Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I sat on the red leather sofa, still basking in the afterglow of Gun and Cam’s group hug. I felt … content.

Ray materialized in front of me. “You need more hugs.”

I glanced up at the ghost. “Excuse me?”

“There’s a chapter in the psychology book I’m reading that says you need a minimum of four hugs a day just to survive.”

“Four per day? That sounds like a lot.”

“That’s because you have a hug deficiency.”

“Pops wasn’t much of a hugger.” And after he died, there was no one left to hug … until Fairhaven.

My phone trilled. I snatched it off the sofa the moment I registered Chief Garcia’s name. “Everything okay, chief?”

“Just got a call from Mrs. Baker. Sounds like the Hounds of Hades are back.”

My heart palpitated. That was faster than I anticipated. “I’ll head over there now. What’s the address?”

“62 Fuller Street. I’ll meet you.”

“No, absolutely not,” I said quickly. “No humans.” I hung up the phone before she could argue and hurried to the door .

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Nana Pratt asked.

“To stop a problem before it starts.” Although I didn’t understand why the Erinyes wouldn’t come straight to the Castle now that they knew where I lived. A question I’d hopefully get answered in a few minutes.

“No weapons?” she asked.

“No time.”

I bolted from the house and started the truck, which wasn’t the smooth experience I hoped for. Gary was growing increasingly temperamental. The winter months seemed to have taken a toll on the aging pickup.

After an exercise in extreme patience, I drove to Fuller Street, searching the sky along the way for any sign of flying hellhounds. Nothing seemed amiss. No squawking birds. No dark clouds.

I parked in front of number 62 and exited the truck. An elderly woman stood behind the exterior glass door of the simple white house. I waved at her and indicated to close the interior door. I didn’t need an audience and Mrs. Baker didn’t need to endanger herself for the sake of a show. Just because she had the Sight didn’t mean she’d understand what she was seeing. Most of the local humans filled in their gaps of knowledge with their own explanations.

Mrs. Baker opened the exterior door. “Around back,” she shouted and let the door swing shut. Then she slammed the interior door, and I heard the lock click. I felt mildly better.

I inched along the side of the house, still baffled by their choice of location. The Erinyes were too sharp to have forgotten where they’d met me only days ago. Maybe this was some sort of trap.

The wind rustled, sweeping dirt and debris past the shed. A monstrous shadow formed on the side of the wall. Three giant heads—but only one massive body.

Not the Erinyes after all .

The sight of the three-headed shadow triggered an emotion in me I couldn’t identify. It wasn’t the rush of fear I expected.

“Cerberus?” I whispered. “Is that you?”

The creature crept out from behind the shed. I should’ve been terrified to see three giant heads with glowing eyes, fangs like obsidian knives, and acidic tongues aimed straight at me. Here was the physical manifestation of my longtime nightmares, except…

I didn’t simply recognize him—I knew him. My father’s vicious beast, the same one that had stationed himself beside my cradle each and every night when I was a child. The one that had accompanied me on all my travels throughout the underworld. My protector.

My best friend.

Tears streaked my cheeks. How was this the same creature that had tormented me in my nightmares for years? How had I failed to recognize him?

I opened my arms and whistled. “Here, boy!”

Cerberus charged.

I was fully prepared to be crushed the moment we made contact. As I fell backward, my fingers dug into his coarse black fur for purchase. I expected my back to slam into the hard ground. Instead, I continued falling, as though the earth had opened and swallowed us whole. The white house disappeared, along with the shed and the patchy green lawn.

Darkness gave way to light—a roaring fire in a snug room, rich in colors and textures. The walls were lined with bookshelves. In front of the inglenook fireplace sat a plush chair with a matching ottoman. A basket of needlework rested on the floor beside it.

I steadied my rapid breathing as I tried to grasp the situation. I knew I was in the underworld, but what I didn’t know was how or why .

Cerberus stayed by my side. His left-side head pushed against me, insistent on getting a scratch behind the ear. I complied, and with that one simple action, I was Melinoe again.

Once his itch was scratched, he stretched across the sheepskin rug in front of the fire, his body taking up most of the floor. I’d forgotten the details of him. The talons. The serpentine tail. I was so focused on memorizing every part of him that I failed to notice when a figure appeared in the doorway.

“Welcome home, darling.”

Her voice was strange, yet achingly familiar. As I pivoted toward the sound, I instinctively reached for a dagger I didn’t possess.

“You won’t be needing any weapons here. This is your domain, after all. Can I offer you a pomegranate juice? It’s fresh.” She held up a glass filled with purplish liquid. Her hair was the color of burnt umber and her eyes were a deep brown with golden glimmers, like two roasted chestnuts. Her essence screamed ancient, yet she wore black sweatpants and a cozy fleece. Despite a pair of flat, fuzzy slippers, she trumped me by at least three inches.

“No, thank you.” There was no chance I’d accept any food or drink while I was down here. I was familiar with the consequences.

