Freddy's mouth dried up. Clymenus. She licked her lips and stared around at all the faces. Oh, no…the crowd blurred; white streaks flashed through her vision. The sounds and smells seemed fuzzy, like half-remembered sensations from a bad dream. A really bad dream.
Cernunnos jabbed her again, his elbow a blunt pain in her side, and she blinked. "I--uh, I consent to…I consent…" Her heart failed her. She snapped her head back, begging Cernunnos with her eyes.
His face could have been carved from granite. He shook his head once, a hard jerk. No.
She swallowed again, panicking, and sucked in a breath. Clutching her hands into fists, in her loudest voice, with as much confidence as she could fake, she said, "I consent to become your bride in two days time." The air left her in a whoosh, and she deflated.
No one noticed. The crowd cheered and clapped, pumping their fists skyward, shaking the ground with stomping feet.
She half-turned away to collapse, but Cernunnos caught her hands and kissed the backs of each one, his eyes alight again with good humor. She tried to pluck her hands free, but he held them tight then placed them in Clymenus' clammy ones. Freddy's…gulp…fiancé pressed her hands and flashed her a goofy smile. He tugged a ring from his pinky and held it up to show the crowd. They roared approval.
Clymenus turned back and roughly spread Freddy's fingers, jamming the jewelry hard over her left ring finger. He dropped her hand when he'd finished.
She stared at the ring--an iron band, old fashioned and heavy. The bauble fit her finger as if made for it, a leaden lump weighing down her heart better than ten tons of concrete.
Clymenus spun her toward him and pinned her in place with two hands heavy on her shoulders. She braced herself as his mouth descended. She wanted to squirm away from his wet, questing mouth, but held herself rigidly stiff instead, fighting her distaste. He turned away from her almost at once to toast and drain a goblet of wine. The mob cheered, then turned to the feasting and drinking, ready now that the rites were over to descend into drunken stupor alongside the groom.
Clymenus' mouth had left a wet smear across Freddy's face. She sank into her seat and scrubbed the kiss off her lips with her sleeve. Someone touched her arm. She jerked around, thinking it would be Kore.
Morrígan stood behind her, staring down at her with mocking pity. "My poor lamb. You thought you'd landed the Heir to the Underworld, didn't you?"
Freddy shoved her chair back, missing Morrígan's feet by inches. She clenched her hands behind her to hide their trembling, and glared. "Go away. I don't want you here."
Morrígan cocked her head to one side. "Unfortunate for you then this is my land. And I don't take orders from bastards."
Clymenus' head whipped around. He seemed about to intervene, but then he slopped wine onto the lap of his pleated tunic.
Freddy flicked her gaze back to Morrígan. "This may be your realm, but it's my party tonight, and I can kick you out if I want to."
Morrígan's eyes narrowed to red slits. "Try it. See what happens."
"Frederica." Kore dashed over, moving between her and Morrígan. "I'm sorry to steal you away at such a time, but there's something I must have you there for. It's to do with your dowry and, oh, I'll explain as we go." She tugged Freddy's elbow, hauling her away from Morrígan.
Morrígan raised her goblet in a mocking toast. Annoyed, Freddy stuck her tongue out at the goddess before Kore tugged her out of sight.
Freddy gathered her skirts in for better walking as Kore slowed her pace. "What's the fashion emergency or whatever?"
The goddess shrugged. "I--I saw your face when they announced the betrothal. You did not know?"
"About Clymenus?" Freddy laughed bleakly. "No. Somehow Cernunnos forgot to mention who my groom was."
Kore squeezed her shoulder. "You must understand: Polydegmon is a full-blooded god, and, though all of our powers dwindle now in this unholy time, he is still Heir to the Underworld. Member of one of the most powerful pantheons ever imagined. You are only half-blooded and heir to a ragtag collection of minor fairies and half-forgotten gods--if you could claim them without your father's support. When Polydegmon marries, she will have to be a true goddess."
"Not a filthy bastard?" Freddy whispered, kicking a stone down the path. The words smarted as she said them, sharp and burning her with embarrassment. An embarrassment she was even ashamed to feel. Why should I care what these gods think of me?
