The third time was almost as bad as chipping Mom’s vase. Once, in a hurry and desperate need for clean socks, I had decided to do a quick load of laundry. I must not have been paying as close attention as I had thought, because as I began to pull out what I knew as white clothes from the dryer, I found they had all become a shade of pink. And my mom’s favorite white blouse had somehow made its way into my pile of clothes. Dad found me crying in the bathroom, as I was desperately trying to rinse her blouse in the sink.
“I’ll say it was my fault, Sunny,” he had said to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder like he always did when I needed to be comforted. “We’ll keep it our secret.”
Despite my dad’s reassurance, I was still terrified. I couldn’t bear to eat dinner for two nights in a row, in fear of my mom discovering that I was actually the true culprit of her ruined blouse.
The fears I had once harbored for her as a child, were nothing but dust compared to the fear I felt now. I knew everything would be different. I knew both she and I were far from being the same people. I hadn’t simply broken a vase or ruined a shirt. I wasn’t about to stand in front of my classmates. She was different. I was different. Everything that I had known as my life—everything that had seemed normal and real, wasn’t. My life had been a complete lie. The only thing I knew to be true, was my dad. My dad and his love for me.
And now, my life with Darce. My life in the Underworld. That was true and real and had seemingly been so for centuries. He had belonged to so many faces—so many different versions of Persephone—of myself. But we were fated—bonded.
I felt Darce touch my arm then, pulling me from my thoughts. I turned my gaze up to his and watched as he quietly gestured towards the boat in front of us. Packing up my things hadn’t taken nearly long enough, and once it was done, we were brought back to the docks. Off to my left, Arae, Thanatos, and Erebos stood, watching. I flicked my eyes to them and tried to form what I hoped was a smile. Erebos was the first to step forward, taking my hand in his. His dark skin glistened in the candle light.
“You are brave,” he murmured. “You will be blessed by the Gods, Summer.”
“Thank you,” I began. “I hope so.” Their blessing was all I could think about.
Thanatos approached me and lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my skin. “Mil’ady,” he said softly. “Stay safe. Return home to us soon.”
“I plan to,” I said with the most casual shrug I could muster. I suddenly felt like I was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz saying goodbye to all of my friends. Thanatos returned my words with a smile of his own.
“When you see Minthe, give her my best wishes.” By the coolness in his tone, I knew his best wishes weren’t necessarily the best for her.
Arae wrapped her arms around me and smiled beautifully.
“You better wear what I packed for you,” Arae purred beside him as my gaze met hers. “Be the Queen that you’re destined to be.”
“A Queen can wear sneakers,” I argued with a laugh as I swallowed back my tears.
“Do you see any Queens around the world wearing sneakers, Summer?”
“Well. . .” I paused, pressing a finger against my chin mockingly. With what little I knew about Queens, I knew arguing with Arae was a moot point. Not a single Queen that came to mind ever wore any sort of casual clothing. At least, not in my terms of casual wear.
“Exactly,” Arae replied with a smirk. She suddenly drew me closer and squeezed me tightly for a moment. “Your fashion sense might disgust me,” she continued coolly. “But, I always knew you’d be different. You’d be exactly what we all needed—what he needed. And I was right.”
As she pulled away, I felt her slip a small ring into the palm of my hand. As I peered down at it, I noticed how beautiful it was. The rose gold glimmered in the soft light, exposing small intricate carvings. It was one of the most beautiful rings I’d ever seen.
“Why are you—”
“Remember,” she said with a smile. “You’re a Goddess. Even if you are a human.”
Her words brought tears to my eyes, even though I had desperately tried to hold them back. In the short time that I spent there, I had made friends. Real friends. The sort that didn’t focus on selfies and drama on Twitter. They were so vastly different from the classmates I had spent time with in class. They had become friends that I loved and cared about.
After all, they were the people who had always known me. Known of me.
As I turned on my heel and moved towards the boat, my eyes drifted to Morpheus, who was already waiting by my bags. He sat in the boat, dressed in silver and white; his long white hair tied back at the nape of his neck. His black wings were slightly open, as if they were waiting to take flight. I silently thanked the Gods I didn’t have to say goodbye to him. My stomach twisted at the thought. It was a relief to know I was departing to Mount Olympus with not only Darce—but Morpheus too. He was quiet as I slipped myself in beside him and took a seat. Darce climbed aboard behind me and took the long stick, slowly guiding us away from the dock.
“Send us word when you’ve made it there!” Thanatos called after us. Darce only bowed his head in reply, but it was enough. I watched the three of them until they turned and disappeared into the palace of halls. A small tear rolled down my cheek, as my gut clenched tightly. I was sure I was going to be sick.
I felt something soft graze my hand, and as I looked down, I realized Morpheus was offering me a handkerchief. It was embroidered around the edges with teal thread. It reminded me of his hair and how the ends were the same hue.
“Thank you,” I murmured and wiped away my tears with it.
“I recall when you first came here, you wanted nothing more than to leave,” Morpheus said with a raised brow. “I wouldn’t have ever guessed you’d be sad to leave the Underworld behind.”
