Chapter Twenty-Four
The king woke with a start, which was not surprising considering his curtains were on fire and smoke was filling the room.
“Wha … what’s happening?” he murmured, rolling on to his side. “Alastor? You’re back! Does that mean you’ve found a— Good heavens! Fire! There’s a fire!”
Crouching beside the bed, I found myself unable to match his level, or any, agitation. “Yes, there is. It will be easily contained by the efficiency of your guards, as long as you get out of the castle quickly.”
“D–did you start it?” Clutching his blankets to his chest, King Liam scooted up against his headboard and eyed my measured reaction with suspicion.
“Of course not!” Sterling scoffed, from the security of his position by the door. A beat, and his brow pinched. “Wait … did you?”
“You know I didn’t. I was with you,” I clarified. Flames crawling farther up the wall, I pushed off the floor to perch on the edge of the king’s royal mattress. “A candle from your candelabra tipped over, catching the bottom hem of the curtain fabric. While the entire ordeal was completely accidental, there are those that would use this opportunity for self-gain if we allow them the chance. We are not going to do that.”
“We have to go!” Eyes widening enough to reflect the red and orange tendrils stretching skyward, Liam looked as though he wanted to bolt for the exit, yet unease prevented him from making a move to push past me.
“And we will, as soon as you understand exactly what you have to do. For the safety of your daughter, and your kingdom, you need to follow my instructions to the letter. Do you understand me?” The temperature of the room had increased by no less than thirty degrees, yet not a drop of sweat bloomed anywhere on my person. If I didn’t know better, I would think it was my reflection that came out of the mirror, and not the man of flesh and bone. But that was the rub, wasn’t it? I did know better. Down to specific detail.
“Yes!” the king yelped, scooting farther from the growing blaze. “Please, just hurry!”
“Happily.” Hands folded in my lap, I tilted my head to the task. “As soon as I am done speaking, you’re going to leave this room and run to your daughter. Alert no one. Collect the child quickly and quietly, then leave the castle at once. When you reach the gate, have the guards stationed there sound the call.”
“My wife?” Liam coughed, struggling to breathe around the billowing smoke.
“Time being of the essence, that woman that insisted on sleeping in the tower is not your wife. You’ve known that since you watched her shun your child, and fail to lean into your touch as she always did when you ran your finger across her shoulder blade. The imposter is responsible for the death of the real Evelyn. You’ll find her in a shallow grave at coordinates nineteen-point eight north, by one fifty-five-point eight west.” Rising to my feet, I took a step back to allow him a clear path to the door. “Now, go.”
King Liam needed no second invitation. Scrambling off the bed, he covered his nose and mouth with the crook of his elbow and ran for the door.
“Oh, there is one more thing,” I called after him. Sterling stepped in front of the door to block the exit. “For the sake of your daughter, don’t marry again.”
Tears welling in his eyes, the king’s face crumbled as he spoke the plea of his breaking heart. “A girl needs a mother.”
“We’re done with the logic portion of this conversation, then?” I asked, feigning interest. “Very well. Off you go.” A nod to Sterling, and he allowed the hacking royal by.
Sauntering to the door, I watched the king disappear into his daughter’s room. He emerged moments later with Snow bundled in his arms. Without a glance in our direction, his whispered steps faded down the hall.
Hungry flames claiming the room behind us, Sterling and I trailed after him in silence. Our footsteps on the marble stairs echoed off the walls of the grand foyer, thudding all around like a pulse.
At the base of the stairs, Sterling stopped and placed a finger to his lips. “Shh … listen.”
A shout in the distance.
A trumpet’s blast.
And … the castle came to life.
Screams, shouts, pounding footfalls. Most running for the doors, a few brave souls hanging behind to battle the flames.
“Shall we go search for the pseudo queen?” Calmer than I had ever seen him, Sterling hugged the mirror to his chest.
“No need,” I murmured, shifting my attention in the direction of the tallest tower. “She’s coming to us.”
