Chapter 19

Kane’s was the first face I saw when I arrived at the Castle. His eyes were closed as he sat in the wicker chair on the front porch.

“You’re back,” Nana Pratt said with evident relief.

“Never doubted it for a second,” Ray added.

I turned to greet the ghosts. “Wow. The window’s fixed. How long was I gone?”

“Only a day, thank the devil,” Kane said, rising to envelop me in a warm embrace. “I took care of the damage.”

“And how long have you been staking out my porch?”

“Not sure. Your chair is surprisingly comfortable, by the way.” He slid his hand through my hair and kissed me hungrily.

“Ahem,” Ray said.

With my arm around Kane’s waist, we retreated inside the house. Nana Pratt hurried to prepare a pot of tea.

“There are leftovers from game night if you’re hungry,” she said.

“Famished.”

Kane observed the kettle as it drifted to the stovetop. “ Would you mind giving Lorelei and I a bit of privacy? I can take care of feeding her. In fact, I insist on it.”

Nana Pratt looked to me for a response. “I’ll catch up with you and Ray later.”

The ghosts made themselves scarce. There was no sign of Claude.

“You’ll be pleased to know Alessandro is back to normal,” I said, as Kane took over kitchen duties.

“Dare I ask how you managed to escape with the shade?”

“We didn’t.” I told him the full story of Erika’s treachery. “I made a deal with Hel. She let us go on the condition that I ask The Corporation if they know Loki’s whereabouts. That’s her father.” And if anyone in the human world knew where to find the trickster god, it was the evil organization. “She kept Max as a hostage. If I don’t provide the information, Max can never leave. Unbeknownst to Hel, Max wants to stay, so he told me not to endanger myself by honoring the deal.”

Kane watched me closely. “But?”

“What? But nothing.”

He stood to pour boiling water into the teapot. “Are you certain? I sense conflicted feelings.”

Were there any other kind? “I’m just tired. It was a lot.”

While Kane prepared a plate of leftovers, my phone rang.

“It’s West. Do you mind if I answer really quick?”

Kane sighed but said nothing.

“Guards said you were back. Glad to hear your voice.”

“Thanks. Did I miss anything?”

“Chief Garcia would like to form a secret task force.”

“I guess she’s been mulling this over since our meeting.”

“Without a doubt. She wants Leo on it, and a few key supernaturals in town. We’d meet twice a month to share information and educate the police about the crossroads and potential threats. ”

I nodded. “Sounds good.”

“I’m thinking you, me, Sage, Phaedra, one of the mages, and Josie.”

I snorted. No surprise he failed to include Kane.

As though reading my thoughts, he said, “I thought introducing them to a prince of hell might be a bridge too far.”

Yeah, right. “Why Josie and not Otto?”

“Because Josie’s already a director of security. She’d be more useful on a task force than Otto.”

“But Otto keeps his ear to the ground, and he would feed us really well at the meetings.”

“In that case, maybe we could have them both. Which mage would you recommend?”

“Probably Gunther. Camryn would want her shamans to sage the meeting hall before she’d be willing to enter. The chief might not appreciate her eccentricity.”

West chuckled. “Right, Cam’s the eccentric one.”

“Okay, fine. Gun can be eccentric at times, but he’s a social creature. He knows how to work a room.” And how to judge one, but that wasn’t really relevant for our purposes.

“I’ll let you know when we put the first meeting on the calendar.” West hesitated. “I’m glad we told Elena. I’ve known her for years, but I suddenly feel like myself around her, like I could drop the mask.”

“And how does that feel?”

“Better than I expected. Thank you for that.”

“Don’t thank me. It was your idea.”

“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve avoided it indefinitely.”

“You didn’t want to burden her. Makes sense.”

He was silent for a moment. “I think it was more than that. I was afraid she’d reject me as her friend, and that scared me more than anything else.”