“But I am.” I shrugged. “I’m going to miss all of them. I feel like I’m leaving behind my home.” I peered over my shoulder, watching as Darce carefully pushed the boat through the water. His dark eyes were focused, seemingly unaware of our conversation.
“I’m sure his Lord would be relieved to know you feel that way,” Morpheus replied as I turned my gaze back to him. His finger tapped the top of my hand as his brow arched with curiosity.
“What did Arae give you as a parting gift?”
Slowly, I unfurled my hand, where Arae had placed the rose gold ring.
“Why do you think she gave me this?” I asked, tilting my chin with curiosity. He smiled slowly, as his eyes lit up for a moment. Carefully, he lifted the ring from my hand and chuckled. It was so soft, and yet, I felt it so deeply. My heart ached a little at the sound.
By the gleam in his eye, I knew it meant something. It had to.
“Was it Persephone’s?”
“It was,” Morpheus explained. “I’m curious as to how and why Arae obtained it.”
“Do you think Persephone left it behind?”
His smile faded as he placed the ring back in my palm.
“Perhaps.”
“Why is she giving it to me?”
“Because Summer,” he began. “She gave you something to remember her, and this place by. A thing to give you strength when you might need it later.”
Morpheus curled my fingers around the piece of jewelry.
“Keep it safe,” he said.
Arae
I was unsure what to feel when I first met Persephone—the daughter of the great Zeus and Demeter. I was, however, sure his Lord was insane. She’d come into our dark caverns like a brilliant stream of sunlight; much unlike anything in our dark caverns of shadows and death.
I couldn’t stand the simple gowns she wore; the weaving of flowers in her golden strands of hair as if she were a small child. She seemed naive and silly; commenting so pleasantly on all that she saw; all that she tasted and experienced. To be honest, she irritated me. Everything about her. Down to the silly pink silks she’d come dressed in from the world above.
/> I’d been gifted the power of bestowing the curses of the dead upon the living, while she seemed to carry the gift of beauty and innocence; something I’d never quite experienced in my long life. In a strange way, I resented her for it. I resented the way his Lord made her blush, the way he’d gift her beautiful things for simply laughing. And she had besotted nearly every male within sight - including the stoic Morpheus.
“Your mother must think you’re a child.” I muttered under my breath one evening as she slipped a forget-me-not into her hair; a flower Hades had brought her from the world above.
“You dress like one.”
She seemed astonished by my words, for she looked down at her simple dress. “This is my mother’s favorite color,” She explained softly. It was all I could do to not let out a laugh.
“I’m sure it is,” I snorted. “Are you your mother’s daughter or your own person now? After all, are you not his Lord’s Queen now?” Perhaps I had pressed too much. Her cheeks turned a perfect shade of red as she turned her gaze away.
Persephone became quiet. I suddenly regretted my anger. We were women after all, the two of us. She was just as alone as I was. Perhaps even more. As she struggled to find the words, I interjected, wanting to extend an olive branch to her.
“I think green would be a much better color on you.”
I watched as she shifted her gaze to mine; her eyes full of hope.
“I’m going to make sure you have a wardrobe fit for a Lady of the Underworld.”
From that moment forward, we started a friendship unlike any other in my life. She was like a sister to me—a sister I never knew I’d ever wanted.
While I dressed her in greens, dark shades of violet, black and silver, and sometimes cream, we discovered secrets about each other. She told me of the days in the sun with her mother; the parties of Mount Olympus, the strained relationship with her father—Zeus. I watched her transform, as if she had blossomed into something new. A good gown could do immaculate things for one’s appearance and seemingly, for the soul.
As time pressed forward, as she’d been found by the Gods, and been forced into a bargain to compromise her time, saying goodbye became a part of our forged friendship.
I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling in my stomach as I combed her hair one evening. It was just as before—on the day Hades has come from the human world with her.
Persephone sighed, as if she too, felt the same.
“Are you alright?”
“It’s my last day.”
I felt my shoulders slump and my frown deepen. “I had forgotten.”
“I’ve been dreading it,” she said quietly. “I barely slept.”
“Is something troubling you?” I put the comb down and separated her hair, weaving the pieces one over the other, into a tight, neat braid.
“I have a dreadful feeling. W—worse than any time before.” As her voice cracked, I looked over her shoulder. She twisted her ring around her finger indelicately, as though she were nervous. “I had a dream. It troubled me so.”
I felt a pulse of anger. “I’ll have a word with Morpheus—”
“No!” She spun around, hands up in defense. There was worry in her expression. “It wasn’t Morpheus. I can tell now which ones are his dreams. This was different.”
I didn’t know what to make of her confession. I’d never been the type to give into my emotions; not as freely as Persephone, but it felt easy with her. I knelt beside her and clasped her hands in mine. In the time that I had known her, served her, I had never seen her so worried.
“This is not your last day,” I started gently, “I know it gets harder and harder as time goes on. A constant loop, but . . .mil’ady, you’ll be back.”
Her eyes met mine, heavy with exhaustion. No amount of powder or kohl would persuade the purple bags and lines away.
“It does feel harder to go this time.”
