by Jen McConnel
The path grew brighter, and I realized that the torches along the walls had been replaced with glowing candelabra and mirrored panels. One of the mirrors looked red, and leaning in for a closer look, I saw it wasn’t a mirror, but a perfectly polished gemstone. The corridor was dripping with diamonds and rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and I felt a chill in the pit of my stomach. What would a god of such wealth need from a Witch like myself?
With that thought, I entered a room that was more like a cathedral than an underground cave. The ceiling soared hundreds of feet in the air and veins of precious metal sparkled up the walls, climbing as far as I could see. Spellbound, I turned in a circle, trying to get a sense of the size of the place. A voice spoke coldly behind me.
“It is not often that the living wander into my throne room.”
I froze, still staring at the ceiling. Whispering a prayer to all the gods I’d ever heard about, I turned slowly to face Hades.
My first thought was that the Lord of the Dead looked sad. His robes blended into the cavern behind him, and at first I couldn’t tell whether he was sitting or standing. But his face! His eyes looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, and the hard lines around his mouth spoke of a lifetime of sorrows. He rustled, and I realized he had been sitting. Now he towered over me. Gods, he was tall!
I knelt before him, lowering my head. I knew that, with the exception of Hecate, I was standing before a god more powerful than any I had encountered so far, and I didn’t want to do anything to ignite his temper. Looking at the ground, I spoke. I had decided to keep it simple.
“Persephone sent me to you. My name is Darlena, and I am a Red Witch.”
My words echoed off the cavern walls, taunting me. Hades said nothing.
I risked a glance up at his hard, impassive face. His eyes were the only part of him that seemed alive: they glittered as he looked down at me. Afraid that I had made a horrible mistake, I quickly looked down. The silence stretched, and I began counting my breaths, trying to calm the fears that were growing inside me.
“You are younger than I expected.” Hades’ voice was rough and deep, and his words resonated in the empty cave. I kept my head down, but I nodded slightly. “I knew there was much fuss being made over you, but I did not expect such an untried child.”
I clenched my fist at his words, but said nothing. Hades could call me whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t blow me to smithereens or hand me over to Hecate.
“What do you understand about Red magic?”
Surprised at his question, I looked up. Hades sat back down and leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on my face. It seemed like every god I’d met had asked me that question, and they all expected a different answer. I eyed him, trying to gauge my best response, but his face gave nothing away.
“I know that it’s the magic of chaos,” I answered cautiously. He waited, his stare unwavering, so I continued. “It can be used to cause death, but it can also be used to manipulate love and other less deadly emotions.”
“You think that love is not a deadly force?” His voice grated against my ears, and I paused, feeling trapped. “You will answer me, Witch.”
I swallowed. “I used to think love wasn’t very powerful.” I paused, remembering Justin’s face when he realized I had cast a love spell on him. “Now, I’m not so sure.”
Hades seemed satisfied with this answer: his face didn’t change, but he sat back in his throne slightly, as if he was relaxing. “What have you done since you became a Red Witch?”
I closed my eyes, thinking back to all the events of the previous few weeks. “I have caused harm, and I have protected myself.” I didn’t want to go into any detail, but I felt sure I didn’t have to. Hades had known about me somehow, and I assumed he knew the answers to his questions before he even asked them. This felt like a test of some kind, but I couldn’t tell if I was passing or failing.
Then he asked, “Why have you come here to me?”
Would it be better for me to lie? I didn’t want to tell him that I had started to worry that his wife had betrayed me, but I couldn’t leave her out of my explanation completely. Choosing my words carefully, I said, “Persephone sent me here. She and I had discussed finding a way to use Red magic to create balance, not chaos.”
Hades nodded, and I blinked, startled. I had begun to get used to talking to a man as stiff as a statue. He gestured curtly with his hand, and I felt my legs move without my will, pushing me up off the floor into a standing position.