“I understand, West. More than you know. ”

“That’s the thing, Lorelei. I do know. I get it now. I get you .”

Tears pricked my eyes. I wasn’t sure why it meant so much to me to be known and understood by Weston Davies, who was only a friend and colleague, but it did.

“Speak soon,” West said and hung up.

Kane set two cups of tea on the table. “Davies was chatty today.”

I told him about the task force. “Would you want to be on it?”

“Not unless you want me to.”

“Because of West?”

“Of course not. I only like to give time where it’s needed, and I’m not sure my voice is necessary in that group, especially if you intend to include Josephine.”

We drank our tea, and I tried not to embarrass myself by eating like I’d been stranded on a deserted island for a month. Otto’s leftovers were every bit as delicious today as when they were fresh.

Kane glanced at his phone as it buzzed. “I’m needed at the club for a couple hours, but I can come back later. Would you like my company tonight?”

“I’d like nothing more.” Except maybe a hot shower, which I could accomplish after the demon left.

His goodbye kiss promised an evening that would make me forget my problems, and possibly even my name. A power nap was required if I wanted to stay awake tonight—and I most definitely did.

One piping hot shower later, I padded downstairs in clean clothes and nearly slipped on the bottom step as a vision materialized in front of me. Three figures stood outside the gate. They were in their female forms today, complete with matching crowns of hissing snakes. At least they’d opted not to have blood spilling from their eyes, although it was probably for their own benefit. Hard to see clearly with a river of red gushing from your eyeballs.

I walked outside to greet the Erinyes.

“Put the snakes away, aunties,” I said, crossing the bridge and stopping inside the gate. “They don’t intimidate me.”

“Does this mean you know us now?”

The familiarity of her gravelly voice startled me. For so many years, I’d believed Melinoe’s memories were wholly separate from mine. Inaccessible. My visit to my parents’ throne room in the underworld had dispelled that myth, however, and the walls between my memories and Melinoe’s seemed to grow thinner by the day.

“Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. The aunties. You acted as my caregivers when my mother was away for the season and my father was busy ruling.”

Megaera was the one most likely to fly off the handle over a minor slight. As a child, I’d tiptoed around her and tried my best not to catch her attention. Tisiphone liked to watch me build a tower of blocks and then knock them over before I managed to place the final one on top. Alecto’s voice was like sandpaper, a rough, endless sound that wore away at my nervous system. Small wonder I’d preferred the company of a three-headed monster. Cerberus was only lethal to others. The hellhound had slept by my side from infancy until… whenever I’d left. That part I still didn’t remember.

“We should’ve known we’d find you near a cemetery,” Tisiphone said. “The dead are your comfort zone, after all.”

“Why did you attack me last time you were here?” I asked.

“Our orders were to find you and carry you home,” Alecto said. “We tracked your scent to this house, but it was confusing to us. It was both you and not you at the same time. ”

“You could’ve changed form and spoken to me like a civilized fury. Problem solved.”

“I didn’t trust my senses, and I couldn’t be certain of your identity even if I’d asked you,” Alecto replied. “I thought perhaps you were a trick or a trap. Someone spelled with Melinoe’s scent. Changing forms would’ve left us vulnerable.”

“I deemed it unwise,” Megaera interrupted. “We flew home to report our findings to Hestia and reassess the situation.”

“And then Cerberus showed up.”

Megaera nodded. “At first Hestia asked us to stop him, but then she changed her mind. She trusted the beast would recognize you better than anybody, and she was right.” The fury paused. “But don’t tell her I said that. The goddess is insufferable enough as it is.”

“Why have you come back?” I asked. I doubted it was for a reunion. The Erinyes weren’t known for their sentimentality.

“You’re needed at home,” Tisiphone said.

“I’m aware of the situation. I made a deal with Hestia. I have until the summer solstice.”

“ We did not agree to your pact with her,” Megaera argued.

“I didn’t realize your signatures were required on the contract.”