But she did. And that hurt worst of all.
Kore's voice became persuasive. "Clymenus is very handsome. It's because he's half-nymph. He can be self-centered, but he will treat you with respect. At least this will keep you away from her." She jerked her thumb back toward the banquet.
Freddy didn't need to ask which her Kore meant. "How?"
"You will live in Tartarus at my father's palace."
"Tartarus?"
"The Underworld of my people. And no soul may enter there or leave without my father's permission. The Morrígan will not be able to reach you there. Though our believers have dwindled, the Olympians' borders remain unassailable." Kore's chin tilted with pride.
"That's why Cernunnos hustled this through so fast? To protect me?" Freddy folded her arms over her chest, projecting her immense doubt of Cernunnos' good intentions. "How did you get snatched if that place is so secure?"
Kore's eyes shone as she swallowed. "My mother took me on a picnic in the mortal realm."
"And now you've made your choice. But why does it have to be all or nothing?" Freddy studied the toe of her embroidered slipper.
Kore sniffed delicately. "My father would turn himself mortal before he would give me as concubine to a Celt. You cannot be the Maiden of Spring and mistress to the Lord of the Hunt at the same time. Gods do not work like that."
"Count me human then." Freddy sucked in a pained sigh and gazed skyward so she wouldn't have to look at Kore's eager face. The sunsets here sure were something, all violent colors spilling from the horizon, staining the sky a fanning spectrum of orange, yellow, and deep blood red. "Do I have to go back to the engagement party?"
"No. Your part is done. They will all be so sotted with wine they wouldn't notice if the moon disappeared--let alone the bride."
A large stone wall surrounded the village of the gods; its sturdy wooden gates lay open. She and Kore walked past the sleepy guards stationed there unchallenged.
Freddy couldn't suppress the instinctive gasp of pleasure that broke from her as she looked out on the landscape beyond the walls. The village snuggled right against a deep mountain lake. The lake's water, smooth and still, reflected a perfect mirror image of the world on its surface, surrounded on all sides by lush forest. The air was crisply cool. Far in the distance, a range of low foothills kissed the red-orange sky. Freddy's feet carried her toward the water's edge. "What is this place?" She tried hard not to show her pleasure but probably failed.
"I do not know all the names there may be for this place. But mostly it is called the Otherworld. This is the land of your father and his people. Your homeland."
Freddy recoiled, her senses in revolt. "This freak show is not my homeland."
"You were born here."
Freddy swallowed, her stomach churning. This serene land, this beautiful lake and breathtaking vista did sing out to her blood. She couldn't deny a connection to this place, a sense of peace had settled over her the moment she stepped out of the village.
She couldn't deny the connection, but she didn't have to admit it to Kore either. A thoughtful silence fell as Kore led her on a walk around the rim of the lake. Freddy followed a small stream downhill into the line of trees, Kore trailing her. The forest seemed dense, a deep emerald green carpeting everything.
All the trees, the leaves, the bushes, even the moss covering the rocks in the peaceful stream were bright, vibrant green. The sharp scent of pinesap and fresh turned dirt, wet with rain, filled Freddy's nose. The taste of sweet spring water tickled the back of her throat. The forest was dim, but
not so dark she couldn't see her way.
"Your father--" Kore began.
"Would you stop calling him that?" Annoyance burst inside Freddy, and she scrunched her face into a frown of distaste. After the day she'd had, Freddy did not need the Big Up-Sell on Cernunnos. Freddy turned her shoulder away and looked at the stream because she couldn't stand looking at Kore just then. "Kore, I get you're trying to make it all better, and I guess I can appreciate that. Let me tell you, though--it ain't workin'. Cernunnos is still the evil jerk who stole me from my family and sold me to a stranger, and you--you are the selfish bitch who let him. You can't change that, and you won't fix it by showing me some pretty landscapes."
Kore seemed to want to say more but only heaved a fluttery, frustrated sigh. She stomped ahead of Freddy, leading her back to the village in disapproving silence.
