Chapter 28

Eurydice stared at the empty doorway, Pan”s frame long having disappeared from sight. A shaking hand appeared on her shoulder, trying to turn her in its direction.

”Eurydice?” Orpheus”s voice was shaky as he implored her. ”Why don”t you come home? It was a dreadful revelation, I”m sure, collecting all your memories, and Pan took advantage of that...”

Eurydice spun around, fury in her eyes. Thorns started appearing all down her arms while vines shot out from her hair.

”How dare you?” Eurydice shouted. She was ready to strangle Orpheus until the light drained from his eyes. Never before had she felt so much fury towards a living being. ”You want to talk about taking advantage of me? You tried to hide the fact from me that you abandoned me in the Underworld!”

”We can make it work,” Orpheus argued, ”if you would just be more like... Oomph!” Eurydice cut Orpheus off with a sharp slap to the face. She didn”t think; she just swung with an open hand and smacked him as hard as she could.

”You little prick,” Eurydice”s lip curled, ”get the fuck out of my sight. I never want to see you again. We will not be ”making it work” and I will never be synonymous with someone ever again. Even if I love them. The muse is speaking for herself now.”

Orpheus had stumbled away, clutching his cheek with an appalled and shocked expression on his face. Some of the thorns had sliced through his cheek, dripping crimson blood on his pristine white tunic. Orpheus turned around and started searching, whining when he saw Hades sitting on his throne, looking bored again.

”Hades! Did you see...”

”Do I look like a house maid or a midwife to you?” Hades growled, raising one dark brow. He had his bident sitting across his lap, and he picked it up. ”You sound like a squabbling child.”

Orpheus looked outraged. ”But Eurydice...”

”Your plan worked, Orpheus.” Hades stood up and crossed his arms over his broad chest. ”You pushed me until Pan got exiled, but you have to live with the consequences. Eurydice is not beholden to you in the slightest. You will certainly find no champion in me for your cause.” Hades”s voice dropped lower as he spoke, making the atmosphere in the room drop a little bit more.

Orpheus looked like a petulant child. Eurydice shivered at the change in temperature and also in remembrance of the time she had spent together with Orpheus. Everything about him now repulsed her; she could not believe that there was a time when she thought he was the be-all and end-all when it came to men.

”Eurydice...” Orpheus whimpered, looking towards Eurydice with a broken look on his face.

”Get out,” Hades commanded, pointing one finger towards the door. ”Before you are removed, and I promise I will not make it polite.”

The thunder rumbled again, and Orpheus turned on his heel and ran out of the room without a second glance. Eurydice was once again slightly stunned at how quickly he would abandon her after trying to declare his fealty. There was a heavy silence in the room, and Eurydice realized she didn”t quite know what to do next. There was no one beside her that she needed to consider, only herself.

The only thing I want to consider is how to get Pan back. Her thoughts were turned towards him. Maybe she was running into one relationship after another, but this one was her choice. Pan loved her; he’d always had. It was the kind of love that made her want to be better in spite of everything, to make decisions that benefitted herself for once.

”I am sorry for what happened.” Hades”s voice broke Eurydice”s train of thought. She jumped a little, momentarily forgetting that she was standing in Hades”s great hall with the infamous god.

”Lord Hades, why—” Eurydice turned around and was about to ask Hades why Pan had been banished when the doors to the room flung open. They slammed against the walls and sent cracks up to the rooftop, echoing throughout the cavernous room. Eurydice ducked and covered her head out of habit, but Hades only looked embarrassed.

”Hades! What in the fuck is going on in here? I have left you alone for two days and now... Oh, hi, Eurydice, darling.” Persephone stormed into the room. Her hair and tunic were whipping around her as she stormed through the doorway. As she walked, the pink swathes of fabric morphed to a darker red color, then crimson, and then black. Eurydice watched in equal parts admiration and horror as her crown of flowers died and the petals fell off, revealing a crown of open-mouthed skulls.

Persephone stopped in front of Eurydice, pulling her into a tight hug without a moment”s hesitation.

”I”m so sorry about this, lovely child.” Persephone made a tutting sound and turned around, pointing her finger at Hades. ”Would you like to explain yourself to me?”

Eurydice had never seen the fearsome Lord of the Underworld look afraid before, but Hades sat back down on his throne and blushed. Eurydice was watching one of Greece”s most fearsome gods blushing under the interrogation of his wife.