“I see your new tongue is as sharp as your old one,” Tisiphone remarked. “Your father’s genes are difficult to overcome.”

“I’ll speak plainly then, so as not to wound you with it. I am not leaving this realm to live in the underworld. Not today. Not ever.”

The furies exchanged looks of frustration.

Tisiphone’s snakes hissed. “Your answer is unacceptable. ”

“And yet you’ll have to accept it anyway. That’s how free will works.”

Alecto extended a hand. “We demand that you come with us.”

“Or what? You’ll kidnap me to the underworld to rule as its queen? I hate to tell you, but that’s been done.”

The sisters weren’t amused. “You are the daughter of Persephone and Hades,” Megaera said. “Why would you choose to remain in a hovel such as this?” She waved a hand at the Castle looming behind me.

I held up a finger. “First, that hovel is my home. Don’t insult it. Second, I wasn’t raised to rule. I was raised to look after myself and a bunch of ghosts.”

“Precisely. Your duty is to the souls in the underworld, not the ones here,” Alecto said. “That is the entire purpose of your power to control their every move. Without you, the realm is at risk.”

“I don’t know how to rule.”

“We will be there to guide you,” Megaera said. “You will not be alone.”

“That’s the problem. I like my solitude.” Although it was becoming harder and harder to say that with a straight face, knowing I had two ghosts, a revenant, a romantic relationship, and a revolving door of friendly visitors.

“We have a host of other responsibilities,” Tisiphone said. “You will have peace.”

“We suggest you choose a consort,” Alecto added. “Your father was a much better ruler once he had your mother by his side. They made an excellent team.” Her tone softened at the mention of my parents.

“Why don’t the three of you rule?” I suggested. “Each one of you sits on the throne for a season and then divide the fourth season amongst yourselves. Or maybe Hestia would agree to a single season per year. ”

“And now I hear your grandmother’s voice in yours,” Alecto said. “Scheming and conspiring.”

“Negotiating,” I corrected her. I had no memories of Demeter. Not yet anyway.

“Our skills are needed outside the throne room,” Alecto said.

“As are mine,” I shot back.

All at once, the snakes reared on the furies’ heads.

“You are a disappointment, Melinoe,” Alecto seethed. “A disgrace. Your parents would be mortified by your stubbornness.”

“Then you don’t know my parents as well as you think.”

Tisiphone glanced at her sisters. “We cannot allow this to stand.”

“What’s your plan?” I demanded. “Beat me into submission? Because I don’t think my parents would look too kindly upon you for that.”

“We are vengeance personified,” Alecto seethed. “Your parents would expect nothing less of us.”

“And what would be your reason to inflict your vengeance on me? Who or what are you avenging?”

“Your refusal to take the throne is an affront to all of us in the underworld,” Tisiphone said. “Surely you can see that.”

“Listen, aunties. I have plenty of enemies and I have zero interest in adding three more to the list.”

“Then do the right thing,” Megaera said. “Honor your legacy.”

“What about your legacy? If the three of you are here, then who’s torturing evildoers in Tartarus?”

“If you’d assumed the throne, you’d know the answer to that already,” Alecto taunted.

“Aunt Hestia is the current ruler of the underworld. She gave me a deadline of summer solstice. If you don’t like it, take it up with her, but leave me out of it. ”

Alecto’s snakes writhed on her head, as though preparing to strike. “We should’ve carried you home when we had the chance.”

“You would’ve died trying.”

Megaera scowled. “Come along, sisters. I can see our efforts are in vain.”

“Until we meet again, Princess Melinoe,” Alecto sneered.

I stood rigid inside the gate until they disappeared from view. Only then did my legs begin to wobble. I leaned against a post for support and to normalize my breathing.

“I don’t need this extra stress,” I mumbled.

A familiar car pulled alongside the curb and parked. I pulled myself together and opened the gate for Ashley and Steven Pratt.

