Solstice

by P. J. Hoover

  I scratch him behind the ears. “Remember how sad we were when he died?”

  Charlotte shakes her head. “He never died, Piper. He’s here. See?”

  It takes me a few seconds to process her words, and I realize she only remembers good things about life.

  I bend down, and Charlotte wipes my cheeks, and I gather her again into a hug. “Everyone missed you so much. You had the loveliest funeral. It was perfect.” I think of her funeral, the only one I’ve ever been to. I told my mom I’d seen Charlotte there, up by the altar. Like a ghost and an angel blended into one. So small, but shining and looking right at me.

  My mom told me I’d imagined it, and she made me promise never to talk about it again.

  “Your parents missed you, Charlotte. Everyone did. Even my mom.” I’m rambling now, but I want her to know how much I cared. What an impact she had on my life. If not for Charlotte, I may never have had a true friend before Chloe. And seeing Charlotte, I know I can’t let Chloe go, even though I know Chloe would be happy here. I may be the most selfish person in the planet, but she’s the only friend I have.

  But Charlotte shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

  I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Shayne. “Humans can’t escape death. The best they can hope for is to leave their sorrows behind at the River Acheron and come to live here,” he says

  I look around at the world I’ve come into and wonder what Charlotte’s sorrow was. Does someone that young have a true sorrow? “But everyone doesn’t make it here,” I say.

  Shayne shakes his head. “And everyone doesn’t deserve to either.”

  Charlotte’s dancing back and forth on her feet like she can’t contain herself. “Are you coming, Piper?

  I look to Shayne who gives an “I don’t know” shrug.

  “Coming where?” I ask.

  “The sculpture contest,” Charlotte says. “Meet me there.” And then she runs off before I can say another word. I’m struck by how different our reactions are. She’s acting like we were just hanging out yesterday, and I watched her be buried and have lived six years since.

  I turn to Shayne. “Can we go?”

  He nods his head toward a giant dune. “We need to check in first.”

  Chapter 16

  Rhadamanthus

  We walk over the dune toward a house I haven’t noticed until now. In fact, the more I think about it, the more sure I am that it wasn’t here two minutes ago. Maybe in paradise, things can appear out of nowhere.

  “Who lives here?” I ask. As we get closer, the beach clears until it’s just Shayne and me walking side by side. He reaches for my hand and holds it. I pretend my heart isn’t beating like crazy.

  “Rhadamanthus,” he says, like it’s a name everyone should know.

  I guess he sees my blank look.

  “Overlord of the Elysian Fields.” Shayne smiles and gives my hand a squeeze. “And one of my best friends.”

  My stomach fills with jitters when I think of meeting Shayne’s best friend, and I guess Shayne can tell.

  “You’ll love Rhadam,” he says. “Of the company in the Underworld, he’s the best. Though I’ll be honest—the competition isn’t too tough.”

  I grin, and the thought that Shayne wants me to meet his best friend warms me. Like he wants to show me off, when, in fact, it’s me who would want to show him off. Though, aside from Chloe, I have only my mom to show him to. And I can imagine her reaction.

  “What’s so funny?” Shayne asks.

  “I’m not sure funny is the right word,” I say.

  “What?”

  I laugh again at the absurdity. “I was just thinking of how my mom would react if I brought you home to meet her.”

  Shayne’s face goes deadpan. “Your mom would try to skewer me.” But then he gives me a playful smile. “So can I take that as an invitation?”

  I figure the question doesn’t even need an answer. Ahead of me in the sand, I spot something dark, and when we reach it, I bend down to pick up a black oyster shell.

  “So much of the fish life is dying…” my voice carries off, and I look upward. I’m not sure how to phrase it.

  “Above ground?” Shayne finishes for me.