As though reading my mind, she said, “There is nothing to fear, Melinoe. You were born in this realm. The homegrown food has no effect on you.”

“Please don’t be offended if I refuse to take your word for it.”

She cocked her head. “Do you not recognize me, niece? For I most certainly recognize your spirit if not your face.”

“Hestia.” The single word took me by surprise as it spilled effortlessly from my lips .

My response was rewarded with a smile more radiant than a sunbeam. “Thank the heavens. It’s been an age, child.”

“I don’t understand. What are you doing in the underworld?” Hestia was the goddess of hearth, home, and hospitality, but the underworld wasn’t hers.

“The realm fell into chaos after your father and mother disappeared. I’ve been holding down the fort until their return.”

Like Apep waiting on Anubis. It stood to reason that the more gods disappeared to the human realm, the more mess they’d leave behind in their respective ones. I was beginning to wonder whether The Corporation sought power in more than one realm. Lure away a god with waning power with the promise of a better life or possibly take them by force, then replace them with a puppet of their own.

Except where was the puppet?

“Has no one else tried to take over since we’ve all been gone?” I asked.

“Who else is there? As the rightful heir to the throne, the underworld is yours to govern. Your presence here means that I am finally free to return to my own.”

My heart fluttered. “No, I can’t possibly stay here. I don’t belong in the underworld.”

Hestia motioned around us. “Look around, my darling. This is your home. This is exactly where you belong.”

“I don’t understand. Why were you the one to take over?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why do you think? I am the first born of Rhea and Cronus. The eldest daughter. An overachiever. I developed a false sense of responsibility to others and have difficulty upholding boundaries, if I bother to set them in the first place.”

“If you know all this about yourself, then why step into my parents’ shoes?”

“Because I also have an ability to create a tranquil environment, and the underworld desperately needed that. My presence here has kept the inhabitants at ease. You don’t want to know what might have happened had I opted to leave the throne empty.”

My aunt was the epitome of calm. It made sense that she would be the goddess to act in my parents’ stead.

“I can’t stay here. I’m Melinoe, but I’m also a human named Lorelei. I serve as the liminal deity of a multirealm crossroads in a small town called Fairhaven.”

Hestia made a dismissive sound. “Who needs to be in charge of the crossroads in a small town when you can command an entire realm? Here you have the Five Rivers. The pools of Lethe and Mnemosyne. The Fields of Asphodel. And, of course, your very own throne.”

“I have a parlor room with a very nice sofa. It’s red.” No need to tell the goddess that I’d procured it from the side of the road before the trash truck arrived to haul it away. She might disown me.

Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “I don’t understand how this is even an argument. The underworld is yours to rule. It is your duty to take it.”

“I don’t want to rule.” I barely managed to shower and wear clean clothes most days. How could I be in charge of an entire realm?

“I cannot remain here indefinitely. I have my own home to attend to. If you refuse to take ownership, then we’ll have to find someone suitable to take my place until your parents return.”

Hope flared inside me. “What makes you certain they’ll be back?”

“We’re gods, darling. Which one of us hasn’t disappeared for an age, only to resume our rightful place later?”

I was afraid to ask my next question, but I plowed ahead, nonetheless. “Would you know if they weren’t able to return? ”

My question drew a blank look. “Why in the heavens would they be unable to return if they desired it?”

“Are you familiar with the term ‘obliteration?’”

Hestia’s hand flattened against her chest as she laughed heartily. “Oh, sweetness. That’s a myth. A story you tell young deities to keep them in line as their power develops. Nothing can destroy a god, not permanently.”

Confusion rattled my brain. It was possible that someone like Hestia, who’d remained in her otherworldly realm, was simply ignorant of the possibility. On the other hand, if she was right… I didn’t allow myself to entertain the thought any further.

“Why have you opted to stay in your realm? Haven’t you been the teeniest bit interested in life on earth?”

Her eyes darkened like two isolated storms. “Absolutely not. No good comes from meddling in the human realm in any way, shape, or form. Besides, I don’t need to prove my worth by comparing myself to paltry humans. I already know who I am.”

Was that the reason Hades and Persephone had chosen to become avatars? To not only be a god among mortals but to feel like one? That didn’t comport with the few details I remembered about them.

“Did you know my parents became avatars?”

“I am unfamiliar with the term.”

“They took human form.”

She waved a hand at me. “Like yours?”

“A little different. I was a natural born goddess. They inhabited humans who were already alive.”

Hestia offered an indignant sniff. “Nonsense. They’re simply on hiatus together. You were the one I was concerned about. You disappeared without a trace. Charon abandoned his ferry in order to bring me word directly.”

“My parents told you they were … taking a break? ”

“Yes, they announced their intended hiatus to the entire realm.”

“Did they say where they were going?” Because I had a hard time believing the headquarters of The Corporation was part of that official announcement.

Hestia’s mouth hitched at the corners. “Gods never do.”

