by Bella Klaus
A weight lifted off my chest, and I helped myself to a piece of shortbread. The crumbly cookie melted in my mouth as I chewed, letting its sweet, buttery taste slide down my throat. I washed it down with a swig of the thickest, most decadent hot chocolate. After drinking so much concentrated aloe-panacea, I no longer associated the taste of chocolate with hangovers or being sick.
“Your Majesty.” The Master of Crystals reached into her linen bag and extracted a crystal the size of a clementine. “This one will contain three decades of memories. I think it will be perfect for your requirements.”
I bit down on my bottom lip. Maybe I could work a way to save us all without falling into Mother’s trap.
My tongue darted out to lick my dry lips. “I’m about to undergo a procedure with someone who intends to wipe my memories and keep me her prisoner. As soon as I walk in with something like that, she’ll destroy it.”
Mrs. Bonham-Sackille pursed her lips. “I won’t question why you would associate with such an unscrupulous individual, but can’t you keep the crystal with a trusted person for safe-keeping? They could slip it into your hands at an opportune moment.”
“She wouldn’t allow me out of her sight.”
I lowered my gaze to the cup of hot chocolate and dipped a piece of shortbread into its depths. That was the trouble with Mother. She had been getting away with keeping me apart from Hades for centuries, if not longer. Now that I’d succeeded in breaking from her control, she would double-down and ensure I never got the chance of freedom.
“Oh dear,” said the crystal seller.
“Exactly.” As I brought the shortbread to my lips, something glinted from the corner of my eye.
I pulled back my hand and stared at the gruesome wedding ring Hades had magicked onto my finger. “When did that return?”
“Your Majesty?” Mrs. Bonham-Sackille tilted her head to the side.
The ring was made up of dozens of diamonds and jets that formed the face of a skeleton. I held it out to the Master of Crystals. “Do you have a memory stone the size of one of these?”
She rubbed the back of her neck and frowned. “Of course, but something as small as that can only contain a single memory.”
“How long?”
“I beg your pardon?” she asked without taking her gaze off the ring.
“Ten minutes, an hour, a few days?”
The older woman took another sip of tea. “If the memory is continuous, then I suppose it could hold about two weeks.”
I sucked in a sharp breath and worked the ring off my finger. “That’s perfect. Can you magic one of the stones onto this?”
“Personally, I cannot, but I can guide you through the memory transfer process and hand your ring plus the stone to a magical jeweler for resetting.”
“How long will that take?” I asked.
“A few days,” she said.
“Can I pay extra for an hour?”
Mrs. Bonham-Sackille stared at me, her eyes wide. “Would you inform me if the Supernatural World is in danger again? Only the last time a person escaped from Hell—”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” I said. “My mother doesn’t approve of my husband, and she’s trying to keep us apart.”
She exhaled a long breath of relief. “Thank goodness for that. I thought we had another Kresnik on our hands.”
Captain Caria had mentioned that name. It referred to the Greek god who had burned Hades’ body into ash and baked a fifth of his remains into clay so that he’d always have a part of him missing. Kresnik was the reason why Hades was so young and handsome compared to the older man I’d seen in that erotic dream of him and Persephone rutting against the wall.
I met the older woman’s eyes. Was there any point in telling her about Samael’s plan to take over Hell? I had enough power to protect the Fifth and would obtain even more with Persephone’s body. Once I’d healed Hades, we could team up with our allies and neutralize the threat of Samael.
“It’s just a domestic issue,” I said.
After we finished our drinks, Mrs. Bonham-Sackille pressed a tiny crystal into my hand and guided me through a short meditation where I had to think about the memory I wanted to place into the stone.
It was easy. I started with the night of masquerade ball, when I paced the greenhouse, waiting for Dami to come and pick me up from the ball. Throughout that memory, I had been nervous about Mother uncovering my plans and fretting that Dami wouldn’t arrive in time.
I continued through the memory, making sure to include Wulfie, the Überwald Achtung driver, the guards at the doors of Kensington Palace who had refused to let us in, and Hades. Back then, I had mistaken him for a light mage because he’d turned up at the front door and tried to reason with Mother.
Hopefully, my recollection of the first time we had met would also enter the stone, but I continued onward, making sure not to miss any aspect of the ball.
“You’re doing extremely well, Your Majesty,” Mrs. Bonham-Sackille murmured. “Focus on making the memories more vivid by including a sense of taste and smell. Also add any strong emotions.”
With a deep breath, I continued the memories, adding how nervous and lust-struck I had felt when meeting Hades, the scent of brimstone on his cologne, and how I had hated myself for being so tongue-tied. I added the astringent taste of champagne, my terror when the twins had turned out to be psychotic demons, and every detail of my next encounter with Hades.
Throughout the process, I fed every emotion into the little stone, and the memories slid out from me like water. Bitter betrayal burned the back of my throat whenever I uncovered another of Mother’s lies and manipulations. I poured a continuous stream of events that ended with meeting the Master of Crystals.
“Wonderful,” the older woman said.
I opened my eyes and stared down at the black crystal. “That’s it?”
She inclined her head. “They’re extremely powerful. Now, I’ll give this to the jeweler and demand that he drop everything to affix the stone on your ring.”