  I nod. “It’s hard to find any shells at the beach.” The beach back in Virginia scarred me. Dead fish littered it, and the birds that fed on them coated the sand like filth. It was one of those images that never goes away. I can still remember when the alarms sounded, signaling that the sea level was rising. Everyone was supposed to evacuate the beaches. And most people did. The bodies of those who didn’t washed up for weeks afterward. But the sea life never had a chance. Contaminants rushed in with the rising water and killed armies of species. My mom and I had walked the beach for hours, and all we saw was death.

  Shayne must be able to read some of the horror on my face. “Your mom took you to the beach when you were younger?”

  I reach down, picking up another shell which curves in on itself until I can’t see anything but a single dot in the center. I try to focus on it instead of the memory of dead fish. “We used to live by a beach. Back in Virginia, when I knew Charlotte.”

  “I never knew that.”

  “Why would you? Are you omniscient?” The thought of Shayne knowing everything sends a rush of adrenaline into my chest.

  “If only.” He shakes his head, and for a moment, he looks so vulnerable. So normal. “Omniscience is not within the power of the gods.”

  I laugh. “That’s a good thing, I think. Anyway, my mom never wanted anyone to know who we were or where we lived.”

  “So why’d you move?” He’s casual, reaching down, grabbing a handful of sand, letting it fall through his fingers. Each grain sparkles in the sun, and it’s so white, when it hits the ground, it reminds me of powdered sugar. But he wants the answer. I hear it in his voice.

  “It was right after Charlotte died.” My heart starts pounding when I begin to tell him, catching me totally off guard.

  “What happened?” He’s looking at me now, coaxing the words out with his eyes.

  “Nothing.” I throw up my arms. “I don’t know. I mean one minute we’re there going to her funeral. And the next thing I know, my mom’s telling me to pack my bags. That my father had shown up at the funeral. That he was coming to take me away. And we’re leaving that night.”

  Shayne takes the hand not holding the black oyster shell. “Did you see him?”

  I shake my head, and though my heart is still pounding, it feels good to get it out. “My father? No. I was only eleven. I don’t even know what he looks like. But I’ve heard it my entire life. That if my dad found me, he’d take me away and never let me see my mom again. That he was a dangerous terrorist and was wanted by the government. She told me we needed to be more careful. It was always the same old story.”

  “So you never met your dad?”

  “No. My parents got divorced when I was a baby. Or maybe they weren’t even married. Sometimes I wonder if I can believe my mom.” I flip the oyster shell over with my other hand, studying the pearly gray of the inside. It’s reflecting a thousand different colors, and I wish I could keep it forever. Keep part of the Underworld forever.

  Shayne smiles and reaches up to my cheek. “Sometimes you shouldn’t believe her.”

  I know he’s right. But still, it’s not like I want to hear him say it. She’s my mom. My problem.

  He starts walking, still holding my hand. “What do you think of the house?” he asks.

  I look up to where he’s pointing and try to make sense of what I see there. “Is it really a house?”

  I guess in the most technical sense of the word, it is a structure. There are four walls, a roof, and probably a hundred windows, but none of them touches. Each piece floats in the air of its own accord.

  “Rhadam is a bit unusual.”

  This turns out to be a huge understatement. Rhadamanthus looks like a knight getting ready for a jousting competition. It’s not j
ust the leather pants and undershirt he’s wearing. It’s the fact that when we walk into the atrium of his home, he has a sword in each hand and is fighting off two invisible opponents.

  “I’ll take your spleen this time.” Thrust. He whips around, his long brown hair flying. “You think you can sneak up behind me.” Stab. Back around. “The spleen wasn’t enough? You’ve come back for more.” Thrust.

  It’s like he’s totally unaware of our presence. Shayne clears his throat, but it doesn’t help.

  “Your head comes off this time.” Swipe.

  I can almost see a head rolling away into the corner of the atrium. Turn. Kick. Thrust. Twist.

  “Is he fighting anyone?” I whisper to Shayne, wondering if there are actually ghosts he’s battling or something else invisible to me.

  Shayne shakes his head. “Rhadam just has a really good imagination.” He clears his throat again.

