Goddess of Spring

by P. C. Cast

Chapter 13

  Eurydice's voice was brittle with shock-Lino's eyes flew to her face. The girl was staring at her husband. Her eyes had gone huge and round. Her face was completely devoid of color.

  "By what right do you enter the realm of the dead?" Hades demanded. Orpheus tore his eyes from his wife. He bowed low, first to Hades and then to Lina. Then he ran his fingers lightly across the lyre, as if testing its readiness. When he spoke his words were accompanied by gossamer notes, and his voice was the magic that held them together:

  O Hades, who rules the dark and silent world,

  to you al born of a woman must come.

  Al lovely things at last return to you.

  You are the debtor always paid.

  A little while we tarry upon earth.

  Then we are yours forever and ever,

  but I seek one who came to you too soon.

  This bud was plucked before the flower bloomed.

  I tried to bear my loss, but oh, oh, I do love her so and the pain of her loss is kil ing me slowly.

  Love is too strong, a too tempting god.

  I beg you return to me what was mine.

  Then weave again her sweet life's refrain,

  which ended too quickly,

  I ask this smal thing.

  That you wil lend her back to me.

  Yours again when her life's span is ful she shal be.

  Because oh, oh, I do love her so

  and the pain of her loss is kil ing me slowly.

  Orpheus' words ended, but his fingers kept plucking a soft, sweet version of the melody of his song. Lina felt her heart ache and break. His music moved her like she had never before been moved. Her cheeks felt wet and she touched her face, wiping off the tears she hadn't realized she was shedding.

  She looked at the silent God sitting beside her. His face, too, reflected the grief of the mortal's song. Hades began to speak, and then he stopped. His head turned slowly until his dark gaze met Lina's tear-fil ed eyes.

  "The choice is yours. I gifted you with the next judgment, but even if I had not Eurydice has pledged herself to your service. Only you can release her; therefore, twice over you are granted the power to decide her fate. Choose wisely, Goddess of Spring. " Hades said in a voice that mirrored the emotion in Orpheus' song.

  Lina drew in a shaky breath, feeling for the first time the awesome responsibility that went with being Goddess. Eurydice's future rested on her decision. She turned in her chair so that she faced the girl.

  Eurydice's slender body had gone very stil . The only movement that came from the girl was from the tears that washed wet trails down her colorless face and dripped steadily onto the gauzy fabric of her gown.

  "How did you die?" Lina asked softly.

  But Eurydice didn't answer her. Instead the tune Orpheus played changed to a darker melody, underscoring his words.

  "Only one month after our wedding day we were taking a moonlit walk. She became separated from me, lost in a sudden fog. She chose the wrong path. Instead of leading her back to me, her loving husband, it led her to a nest of vipers where she met her untimely death. " Although Orpheus didn't sing, his words stil sounded lyrical. Lina felt them create a spel of sadness around her. She wept anew over the tragedy of Eurydice's death. So that was the wrong choice the girl had made, and the loss of her young husband was the price she had paid for that choice - a price that stil weighed heavily on her soul. So heavily, Lina noted, that Eurydice had been struck speechless with grief at Orpheus' appearance.

  Lina reached out and grasped the little spirit's hand. Eurydice's hand was cold and Lina could feel the silent tremors that shook her body.

  "I free you," Lina said through her tears. "You may return to your life with your husband. Now I understand your sadness, and I am so happy I can do this for you. " Eurydice gasped in surprise. Her body trembled visibly and her mouth twisted in grief.

  "Oh, honey! Don't worry about me. I'l be just fine. Iapis wil take good care of me, as wil Hades. " Lina squeezed the girl's hand, glancing at Hades for support.

  The dark God was watching Eurydice closely.

  "Persephone has spoken. I bow to her decision. I have but one condition. " Hades' gaze speared Orpheus. "Eurydice may return to the Land of the Living only if you do not look back at her; you must trust that she fol ows you. When you turn from this palace you may not gaze upon her again until she has departed my realm and stands firmly once more in the mortal world. "

  "I wil adhere to your wil . She wil fol ow me, of that I have no doubt. " Orpheus bowed low to Hades and Lina. "Hereafter I wil sing praises to you extol ing your benevolence. " His eyes captured Eurydice and his words turned to liquid music:

  Fol ow me, fol ow me. . . Together forever we shal be. . . You belong to me, you belong to me. . .

  Together forever we shal be. . .

