Solstice

by P. J. Hoover

  “Perhaps Tantalus would make a habit of it if he could eat anything,” he says.

  The king picks his goblet back up. The wine is back at the top, somehow magically refilled. “May I please introduce myself and welcome you to my kingdom.”

  I still don’t trust myself to speak, so instead I nod, biting my lip until it hurts. The pain helps stem the fear I feel is about to bubble over.

  “I am Aeacus, King of Tartarus.” He motions to the right. “You’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tantalus already.”

  “And don’t forget about me.” It’s the man on the left talking. The one so good looking I can almost forget Tartarus is a place for the eternally damned.

  Aeacus laughs. “How could anyone forget about you, Pirithous?” Aeacus extends his arms wide. “My lady, may I present the honorable Pirithous to you?”

  I force myself to flash a brief smile, barely showing my teeth.

  “Oh, her teeth. Her teeth. And what of her tongue? Just one glance of her tongue.”

  I shut my mouth at Tantalus’s words and cross my arms over my stomach, trying to hide as much of myself as I can.

  Aeacus motions, and a chair at the end of the table nearest me slides out, its heavy stone scratching against the hard floor underneath. “Please sit and join us.”

  I don’t want to sit. I want to call for Shayne. I want to go back and hang out with Chloe. I even want to be with my mom. To let her comb my hair. But I also want answers, and so, against every nerve in my body, I walk forward and sit in the cold, stone chair.

  Once I’m seated, Aeacus sits also. Pirithous pours a goblet full of wine, sliding it down the table to me. I watch his fingers as he pours, noticing how long and powerful they look. Veins pop from his arms as he flexes his muscles. Unsure what to do, I catch the goblet when it reaches me and raise it to my lips.

  “Her lips. Must have her lips. So red. Always so red.” And Tantalus lunges up, nearly jumping across the table to me. His eyes roll around in his head, and his hand almost reaches my arm. I look down at his skin and notice it’s shriveled like a grape left in the sun.

  “Tantalus!” Aeacus’s voice booms through the chamber, and Tantalus freezes inches from my arm. His chair grows long tendrils that reach out and grab him, yanking him backward so fast it’s like he’s disappeared and then rematerialized.

  Tantalus begins crying. “Just one taste. One small finger.”

  I curl my fingers under my palms and look away. The only positive part of this is Aeacus doesn’t seem to want to let Tantalus eat me.

  “The little flower is scared,” Pirithous says, and he reaches over what seems like an impossible distance, and his fingers touch my closed fist, caressing it.

  Shock runs down my body, and I look away from him, hoping he doesn’t notice. But with the shaking in my body, I have about as much control of myself as a feather in a hurricane.

  “My lady.” Aeacus straightens his crown. “Why have you honored us with your presence?”

  My mouth falls open, revealing my chattering teeth. “I thought you knew.”

  Aeacus forms a lazy smile on his face. “Of course I know. It is my job to know.” And then his eyes harden, and he looks into my soul. “But do you know?”

  My stomach flips around, trying to settle, but it won’t. I lift the goblet and take another sip of wine. I wait until I swallow to answer. “I want some answers. I want you to tell me who I am.”

  Aeacus’s eyes soften. “Good, my lady. You have come to the right place.” He motions, and plates of fruits appear along the table with cheese and crackers scattered in, all out of the reach of Tantalus. Aeacus reaches out with a knife, cuts a thick slab of something which looks like Brie, and lifts it to his mouth on the knife. “Do you know what the penalty for killing a phoenix is?”

  A rock forms so fast in my stomach it knocks the wind out of me.

  “Ah, I see you do.” Aeacus cuts another piece of Brie and holds it out to me on the end of the knife. “Would you like some cheese?”

  I shake my head, wondering what I’ve gotten myself into, but can’t find my voice to reply.

  “Do you see how white her shoulders are?” It’s Tantalus again.

  I close my eyes to shut out the noise.

  “I could feast on just one shoulder forever.”