“What if my mother tries to throw it away?” I asked.
“A magical item as powerful as this will return to you eventually,” she said with a smile. “You can also leave a backup crystal somewhere safe.”
“Thanks.” I handed her the tiny crystal, which she placed in a plastic baggie with the Hell ring. “How do I get the memories out?”
“As soon as you come into contact with the stone again, it will trigger a thought that you’ve forgotten something.” She rose from her seat. “Then your natural tendency to question yourself will reach the crystal, and the memory will return.”
I bit down on my bottom lip. “What about the rest of my life?”
Mrs. Bonham Sackville placed the larger stone on the table. “Now that you know the process, you can pour as many memories into this crystal as you like. If you escape the person holding you captive and return to this office, I’m sure your secretary will remind you of this stone.”
“Thank you.”
She inclined her head and strode to the door. “I shall send an invoice by the close of business today. Expect another from my colleague at the jewelers.”
As she left the room in a sweep of linen, Namara stepped inside with her hands clasped together.
“I have a message from Dr. Attalus.”
My head snapped up, and my mind flooded with memories of finding two unconscious Hellcats. “How is Dami?”
“Stable.” She walked across the room, her heels clicking with every step. “He wants to keep Damisa and Macavity unconscious for a little longer so their bodies can work through all the effects of the poisonous plants.”
“That’s fine.” I ground my teeth. “Mother has ruined every aspect of my life.”
“There’s something else I need to add.” The secretary wrung her hands.
“What’s wrong?” I gestured at the armchair.
“Do you remember the angel I was going to seduce for His Majesty?” She lowered her
self onto the seat.
My brows pulled together in a frown as I pictured the uptight blond angel who had stepped out of the brass elevator to chastise us in Hell. “You’re talking about Azriel?”
Namara nodded. “He’s actually really nice, and I feel bad about blackmailing him.” She dipped her head and gazed at me through her lowered lashes. “Az is a bit nervous about how well things are progressing, but I think we might have a chance at a real relationship.”
“Oh.” My shoulders fell. “You’ve been seeing each other a lot?”
Her features brightened with a smile. “He’s really keen, and he comes down from Heaven every night after work to come and see me.”
“Well, I doubt that Hades would want to step in the way of your happiness.”
She smoothed her hands down the skirt of her dress. “I hope so, but it’s hard to tell with His Majesty sometimes.”
“Right now, he’s busy with problems of his own, but if I ever survive this body swap with my memory intact, I’ll have a word with him.”
“Thank you.” She rose from the armchair and sashayed toward the exit.
For the next several minutes, I focused on the larger memory stone, making sure to include everything I could recall from my life… Just in case Mother decided to wipe my mind in the process of moving my soul into Persephone’s body.
After an hour and a half, Namara returned with the Hell ring, saying it had arrived on special delivery. I slipped it on and stared at its skull, noting that the jeweler had added an extra stone to its crown instead of replacing one of the jets with the memory crystal.
I followed the secretary back into her office and placed the stone into her hand. “This contains all my memories up until about half an hour ago. Could you keep it safe and let Hades know you have it?” I asked.
“Sure.” She gave me a sunny smile. “Anything else?”
I nodded. “Could you place a call through to the Third Faction of Hell, please?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” She walked around the desk and typed out some commands on her computer. After a short ring, she said, “I have Queen Hades on the line for Queen Demeter.”
“I’ll put you through,” said a voice from the other side of the screen.
Namara turned the monitor around.
Mother sat within an office at a red leather throne, her blonde hair arranged around her head like a halo. She wore a white high-necked gown that looked far too angelic for the supposed ruler of the Third Faction.
“Kora, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” She clipped each syllable as though holding back the extent of her rage. “Have you considered my offer?”
Fury surged from the pit of my belly, brittle and boiling and bitter. My nostrils flared, and I held back the insult that rolled to my lips. Hades needed Persephone’s magic to break his curse, and I needed Persephone’s body to survive.
Her brows rose in question.
“I thought about it,” I said.
Heavy footsteps sounded from behind. I whirled around to find a pair of seven-foot-tall demons emerging from the enchanted mirror and thudding toward me with their arms outstretched.
“Seize her,” Mother snapped. “And don’t let her escape!”
Chapter Four
Out of instinct, I struggled within the demons’ grip as they jostled me toward the mirror. Sparks flew from my hands, but the bastards had come prepared.
I locked gazes with Namara, whose glamor melted away to reveal a furious demoness, her red-skinned features incandescent with rage. She vaulted out from behind her desk in full armor, holding a glowing trident. The monitor fell to the floor with a crash and an explosion of sparks.
“Release my queen.” She bared a mouthful of serrated fangs. “Let go of her now, or I will use the power of the Fifth to reduce you to bones.”
My breath caught, and a boulder of terror dropped into my stomach and rolled around my feet. Namara wasn’t messing about. “Hold on,” I said, my voice trembling. “This is what I wanted.”
Her eyes narrowed and her serpentine tail thrashed from side to side. “They’re attacking you.”