I nodded. “Indeed it does.”
“You’re such a good friend to me, Arae.”
I patted her hand wordlessly and started to stand, but she tugged on my wrist and placed something in my palm. She curled my fingers around it and held my gaze for a second longer. There was a seriousness to her now, the same look she gave when she needed to be a Queen.
“Arae, I want you to have this.”
“Mil’ady?” I stared at the ring with wide eyes, uncertain of the reason. “But this is—”
“Please keep it safe for me,” a small, measured smile broke through, “so that you can give it to me when I return.”
I opened my hand. “But. . .why?”
“A God once told me it was best to leave bits of ourselves with the people we love. Perhaps it will be as though I never left. Even if it’s just. . .a small speck of myself.”
“Who in the world—”
“The God of Love,” she said with a small smile. Of course.
“Please, just hold onto it for me, will you?”
My heart pounded in my ears. This was the ring the Lord had given to her; a sign of their unity. And for such a thing to be left behind. I wondered what truly she was leaving behind. I squeezed the ring tightly in my fist.
“I’ll be sure to give it to you when you come home to us.”
“Thank you, Arae.” She stood and brushed out the wrinkles in her gown. “I’m off then to find Morpheus. Will you tell Hades where I’m going?”
“Of course.”
I watched her go, all the while still gripping the ring. I wondered then what she had dreamt about, why she had seemed so worried; so . . . afraid.
“Mil’ady?” I called out just as she slipped past the door frame.
She popped her head back in. “Yes?”
“I’ll pack your bag for you,” I said, just as I always did. Her features seemed to lax and she nodded.
“Thank you.”
“You will come home to us.” I added quickly with assurance. I wasn’t sure if I was saying it more for myself or for her.
“Of course I will,” she beamed. “How else will I get my ring back?”
As she disappeared around the corner, I resisted the strange urge to go find Thanatos. As much as I craved a distraction, the last thing I wanted was to give away any secrets belonging to her.
She deserved better than that.
Chapter 4
I was exhausted by the time we reached Athens. Night had already painted the sky; a thick blanket of darkness had taken hold. Despite the brilliant lights from the city, some stars glittered from above. I had fallen asleep in the boat, and only remembered being carried up the stairs by Morpheus. I could smell the sweet scent of honey and mint on his skin as I curled in closer to his warmth. I recalled hearing Darce’s voice as they spoke to one another. Spoke of Hermes, who had already gone ahead of us, and was waiting at the hotel. I recalled the darkness that enveloped us as they traveled from the coast, back to the busy streets of Athens.
The echo of their shoes against a marble floor echoed in my ears, and I knew we had returned to the same hotel Darce and I had fled. How long had it been since then? Weeks? Months? Time always seemed to pass differently in the Underworld.
I opened my eyes as Morpheus lowered me into a soft, plush chair in the quiet lobby. For the first time, I saw him without his wings.
“Are we here already?” I yawned.
“Yes,” Morpheus whispered, sliding his hand away from my side. I tried to push myself upright in the chair, but he placed his hand on my arm.
“Just wait here.”
“Where is Darce?”
“Making some arrangements.”
My eyes felt heavy with sleep, and I glanced around the familiar, glittering lobby. Everything was exactly as it had been before. The high, arched ceiling was still adorned with a beautiful stained-glass skylight. Grand chandeliers hung above us, illuminating the marbled walls and floor. It was busier than I remembered. More people and staff loitered about, chatting or carting luggage.
As I turned my attention b
ack to Morpheus, I found myself biting my bottom lip.
“It’s strange to be back here. Back in my own. . .world.”
“Is it?” He asked.
“Even stranger to see you without your wings.”
“Can’t draw too much attention to myself,” Morpheus explained, tilting his chin towards the direction of the guests nearby. A few of the women, and a handful of men, were eyeing him from their corners.
“I’m afraid even without your wings, Morpheus, you draw attention.”
He was beautiful. Even more beautiful than any other God I’d seen in the Underworld – except for Darce, of course. From the glint in his eye, he knew what I meant. A small smirk grew on his lips before he turned away from me.
Darce strolled up to the two of us and handed Morpheus a key.
“See you in the morning,” Darce said, looking a little grim. Morpheus nodded in silent agreement and flashed me one last look before making his way to an elevator.
I was about to push myself to my feet when Darce leaned forward; his arms hoisting me up against him.
“Time for bed,” he said gently. His expression had eased.
“I can walk,” I said, wrapping an arm around his neck. Darce chuckled and nodded.
“I know you can,” he replied. “Indulge me.”
I felt somewhat silly as he carried me through the crowd to the same set of elevators Morpheus had gone to. Thankfully though, no one joined us the whole way up. I was even grateful that the hallway was empty, except for the two of us. I caught our reflections in the metallic surface of the doors. We made an odd pair. Darce, who was as handsome as ever with his chiseled nose and sharp jaw; his almond shaped eyes, and thick brows. Then there was me, with my sleepy brown eyes and thick brown hair. I leaned my cheek against his shoulder and sighed. I thought maybe I would look different now that I was a Goddess.
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