Holding a crimson robe embellished with gold silk roses closed over her flowing nightgown, the faux Evelyn sprinted down the hall. I had to give her credit, she played the part of the frantic wife and mother well. Down to shrieking for those she supposedly cared for, as her bare feet padded down the stairs. “Liam? Snow? Oh, Alastor! Thank Olympus! What’s happening? Where’s my family?”
Blinking in her direction, I offered no answer at first. So lost was I in searching her face for signs of the truth as I now knew it. “Where, indeed,” I managed.
“We give Amphrite the mirror, then we are free,” Sterling uttered the confirmation to himself, then jabbed the ornate artifact in her direction.
Rocking back on my heels, my mouth parted with a pop. “Except … that’s not Amphrite.”
Flawless brow puckering, faux Evelyn shook her head. “What are you talking about? You know me. You know who I am, now I demand you tell me where my child is, at once!”
Pounding footsteps overhead, and more water was rushed to king’s quarters to tame the blaze.
Pausing to give them a moment to subside, I paced a slow circle around the pseudo queen. “They pray to you quite often here, and you’re never shy to gift them your blessing. But, when the High Priestess beseeched you to call forth the oracle and the Trickster you were intrigued. You simply couldn’t resist the urge to take a peek and see what your subjects were up to. And what did you find? Your husband manipulating humans in attempt to seek vengeance for his past love. How that must have stung.” Halting in front of her, I showed the due respect by dipping into a deep bow. “Goddess Persephone, Queen of the Underworld.”
Her lips parted, as if to argue. Thinking better of it, she rolled her fingers in front of her face. A twinkling spray of light and the so-called garden nymph that aided us in the courtyard stood before us in all her innocent enchantment.
Jerking back, Sterling nearly lost hold of the mirror and scrambled for a better hold. “Give the mirror to Amphrite, then we are free,” he reiterated in growing confusion.
Pursing her full, cherry lips, she cast a mock pout in Sterling’s direction. “Poor child. As if your reality isn’t skewed enough.”
“I … called to you,” Sterling stammered, struggling to catch up.
“Many do.” Batting her lashes, Persephone clasped her hands over her heart.
Legs threatening to fail him, Sterling stumbled back a step. “You said things that spoke to the hearts of many.”
“Oh, that,” she giggled with a dramatic roll of her moss green eyes. “I have, like, three or four go-to things I say to all mortals. I’ve found no matter what their lot in life is, they find something in it that resonates with them. Let’s see, there’s; if you act in darkness, you’re no better than those that hurt you, this won’t bring him or her back, he had no one before you, and … my favorite … it’s time to start believing in yourself. I considered those, along with my sheer presence, to be my little way of helping those in need.”
“Is that what you call what you did for Queen Evelyn?” I pressed, leveling her with a glare. “Helping her?”
“Alastor, don’t let this world darken your fair heart.” Her pert face folded in mock sorrow. “She was suffering. I ended her pain and gave her to the earth. Beautiful flowers will bloom in her memory. That’s what I do, I’m the goddess of renewed life through boundless flora.”
“Then, you commandeered her identity to manipulate your husband, and
us,” I added, growing bored with her incessant string of lies.
Darkness sharpened the goddess’ features with a deadly edge, slashing away her virtuous façade. “He detected a malevolent female energy here and assumed it to be Amphrite? Prophet, please. I was forming the River Styx while she was still growing into her sea shell bra.”
“Do you claim to love him? Is that the motivation driving this little snit?” I watched the cut of my words lash against her with a triumphant rush. Her skin rippled with a thick tree-trunk hide. Barbs of thorns rose from her shoulders before she could shake off their effects.
