Chapter 27

For the first time in a long time, Eurydice woke up with a smile on her face. It was better than being content; she was happy. She”d spent years in the Underworld without a complaint, but everything else was different when she woke up next to Pan.

He was still fast asleep, his broad body curled around her protectively as if he was worried, she”d try to sneak away.

As if there will be any getting rid of me now, Eurydice thought to herself. Her heart was so full, it was going to burst. She had loved Orpheus in a way for a time, but that time was over. She had crawled through hell, very literally, to understand the love she had with Pan was only actualized when she leaned into what she wanted. Eurydice was no longer sitting idly on the sidelines of her own life. She was no simple muse; she did not exist for the inspiration of others. She was going to grow and cultivate her life the way she wanted it, an ironic lesson to learn after you were dead, and that life included Pan.

He looked every inch the god of fertility as he made soft snoring sounds in his sleep. The late afternoon light was coming into the room, illuminating the wide shape of his shoulders and the dark hair that covered his olive skin. His warm, big hands traced over Eurydice”s body, reaching out for her even in his subconscious. Eurydice shifted slightly to get closer to Pan, relishing the soreness in her limbs.

Eurydice”s eyes fluttered closed, and she was prepared to doze off again, wrapped in her lover”s arms, when a rush of golden magic rippled through Hecate”s home. It woke Pan instantly, and they both sat up in bed, recognizing the potency of Hermes”s power. There was something urgent and anxious in the magical signature, which was uncharacteristic for Hermes.

”What do you...”

”Do you think we should...” Pan and Eurydice both started at the same time, and Eurydice motioned for Pan to continue. He smiled gently and kissed her softly, trailing his way down her throat in a series of kisses. He acted like he couldn”t get enough of her, and Eurydice relished in the sensation of being adored for who she was, not for what she could do or inspire for others.

”Let”s go see what your father wants.” Eurydice grinned, unable to somber completely. Pan groaned exaggeratedly, kissing Eurydice once more before he got out of bed and gave her a delicious view of his bare ass.

”Now I see why everyone complains about him interrupting,” Pan grunted. Eurydice said nothing as they both got dressed quickly, too happy to ruin the moment with any more words. Pan grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs to Hecate”s kitchen where Hermes was sitting on the countertop.

”If Hecate knows you”re sitting on the counter...” Pan cautioned. Hermes hopped off with a smirk on his face, but something was off about his countenance. It set Eurydice on edge. She found herself standing closer to Pan and intertwining her fingers with his.

”What bothers you?” Pan cut straight to the quick, sensing the tense atmosphere emanating from Hermes”s power that ebbed throughout the kitchen.

Hermes sighed heavily. ”Pan, you”ve been summoned to Hades”s throne room for an audience with the Lord of the Underworld.”

A twinge of panic twisted in Eurydice”s gut. In her experience, it was always an unknown being summoned to the Lord of the Dead”s hall. Pan”s expression darkened further, and he pulled Eurydice closer to him. His voice had dropped to a growl when he addressed his father.

”For what purpose?”

”I wasn”t told.” Hermes bit his lip. It was strange for Hermes to be requested to summon an audience and not know what it pertained to. It made Eurydice even more nervous, and she started shifting her weight back and forth. Pan sensed her discomfort and squeezed her hand tightly. Pan looked pensive for a moment, and Eurydice was surprised when he nodded in agreement without asking any additional questions.

”Then we”ll go.” Pan nodded his head solemnly, and Eurydice”s chest tightened. There was no way she was going to let him do this alone, and she appreciated that he’d said ”we.”

The journey to Hades”s estate was quick and silent. Eurydice could feel her anxiety growing as they got closer and the manor carved out of the side of a mountain of obsidian loomed over them. She never seemed to care too much before in her life, whether it was when she was alive or dead, but now that she had finally pushed past the voices in her head, she had found things worth fighting for, and she was afraid to lose them. If she lost the flowers or the trees, they would always come back to her as the world turned. The fields died every year, and they always returned.

Pan was as wild as the nature that functioned as an extension of his will, but he could be taken from Eurydice in a way that flowers could not.

Hades”s dominion loomed over them, imposing as ever, a constant watching eye over the Underworld. As the massive double doors to the estate swung open for Pan and Eurydice, Eurydice”s breath hitched. Pan”s arm slipped around her waist, and he squeezed her as close to his body as possible as they walked through the halls. Pan stopped her outside of the great room.

”Hades is a fair god.” His voice was steady. ”Don”t be frightened.”

”I can”t help it.” Eurydice shook her head. ”I feel like I just got you back in my life, for some reason, and now you”re going to be taken away from me. I know it doesn”t make any sense.”

”You”ve been through a lot, Eurydice.” Pan kissed her forehead softly, pinching her chin gently between his fingers and tilting her head up to look at him. ”I”m not going to let anything else happen to you, okay? I understand if you don”t want to trust Hades, but will you at least trust me?”

Eurydice nodded, going up on her tiptoes to kiss Pan soundly before she turned and shoved open the doors to the receiving hall, marching through without another second of hesitation with her head held high.

Hades was alone; the second throne on the dais sat empty. Eurydice”s stomach sank a little further; she wished Persephone was there. The goddess had a romantic heart that might be used to sway things in Eurydice’s favor...if she even knew why they had been called there in the first place. The braziers weren”t lit, and there was no obvious incense smoking throughout the cavernous room, making Eurydice feel slightly less intimidated. It didn’t seem as though Hades had pulled out all the stops to intimidate them.

