harm them. But what tricks did I still have up my sleeve? I pulled the athame and the mirror from the bag at my waist and laid them out beside me. Then I removed the polished crystal sphere that Hades had given me when I left the Underworld.
“Use this to see clearly,” he had told me when he handed me the crystal. He had hesitated a moment, then leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. When he pulled back, there were tears in his eyes.
“And if you see Persephone, please tell her that I dealt fairly with you. Ask her—ask her when she will be coming home.”
Rolling the sphere over in my palm now, I felt a pang of regret. I had hoped that Persephone might still be here, and I had planned to tell her how much her husband had helped me. But I was alone. I couldn’t talk to the goddess or rely on her for help, I realized. I had to deal with this myself.
I held the crystal ball cupped in my hands and I looked deep into it. For a moment, all I saw were the whorls in the stone itself, but eventually, an image began to appear. Justin’s face became clearer, and I almost dropped the ball in shock. How could Justin help me now? Annoyed, I shook the crystal, and the image faded away to nothingness. I kept looking into the stone, but no other image appeared.
I thought for a moment. Even if he hated me, I decided, it would be nice to tell someone where I was going. I didn’t know if I’d survive another confrontation with Rochelle, but I had to rescue my parents, even if it was the last thing I did. I turned on my cell phone and sent a quick text to Justin before I left the house: “SO sorry. Rochelle has Mom & Dad. Going to Trinity. <3.”
The school was dark and deserted when I approached. Dusk was falling, and I knew that soon it would be even darker. Moving silently, I opened the large iron gate with a quick spell and slipped inside. It had always surprised me that a magical school wasn’t better defended, but then again, I guess none of the teachers ever expected any trouble they couldn’t handle. They only taught us enough magic to get by, never enough to be any kind of threat. I laughed silently to myself. They sure screwed up with me and Rochelle!
In the vestibule, I hesitated. The school was a labyrinth of classrooms, hallways, and staircases. It had always seemed corny to me, when I was a student there, to be studying Witchcraft in something that could have been a Gothic mansion. Now, I realized there were countless places that Rochelle could have hidden my parents. Drawing the crystal out of my pocket, I drew it close to my face.
It was hard to see, but after a moment, I recognized the gruesome image of a gargoyle. Trinity’s roof was covered with the creepy things, adding to its odd appearance and to its façade as a religious school. I knew my way to the roof; it was a favorite spot for all the students when they wanted to practice big, flashy spells. I headed for the janitor’s staircase at the back of the building, trying to come up with a plan. I knew Rochelle wanted me dead, and I hoped that if I offered to fight her, my parents could get away. That is, if she hadn’t already done anything to them. I crept up the stairs, waiting for Rochelle to attack me from above.