“Love is a vicious master to those weak of heart. I seek honor, and that is where my darling husband has failed miserably.” Tossing her cascade of flaxen hair over her shoulder, she fought her way back to her beguiling disguise. “Olympus is accustomed to its fair share of scandals. Seems not a day goes by that Zeus isn’t bestowing his … ahem, godliness on someone, or something. Even so, none among us were prepared for the backlash of Hades bedding Poseidon’s queen. Zeus viewed he and his brothers as a holy trinity, and was furious to have their bond threatened in any way. Hades asking to be reassigned gave ole Lightning for Brains a chance to remind him of who held the power amongst them. Moving him to the Underworld should have been enough. A lesson learned in the deepest pits of hell. But no. I was gifted to him. Torn from the world above where I planted seeds, blessed farms, and awoke the sleeping plants in spring, I was forced to the Underworld as Hades’ bride. Still, I wasn’t her—his dearly departed Titonis—therefore he wouldn’t even look at me. Shunned by my husband, I was alone, and stranded in a writhing pit of anguished souls. Arranged marriage or not, for that, I will never forgive him.”
Sterling held the mirror out in front of him, seeking answers from his own bewildered reflection. “Give the mirror to Amphrite …”
Filling her lungs, Persephone jabbed her index finger in Sterling’s direction. “Fix your boy before I do.”
“With pleasure.” I threw my arms out wide in a grand gesture. “Shall I go back a tad farther to give him a bit of backstory?”
Eyes narrowing with challenge, the goddess dragged the tip of her tongue over her top teeth. “By all means, astound me.” Before I could begin, she turned on the ball of her foot and strode to the stairs with her head held high. With great flourish she arranged herself cross-legged on them, as if they were a bejeweled throne.
Easing the mirror from Sterling’s white-knuckled grip, I lowered it gently to the floor. “Magic demands a counterbalance,” I began, “as it did with you and I. Do you remember what I told you about Vanessa? How she evoked a spell that banished Amphrite from the sea and her newborn child?”
Sterling’s head bobbed in an uneasy confirmation.
“The necessary balance to that incantation is what landed Amphrite right where she could be the most detrimental to Vanessa’s future. In this case, that was the garden of Persephone.” Hearing the goddess gasp at my revelation, I refused to let up. Let her choke on the truth. “The moment she learned who Amphrite was, the goddess welcomed her into the folds of her protection. Not out of kindness, but that she may use her to get back at Hades. Even now, as she sits there watching us, she has Poseidon’s widow tucked away somewhere for safe keeping.”
“Amphrite was never here? Am I?” I could see Sterling slipping, his hold on reality crumbling to sand in his grasp.
My only chance to reel him back was to talk fast and get to the point. “You are, my friend. And you’re clever enough to see that demi-gods aren’t clairvoyant. There’s much they don’t know. Hades has no clue his wife is in this realm. And Persephone? She fails to grasp the depths of her husband’s rage when it comes to that particular ex-mermaid. You see, he believes Amphrite is here in this room right now, and can’t bring himself to stay away despite his diligent planning.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Persephone bristle and fought to suppress a victorious grin.
Finding himself able to follow along, Sterling perked. “Meaning?”
“Any minute now we are going to find ourselves caught between warring gods.”
Scarred jaws sinking into a frown, Sterling sagged. “That seems like something you could have mentioned before we made this trip.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Persephone leapt to her feet, looking more goddess of war than vegetation. “Hades is coming here? Now?”
“Mhm.” I confirmed with a nonchalant nod.
Bringing her hands together as if in prayer, Persephone pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips. Her gaze worked side to side; feverishly scheming and plotting. “This is good. Splendid, in fact. We can have it out right here, in a long overdue summit of violent diplomacy.”
“That’s one way to play it.” Letting one shoulder rise and fall, I sauntered to the stairs and sagged against the rail. “Or, you could keep the upper hand you’ve been so clever to earn.”
“How so?” she pressed, eyes narrowing to slits.
“He believes Amphrite wants the mirror—”
“Give the mirror to Amphrite,” Sterling interrupted, unfortunately still stuck on his loop.
Casting my stare to the slate floor, I let him finish before pushing on. “Even if she were, she would have no need for it. There is a far more powerful tool here.”
Bristling with the suspicion I was toying with her, Persephone dropped her hands to her sides and rolled her shoulders into a haughty posture. “And what, pray tell, would that be? You? Is this some pathetic plea for your life? Because, I think I can save you some time; I only want the mirror. Hades deems it important, and I want to know why. You two, on the other hand, hold no such value or appeal to me. Therefore, I fully intend to recycle you into fertilizer for my daylilies. They’ve been looking a bit drab as of late.”
