Cringing, she said, “I really can’t remember.”
“It’s me, Hecate.”
Ever was startled. “Oh.” She blinked. “Another disguise?”
The girl’s cheeks dimpled. “Is it good?”
“Very,” she said feelingly. “But...why are you using a new disguise?”
“For practice,” Hecate answered simply. “My skills will get rusty if I don’t use it from time to time.” She gestured to the Great Hall. “Shall we proceed, milady?”
At her nod, they started to walk and Ever couldn’t help admitting with a grin, “I feel like I’ve turned you into a babysitter.”
Hecate rolled her eyes. “A babysitter who can turn you into a frog with a blink of my eyes.”
Ever stumbled at the threat and made a face at the way the goddess cackled. Considering Hecate looked no older than thirteen, it was extremely creepy and reminded Ever of the child from The Omen.
As they took their seats, Hecate noticed the prophesied queen staring warily at her. Deliberately making her voice sound even more childish, she asked Ever, “What is it, milady?”
Ever cringed. “Stop that.”
Hecate stared dolefully up at Ever. “What do you mean?”
Ever shuddered. “You’re giving me the creeps.” It was meant as an insult, but the way Hecate beamed told her she had failed.
After breakfast, Hecate told her mysteriously, “I have a surprise for you.”
“I don’t want to be part of your experiment,” Ever said right away, not liking the gleeful look on Hecate’s childlike face.
“It’s nothing like that. I just want you to meet one of your future subjects.”
Against her better judgment, Ever allowed herself to be led by the goddess, who used her power to transport them to a part of the Underworld that she had not yet seen. However, her surroundings still appeared familiar and after thinking hard, she exclaimed, “The Fields of Asphodels.”
Hecate clapped her hands in childish delight. “You are correct, milady.”
“But...” Ever’s brows furrowed. “Who did you want me to meet here?”
Hecate grinned. “Why, the subjects who reside here, milady.” And in a confidential tone, she whispered, “They’re all around you.”
Ever looked around her one more time. “I don’t see anyone.”
Hecate cackled. “But of course, milady. Only ghosts live in the Fields of Asphodels, don’t you remember?”
Ever ran away with a shriek.
Hecate beamed. Ever Carlisle was so fun to be with, she thought. She dearly hoped that the mortal would prove to be the prophesied queen.
Glancing up at the sky, Hecate used the length of the silver sun’s rays to tell the time. It was just ten in the morning, the goddess thought with a yawn. She was just going to lie here for a moment and wait until Ever came back.
Nothing bad could happen to the prophesied queen, anyway. This was the Underworld, and whomever Hades cared for, all his subjects would protect with their life.
EVER DIDN’T KNOW HOW much time had passed by the time she stopped running. What she did know, however, was that she had come to yet another part of the Underworld she hadn’t been to.
Bloody hell, I’m lost.
Like the rest of the Underworld, almost everything she saw was black. It was also deadly silent except for the faint cries coming from a distance. She followed the sound with a madly beating heart, telling herself that anyone was okay as long as the other person – creature – was alive and breathing.
Once in a while, she would bump into something and realize too late that she had walked into a tree or a boulder. The sound of cries had become more distinct as she continued walking, but so did the sound of rushing water.
Ever started to slow down.
The Underworld, she recalled uneasily, had five main rivers.
One of it was Acheron – the river of woe – and on which Charon, the Ferryman, carried the recently deceased into the Underworld.
Ever stumbled into a stop.
Did I just escape older ghosts...only to run into newborn ghosts?
Ever took a step back.
From the distance, she heard an ancient voice croak out, “We have reached our destination, milady. I can row you no further than this.”
Bloody, bloody, bloody Charon!
That was Charon!
The fangirling part of her wanted to rush towards where the voice was coming from so she could shake hands with one of the Underworld’s most famous residents.
But the sensible part of her was already screaming and begging for her to run away.
Wherever the Ferryman was, the ghosts went.
She took another step back, her sensible part winning. It was nice almost meeting you, Ferry Man. She was still a fan, but she was a greater fan of continuing her life without encountering any ghost.
Ever was about to turn around when she heard a female voice answer Charon, “This is more than enough, Charon. I may no longer be with your lord, but I am still the prophesied queen.”
AFTER PATTING HER POCKET to make sure that she still had her coin to get Charon to ferry her back, Persephone began the long trek to the Underworld. It would have been so much easier if she could get one of those centaurs to ride, she thought with a sigh. But since Hades had a strange affection for those creatures, it would be safer if she feigned having a change of heart about them.