“This is a nice surprise,” I said.

“Is Nana with you?” Ashley asked.

“I think she’s inside.”

“Do you mind if we come in?” Steven asked. “I wanted to call first, but Ashley insisted that it be a surprise.”

“What’s wrong with a surprise?” Ashley asked. “It’s not like she can drop dead of a heart attack.”

They followed me through the foyer and into the kitchen. Nana Pratt’s hand flew to cover her mouth as she gasped.

“Your grandmother is thrilled to see you both.”

“She’ll be even more thrilled in a second.” Ashley slipped the straps of her backpack off her shoulders. “We come bearing gifts.” She unzipped the pack and produced a shiny black ball.

“Is that a scrying glass?” I asked. If so, it was unlike any I’d ever seen.

“Not quite,” Ashley said. “You know how I’m getting certified as a Witch’s Assistant? Well, we had to study a section on the spirit world. I guess because Phaedra was born a witch, she didn’t get to learn all the material we cover.” She held the orb aloft. “This ball should allow Steven and I to see Nana Pratt and speak to her directly.”

Nana Pratt smothered a cry of joy.

“Would you mind if we set this up on your table?” Ashley asked.

Nana Pratt jostled my elbow. “Say yes. Please.”

As if I’d refuse them. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” I said.

“Offer them snacks,” Nana Pratt hissed. “They look hungry.”

“Would anyone like a snack?” I asked. “I have no doubt your grandmother spent all of yesterday stress-baking cookies.”

“She’s a ghost,” Ashley said. “What does she have to be stressed about?”

I bit my tongue.

Steven smiled at the sight of my computer on the counter. “Hey, it still works.”

“When it’s in the mood,” I said.

Steven nudged his sister. “You and the computer have that in common.”

Ignoring her brother, Ashley set the black ball in the middle of the table. It started to roll to the side and was quickly rescued by Claude, who held the ball firmly until it was able to maintain its balance. I hadn’t even noticed the revenant scamper into the room.

“Thanks, Claude,” Ashley said, giving him a friendly pat.

“What do we do now?” Steven asked. “Start chanting about moons and stars?”

Ashley glared at him. “Joke all you want, but you’re going to be weeping into your pocket protector when you see Nana’s face for the first time in years.” She sat in a chair and motioned for Steven to do the same.

“Do you need me, or will I ruin it?” I asked .

“I wouldn’t mind the extra energy,” Ashley said.

I joined them at the table.

“Can’t you just order us to be visible?” Ray asked, hovering in the background.

“I don’t have that ability. You’re either visible to certain people or you’re not.”

My answer didn’t satisfy him. “But if a spell can make us visible, why can’t you?”

“I’m not an all-powerful genie.”

Ashley concentrated on the orb. “I need everyone’s hands on it.”

“Ghosts too?” I asked.

“Can’t hurt. We’re basically powering up the orb to generate magical energy.”

Five pairs of hands splayed across the orb. Claude tried to join but couldn’t find space. He slunk to the edge of the table in defeat.

Ashley looked up and gasped. “Wow. You look exactly the same.”

Steven stared in silence.

“You can see me?” Nana Pratt’s voice cracked with emotion.

“Every wrinkle. No offense. Can I hug you or will my arms go straight through?” Ashley asked.

“I’ve learned to make contact with solid objects,” Nana Pratt replied. “It’s not an exact science, but I think we can manage a hug.” She held out her arms and Ashley folded into them.

My heart stirred as I remembered how it felt to see my parents at the abandoned church in New York City. I’d been so desperate to hug them too, but it wasn’t to be.

Steven joined them in what became a group hug. I wasn’t sure who started to cry first.

It might’ve been me .

They stood holding each other for a solid five minutes. Ray dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve.

“You know you can’t actually produce tears, right?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“They feel real.”