I elbowed the demon clutching me to his chest, who released me with a grunt. Then I turned to him and asked, “You’ve been sent by Queen Demeter?”
“Yes,” he said.
“All right. Did she tell you I was her daughter?”
The demon glanced at his comrade, who shrugged. “Her Majesty told us to bring that little whore and have you kneeling at her feet.”
My jaw clenched. Since when was having sex with one’s husband worthy of an insult? Mother was completely demented. I smoothed down my dress and sniffed. “I am Queen Hades of the Fifth Faction of Hell.”
The green-scaled demon snorted.
I whirled around and materialized Hades’ bident. “Do you want to test that theory?”
His yellow eyes bulged, his slitted pupils turning round. “No, Your Majesty,” he said with a little more respect. “We didn’t realize we’d be escorting royalty.”
Pulling back my shoulders, I gave him a firm nod. “If you apologize nicely, I’ll consider not reducing you to particles.”
Both demons dropped to their knees and clasped their raised hands. “Please accept the sincere apologies of this worthless wanker.”
I inclined my head and turned to the demon with blue skin. “And you?”
“Sorry.” He raised his shoulders to his ears, his horns drooping. “If we had known you were such a big-wig, we would have pulled out the red carpet.”
“Was that sarcasm?” I narrowed my eyes.
The green demon punched his comrade in the head. “You’ll have to forgive Tothguar,” he said. “He’s had a death wish since losing both testicles to an angry succubus.”
“Is that true?” I raised both brows.
Tothguar shot his comrade a filthy glower. “It was just the right one, Your Majesty, and I’m fully functional, if you know what I mean.”
Wrinkling my nose, I turned to Namara, who was now wielding a handful of throwing stars along with her trident. “See?” I asked to her, “The situation is under control.”
She hurled the stars across the room, embedding them in the white plaster wall. I tried not to flinch. “Fine, but if these two dickheads so much as look at you the wrong way, they’ll be missing more than their balls.”
“Right then.” I turned back to the kneeling demons, waving my hands for them to get up. “Take me to my mother.”
They lumbered to their feet, with Tothguar muttering under his breath about loud-mouthed confidants who couldn’t keep a secret if it crawled up their assholes.
I pursed my lips, refraining from chastising them about their language. After spending time in Hell with Hades and discovering that demons were people just like everyone else, I no longer concerned myself so much with politeness. Politeness and gentility were the realms of people like Mother, who employed a pristine exterior that concealed her evil.
Tothguar and the green demon gestured for me to step through the mirror. With a deep breath, I strode across the room and paused at the enchanted glass, turning to meet Namara’s amber eyes.
“See you later?” I asked.
She placed a hand on her scaly chest. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “It might take a while, but I’ll find my way back.”
“It was an honor, Your Majesty.”
With a sad smile, I stepped through the mirror and into the mansion’s black-and-white tiled hallway. The two demons shuffled in after me, and I moved aside to give them space.
“Where is she?” I asked.
The green demon flicked his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Basement, Your Majesty.”
“Of course,” I said from between clenched teeth and made my way through the hall.
Stale air filled my nostrils as I stepped into the kitchen. Without Pirithous here to keep everything running, a film of dust had fallen over the black marble worktops. Even the oak cabinets
looked dull and in need of a polish. And one of the lights beneath them flickered, clearly in need of change.
I exhaled a weary breath. Why was I lamenting the state of the house when I was in the biggest danger of my life?
“This way, Your Majesty.” Tothguar gestured toward the door that led to the storeroom.
“Thanks.” I walked through the room of mahogany shelves, my legs trembling with every step.
Mother had removed all the canned and preserved foods, perhaps to avoid eating food from the world of the dead during her reign in Hell. Disgust curled through my insides. She had been that determined to get me back that she’d married the original devil.
My throat spasmed. It wasn’t too late to back out. I could teleport out of here or run. These two wouldn’t stop me if I attacked with a devastating blast of lighting. I dragged my feet across the slate floor tiles, feeling I was trudging to my doom.
As I reached the open doorway that led down the stairs, a voice in the back of my head screamed at me to reconsider. The healer could find me another vessel—
I shook off that revolting thought.
Mother had purchased babies, extracted their souls, and stuffed mine into their bodies. I couldn’t condemn an innocent child to such horrors. I held onto the doorframe and sucked in a deep breath. Besides, we needed Persephone’s power. She was the plant genius. I could only channel the magic Mother had given me to look after what was in the greenhouse.
“Your Majesty?” asked the green demon.
“It’s all right.” I took my first step into the basement. “I won’t give you any trouble.”
We strode down the stagnant stairwell illuminated by a bare lightbulb swinging from the ceiling. At the bottom of the stairs, I opened the door to the underground growing room.
Bright light shone from the dungeon’s open door, where four more statues stood beside the one of Zeus, who now had a fig leaf over his crotch instead of the huge erection. I shuddered. Why on earth was I thinking about my father in those terms? I gulped at the sight of Aunts Juno, Vesta, Minerva, and Diana, their faces twisted in betrayal and shock.
I shook my head and sighed. It looked like she was the one who had turned them to stone. Apparently, Mother’s rulership of the Third Faction meant that she no longer needed her friends.