”Do you want to speak about this over dinner, my sweet wife?” Hades reached up and undid the knot in his hair, turning on the charm. He smiled warmly, his dark eyes glowing. ”I haven”t made that smoked fish for you in a few months...”

”Do not try to distract me, Hades Aidoneus Plouton Clymenus!” Persephone snapped. ”This conversation is relevant to Eurydice, anyway.”

”Honestly, I am dying to hear why this happened.” Eurydice shrugged, looking between Persephone and Hades. ”And I”ve done a lot of dying.” She pinned her gaze on Hades. ”I can”t fucking imagine why you”ve let this happen.”

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Eurydice”s eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. Perhaps she was emboldened by the appearance of Persephone, but Eurydice suddenly remembered she still didn”t have any place reprimanding the god of the dead. Persephone giggled, grabbing hold of Eurydice”s hand and giving it a squeeze.

”Don”t worry, love. He doesn”t mind it when women speak back to him.”

Eurydice”s mouth dropped open in surprise, and Hades groaned exaggeratedly, covering his face with his hand.

”Hades, please,” Persephone implored him, her expression softening. ”I can”t believe you would do this, after everything that”s happened.”

Hades stood up and crossed the room until he was standing next to Persephone. He wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer to him, Eurydice letting go of Persephone”s hand. There was a tenderness in the gesture that she didn”t imagine that Hades was capable of, even though the stories of how much he loved his wife stretched far and wide. It made her heart ache when she thought of Pan on his way to the gates of hell to be escorted out of the Underworld.

Hades told them both the story of what happened with Orpheus and Demeter, especially how he threatened Demeter and refused to let her run amok in the Underworld. Persephone”s anger ebbed and flowed with the story, her magic spiking every time she heard the mention of her mother”s name. Eurydice”s anger ebbed away. Orpheus had discovered the loophole, and she understood why Hades had to make the decision that he did. She just wished that it didn”t involve her losing the love of her life mere moments after they had finally come together. It was like dying on her wedding day all over again.

Eurydice turned away and walked towards one of the low benches along the wall, sinking down onto it as she tried to process the bevy of emotions that ran through her head. Persephone was now embracing Hades, and he was running a hand through her golden hair. Her anger had seemingly dissipated. While Eurydice was glad they had come to some sort of reconciliation, a placated Persephone was probably not going to fight for Eurydice like an angry one. To her surprise, Persephone picked up her head and looked directly at the nymph.

”How do we help Eurydice and Pan then, beloved?” Persephone grabbed both of Hades”s hands and raised a brow. ”We can”t leave everything like this.”

”I don”t know,” Hades admitted, stroking a hand through his beard. ”I didn”t want you to get stuck in the crossfire, Eurydice, but there was nothing I could do at the time. I couldn”t let Demeter have free reign in the Underworld.”

Persephone visibly shuddered at the mention of it, and Eurydice knew that she didn”t blame Hades for his decision. She was heartbroken over what it meant for her, but he had done it to protect his consort. Even Eurydice could see what kind of chaos it would cause if all the gods suddenly started using the loophole that Pan had been provided.

Hades opened his mouth to say something when a breeze fluttered through the door.

”What now?” Hades groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Makaria drifted in a moment later, the sweet smell of her magic and soft sparkling clouds accompanying her presence.

”Eurydice,” Makaria offered up a sad smile. She crossed the room and went straight to Eurydice”s side, sitting down on the bench and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. ”I came as soon as I heard. Thanatos told me. He”s ushering Pan to the gates with Hermes.” Makaria narrowed her gaze and stared at Hades with a venomous expression. ”What the hell did you do?”

Hades grunted and threw his hands up in exasperation. ”Are there any other goddesses who have an issue with the way I”m running my Underworld? Do you want to poll Nyx and Hecate?” Hades paused. ”On second thought, no, never mind. Let”s not. Let me have it, Makaria.”

”Your Underworld?” Persephone interrupted Hades first, tilting her head to the side and pursing her lips.

”I”m starting to see why Cronus wanted to eat everyone,” Hades grumbled under his breath, making his way back to his throne and collapsing down onto it. He said nothing as Persephone brought Makaria up to speed, who didn”t comment until Persephone was done speaking.