  Still nothing. “You can join your companion.” Swipe. And I can almost see the head flying through the air, landing with a thud next to the other one.

  Maybe I just have a really good imagination, also.

  Only when both invisible opponents are defeated does Rhadam turn around and smile at us.

  “I hope you came to fight. It’s impossible to find good competition these days.” Rhadam’s face cracks into a grin that makes it obvious he does a lot more smiling that frowning. And he looks like he lives life exactly how he wants to, kind of like Chloe. She’d go nuts over him. I can almost picture them together.

  Shayne—or Hades, I have to keep reminding myself—lets go of my hand and walks over to Rhadam, where they do some handshake thing that makes me think they’re trying to kill each other.

  “No fighting today,” Shayne says.

  “Scared?” Rhadam asks.

  “Please. If I kill you, who am I going to get to watch over Elysium for me?” Shayne punches Rhadam in the shoulder, but he’s so solid he hardly moves.

  Rhadam punches Shayne back. “And if I killed you, I’d have to take your place ruling the Underworld.” His eyes flash over my way, and he smiles. “But maybe that’s not a bad thing. The Underworld seems to have nice spoils.”

  Blood rushes to my face, and I know I’m turning seventeen different shades of red. I smile back, hoping I don’t look like too much of an idiot in front of Shayne’s best friend.

  Shayne purses his lips. “Spoils. I like that.” He walks back to me and takes my hand, leading me over to Rhadam. “This is Piper.”

  Rhadam lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it which, even though I’m sure I’m already at the stage of infinite red, still makes me blush deeper. “You’re even prettier than Hades said.”

  I look at Shayne. He rolls his eyes and looks away, so I turn back to Rhadam.

  “He’s mentioned me?”

  Rhadam laughs. “Gods, he hasn’t talked about anything else all week. It’s been ‘Piper this’ and ’Piper that.’ I feel like I’ve already met you twenty times over.”

  My eyes flicker back over to Shayne. It’s his turn to be embarrassed. I can’t resist. “I had no idea the Lord of the Underworld could blush.” But the mere fact that he’s been talking about me this week to his best friend is making my stomach flip around in all sorts of ways I never thought possible.

  Shayne clears his throat and gives Rhadam the evil eye. “Rhadam may be exaggerating just a bit.”

  Rhadam takes my hand away from Shayne’s. “Trust me, I’m not exaggerating.” And he starts walking with me following at his side.

  I look at Shayne who, though still bright red, winks and follows on after us.

  Rhadam leads us out of the atrium and into the house. With the structure of the house, we slip between where walls should join, move through doors that don’t come close to shutting, and walk up onto the roof on individual stairs that don’t connect.

  “I moved the house because of the view.” He motions out to the river which now looks like it has waves big enough to capsize the Titanic. But behind the ocean, like a giant monolith, a glacier fills the horizon. It’s blue and green and white, and the suns above reflect off it, making it look almost neon. It’s so much ice all in one place and like nothing I’ve ever seen on Earth.

  “I don’t blame you.” Shayne stands next to me, so close our legs touch. He takes my other hand, leaving me standing between him and Rhadam. Shayne gives the hand Rhadam still holds a suspicious look, and Rhadam lets go of it.

  “The ice,” I say. “There’s so much of it.”

  Shayne traces his thumb along the back of my hand. “Sometime we should visit the polar caps.”

  I love that this implies there will be more of us in the future. “I’ll hold you to that,” I say.

  “Good,” Shayne says.

  Rhadam clears his throat. “Of course. I’d love to come. Thanks for asking.”

  “You can leave?” I ask.

  He sighs. “No, not really. It’s one of the funny things about paradise. I can’t ever leave, but whatever I want, I get.” He glances away from the glacier and turns back toward the beach, but instead of being up high, we’re again on ground level. We leave the house and start walking back in the direction of the beach party.

  “So how did you die?” Rhadam asks.

  It takes a second for his words to make sense. I look down at myself to make sure I’m all still there. “I’m not dead.”

