by Aimee Carter
It was comforting having Ava there. She was a familiar piece of reality that I used to anchor myself, the proof I needed that this wasn’t all some elaborate hallucination. She made it easier to believe that I wasn’t going crazy. Maybe that’s what Henry was counting on.
As we wandered the halls, exploring the countless rooms, I stayed close to Ava. She didn’t seem to mind, and she even took my arm and led me from place to place, describing each room we passed as if she were trying to sell me a home. Calliope joined in, but Ella continued to keep her distance. Despite the tension, the afternoon was actually fun. It wasn’t until we were back in my suite that it became unbearable, all because of the news delivered by Sofia midafternoon.
“A ball?” I said, my heart sinking. “You mean like a dance?”
No one else seemed to mind. Calliope squealed, and even Ella looked excited. “A dance?” said Ava, clapping her hands together excitedly. “I don’t have anything to wear—what am I supposed to do?”
“Raid another closet?” said Ella. Both of us ignored her.
“A formal ball tomorrow night,” said Sofia, “hosted by the council in your honor. Most of the time it’s planned for the winter solstice, but since you’re the last and everyone’s so eager to meet you, it’s been moved up.”
“You mean it has nothing to do with the fact that half the girls were killed at their ball and Henry wanted to make sure she’d survive it before investing more time in her?” said Ella innocently.
Sofia gave her a look and turned back to me. “Consider it your introduction into society.”
I took a deep breath and tried to ignore what Ella had said. Henry wouldn’t let that happen to me. Not if I was his last chance. “I don’t need to be introduced to society. Society and I have gotten by without knowing each other for years, thank you very much.”
“The whole council’s coming this time?” said Calliope nervously.
“This is it for Henry,” said Ella with a grimace. “Did you ever really doubt they’d all want to meet her?”
“Who’s the council?” I said. “Why are they so terrifying?”
“They’re not,” said Ella as she sat down in an armchair, keeping her distance. “They’re Henry’s family. His brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews, though he and his brothers and sisters aren’t actually related by blood. More like they adopted each other since they share the same creator and are the original six gods, but it’s what they call themselves. It’s as good enough a description as any.”
“Like Zeus and stuff?” said Ava from her spot on my bed. “The lightning bolt guy?”
I could practically see the smoke start to pour out of Ella’s ears. “Are you crazy or just incredibly stupid?”
Ava sniffed. “Neither, thank you. Calliope? Is this the lightning bolt guy?”
“Yes, that’s him,” said Calliope from an armchair, where she’d collapsed at the news. “That’s Henry’s brother.”
I bit my lip, not knowing what to say. I had a hard time believing all of this to begin with. Throw in the king of the gods, and any conceivable chance I had at taking this seriously flew out the window. Besides, I had no doubt that if I actually started to believe what they were saying, I’d have fainted on the spot, and that was the last thing I wanted. For now, they were Henry’s family. A very scary, very intimidating, very large family, but still his family. I could ignore the part about lightning bolts in the meantime.
“New rule,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “No one talks about them unless I ask. You’re freaking me out, and I can’t do this if I’m freaking out, so just—let’s not. Not until this ball is over. Okay?”
None of them seemed too unhappy with this, and they all nodded, even Ava.
“We’re not allowed to tell you much anyway,” admitted Calliope. I scowled, but I didn’t fight it. If Henry didn’t tell me, then I’d just have to figure it out on my own.
“One thing,” said Ella. “Last I’ll say of it, but you really ought to know. The council will be the ones to decide whether or not you pass your tests. And if you don’t pass, they’ll be the ones who decide what to do with you afterward.”
My head spun, and I said in a small voice, “What they do with me afterward? I thought Henry said I wouldn’t be able to remember it.”
“Oh, don’t worry!” said Calliope, glaring daggers at Ella. “You won’t. They won’t hurt you or anything, or at least I don’t think they will.” She hesitated. “No one’s really made it to that point before.”