“Death is the ultimate balance, Witch. Would you seek to cheat me of my kingdom?”
I shook my head frantically. “Never. Persephone and I … I want to find a balance for the living. I would never presume to control the dead.”
“And yet, by your own admission, the magic you work causes death.”
“But it doesn’t have to!” Too frightened to check my words, I plowed ahead. “The first time I used Red magic, Hecate told me I had altered a fated pattern of death. I stopped death once, and I know I could do it again.”
A faint smirk played about his lips. “Are you standing here, in my realm, telling me that you want to prevent death? Doesn’t that worry you at all, Witch?”
He was right; I should have been terrified. I took a chance. “Everyone dies eventually. Does it matter to you if you get their souls now, or in a few years?”
There was silence in the cavern, and I was afraid I had gone too far. Then, all of a sudden, Hades threw back his head and laughed. His eyes crinkled up and his laughter echoed in the throne room. Suddenly, Hades seemed like a badly dressed version of Santa Claus. I stared at him, stunned.
When he finished laughing, he rose. “Little Witch, you are not as foolish as I thought. You are right; it matters not to me when the dead enter my realm. And”—his voice softened—“I know that my wife has often expressed a desire for mortals to live their lives in some degree of peace.” He strode purposefully toward me. “You may stay here as long as you need. But know this: the living do not easily come and go among the dead. I do not know how long I will be able to offer you shelter without some lasting harm befalling you.”
Hades held out his hand to me and I took it, uncertainly. His flesh was thin and cold, and I tried not to flinch. We shook hands once, solemnly, but I couldn’t help wondering whether his final statement had been a warning or a threat.
Hades led me from the throne room along a narrow passageway. “I cannot offer you accommodations such as you may be used to, but until Persephone makes her journey to me, you may use her rooms as your own.”
“Thank you.” I hesitated, not wanting to ask a foolish question. “What will I do while I am here?”
He glanced at me, almost smiling. “I seem to recall that you are highly desirable to certain gods, including that old crone Hecate.” I nodded nervously. “Rest assured that none can harm you here. Persephone sent you to me to seek sanctuary, and I gladly offer it. While you are here, you will practice your magic.”
“Thank you. If I had time to practice—” I broke off, not wanting to think about Rochelle and Hecate hunting me and waiting for me back in the world. Things wouldn’t be pretty once I went home, but I was determined to do better the next time I had to face Rochelle. Hades nodded, hearing my thoughts.
“When you leave my realm, you will again have adversaries to face. But for now, little Witch, you have time to rest, to strengthen, and to learn.” We had reached a carved wooden door fitted snugly into the cave wall. “I’ll leave you here to get your bearings. Feel free to use anything in these rooms.”
I hesitated for a moment. “What will I do for food?” I didn’t want to offend him, but I needed to ask; what if he decided he wanted to keep me there in the Underworld? I wouldn’t fall for the same trick that had bound Persephone.
Hades chuckled. “Don’t worry, I have no desire to trap a second wife. I will have some brought from aboveground.” I must have looked skeptical, because he sighed in exasperation. “Witch, I am not one fo
r breaking faith. I have offered you sanctuary because of my wife, and I will not renege on that promise. As long as you are in my realm, you will be safe from all harm.”
“Thank you. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I tried to smile.
Hades looked sad. “Mortals rarely trust me. I should not have expected otherwise.”
Without another word he turned and stalked back toward the throne room. I felt bad for him, and I resolved that I would try to trust him. He’d been kind to me so far, and just because I had started to be suspicious of everyone didn’t mean that they were all out to get me. Hades had no reason to be my enemy, and from the way he had talked about Hecate, I wondered if he might even be my ally. It must be hard to be a god who no one trusts. I doubted that any Witches ever took Hades as a patron. Was it lonely? He seemed lonely, but maybe that was just because Persephone wasn’t here. Either way, I liked him. When he was out of sight, I opened the door to Persephone’s rooms.