What if Hades and Persephone hadn’t been willing participants? What if The Corporation had forced them into my parents with no way to escape and the threat of obliteration hanging over their heads? Just because deities like Aite had chosen to return in human form didn’t mean all the gods had a choice. It would explain Anubis’s sudden disappearance. On the other hand, if the organization had trafficked enough gods against their wills, it seemed to me there would’ve been an uprising long before now.

Maybe there had been. Maybe they’d lost.

Here I was, standing in the underworld of my birth, with more questions than answers. It figured.

“Where did Melinoe go in order to be reborn as Lorelei? How would that even happen?” Assuming Hestia was right, and I couldn’t be obliterated, how did I end up reemerging as someone else?

“I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that. You weren’t the most social creature. You tended to keep to yourself, much like your father.”

And it seemed the human apple didn’t fall far from the godly tree.

“Have you heard of The Corporation?”

“It’s my understanding there are many such companies in the human world, more than seems necessary for one puny realm.”

“It’s their actual name.”

“Hmm. Not very original, are they? I’m not sure about The Corporation, but I did have an unusual visitor recently. Charon apologized for ferrying them over. He said they presented the proper credentials.”

“I thought the proper credentials were to be dead.”

“Typically, yes. This wasn’t a soul, however. They claimed to be a god.”

“Which one?”

She waved a hand airily. “Not one of ours, so I sent him away. I didn’t bother to memorize his name. I assumed it was a trick, although now that I’ve spoken with you, I wonder if it was sort of divine intervention…” She laughed. “Imagine that. Divine intervention amongst the gods themselves.”

Pieces clicked into place. It was no coincidence that the Erinyes and Cerberus came in search of me not long after The Corporation learned of my identity. This outcome was exactly what they’d intended. The organization wanted me out of the way, so if I decided to remain in the underworld as its ruler, they win. If I refused, they’d take the consolation prize—one of their own in charge of the underworld instead. Also a win as far as they were concerned. The organization was obsessed with power and control. The underworld would be a coveted feather in their world domination cap.

The question remained—who would be the lucky (or unlucky, depending on your point of view) avatar?

Cerberus rolled onto his back and whined. I crouched beside him to rub his belly while I continued my conversation with my aunt.

“The visitor … he’s the one who told you where to find me, isn’t he?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, he was.”

“And then you sent the Erinyes to find me?”

“Yes. Once I received information of your existence, I asked them to locate you and report back to me, nothing more. ”

Maybe I’d misunderstood the attack, although I still didn’t know why they’d opted to retain their animal forms.

“And Cerberus?”

She heaved a sigh. “That monster left of his own accord once he learned of your location. I couldn’t stop him if I tried. He’s far too stubborn.”

“Who’s a good, stubborn boy?” I asked, scratching his fur as he twitched with pleasure. My whole life dogs had feared me, but not this one. Not the best one.

“Was the visitor from The Corporation?” Hestia asked.

I nodded. “I’d be careful about any future visitors. You can’t trust anyone from their organization.”

“How can I be sure you aren’t from there?”

I smiled. “You knew me before I recognized you.”

What had been two isolated storms were now as golden as the sun. “I knew you immediately, even though you look nothing like you once did.”

Curiosity got the better of me. “What did I look like?” It wasn’t as though she’d have a photograph lying around, but still—maybe there was a good stick figure on the side of an urn.

“You favor your father. He’s quite handsome, so there’s no shame in it. Your hair is the color of ash, and your eyes are the deepest, darkest part of a shadow.”

“Gee, I sound radiant.”

“Your spirit is.” Hestia smiled. “That’s where you favor your mother. You draw everyone to you like a moth to a flame.”

“You said I keep to myself, like my father.”

“Oh, that’s your preference, as it is his, but the shades flock to you.”

“I’m the goddess of ghosts, so that stands to reason.”

Laughter spurted from her nostrils. “It is not your ability to control that draws them to you; it is your very essence. They long to be near you. I always assumed it was because, as shades, you made them feel safe. Yet one more reason you belong on the throne in your parents’ stead.”

I couldn’t see myself lording over the realm, yet I couldn’t allow The Corporation to take charge of it either.

“Would you mind staying here a bit longer?” I asked. “This has all taken me by surprise, and I’m not prepared to give you an answer right now.”

Hestia bit her lip. “I suppose I can linger. Charon and I play poker once a week with a few others, and I do enjoy the company.”

Game night in the underworld. She was definitely my aunt.

“You have until the next solstice. Then I will be required elsewhere.”

“Summer solstice?” I confirmed, relieved she’d skipped straight over the vernal equinox given that was only a week away.

“Well, I’m certainly not waiting until winter solstice.”

“I promise I’ll figure out a solution. No more visitors, though. If they come again, tell Charon to refuse them entry.”

Her eyes glinted with suspicion. “There is something you’re not telling me about them.”

“I already said you can’t trust them. That’s as much as you need to know for now. I give you my word I’ll be back to have someone relieve you of your duties.” As long as that someone wasn’t me.

“Very well then. I trust you, niece. As far as I’m concerned, yours is the only word that matters.”