Hades was sitting on his throne with his back straight and a completely neutral expression. If he was surprised to see Eurydice when only Pan had been summoned, he didn”t show it. It took a minute for Eurydice to realize Orpheus was also in the room, half hidden by a column on the exterior. Her heart rate jumped, and she pushed back against the urge to start screaming and demanding he be thrown out.The dread in Eurydice”s stomach calcified. If they had been summoned for anything good, Orpheus wouldn”t be in the room.

”Hades,” Pan greeted calmly, stopping a few feet from the dais. Eurydice was practically frozen to the spot. Pan squeezed her hand gently, and it pulled her back to the present. She nodded her head once in Hades”s direction to mimic Pan”s greeting.

”Pan.” Hades”s voice was calm. He was as still as stone and not even a single twitch in his expression revealed anything about his mood or what they were about to endure. Intense flashbacks started rolling through Eurydice”s mind as she found herself leaning on Pan for support, no longer subtly.

At the sight of a clearly distressed Eurydice, Hades”s face finally softened, but it was twinged with regret. He opened his mouth to speak, and Eurydice”s world shattered once again.

”Pan, your privileges to visit the Underworld have been revoked. The forests of Asphodel and Elysium belong first and foremost to the Underworld, not to you, which makes them a part of my domain...”

”That”s not fair!” Pan shouted, stepping towards the dais. His face contorted in anger, but Eurydice dropped her gaze to the floor.

This can”t be happening. This can”t be happening, not again...

”You are to leave directly from this hall and proceed to Greece. Thanatos and Hermes will accompany you as my representatives of the Underworld...” Hades kept on talking over Pan”s outburst, who looked prepared to jump up onto the throne and strangle Hades with his bare hands.

”You rotten bastard!” Pan was furious, his face beet red and spit flying from his mouth as he yelled. ”How dare you go back on your word, the infallible honor of Hades...”

As soon as the word ”honor” left Pan”s lips, Hades exploded. He jumped up from his throne and made it down the dais steps in the blink of an eye, grabbing Pan by the shoulder and giving him a hard shake. Black smoke started to pour in from the windows, and the sound of thunder shook the rafters. Eurydice fell to her knees and extended a hand out towards Hades and Pan.

”Pan, stop!” she screamed until she thought her temples might burst. ”Hades, don”t hurt him!”

”You know nothing of which you speak,” Hades growled, his voice shaking the entire room. He released Pan, who stumbled backwards but managed to keep his footing. Hades looked prepared to fight Pan on the spot, and Eurydice prayed that Pan wouldn”t choose now to make a stand. There was something in Hades”s eyes that Eurydice couldn”t quite place. Even though she didn”t know the god very well, none of this was worth dying for in the middle of the throne room.

”Pan, please.” Eurydice found her voice and was surprised at how calm she sounded. She stood up carefully and held out her hands toward him. ”It”s not worth it. We”ll... We”ll figure something out... Just go.”

The look on Pan”s face shattered Eurydice, sending pain and discomfort rattling through her body and down to her bones.

”I”m not like that son of a bitch,” Pan sneered, his attention turning to Orpheus. Orpheus was cowering in the corner of the room, keeping one eye on the chaos. ”I”ll fight for you, Eurydice. Do you understand that? No one will keep me from—”

”I”ll keep you wherever I damn well please,” Hades snapped, ”and that means not in my Underworld.”

”Hades, you—”

”Stop!” Eurydice called out again, getting Pan and Hades”s attention back on her. She walked over to Pan and threw her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she did so. Her voice was muffled when she spoke, keeping her words quiet and just for him.

”I know, Pan. I know. I can fight for myself though, okay?” She released a shaky breath, her previously calm voice starting to sound breathier and more upset. ”I need you to respect that. It”s about time everyone understood that Eurydice can fight her own battles. We”ll find a way to be together. I promise. Can you trust me? Can you do that?” Eurydice pulled away from Pan, placing her hands on either side of his face. They were both crying, and for once, Eurydice found herself hoping that no one would try and save her...and Pan would do exactly as she asked.

It was silent in the throne room for a perilous minute, even the thunder and clouds of Hades were deathly still. Eurydice was barely breathing until Pan let out a deep exhale and nodded his head solemnly. He didn”t look at Hades as he pulled Eurydice close to him and kissed her soundly. It didn”t matter who else was in the room; all that mattered to him was that this might be the last moment he had with her, and he wasn”t going to let it go.

”We”re not done. Do you understand me?” Pan whispered against Eurydice”s lips, their tears mixing with one another”s. She released a shaky sob, agreeing with him.

”I know, Pan. I know. But we can”t find a way together if you”re dead. Just listen to Hades for now.”

”Fine,” Pan acquiesced, kissing Eurydice one more time before she released him.

”She stays this time,” Hades interrupted, seemingly reading Eurydice”s thoughts as she prepared to walk Pan to the gates of hell. ”There”s no need for Eurydice to walk another suitor to the edge of the Underworld.”

Whatever decimated pieces of Eurydice”s heart were left dissolved into oblivion. She was surprised that she was able to stay standing as Pan spat at Hades”s feet and turned on his heel, marching towards the hallway where she could see Thanatos and Hermes waiting in the wings. Before he left the room, he found Eurydice, mouthing the words ”I love you” before Thanatos”s hand appeared on his shoulder.

”I love you too!” Eurydice sobbed, her voice sounding as wrecked as she felt. All her previous attempts at calm and bravado were ripped to shreds like torn clothing, but she knew it was up to her now to find out why there had been a sudden change in Hades”s ruling.

Eurydice had had enough of deciding whether or not she could be with this suitor or that immortal. The romantic games of deities had put her in the crossfire for too long. Now it was the time for everyone to understand just how much of a problem it was going to be for anyone who stood in her way. As Eurydice watched Pan disappear down the long hallway, flanked by gods on either side, her mind was made up.

I”m no longer a muse. I”m going to become a fucking problem.