“I make no such plea for mercy, Your Highness. I know the humble part I play, all too well. I actually was speaking of my friend, here.” Glancing up from under my brow, I watched Sterling blanch under the scrutiny of the spotlight forced upon him. “The mirror gives answers, nothing more. Hades and the king were both so fixated on that, they ignored a far more valuable treasure. Imagine being able to travel anywhere, in any realm, with the power of a passing thought. A fortune telling parlor trick pales in comparison to such a pearl, does it not? Unbind Sterling’s full potential, and he could be the chariot to your heart’s desire. Just think of all the devilish ways you could concoct to torment Hades armed with such a weapon.”
Hands on her hips, Persephone glared down the bridge of her nose in Sterling’s direction. “Is this true? Do you have such a talent?”
Mouth opening and closing in search of his place in this farce, Sterling could manage only a nod.
Persephone wet her lips, circling him in a predatory swagger. “Why would you tell me such a thing? What’s in it for you?”
“Alastor, what’s happening?” Chest rising and falling, Sterling twitched with fear.
“What’s in it for me? Freedom from a life I simply don’t fit in.” Raising my hand before me, I pantomimed picking at my cuticles. It was a pointless act I used only to spare myself the guilt of seeing the pain and confusion etched into Sterling’s features. “He and I are bonded, you see. Sever that tie, and his abilities will be limitless.”
“Y–you said it couldn’t be d–done,” Sterling stammered, voice breaking as the dull blade of betrayal ground deep. “That we were in this together.”
“What can I say? You really should have considered all the pieces,” my pointed gaze lobbed from his face, to the shard of glass stowed away in his coin purse, and back again, “before believing such a thing.”
“So, that’s what this is about?” Persephone groaned her exasperated annoyance. “Some mortal desire to return home? You are all so tediously predictable.”
“Something like that,” I admitted with a sad smile.
Throwing her hands up in growing disinterest, the goddess played along. “Tell me of this bond
then, and how I sever it?”
“First, I need your word no harm will come to him, or any that I love. Including Hades’ own daughter, Princess Vanessa. I wager Amphrite will contest greatly to that. Oh, and one final stipulation. The mirror gets left behind, all except that missing shard, of course.” Stare locked with Sterling’s, I watched the cloak of realization set in. His fingers wandered into the folds of his drawstring purse. “That will be a brilliant way to throw Hades off your trail.”
“Controlling Amphrite will not be an issue. Chain someone to a wall far enough away, and they become quite the un-encumbering houseguest.” Drumming her fingers together, she chewed on the offer. “I do like the idea of having more time to cook up something perfectly devious for my sorry excuse for a husband. Very well, I will agree to your terms, only if your friend can help me secure a lasting and final vengeance against Hades. I’m talking something diabolically twisted.”
“He’s been tortured, imprisoned, and enslaved. Not that he likes to speak of such unpleasantries. I’m sure he can help you come up with just the thing. Can’t you, Sterling?” My pleading stare beseeched him, begging for him to understand that I was fighting to protect him in the only way I knew how. In order for him to be spared, I had to paint him as the most vital element in this portrait of revenge. Elsewise, his ravings would have him killed before nightfall. The mirror showed me the brutal nature of his death. I had no intention of allowing him to become victim to such depraved cruelty.
Perplexed, yet compliant, he dutifully nodded.
Another piece arranged. Still, it wasn’t enough. The knowledge within the looking glass still had to be protected. That job fell to me alone.
“Then, we have an accord?” Eyebrows raised in question, Persephone offered me her hand.
Fingers closing around hers, I lowered my head in a bow of respect. “That we do, my Queen.”
“Fantastic.” Snatching her hand away as if worried I would contaminate her with humanity, her nose crinkled with a distaste she no longer attempted to hide. “Let us then discuss this tie that must be broken.”
The Unfortunate Souls Collection Page 39