  “Enough!” Aeacus’s voice pounds across the room, and Tantalus covers his eyes and cries.

  “Life in Tartarus.”

  At his words, I turn to Pirithous.

  “With me. Forever,” he adds.

  Aeacus laughs, then pulls the knife back to himself, eating the moldy cheese himself. “Yes, Pirithous. Life in Tartarus. With all of us.”

  I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

  “Our flower is so excited, she’s not sure what to say,” Pirithous says. His hand is still on my fist, and when I realize this, I pull it away as fast as I can.

  And then I manage to find my voice. “I didn’t kill a phoenix.”

  Pirithous’s face falls, but Aeacus laughs. “Ah, but somebody did. And a price needs to be paid.” He motions around the room. “And since you’ve been so kind as to join us, it only makes sense that I extend the invitation to you.”

  But I shake my head. “I’m not here about a dead bird. I want answers.” I can hear the anger building up in my voice, but I will not listen to this madness anymore.

  Aeacus purses his lips together. “It seems your flower has a temper, Pirithous.”

  “I am not his flower!”

  This only causes Pirithous to laugh, and before I know it, my chair is sliding around the table. My goblet falls out of my hand, spilling in a bright red stain in front of Tantalus. He moves his face down to lick it, but the liquid recedes. And then I’m right next to Pirithous, so close our arms touch.

  “Ah, yes, that’s what Theseus said, also. But I knew my time would come.” And Pirithous grabs my hand, pinning it to the table.

  I decide I’ve had enough, but my feet and legs feel like lead. I can’t scoot the chair out and get up.

  “Your flower wants to leave.” Aeacus watches me closely as if wondering what I’m going to do next.

  “Share her!” It’s a desperate plea from Tantalus.

  I’m directly across from him, and I can’t take my eyes off his crazy face and cracking lips.

  “No!” Pirithous shifts so his arm is around me now. His other hand snakes out to grab mine, and I’m locked in place.

  I need to leave.

  I have to get out of this hell hole I’ve managed to get myself into. I need to get back to Shayne, who doesn’t even know I’m in Hell in the first place.

  I pick my right hand off the table, and put it on the edge to scoot myself back. My heart is pounding so hard, I’m sure all three of these crazy men can hear it. Three crazy criminals, whose crimes were bad enough that they’ve been sentenced to Tartarus for eternity. But when I push with my hand, my chair won’t move.

  “Let me go!” I turn to Pirithous. How dare he hold me here?

  Pirithous laughs. “I will never lose you again, my flower.”

  “Let me go now!” I shove his arm off my shoulder and push again, but even with his arm gone, I’m immobile.

  And then all three men around me begin to laugh. I look down at my lap, but instead of the normal flesh and clothes I expect, all I see is stone. Cold, hard stone from my waist down. Panic sets in, and I look to Pirithous’s chair. His body is the same way. Flesh from the waist up, and solid rock below.

  Their laughter pounds in my ears, echoing through my mind, and it won’t stop. My throat constricts, and I can’t force a scream or even words out. I’m going to end up in Tartarus forever after all. Penance for a phoenix I didn’t even kill.

  Shayne flashes through my mind. I’m lost to him and to myself. All the protecting my mom has done my whole life only to end up here. As I sink into the madness around me, my vision starts to cloud until all I see is a dark tunnel ahead of me and red on all sides.


  Chapter 35

  Retrospection

  The room explodes with light. Pirithous screams first, and within seconds, my chair is scooting away from the deafening cry. And then the burning begins. Even with the horror I’ve just witnessed, I have to turn my head at the sight of the Pirithous. He’s covered in flames, and the smell of burning flesh is so strong, I need to wretch. But my legs are still stone. Part of the chair.

  Tantalus stands up, as if trying to escape out the now open door. But tendrils from his chair reach out again, and this time, I see they’re snakes, hissing and biting him, wrapping around his arms and legs, and forcing him to sit. He’s sobbing, but it doesn’t help. Fire erupts around him, and through the flames, I see his crossing eyes roving around the room.