”But how do you feel, dearie?” Makaria turned to look at Eurydice first, her eyes filled with concern.

”I want Pan,” Eurydice sighed, looking at the trio of gods before her. ”I don”t know how, and I understand why Hades did what he had to do, but...it seems horrific if I”m staring down at a future without him.”

Persephone, Hades, and Makaria nodded in agreement, all of them looking imploring at one another as if one of the gods would have an answer to their problems.

Eurydice was horrified when she realized she had started to cry again, quickly wiping away at the tears on her cheeks. Makaria leaned over and helped her, using the hem of her own chiton to help Eurydice. Persephone looked between Eurydice and Hades, her expression changing from sorrowful to inquisitive.

”Hades,” she looked up at her husband, ”you”re open to some suggestions on how to fix this mess, correct?”

Hades stared down at his wife with a deadpan expression. “Persephone, what makes you think that you wouldn”t tell me your ideas anyway, and when have I not listened?”

Eurydice couldn”t help but chuckle a little under her breath at how Persephone had Hades wrapped around her little finger. Makaria nudged her shoulder, apparently picking up on the same thing.

”Well,” Persephone looked at Eurydice, ”everyone should have a fair chance in life, don”t you think?”

Hades”s mouth pulled into a thin line. ”Yes, I”d like to think that”s how this realm has been governed since long before you came along.” Persephone glared at him, and Hades held his hands up. ”But you have made such great improvements. Carry on.”

Persephone smiled. ”Orpheus had the same chance as Pan when he exploited the loophole regarding the Underworld. Shouldn”t Pan have the same chances as Orpheus?”

Total silence fell over the room. Eurydice was trying to figure out what Persephone was talking about. Surely Pan didn”t want to become a poet or have his chance at being an acolyte of Apollo.

”Are you talking about trying to curry favor with Apollo?” Makaria interrupted. ”That would be rather impossible since he”s dead. I can”t say that I feel sorry about that either.”

”I”m well aware,” Persephone and Hades answered at the same time. Hades immediately motioned for Persephone to continue.

”I”m not talking about Apollo,” Persephone said, her smile growing across her face. ”I”m talking about the chance to lead Eurydice out of hell.”

You could hear a sewing needle drop in the great hall. Eurydice”s heart jumped up into her throat. Could Persephone be suggesting what she thought she was? Would Hades give her a chance to follow Pan out of the Underworld, the way she had tried to follow Orpheus? Eurydice almost didn”t dare to hope. She wasn”t breathing as she stared at Hades”s face.

He looked stunned, deep in thought as he looked at Persephone and then Eurydice. Finally, when Eurydice thought she might be sick, Hades started nodding slowly.

”It would only be fair.” His grin turned into a wide smile. ”Pan should be allowed the opportunity to succeed where Orpheus failed. Eurydice, do you have any objections to the proposal?”

Eurydice thought she was going to faint. Could she do this again? Would she be able to make that journey? She loved Pan more than she had ever loved Orpheus, but that journey was not for the faint of heart. She had nightmares about it until the day she drank from Lethe and forgot about it entirely.

Isn”t it worth it, though? For Pan? Eurydice realized that her mind was already made up; she was just nervous about it. She slowly started nodding her head, her hands trembling in her lap. Makaria held her tighter.

”Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper. ”I would do it again. If it was for Pan... I trust him. I would make that journey for him again.”

Hades turned to face Eurydice, offering a slight bow of his head. Persephone clapped her hands together in joy as Hades decreed it. Eurydice felt the words of another bargain with the Lord of the Dead sink into her skin.

”Eurydice, nymph of the forests, twice now you have died and been sent to my realm. For the third and final time, I offer you the opportunity to escape the Underworld. You can follow Pan out of the gates of hell. If Pan does not look back, if he does not look behind even once to confirm that you are there, then you shall step into the sun and become an immortal, living nymph of the green earth above again. Do you accept?”

Eurydice”s nervousness was suddenly gone, replaced with a warm, gooey feeling of memories of Pan and running in the sunshine of the mortal realm. She saw the excited and supportive smiles of Persephone and Makaria, both of them who had been alongside her almost every step of the way.

Eurydice stood up and took a deep breath. She squared her shoulders back and looked at Hades, meeting his gaze.

”I accept.”

Eurydice was going to crawl up from hell for the second time.