The way Ella glared at her made me think I wasn’t getting the whole truth. My stomach churned violently, and for a moment I thought I was going to be ill. If they didn’t like me, I was screwed, and there would be no one left to care what they did with me.
CHAPTER 9
THE BALL
“A ball?” My mother’s tinkling laughter rose above the people we passed on the crowded New York street, who bustled around us on their way to home or work or other important places. “They really don’t know you at all, do they?”
“It’s not funny.” I shoved my hands into my pockets, staring across the street at Central Park. “What if Henry’s family hates me?”
“It’s always a possibility, I suppose.” She tucked her arm in my elbow and drew me closer. “I highly doubt it though. Who could possibly hate you?”
I rolled my eyes, refusing to mention the part where apparently someone inside the manor wanted me dead. “You’re my mother. You’re supposed to say that.”
“True.” She grinned. “Doesn’t mean I don’t mean it though.”
Nearby a car honked impatiently at the slow-moving traffic, and my mother and I were constantly jostled as we made our way down the sidewalk at our own pace, not the brisk walk the other pedestrians used. I closed my eyes and tilted my head upward, inhaling deeply. The smell was uniquely New York, and it reminded me how much I missed the city. How much I missed being here with my mother. “He thinks he’s a god.”
“Does he?” My mother raised an eyebrow. “He brought back Ava, didn’t he?”
Before I could reply, she spotted a hot dog vendor. I tried to tell her I wasn’t hungry, but she wasn’t having it. Two minutes later, we reentered the park, both holding hot dogs. Hers was laden with every topping the vendor had; I stuck with ketchup.
“He said he was married to Persephone,” I said reluctantly. Even to me, it sounded crazy.
“Then that would make him Hades.” She said this so matter-of-factly that I gave her a puzzled look. Unfortunately she noticed. “What?”
“You actually believe him?” I said.
“And you don’t? What else does he need to do to prove it to you, sweetheart?” She leaned over and gave me a sloppy kiss on the forehead. “You’ve always been too practical for your own good.”
“But—” I took a deep breath, trying to focus my thoughts. “But why? Why do you believe him?”
She made a wide, sweeping gesture to the park around us. “How else can you explain this?”
She was right. Even if I was skeptical about Ava or what Henry had done or what he’d told me, this—being with my mother, talking to her, getting another chance—it was too vivid to be a dream. It was too real to be my imagination.
“He gave me more time with you,” said my mother, pulling me into a hug. “How could I possibly not believe him after that?”
We walked in silence, finishing our hot dogs and tossing the wrappers in the trash as we made our way to the center of the park. She kept her arm around my shoulders, and I wrapped my arm around her waist, not wanting to let go.
“Mom?” I said. “I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of the tests.” I stared at the ground. “He said I have to pass them all—what if I can’t? What happens then?”
“And what if you can?” She rubbed my back soothingly. “What if you’re exactly what Henry’s been waiting for all this time?”
It seemed absurd, but the way he’d so
unded talking about losing his wife—Ava had been right. Maybe he was some almighty god with the power to raise the dead, but he was also a very lonely guy. I knew what that kind of loss and loneliness felt like, and if there was anything I could do to stop anyone else from feeling that way, I would do it.
Maybe choosing me hadn’t been such an accident after all.
My dress for the ball wasn’t just ugly—it was painful. Much to my horror, Ella had her way and stuffed me into a corset, and she spent nearly half an hour lacing it as tightly as she could. I wasn’t a willing participant, breathing out when I should’ve been breathing in, but it took her no time at all to figure out what I was doing.
“I can wait until you take a breath,” she said. “You have to eventually.”
“Why do I need a corset?” I said. “Did you die in the eighteenth century or something?”
Ella scoffed. “Hardly. I think they look nice, and I enjoy torturing you. Now suck it up.”