  “My Lord.”

  I turn my head to Aeacus. He stands up, ignoring the burning bodies of his two companions. His eyes have grown as wide as golden drachma, and every bit of color has drained from his face.

  “How dare you!”

  Shayne’s voice booms across the room like thunder. The wall to my right explodes, sending rocks flying in all directions. A piece hits me on the arm, slicing into me.

  “I was only trying to answer a few—”

  But Aeacus doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. He screams, and the crown on his head begins to melt, gold dripping down his face. A ruby falls into one eye socket and an emerald into the other, and the gold melts and hardens around it, until even his screams can’t be heard through the hardening metal. He’s clawing at his face, but it’s only a mask now. I want to pull my eyes away from him, but with the burning bodies on either side, there’s nowhere else to look.

  It’s only when I feel hands on my shoulders that I snap my head around. And when I see Shayne, I begin to sob.

  “It’s okay, my love. I’m here.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I sob between every word, and when my tears hit my legs, I realize they are no longer stone but have returned to the soft human flesh from before. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Shhhh…” He pulls me into an embrace, and holds me. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

  “I wanted answers.”

  “It’s okay.” Shayne rubs the back of my head. “I understand.”

  I’m not sure how we get out of Tartarus. All I know is that one minute I’m amid the muffled screams of Aeacus and the burning flesh of Pirithous and Tantalus, and the next minute I’m on a boat, crossing the flaming River Phlegethon. And Shayne is by my side, holding me the entire time. I can’t stop my tears.

  When I get off the boat, my legs are shaking so fiercely, I fall to the hot sand. Shayne picks me up, carrying me down the tunnel to his home.

  The fire is burning when we get there, and Shayne sets me down in front of it. I prop myself up against a chair, and take the glass of wine he offers me and watch as it shakes in my hand, threatening to spill. Cerberus comes over and licks my free hand until I scratch him behind a set of his ears. Shayne sits down across from me, and Cerberus moves away, closer to the fire.

  “So you decided to come visit?”

  I am such an idiot. Shayne knows this, and I know it. “How—?”

  But Shayne gives a weak smile before I can finish. “Charon told me. If I can’t count on Charon, then I may as well pack it up and move out of here completely.”

  “So you knew the whole time?”

  Shayne takes a sip of his wine, licking his lips afterward to get the final drops off. “I was busy in Asphodel.” His face hardens. “And almost too late.”

  I shudder. “Tartarus is a horrible place.”

  Shayne nods. “The worst of any world. Why do you think I didn’t take you there?”

  I look down, playing with the crimson stem of my wine glass, trying to calm my tremors. “I thought you were keeping the truth from me.”

  Shayne sighs, and then moves over to me until he’s sitting next to me. “You’re shaking.” And he puts his arms around me.

  I remember Pirithous’s arm and shake even harder. “They’re horrible men.”

  I feel Shayne nod his head. His hair is so close, it brushes on my cheek. “They were horrible men while alive, and now they pay for it with torment for eternity.”

  “They tricked me.” I feel the overwhelming need to defend myself against my stupidity.

  “Of course they did. Did you really think you could trust souls of the damned?”

  I shake my head and try to stop the tears threatening to flow from behind my lids. “I wanted to believe them.”

  Shayne turns to me, taking the glass from my hand and setting it on the ground. He reaches out until we’re face to face, holding hands. His presence calms me and holds back my tears for the time being. “Did you get any answers?” he finally asks.

  There it is. Hard in my chest. The sad truth. “Nothing. I didn’t learn anything.”

  But Shayne doesn’t take his eyes off me. They bore into mine, and flash red. I can’t look away.

  “Who am I?” he asks.

  “Shayne. Hades. Lord of the Underworld. We’ve been down that path,” I say.

  His eyes don’t falter. “Who are you?”

  I sigh in frustration, and move to get up, but his hands hold me in place. His mouth is so close to me, I feel the heat from his breath on my cheek.