The smell of dust rushed to greet me, and I coughed. Cautiously, I entered the room. Dried flowers were everywhere, arranged in vases, hanging from the ceiling, strewn across the floor. It looked like a postponed funeral, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for Persephone. Obviously, she missed her life aboveground: she’d tried to recreate springtime here in her cave, but the flowers were brown and battered. Petals and leaves crunched under my feet as I explored the vast chambers.
The ceiling of the first room was so high I almost couldn’t see it. It must have reached all the way to the top surface of the earth, because a jagged skylight cut into the ceiling allowed a patch of natural light into the room. There were candle stubs on the furniture, and an unlit torch waited by the door that led into the next room.
That room was darker; evidently, Hades’ architect had only felt like installing one skylight. Squinting, I waited while my eyes adjusted to the dim light, but the room didn’t look very interesting. There wasn’t much in it, just a full-length mirror in an ornate wooden frame, and a simple square table. The surface of the table was empty, but something on the floor caught my eye. It was blurry, but I could just make out the smudged outline of a white circle in the center of the floor. I didn’t walk near the circle; I recognized a magical workspace when I saw one, and I didn’t know what kind of protections Persephone might have left in place. Crossing the room carefully, I passed through another doorway.
The third room had an odd, bluish light. It took me a minute to realize that instead of a skylight, this room boasted a wall of glass looking out over a river. I assumed it must be the Styx, but the part that flowed beneath Persephone’s chamber looked nothing like the inky water that had brought me to Hades. Here, the river was crystal clear, and the banks were awash with color. At first, I thought the colors were flowers, blossoming impossibly underground, but then a sparkle caught my eye. The banks of the river were lined with piles of gemstones, like the ones in the walls of Hades’ throne room.
As I stared at the gems in amazement, a figure caught my eye. I couldn’t tell whether it was a man or a woman, but whoever it was looked too frail to be pushing such a large wheelbarrow. The figure stopped at the bank, overturned the wheelbarrow, and moved off. As it moved, it flickered like a dying lightbulb, and I wondered if I had just spotted one of the dead. I made a mental note to ask Hades about the worker with the wheelbarrow, then turned to continue my explorations.
There was a low, arched doorway leading out of the room, and I had to duck to avoid hitting my head. The cavern I now found myself in was almost perfectly circular, and the walls sparkled with veins of gold. I stood in the center of the room and turned in a slow circle, marveling at the wealth that surrounded me. The room didn’t have any furniture, but rich red pillows covered the floor invitingly. Feeling my shoulders relax for the first time in weeks, I sank to the floor and curled up like a cat on the cushions. I was asleep almost instantly.
I don’t know how long I slept, but when I finally woke up, I had a disorienting moment of fear. I couldn’t remember anything for an instant: not where I was, not even who I was. The sensation passed almost instantly, and I wondered if I’d imagined it. Maybe the Underworld was playing tricks with my memory. I shook myself and stood up. The room was dark, but every so often the gold in the walls would reflect a shimmer of light from the adjoining room. Remembering the view of the river, I went back to the window in that room.
The gems that had been piled haphazardly when I first arrived were now arranged into beautiful patterns. Hypnotic swirls of rubies skirted around geometric patches of sapphires, and I stared, transfixed. It was like a sand painting or a mosaic made from precious stones. I’d never seen anything like it.
“Do you think she will like it?” Hades spoke from behind me, and I jumped, startled. He hesitated in the doorway between the magic room and this one, and I looked at him curiously.
“Who?” I asked dumbly.
He sighed, still lingering at the entrance to the room. “Persephone.”
I looked out the window again. “It’s amazing.”
“But will it please her?” he asked anxiously.
I didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know her that well. I mean, I just met her when I declared—” I broke off.
His face fell, and I felt like I had just told a child that he would never get a puppy. I took a few steps toward him, trying to think of something to say.