The only person Ella didn’t force into a corset was Ava, who looked stunning in a blue dress that matched her eyes, and as she helped me through the corridors, I tried to breathe in as slowly and as deeply as my corset allowed. I could get through this. It was only a few hours, and then it’d be over.
“Ready?” said Ava as she bounced on the balls of her feet. We stood outside the ballroom, waiting to be announced. Ella and Calliope, who were already inside, had stumbled all over themselves that afternoon, giving me instruction after instruction on how to behave. Stand up straight, greet everyone with a smile, be polite, don’t say anything that’d get me into trouble, don’t mention the outside world, don’t tell anyone how I really felt about all of this, and don’t under any conditions be myself. Easy enough.
“Don’t think I have a choice,” I mumbled. I was supposed to walk into the room immediately after I was announced. Small steps, Calliope had said, making sure to point my toes as I walked. When I’d mentioned the fact that no one would be able to see my feet underneath the satin and lace, she’d ignored me. “What if whoever killed the other girls tries to kill me?”
“I’ll be right there the whole time,” said Ava. “So will Henry and the council. If anyone tries to kill you, they’ll have to get through all of us. Now don’t forget to breathe.”
Fainting would be the perfect way out of this, but knowing my luck, they’d just hold another ball once I recovered.
Two men on either side of the doors pulled them open for us, and my heart pounded so loudly that they probably heard it on the other side of the room. For a moment I couldn’t make anything out in the dim light of the ballroom, but soon I could see inside. The room was gigantic, bigger than Eden High School’s cafeteria and gym combined, and the only sources of light came from ornate chandeliers. Everyone was dressed as fancily as I was, and I got the distinct impression that this was the social event of the century.
And hundreds of pairs of eyes were focused directly on me.
“Kate?” said Ava. I must’ve swayed, because she took me by the elbow, her grip stronger than I expected. “Kate, breathe.”
In and out, in and out—why was this harder than it was supposed to be?
“Kate, do something!” hissed Ava. “Everyone’s watching.”
That was the problem.
Being the center of attention had never been my thing. Once, in elementary school, long before my mother had gotten ill, my so-called friends had talked me into performing in a dance routine for the school talent show. I couldn’t even step onto the stage, I’d been so nervous, and when they’d pushed me out in front of all those people, I’d promptly thrown up right in the middle of the theater. Not my proudest moment.
This time, my only saving grace was the fact that there wasn’t anything in my stomach to come up. I could do this, I thought. One foot in front of the other—that’s all it took.
“Okay,” I said, taking a step forward. The silence that had fallen over the crowd turned into nervous whispers, and with every move I made, I could feel the burn of their stares.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” called the herald. “I present to you Miss Katherine Winters.”
Wild applause filled the air, and if I hadn’t felt humiliated enough before, now I wanted to die. At least Ava was still by my side and gripping my elbow. Every bad thought I’d ever had about her evaporated. “Look, Kate—the guards! Look at them,” she whispered excitedly. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the two men I’d noticed at breakfast the morning before. Ella had said they’d go with me everywhere, but this was the first time I’d seen them since. The dark-haired man was giving me—no, Ava—a coy smile. The blond was just as still as before, watching the crowd diligently.
Much to my relief, I spotted Henry on top of a platform on the other side of the room. Under the low light, he looked as attractive as ever, but while he caught my eye, he wasn’t what held my attention. Behind him stood fourteen thrones—actual, real-life thrones. None of them were occupied, but they didn’t have to be. I understood immediately.
The council was here.
If Henry was right and the impossible was possible, then those fourteen people were the things myths were made of, and I was supposed to—what? Walk up to them, shake their hands, and introduce myself?
Somehow I kept moving. Before I could process what all was happening around me, we’d reached the platform, and Calliope was helping me up the steps under the guise of dealing with the long hem of my dress. Once I was standing upright on my own at the top, Henry approached me, bowing his head in greeting.
“Kate.” His soothing voice did nothing to calm me. “You look beautiful.”