  “Who are you?”

  I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to focus on his words. Everyone in Hell seems to know who I am. Shayne knows. Reese knows. Even naked Sisyphus knows. But I don’t.

  “Think. It’s important. Who are you?”

  He moves close, and a vein in his neck throbs. He waiting for an answer I don’t have. For eighteen years, I haven’t even known who I am.

  Then, in my mind, I see my birthday present. The box with the red feather. And Tanni’s voice rings in my head, but not with the haunting words of doom she’s spoken to me in the past. I see her soulless eyes filled with fog. Like she’s here in the room with us, but only in my mind.

  Open the box. Free yourself.

  I remember opening the box, finding the feather inside. The swirl of Greek letters. The wave of emotions which flew through me when I opened it. I relax and give myself over to the secrets once contained in the box, and the truth takes shape in my mind.

  I open my eyes, and see Shayne’s gaze has shifted from determination to hope. He’s trying to draw the word from my mouth.

  “I’m Persephone,” I say.

  It comes out solid. All at once. I am Persephone. The box had held the secret, and now the secret is out. The truth is finally free.

  Shayne takes me toward him, and every fantasy I’ve imagined since I met him comes to life. I’ve known him and been with him for eternity, and being with him now fills a piece of me which has been missing for the last eighteen years. And I’m never going to let it go again. Our kisses start soft, but as the fire crackles in front of us, I throw away any bit of hesitation. The heat rises until there’s no stopping either of us.

  Chapter 36

  Confusion

  I lean back into Shayne and watch the fire. Persephone. I play the sounds over in my mind. Four syllables. Melodic. Exotic. And Shayne seems to like it. He rubs my hair and keeps finding excuses to use it.

  “Do you want more wine, Persephone?”

  I shake my head. “No, I’m okay.”

  “Something to eat, Persephone?”

  Again, I shake my head.

  “Are you cold, Persephone?”

  This is it. His arms are wrapped around me and flames roar in the fireplace; he knows I’m not cold.

  I turn to face him. “You’re just trying to say it.”

  Shayne cocks his head. “Say what?”

  I punch him lightly. “My name.”

  Shayne acts as if he’s gotten the punch line to a joke. “Oh…Persephone.” He smiles. “I just haven’t used it in a long time.”

  The problem is that knowing my real name has only made me more confused. “So I’m the Queen of the U
nderworld.”

  “Next to my side.” Shayne’s breath is on my shoulder. He leans into me and kisses my neck sending a ripple of chills through me once again. God, I love that.

  I recover and look around the room, remembering how much I like it. “And I designed this room?”

  Shayne nods. “I told you it was designed by someone with great taste.”

  “And so, we’re…married?” It’s weird even to say.

  “Hmm…well…kind of.”

  I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean…kind of?”

  “Think about it.”

  “I’m trying not to. It’s making my head hurt.” Because how can I be Persephone when I’ve been Piper my entire life?

  “Maybe we can figure it out together.” Shayne sits on a sofa and motions for me to sit next to him. Cerberus pads over and puts a head on each of us, begging for a bit of attention. “See, Cerberus remembers you.”

  I smile at Cerberus. “And I remember him. Though I’m not sure how.”

  “So what do you remember?” Shayne asks.

  I sink back into the red leather and force myself to think. “I remember growing up. For the last eighteen years. As Piper.”

  “And what else?” He’s hoping for something more. “Do you remember when we met?”

  I sigh. “I don’t know. I remember being Persephone. Being part of this world. But it’s like it was another life. A part of my past but not a part of Piper.”

  An image from ages ago plays there before my eyes like a movie on the tube. Of a mountain and a hidden area away from my mom. Even back then, she never wanted me to leave her. She thought I should stay by her side always. Earth was warm then, too, but my mom controlled the seasons. Winters were cold, and summers bright. But there were no extremes. No Global Warming. Plants prospered and flourished and flowered and bloomed. And I infused life into them just by my mere presence.