When I moved, his eyes refocused and the vulnerability I thought I had seen was gone instantly, replaced by his imposing, immovable mask. “How do you find your accommodations?”
I crossed my arms. “Fine. But I still don’t know what I should do here.”
“Use the golden room for sleep, as I see you already have.” I self-consciously ran my hand through my hair, trying to imagine what I must look like. “For magic, work in this space.” He gestured to the room behind him.
“Um,” I interjected, “not to be rude, but isn’t that her workspace? Witches don’t usually share their magic with anyone.”
“She is not here to decide, but since she sent you to me, I will decide for her. You will practice your Red craft there. Maybe,” he added, “your own work will be aided because it is her workspace.”
I nodded. Persephone was a goddess of Red magic, and that room was sure to retain some residual energy from whatever spells she had cast. Still, I was nervous about invading her space; it already felt weird enough to be hanging out in her home with her husband. Hopefully, she wouldn’t mind. “What magic should I do?”
He looked at me hard. “You want to find balance. Start practicing.”
“But I don’t even have an idea of where to start!”
“Little Witch, you told me yourself that Red magic brings chaos and destruction. Have you any idea of the realm your powers will affect?”
Thinking back to the map in Demeter’s cottage, I nodded slowly.
Hades bared his teeth in a grin. “Good. Focus your efforts on effecting change in that region.”
“But it’s huge! What do I focus on?”
Hades sighed. “I cannot tell you how to do this, but I can tell you that I am expecting many new souls very soon. As we speak, the ground is quaking in a small yet mighty island. The tremors even rattle the red sun.” He opened his eyes wide, as if he was trying to communicate something to me without speaking, but I just stared at him in confusion. Was he talking about an earthquake? Would I be able to stop it like I’d stopped the hurricane? But where was it?
Hades saw my confusion and sighed. Without another word, he turned and left the cavern. I heard the outer door close behind him and I let out a groan of frustration.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to do anything if no one will really help me!” My words filled the empty room, and I felt foolish for having spoken. Nervously, I crossed into the workspace. For a minute, I lingered at the edge of the circle, but I didn’t feel any warning zaps of magic, so I crossed the line. Nothing happened, and I exhaled in relief. Maybe Persephone hadn’t bothered to
ward her space, since no one but her would ever wander into the Underworld. But I was there now, and I couldn’t let the opportunity to work without distraction go to waste.
I sat down on the floor in the center of the white circle and tried to focus. There wasn’t much in the room to distract me, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off the mirror. Seated on the floor as I was, I could see my full reflection just two feet away from me. I looked awful.
While I was studying the dark circles under my eyes, I started to feel dizzy. My image in the mirror grew fuzzy and doubled. I leaned closer, and, with a shock, I realized that there were two figures reflected in the mirror. I turned quickly to look over my shoulder, but the room was empty. When I looked back, my own image was completely gone, replaced by a woman in a long, white kimono. She glowed as if lit from within, and I realized that she must be a goddess. I had thought I would be safe here; had Hades set me up?
“Who are you?” I whispered, frantically trying to draw on enough energy to protect myself if needed.
The beautiful woman shook her head sadly. “I should have known you would not know me. You are too fond of the Greek gods, Darlena, and you have ignored the rest of us.”
She spread her arms out, palms up, and nodded her head deeply. Her formal bow tugged at my memory, and I nodded back, wary; although her actions seemed to indicate she would do me no harm, I had learned the hard way not to trust the gods.
“I am Amaterasu, keeper of the noonday sun, and throne mother to the nation of Japan.”
“Japan!” I blurted. “That must be what Hades meant.”
Amaterasu nodded, her face weary and lined with trouble. “He knows that my people are suffering. But they are also your people, Darlena.”
I stared at her in confusion. How could the people of Japan have anything to do with me? Then I remembered the map in Demeter’s house where I had traced the boundaries of my power. Japan lay within my control. They were my people; I was their Red Witch. I squared my shoulders. “What can I do?”