  Rhadam laughs, and I realize he’s joking. “Don’t worry. You don’t look dead. You don’t even smell dead.”

  It makes me wonder how dead people in the Underworld smell. I haven’t noticed anything, but then again, I’m not sure I’d know what to smell for.

  Rhadam purses his lips and then looks to Shayne. “It’s too bad, you know. You should do something about it.”

  It’s like Shayne is actually considering it. But then he replies. “I’m not sure that’s the best way to win a girl’s heart.”

  “Definitely not,” I say. Though he’s already got the heart part under control.

  As we walk, people fill in again until the beach party is back in full swing. Shayne is like a rock star. People rush up to him constantly, telling him how happy they are here in paradise and how their only wish is that he would visit more often. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye as if to apologize, but he doesn’t push them away. In fact, he lets go of my hand so he can have more space.

  I’m fighting stabs of jealousy because so many of the girls are gorgeous when Rhadam leans over and whispers in my ear. “They love him here.”

  I smile and pretend I’m totally fine with all the attention Shayne is giving them in return. “I can tell.” I can’t help but wonder if that’s how Chloe would act if she were here, all fawning over him and stuff, but I push the thought aside since Chloe will not be here.

  As we walk, I decide to ask Rhadam everything I want to know about paradise. Like where people live and if they get married and do they have to work. He tells me about how people fall in love all over again and how weddings are held barefoot on the beach and how everyone has some purpose for his or her existence, whether it’s constructing sand sculptures or trying to get their golf swing just right. He talks about friendships that bond over eternity and children that are reunited with their parents once they pass on. And even though he answers my questions endlessly, what I really can’t understand is the judging criteria. What makes one person better than the next?

  “What if someone is kind of good? What then?” I ask.

  Maybe I ask too loudly because Shayne pulls away from his most recent group of adorers and comes back to my side. “They get judged,” he says. “Just like everyone else.”

  I press him. “Who judges?” I glance to Rhadam, but he has his lips pressed together like he doesn’t want to be part of this conversation.

  Shayne stops walking and turns me to him. “I judge.”

  “Everyone?”

  He nods. “Every single soul that comes across the River Acheron gets jud
ged.”

  Rhadam clears his throat. “How about I catch up with you two later?” And before either of us can answer, he simply vanishes. It’s hardly the strangest thing that’s happened today.

  “Isn’t that kind of a big job?” I ask once Rhadam’s gone. I’ve never heard the exact numbers, but I know tens of thousands of people die each day. And that number’s only increasing each day the Global Heating Crisis continues. I can only imagine how world disasters affect the death toll.

  Shayne’s eyes get a faraway look, and they aren’t meeting mine anymore. “I’ve had help. But it’s still a big job.”

  “And an even bigger responsibility,” I say. After all, trying to decide who gets paradise and who gets stuck with eternal torment could probably keep someone up at night.

  “Don’t you ever get a feeling about people?” he asks.

  “Like what?”

  “You know. Like you can look into their soul and see what they’ve done wrong.”

  I grab his wrist. “All the time. I swear. My mom tells me I’m imagining things, but I just have this way of knowing who’s to blame.” It’s the reason I want to go to law school once I get out of college. Whether it’s bullies at school or criminals on the tube, I get so sick of seeing people get off with no punishment. I think of the black fungus on Councilman Rendon. For some reason, I’m not only able to sense guilt. Now I can see it.

  He nods, and I realize if anyone can ever understand, it’s Shayne.

  “That’s how it is for me, too,” he says and motions out across the world. “But it’s just on a bigger scale here. And judgments last forever.”

  We reach the dock, and Charlotte runs back up to greet us. She’s every bit of her eleven-year-old giddy self. She grabs both our hands and pulls us. “Come on. They’re just about to judge the contest.”

  We let her pull us, and then we run after her as she moves through the people. I worry about running into someone, but it’s like a path has been cleared just for us. People have even stopped flocking around Shayne. And then we head up a dune and down the other side to the contest.