“His skill?”
“He could bring the dead back to life,” Apollo said. “I imagine Hades put him in Tartarus for that.”
Apollo took her hand, and the pull of his magic made her stomach turn. He smelled like wood and eucalyptus.
They found themselves in Lexa’s dark room. Her parents were asleep in the corner. The room smelled stale and the air was sticky and hot. Persephone glanced at Apollo, surprised to see his face was drawn and grim.
“I can see why you were desperate to bargain,” he said. “She’s nearly gone.”
The comment was an affirmation that Persephone had made the right decision, and as if Apollo heard that thought, he met her gaze.
“Are you sure you want this?”
“Yes.” Her voice was a whisper in the dark, and in the next second, the God of Music was holding a bow and arrow. The weapon was ethereal—glowing and shimmering in the shadow of the room. It was bizarre to witness a god dressed in a floral robe, holding such a majestic weapon.
Apollo strung the arrow, the veins in his arm popping as he pulled it back on the string, releasing soundlessly. The arrow hit the center of Lexa’s chest and vanished into a shower of shimmering magic.
Silence followed.
And nothing happened.
“It’s not working,” Persephone said, already feeling a sense of terror at the thought.
“It will,” Apollo said. “Tomorrow they’ll take her off the ventilator and she’ll wake up and breath on her own. She’ll be a living, breathing miracle. Exactly what you wanted.”
For some reason, those words left a horrible taste in Persephone’s mouth. She looked back at Lexa who was as still as a corpse.
“I’ll be in contact,” he said. “Your duties begin soon.”
Then he vanished.
And in the noisy ICU, Persephone wondered what she had done?
CHAPTER XVIII - THE FURIES
Persephone arrived at the hospital with Sybil two hours later. She was too anxious to stay away. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Apollo’s healing powers, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. She could feel it—a tangible darkness gathering behind her, gaining speed and depth and weight.
Would Lexa be healed enough by the time they took her off the ventilator? Would Hades intervene? What would happen once he discovered she’d bargained with Apollo? Would he see her decision as betrayal?
The guilt made her nauseous and lightheaded and as she headed into the elevator with
Sybil, she worried she’d have another panic attack. She wondered if the oracle sensed her
turmoil, especially when she glanced in her direction.
Instead, Sybil asked, “Did you do it?”
Persephone didn’t look at the oracle. She kept her gaze on the red number as it changed
from floor to floor.
“Yes.”
“What did you offer in exchange?”
She’d hoped to keep her bargain secret for as long as possible. She didn’t want to know what her friend actually thought of her choice.
“Time.”