Freddy whirled at the sound of footsteps approaching. A stranger strolled up the overgrown path. He wore a broad-brimmed hat with small white wings on each side and, though not quite handsome, he had a rugged, outdoorsy appeal. His clothing seemed one step removed from rags: a threadbare brown tunic with mustard yellow leggings. His sandals were sturdy and brown, with the same petite white wings as his hat on each side. A short staff crowned with another pair of wings and dangling two pure white ribbons rested in the crook of his wiry arm.
"Hermes," Kore cried. She propelled herself forward to embrace the new arrival around his mid-section.
The man, Hermes, held her away from him and, in Greek, he seemed to scold Kore, his voice harsh and low as he gave her a punishing shake.
Kore burst into tears. Hermes blanched and pulled her to his chest in a bear hug. Her sobs redoubled. He sighed and patted her back as she cried. Looking over Kore's head as she continued to sob, Hermes smiled at Freddy. "Hullo." His voice was cheerful, his English unaccented, perfect. "Your resident psychopomp is here."
Freddy blinked. "Psycho what?"
The man--no, god more likely--bowed his head. "It means I will be your guide to the Underworld, my lady. That is my duty and, in this case, distinct," a half-glance at the sobbing Kore, "pleasure?"
"Oh." Freddy swallowed. A dark pit opened in her stomach. He'd come to take her away.
"You are still going?" Hermes cast a dubious look at Freddy's face. Bruised and sleep-deprived, she probably didn't seem much like an eager, blushing bride. Her fingers twirled the engagement ring around and around on her finger. "Kore?" Freddy tried to keep her voice level, reasonable. Calm even. "Kore, please, if you have any intention of ending this--end it now."
Kore gulped her sobs in and turned to Freddy.
"Please." Freddy tried in vain to blink back the tears that had started in her own eyes. "Please, let me go home."
Dainty chin trembling, golden eyes wet, Kore hesitated. Everything tipped and teetered, the decision hung in the air above their heads. Freddy's chest throbbed, her lungs aching as she held her breath, her heart ready to break.
Kore shook her head. "No, Frederica. I am sorry." She tore herself away from Hermes and ran toward the village.
Freddy rocked back on her heels, hysterical laughter bubbling to her lips. "No." The laugh she bit back stuck painfully in her throat, making her eyes prickle, but if she laughed now, she wouldn't be able to stop. She cast a bright, brittle smile at Hermes. "Guess I'm going with you."
Hermes crossed and patted her shoulder. "It is not as bad as all that. You go to a great marriage."
She covered her mouth to stop another laugh. "I can't wait." Unable to contain it anymore, she doubled over with laughter, throwing her head back, her neck muscles convulsing as she gasped for breath. Somewhere in there, the laughter turned to wracking sobs. Freddy curled into a ball, hyperventilating on the ground. Her eyes were quickly swollen from tears, the hem of her skirt stained with snot and lake mud.
Hermes gathered her to him and settled her in his lap.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Freddy gasped out between sobs.
He shrugged. "No bother. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to have two hysterical maidens to contend with in one day, but at least the Fates will owe me one for this."
She laughed carefully so she didn't go off in another crying jag. "I'm sorry. I'm all right." She crawled out of his lap and sat cross-legged on the ground in front of him. She scrubbed at her tear-stained cheeks. "So, you're my guide?"
He held his hand out. "I'm Kore's cousin. Hermes, Herald of the Gods."
Freddy scoffed at the name, laughing at herself. "I think I messed you up in English. Yeah, on the final. Um…Mercury. Right?"
He grinned, his teeth very white against the dark tan of his plain face. "They call me that sometimes, yes."
She shook her head in disbelief. "Weirdest. Week. Ever."
Still sniffling into her sleeve, Freddy started back toward the village with Hermes, while he politely ignored her choked sobs along the way.
She hugged her arms around her waist, trying to hold the heat in. "I thought Clymenus would take me."
Hermes scratched the back of his neck. "Well, he's a bit…"
"Drunk?"
"Er, yes, and he was more concerned about seeing the, ah, the dowry bestowed. That is, making sure there wouldn't be--"
She waved him silent. "It's okay, Hermes. I didn't think he was in this deal just for me." Stupid, disappointed tears prickled at her eyes, and she scolded herself as she swallowed them.