“Th-thanks,” I stuttered, attempting to curtsy. It didn’t work too well. “I see they didn’t make you wear a dress.”
Henry chuckled. “Even if they had, I wouldn’t have looked nearly as lovely as you do.”
He held out his hand, and I took it, having no other choice if I didn’t want to fall flat on my face. Henry led me to the center of the platform, our backs facing the audience.
“My family,” he said with a vague gesture toward the thrones.
“Are they invisible?” I whispered.
He gave me a wry smile. “No, they are among us. They wish to remain anonymous.”
I nodded and forced a grimace, hoping it would pass for a smile. So I wouldn’t be meeting them face-to-face after all. That was infinitely more frightening; it meant every single person I met tonight would be a potential tester. Maybe passing out wasn’t such a bad idea.
I spent the evening seated next to him on another smaller platform, watching everyone else enjoy themselves. I worried someone might jump out and try to choke me, and I didn’t dare take any of the food or drink that was passed around, but as long as Henry was there, I felt safe. Or at least as safe as I could be. I stayed quiet, refusing to look over at the empty thrones. I could do this, whether or not they liked me. I had to.
I watched Ava dance with the dark-haired guard, who seemed to enjoy himself more than someone on guard duty should have. He was cute, but I had a sneaking suspicion that the only man I’d be allowed to date was sitting next to me, not making a sound. I shied away from the thought. Our agreement was that I’d stay here, not that I’d do something as ridiculous as marry him, queen or not. Though the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if being his so-called queen meant marrying him, too.
“Who is everyone?” I finally said. No one approached Henry and me, but occasionally someone would stop in front of the platform and bow. I was instructed to nod my head in return, once and as regally as possible. I was too scared to do anything else.
“My subjects,” said Henry. “Some asked to come so they could meet you, and others have been good to me in the past.”
“Oh. They’re dead?”
“Yes, though obviously not in the way you define it.”
I watched them, fascinated, trying to pick up any hint that they weren’t exactly t
he same as the living. Some danced archaically, but other than that, I couldn’t find a single difference. Looking around, my eyes fell on Ava. At least she looked happy to be there.
“And one of them wants me dead,” I said. Henry stiffened beside me, and that was all the confirmation I needed.
“Do not worry,” he said. “You are safe with me.”
“Do you know who it is?” I said, and he shook his head. “What about the person who’s supposed to take over for you if I fail? Could it be him? Or her?”
He grimaced. “Somehow I think not.” And that was all he’d say on the subject.
It was nearly midnight when Henry stood and everyone fell silent. My backside was killing me, and even though I hadn’t taken a step in hours, my feet ached from the heels Calliope had forced me to wear. I was ready for this whole thing to be over, but instead of leading me toward the door, Henry steered us back toward the stage. My legs shook underneath me, and it was a miracle I managed to stay upright.
“This will be easy,” he said quietly. “All you have to do is say yes and accept the seeds.”
Bemused, I followed him up the stairs, nearly falling flat on my face when we reached the top. Luckily he caught me, and I steadied myself, waiting for him to speak.
“Katherine Winters,” said Henry in a booming voice that made me flinch. “Do you agree to stay at Eden Manor for the autumn and winter, to take the tests as given to you by the members of the council, and should you pass, accept the role as Queen of the Underworld?”
Everyone inside the ballroom was silent. No pressure or anything. “Yes.”
A small plate appeared in his hand, with six seeds arranged carefully in the center. I took the first one in between my fingers, looking at Henry for approval. He nodded encouragingly, and I put the seed in my mouth, trying not to make a face. I hated seeds—I didn’t even eat watermelon because of them. Unfortunately mythical seeds didn’t taste any better.
I swallowed them rapidly, trying to ignore the slimy feeling as they slid down my throat. I wanted to gag, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. After the sixth seed was down, the crowd erupted into cheers, but that was nothing compared to the way Henry was looking at me, his expression strangely gentle. Whatever this was, it meant more to him than I understood.