Nana Pratt cupped Ashley’s face in her knobby hands. “You look so much like your father.” She released her to hold Steven’s face next. “And you are the spitting image of your mother. It’s like looking at the past in a funhouse mirror.”

“That’s how I feel right now,” Steven commented.

“It’s really great to see you again, Nana,” Ashley said. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. I’ve been wishing I could tell you to your face and now I can.” Lines of black mascara streaked her cheeks.

“Dearest, you know I’d do anything for you both. Absolutely anything.”

Like stay tethered to the mortal plane for eternity , I nearly said, but quickly thought better of it. There were some things her grandchildren didn’t need to know. It was up to Nana Pratt how she chose to spend her afterlife, even if she could be drinking beer straight from the tap in a place like Helheim.

“How do you feel about Ashley’s choice of career now?” I asked.

The elderly ghost closed her eyes in reverence. “I’ve never been prouder.”

Ashley frowned. “What do you mean ’now?’ Did she not approve before?”

“Your grandmother has been learning a lot about magic and the supernatural world,” I explained. “It’s changed her perspective.”

“I’ll be honest,” Steven said. “I’m still finding all this hard to process. ”

“That’s because you’re a man of logic, just like your grandfather,” Nana Pratt said.

Steven smiled at her. “Sounds like you might’ve been a woman of logic.”

“Not me. I was more of a doubting Thomas.” She gestured to the black orb. “But the proof is in the pudding, as they say.”

“As much as I hate to break this up, we need to go,” Steven said. “I have an appointment.”

“Already?” Ashley asked.

“I told you before we left, but you insisted on coming now anyway.”

“Fine.” Ashley used the hem of her shirt to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Don’t forget your orb,” I said.

“Do you mind if I leave it here?” Ashley asked. “It isn’t like I can speak to her at our house.”

Nana Pratt jerked toward me. “Unless you command me to go there, which you can do.”

Ashley’s eyes lit up. “You can send Nana to live with us permanently?”

“If we keep the ball at our house, then we could interact with her all the time,” Steven added, sounding equally enthusiastic.

“There are other considerations,” I said vaguely. “Why don’t we talk about it again when we have more time?”

Ashley’s head bobbed. “Yes, definitely.” She rolled the orb into her backpack and zipped the bag.

“Not so long between visits next time,” Nana Pratt told them.

“Promise,” Ashley said, blowing her a kiss.

“Get a haircut, Steven,” the ghost added quickly. “You look like a Beatle.”

Ashley cringed. “What kind of bugs have hair? Gross. ”

“Your grandkids are a different generation,” I said. “You’re going to have to update your references.”

We walked Ashley and Steven as far as the front porch. The siblings were in high spirits as they crossed the bridge. I smiled as Ashley stopped to hold her brother in a good-natured headlock.

“I haven’t seen them play like that since they were children,” Nana Pratt remarked.

Ashley seemed lighter than the girl I’d met at Bridger Farm. Then again, that girl had been nearly sacrificed to a monster, so not really a fair comparison.

“Maybe they’ll come back tomorrow, and we can discuss sending me to their house,” Nana Pratt mused. “Or if that doesn’t work out, we can have regular dates on the calendar. Oh, and Sunday dinners! I can cook a roast with those baby gold potatoes they like.”

Ray placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Or you can let them live their lives, Ingrid. You know how much they have to work to make ends meet. If you’re living with them or they’re always trying to fit visits with you into their schedules, it won’t leave time for much else.”

“Says the man whose granddaughter basically lives in the Castle,” Nana Pratt grumbled.

“Steven and Ashley have each other and they’re practically grown. They should be looking forward, not backward. Alicia is a lonely teenager in need of attention.”

“Are you sure about that?” Nana Pratt asked. “Every time she’s here, she brings another friend.”

“Let’s just agree that both of you care very much about your respective families,” I interjected.

“That’s certainly true,” Nana Pratt said begrudgingly. “Why do I get the impression that you don’t want to send me to their house?”