Come on, Fred, time to accept reality. The deal was done. Thinking of an escape plan would be the best use of her time. But, just then, her brain could barely handle the mechanics of walking.
She stared in distaste as she approached the village. The deep, stirring pull on her blood still tickled her, but was tarnished now, spoiled by the horrible ends her own father had put her to. She stopped and faced Hermes. "Can we just go? Like…now?" He frowned and half-motioned to the village. She shook her head. "There is no one I want to see back there. Nothing I want. Please, let's just go."
"Wait."
She whirled at the sound of Cernunnos' voice. Cernunnos ran toward her and she tensed, expecting a blow of some kind, but he eased his pace as he neared her. "Kore told me Hermes had come for you." He stopped, swallowed. Darting a look at Hermes, Cernunnos briefly excused himself, dragging Freddy to one side, out of the psychopomp's earshot.
Her gut writhed with distaste as the stag-god's hand brushed her skin, and she tugged her elbow free as soon as his grip loosened.
Cernunnos' hand came up, hesitated until at last he patted her lightly on the shoulder. "My sweet girl, I wish you joy in your coming marriage."
"Fuck you," Freddy whispered, her throat clogging with rage until she could barely breathe the words out. "Don't you ever talk to me like we don't know what happened here."
The stag-god sighed. "I know I cannot convince you of this, but I do have your best interests at heart."
"I call bullshit." She sneered at him in contempt, unsure what he hoped to gain with this newest lie. "If you cared about me, you'd let me go home."
"No." Cernunnos' dark eyes hardened. "And you'll not even think of that, my girl." He loomed over her, his antlers casting a broken spider web of shadows over her face, over her heart. "If you do not play your part in Hades' Underworld, then it will be your former guardian who pays the price. Remember that if you should think to escape." He tilted his head and eyed her, considering. "But perhaps you will not care what I should do to him if you fail me?"
Freddy shivered with fear at the cool threat in his words, even as a sliver of anger boiled up, breaking through like magma in the ocean. After what he'd put her through, after that despicable bait and switch with her future husband, that Cernunnos still had balls big enough to threaten her real parents was astounding. "I'll do my bit." She ground out through her teeth. You are so lucky there are no weapons here, asshole.
A wistful expression flitted across his handsome face. "I wish--eh, what's the point? No convincing you I'm not the villain of the piece now."
&n
bsp; "Not a chance."
"I shall be seeing you soon, my child." The stag-god laughed and bent to kiss her on the cheek. Freddy jumped at the contact but restrained herself from scrubbing its memory off her face. I shouldn't provoke Cernunnos when I'm still within striking distance.
"Clymenus and I have agreed between us that, May being an unlucky month--" Cernunnos rolled his eyes. "You shall be married on the third of June."
Two days and then my wedding day. Oh, shit.
"Until your wedding day, child." He patted her cheek and sauntered back to his rowdy party and his no-doubt thoroughly drunk soon to be son-in-law.
"By Zeus. Two days to plan a wedding between pantheons?" Hermes ran a hand through his curls, slapped his thigh, and shrugged. "Ah well. Not my problem. Shall we go?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, bracing herself. This was real. The marriage was happening, and, unless she wanted her dad turned into hellhound kibble, she had to see this through. She squared her shoulders. "Let's go."
He offered his arm, and she rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. Quickly reaching the edge of the lake, he turned to her. "Normally I have to take the more scenic route to get souls to the Underworld, but truth is it's not much to see. I'm not supposed to do this but, since you're family now, we're going to take my short cut, all right?" Hermes wrapped her in his shabby woolen cloak. He smelled of fresh air and mud, animals and a hint of some spicy incense. "Close your eyes and take one deep breath for me."
She breathed deeply and squeezed her eyes shut.
"And we're there," Hermes said.
The temperature had dropped. At Cernunnos' lodge it had been a permanent springtime, warm but breezy, the air fresh and bright with the taste of sunshine.
She shivered. The air felt thick and damp as a wet wool blanket. The scent of burning charcoal tickled her nostrils, creating an unpleasant lump at the back of her throat.
Heir to the Underworld Page 16