  Orpheus strummed magic from his lyre. With one last piercing look at his wife, he turned, and, singing his Siren's song, he walked from the Great Hal . Eurydice began to fol ow him as if he held her on an invisible tether. She stumbled down the stairs from the dais, righted herself and continued with jerky steps after her husband. She glanced once over her shoulder. Lina was shocked at the glazed expression in the girl's eyes. Eurydice looked as if she were in agony. Orpheus, his music and Eurydice drifted from the Palace of Hades.

  Hades spoke into the sudden silence. "Petitions are closed for today. " Iapis stuck the spear against the marble floor and the group of women bowed to Lina once more before they faded out of the entry way, leaving her alone with Hades and Iapis. None of them spoke.

  Lina couldn't get out of her mind the expression on Eurydice's face as she fol owed her husband from the room. The girl had looked - Lina wrapped a strand of hair around and around her finger -

  trapped. Eurydice had looked trapped. Now that Orpheus and his seductive music were gone, and Lina was replaying the scene' in her head, it felt wrong. Her intuition was screaming that something was very wrong.

  "I'm going to go back to my room now," Lina said, trying to sound nonchalant. She smiled briefly at Hades. "Thank you for inviting me. I found it very interesting. " She hurried down the dais steps, holding her breath and hoping that Hades didn't stop her. She cal ed to Iapis, who was stil standing in the entrance to the Hal . "Could you show me back to my room? I think I'm going to take a nap. The excitement of the petitions has worn me out. "

  Lina saw lapis' eyes travel questioningly over her shoulder, but he must have received the go ahead from Hades, because he nodded convivial y to Lina and led her from the Great Hal . When they were out of Hades' hearing, Lina stopped and pulled at the daimon's sleeve so that he had to face her.

  "Something's wrong with Eurydice. I can feel it. Wel , I didn't while Orpheus was playing his music, but as soon as he was gone everything changed," Lina said.

  "What is it you wish, Goddess?" Iapis asked, lowering his voice.

  "I need to fol ow them. " Lina didn't realize what she was going to say until she had spoken, but the words felt right. "I have to watch and make sure that I made the right decision by letting her go back to him. "

  Iapis nodded solemnly. "We would not want her to be hurt. "

  "No, we wouldn't. "

  "Come this way," Iapis said decisively. He led Lina quickly to the front of the palace. "There is the pathway. " He pointed to the path of black marble. "She is not far ahead of you. "

  "Thank you, Iapis. " Lina hugged him impulsively before she hurried down the path.

  "The Underworld is opened to you, Goddess," Iapis cal ed after her. "You may come and go at wil . Eurydice belongs here. She, too, has access to this realm. But Orpheus is a living mortal. Once he passes through the Gates, he may not return as long as he is living. "

  "I'l remember," she cal ed over her shoulder.

  "Persephone fol ows Eurydice?" Hades asked the daimon.

  "Yes. "

  Hades
paced the empty Great Hal restlessly. "Orpheus was hiding something. His music spun a web of seduction, but his words were false. The little spirit did not want to fol ow him. "

  "I agree, Lord," Iapis said fiercely.

  Hades stopped his pacing. "You care for Eurydice. " It was not a question.

  "I do," Iapis said.

  "Are you certain?"

  "Eurydice makes me laugh. I have not laughed in eons. "

  "Do you know her heart?" Hades asked softly.

  "There has not yet been time, and she is so young," Iapis said helplessly. Hades nodded. "Women are difficult. "

  "They are indeed. "

  "Bring me the Helmet of Invisibility. I wil fol ow Persephone. It may take my intercession to right this error. "

  Relief flooded the daimon's face. "Thank you, Lord. "

  Hades' eyes wanned and he grasped lapis' hand. "You need not thank me, my friend. " Iapis rushed to the pil ar that held the Helmet of Invisibility. He grasped it firmly in his hands. As always, its weight was a surprise to the daimon. It appeared so lightly wrought, yet it was, indeed, a heavy burden to bear. He brought the Helmet to the Lord of the Underworld. Hades took it from the daimon. Then he paused, considering.

  "Iapis, I need you to look into something. "

  "Of course, Lord. "

  "See if Aeneas has recently entered Elysia. "

  "It shal be done, Hades. "

  The God nodded. Then in one swift motion, he placed the Helmet of Invisibility over his head. The pain that lanced through his body was excruciating. He pressed his lips together and refused to give in to the agony. It would pass, he reminded himself - nothing worthwhile comes without a price. He breathed deeply against the pain until his senses were his own again. Iapis watched the God's body ripple and then disappear. He spoke to the empty space before him,

  "Bring them back, Lord. "

  Hades' answer floated to the daimon from across the room. "I shal . . . "