“Was I that obvious? ”

“You’re always obvious,” Ray said. “It’s one of your superpowers.”

“Why should I stay here when I have the opportunity to haunt the house of my own family?” Nana Pratt lifted her chin, indignant. “Is it because you want me here to cook and clean for you?”

“Of course not. I never expected you to do any of those things for me.”

“It’s because Lorelei is too kind to tell you what I already have,” Ray interrupted. “You’ll stunt their growth. They’re young and building their lives. If you’re a constant presence in their house, it’ll impact their behavior. They won’t bring potential partners home because they’ll worry about their privacy, or they’ll feel the need to hide you from friends and loved ones that might not understand. They’ll start walking on eggshells in their own home.”

Nana Pratt looked at me. “Do you walk on eggshells?”

“I set boundaries from the beginning,” I said, although it was obvious to all three of us I’d been absolute crap about upholding them. Ray and Nana Pratt were in and out of the house as often as they wished at this point.

“It’s harder to put boundaries in place when it’s family,” Ray said. “Your grandkids won’t want to upset you by telling you no. You won’t want to upset them by telling them no. You risk damaging the good relationship you have.”

“Sounds like you speak from experience,” I said.

Ray shrugged. “I’ve made mistakes. I’d like to think I’ve learned from them.”

Nana Pratt’s face grew contemplative. “It was wonderful to have a real conversation with them. To be seen and heard by them. I wanted the moment to never end.”

I understood how she felt.

“That’s what makes it so special,” Ray said. “If the moment never ended, you wouldn’t appreciate it. ”

I fired up the ancient computer.

“More research?” Ray asked.

“I’m online shopping.”

“For what?” Nana Pratt asked.

“An outfit that says I’m a goddess that can invoke your worst nightmare and I have the top five Clifton Strengths that middle management dreams of.”

“Are you finally getting a job?” Nana Pratt asked.

Ray’s frown was pure, unadulterated dismay. “Why would you agree to meet with them after all they’ve done?”

Nana Pratt blinked. “Meet who?”

“She’s going to say yes to a meeting with The Corporation.”

I typed suggestions in the search bar. “Did I mention donuts, Ray? And a conference room with a view?”

“It could be a view of the parking lot,” Nana Ray pointed out.

Ray wasn’t amused. “You said Max wants to stay in Helheim. Why would you willingly enter the lion’s den if you don’t need to?”

I stopped typing. “Because it’s time to be proactive. Play offense instead of defense, as Cam said. I want to protect myself and everyone I care about. As long as they keep sending minions, no one in Fairhaven is safe. If I can check under their hood, maybe identify a few faulty wires and loose plugs, I might be able to disable them.”

Ray smiled. “Your grandfather didn’t teach you anything about cars, did he?”

I shrugged. “You got the gist.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Nana Pratt said. “If you go inside their office, you might never come out.”

“Or you might come out as a different person,” Ray added.

“I’ll take precautions. ”

“Like what?” Ray demanded. “You don’t have enough information to know which precautionary measures to take.”

“I’ll insist on a few rules before I agree to enter the belly of the beast.”

“If they know the rules in advance, then they can plan how to break them,” Ray said.

“I see the risks quite clearly.” And I could also envision the rewards. Anubis. Loki. Hades and Persephone. If Hestia was right and there was truly no such thing as obliteration, then my parents were alive somewhere. Possibly weak and helpless but alive. I had to know the truth.

I opened the kitchen drawer where I’d dumped Posy’s business card. I pulled out my phone and typed a text message to her direct number.

One Boston cream. One cappuccino. One chance.

My finger hovered over the button for an extended moment. There’d be no going back from this. When I walked into their headquarters, they’d know exactly what to expect from me, yet I wouldn’t have a clue what to expect from them. If there was one thing I’d learned in my thirty-five years, it was that life was full of surprises. Some good. Some very, very bad.

I drew a deep breath and hit send.