Every night Evangeline sat with her mother, reading or singing to her, and telling her about her day. Sometimes she was able to imagine her mother to life for a few moments. But sometimes no matter how hard she tried to imagine her mother into life it didn’t work at all, and those days were the hardest because then she was forced to wonder if she’d really done her mom any favors by trying to heal her. Many times she felt like it was arrogance and her own selfish desires that had driven her that day in the hospital. Evangeline knew she would never be certain of her motives. She’d been raw and shell-shocked and desperate.
Evangeline stepped into her mom’s room. Her mother looked like a sleeping princess lying in bed covered by her favorite quilt. The swelling had disappeared and, uncharacteristically for a long-term coma patient, she had not curled into a fetal position. Instead, she looked rested—her skin was luminous, her lips rosy, and her hair shiny.
“Hi mom,” Evangeline said, taking her hand. She attempted to imagine her mother to life, but when she opened her eyes, her mom was still sleeping. “I’m going to my first prom tonight,” Evangeline said. “You’d love my dress. And my heels are so high I’m afraid I might trip. Dr. S. is one of the chaperones. I’m sure there’ll be members of the cult lurking around, but I’m getting used to them.”
“Evangeline,” Dr. Sullivan called. “Raphe’s waiting.”
“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow,” Evangeline promised. She kissed her mom’s forehead and walked to the door.
“You look beautiful, honey. My beautiful daughter.”
Evangeline whirled around. Her mom was definitely still sleeping, but there was the trace of a smile on her lips. It was something. There was always hope.
Acknowledgments
Conjuring a story is never done alone. This book was created with the help of my readers: Henry Fischer, Emily Whitfield, Abby Dennis, Ashley Anderson, Colleen Jones, Karen Ford, Kristie Mitchell, Kristin O’Neill, Dan Moretti, Sue Bishop, Jack Bishop, Jax Botterill, Ellen Havdala, and Jane & Art Richardson. All of your comments were helpful and your time was greatly appreciated.
There were two professional editors who helped me along the way. Alix Reid, your focus on story was a perfect match for Pandora’s Key. Emma Dryden, editor extraordinaire, you helped me take Pandora’s Key to the next level. I’m so lucky to have you on my team! You rock!!
Many thanks to Amy and Rob Siders at 52 Novels for their hard work on my behalf. And kudos to cover artist Claudia McKinney at Phatpuppy Art for her incredible cover.
Most of all, this book couldn’t have been written without the support of my husband, Henry, who believes in me. H, I love you the whole world round and back again!
About the Author
Nancy Richardson Fischer lives in Oregon with her husband, Henry, and their Vizsla, Boone. When she’s not conjuring a story, she’s kite-boarding, biking, skiing and planning adventures with her family.
Visit: NancyRichardsonFischer.com to learn about other books published by this author, and to read the first chapter in The Key to Tartarus, The Key Trilogy – Book Two.
More by This Author
Feel No Fear: The Power, Passion and Politics of a Life in Gymnastics, with Bela Karolyi
Riding For My Life, with Julie Krone
Monica: From Fear to Victory, with Monica Seles
Winning Every Day, with Shannon Miller
A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno, with Apolo Anton Ohno
Nadia Comaneci: Letters to a Young Gymnast, with Nadia Comaneci
The Golden Globe (Star Wars Junior Jedi Knights)
Lyric’s World (Star Wars Junior Jedi Knights)
Promises (Star wars Junior Jedi Knights)
Coming Soon From
NANCY
RICHARDSON
FISCHER
The Key to
Tartarus
THE KEY TRILOGY • BOOK TWO
Prologue
Before the Greek Gods of Mount Olympus there were the Titans, a race of powerful deities that ruled the cosmos. Cronus, the Titans’ king, was warned by a soothsayer that one of his children would someday overthrow him. So he swallowed each of his first five children right after they were born. Cronus’ wife, distraught at the loss of her babies, devised a plan to save her sixth child. When her son Zeus was born, she wrapped a stone in baby blankets and presented it to her husband. Oblivious to his wife’s trickery, Cronus didn’t check inside the blanket and swallowed the stone instead of his son.
Zeus was hidden from Cronus until he was strong enough to overthrow his father’s rule. Conspiring with his mother, he dressed as a servant and gave his father a poison elixir that caused him to vomit out his five children—including Zeus’ brothers, Poseidon and Hades. The siblings joined together to overthrow Cronus and the Titans in a bloody, ten-year war. Once victorious, Zeus and his brothers imprisoned Cronus and the rest of the Titans in Tartarus—a terrible dungeon deep beneath the underworld from which there was no escape.
Following the war, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divided up rule of the cosmos. Because Zeus had saved his siblings’ lives, he was given first choice and chose to be named King of the Greek Gods. Armed with powerful lightning bolts he ruled over the sky from Mount Olympus. Poseidon was given rule of the sea armed with a magical trident he could use to create calm waters or strike when angered to cause earthquakes and massive tidal waves. Hades was left to oversee the Underworld, rich with gold, silver and precious stones but also a dark realm of despair created to house the souls of the dead.
None of the brothers ever imagined that mankind might evolve and no longer believe or pray to the Greek Gods, instead trusting in their own abilities to control the universe. And most certainly they could never have imagined that when men discarded their beliefs it would cause some Gods’ powers to wane and eventually all but fade from the universe.
But a forgotten God is a vengeful God; such a God will commit heinous crimes to regain their power and display their wrath.
PART ONE
Chapter One
…. Evangeline blushed and stared down at the book. “Okay, what are we reading about today?”
“Tartarus,” Edwall said with a grin.
“Who’s Tartarus?” Raphe asked, perching on the windowsill, his skateboard at his feet.
“Not who. What. And you’ll see soon enough.” Edwall clapped his hands like an excited child. “Start reading, Evangeline. Pretty please.”
Evangeline began to read: “Below the underworld is an infernal dungeon called Tartarus.”
“I wouldn’t even think of going there,” Edwall cautioned Evangeline, his light-gray eyes twinkling beneath overgrown silver brows.
“Why not? It sounds like the perfect place for a vacation.”
“Because Tartarus is despair,” the old man replied with a grimace. “It’s an abyss to house the souls of the damned and the dead. Tartarus is hell times infinity and there’s no escape… Melia is there, you know.”
The skin on the back of Evangeline’s neck prickled. How did Edwall know Melia’s name? And why would he think her best friend was in some mythical dungeon? “Um, how could you—I don’t think—”
“She’s suffering every moment of every day for eternity for the sin of betraying the descendant of Pandora.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Evangeline blurted out. Why am I even getting upset? I don’t believe in Tartarus or anything else in the old guy’s book. But how does he know Melia’s name?
“Malledy is probably there, too,” the old man continued as Raphe hopped off the windowsill and moved toward Evangeline. Edwall licked his chapped lips and blinked several times. His eye color shifted from washed-out gray to a deep slate. He winked at Raphe. “You wanna see your old buddy?”
Copyright © 2012 by Nancy Richardson Fischer
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual ev
ents, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
Edition: April 2012
Pandora's Key Page 18
