Daughter of Chaos (26 page)

There was nowhere to sit, but the boat began to move with the current as soon as I was aboard. I braced myself, trying not to fall overboard, and considered my options. Clearly, I would have to deal with Hades soon, and I had better come up with a plan before I met him. Making a decision, I closed my eyes and unbound my glamour.

I had never tried wearing a glamour for so long, and my skin tingled like a day-old sunburn as the spell faded. I glanced down at my arms; they looked familiar. Taking the mirror out of the pouch at my waist, I held it up to my face. My own eyes looked back at me, my own unremarkable and mortal features. I felt strangely relieved. At least whatever happened would happen to me, not to the girl who had been pretending to be a goddess.

The river cut through cavern after cavern, and the light of the lantern allowed me to make out the features of stalactites and stalagmites around me. Everything was still, except for the gently flowing water, and I didn’t see any signs of life. The air around me grew colder, and I thought wistfully of the warmth of the ratty old sweatshirt that was probably still lying in a heap beside my bed, half a world away. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my body, wishing the boat would hurry up.

In the darkness, I worked to summon Red magic. I had nothing else to do, and a faint voice in my mind whispered that I was running out of time to master my powers. I allowed myself to dwell on my fear of Hecate, banishing all thoughts of betrayal or anger. The fear filled me, and I started to shake, but when I felt like I couldn’t handle it any more, I extended my arms, palms down, and tried to open myself to Red magic. The boat surged, and I staggered to keep my balance. I peered into the water, startled.

The boat, which had been drifting quietly with the current, had sped up as if I’d attached a motor to it. The inky water was choppy around me, and I could see waves peaking in my wake. I raised my arms slightly, and the boat accelerated even more. I grinned broadly.

Lowering and raising my arms like a bird learning to fly, I played with the force I had summoned. The boat went alternately slow and quick under my command. It was a heady feeling. Sparks danced on my skin, and energy surged through me. I was having so much fun that I almost didn’t notice where I was.

The lamp on the boat sputtered and went out, and I found myself plunged once more into eerie darkness. Looking up, I saw the silver illumination of a tremendous gate over my head, and I dropped my arms in awe. The boat slowed to a crawl, and I didn’t even try to summon up any more magic. I knew I had just crossed into the Underworld, and my skin prickled.

The boat drifted to a ratty pier and bumped against it. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the edge of the pier and stepped off the boat. The earth felt like it was rocking under my feet, and I waited a moment for everything to right itself. I looked around, nervous.

I had come ashore near a worn footpath, lit with randomly placed torches along the cavern wall. There was no one around, but I felt sure that someone was watching my every move. Turning my head slowly, I scanned the shore, but nothing happened. Still, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my fingertips tingled. Someone was watching me, waiting to see what I would do.

I sucked in my breath and squared my shoulders. Without looking back at the boat, I began to walk up the path. Whatever was watching me followed: I heard a faint rustling behind me, but I didn’t allow myself to look back. In a few minutes, I would meet Hades, and I needed to come up with a story fast.

The path grew brighter, and I realized that the torches along the walls had been replaced with glowing candelabra and mirrored panels. One of the mirrors looked red, and leaning in for a closer look, I saw it wasn’t a mirror, but a perfectly polished gemstone. The corridor was dripping with diamonds and rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and I felt a chill in the pit of my stomach. What would a god of such wealth need from a Witch like myself?

With that thought, I entered a room that was more like a cathedral than an underground cave. The ceiling soared hundreds of feet in the air and veins of precious metal sparkled up the walls, climbing as far as I could see. Spellbound, I turned in a circle, trying to get a sense of the size of the place. A voice spoke coldly behind me.

“It is not often that the living wander into my throne room.”

I froze, still staring at the ceiling. Whispering a prayer to all the gods I’d ever heard about, I turned slowly to face Hades.

My first thought was that the Lord of the Dead looked sad. His robes blended into the cavern behind him, and at first I couldn’t tell whether he was sitting or standing. But his face! His eyes looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, and the hard lines around his mouth spoke of a lifetime of sorrows. He rustled, and I realized he had been sitting. Now he towered over me. Gods, he was tall!

I knelt before him, lowering my head. I knew that, with the exception of Hecate, I was standing before a god more powerful than any I had encountered so far, and I didn’t want to do anything to ignite his temper. Looking at the ground, I spoke. I had decided to keep it simple.

“Persephone sent me to you. My name is Darlena, and I am a Red Witch.”

My words echoed off the cavern walls, taunting me. Hades said nothing.

I risked a glance up at his hard, impassive face. His eyes were the only part of him that seemed alive: they glittered as he looked down at me. Afraid that I had made a horrible mistake, I quickly looked down. The silence stretched, and I began counting my breaths, trying to calm the fears that were growing inside me.

“You are younger than I expected.” Hades’ voice was rough and deep, and his words resonated in the empty cave. I kept my head down, but I nodded slightly. “I knew there was much fuss being made over you, but I did not expect such an untried child.”

I clenched my fist at his words, but said nothing. Hades could call me whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t blow me to smithereens or hand me over to Hecate.

“What do you understand about Red magic?”

Surprised at his question, I looked up. Hades sat back down and leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on my face. It seemed like every god I’d met had asked me that question, and they all expected a different answer. I eyed him, trying to gauge my best response, but his face gave nothing away.

“I know that it’s the magic of chaos,” I answered cautiously. He waited, his stare unwavering, so I continued. “It can be used to cause death, but it can also be used to manipulate love and other less deadly emotions.”

“You think that love is not a deadly force?” His voice grated against my ears, and I paused, feeling trapped. “You will answer me, Witch.”

I swallowed. “I used to think love wasn’t very powerful.” I paused, remembering Justin’s face when he realized I had cast a love spell on him. “Now, I’m not so sure.”

Hades seemed satisfied with this answer: his face didn’t change, but he sat back in his throne slightly, as if he was relaxing. “What have you done since you became a Red Witch?”

I closed my eyes, thinking back to all the events of the previous few weeks. “I have caused harm, and I have protected myself.” I didn’t want to go into any detail, but I felt sure I didn’t have to. Hades had known about me somehow, and I assumed he knew the answers to his questions before he even asked them. This felt like a test of some kind, but I couldn’t tell if I was passing or failing.

Then he asked, “Why have you come here to me?”

Would it be better for me to lie? I didn’t want to tell him that I had started to worry that his wife had betrayed me, but I couldn’t leave her out of my explanation completely. Choosing my words carefully, I said, “Persephone sent me here. She and I had discussed finding a way to use Red magic to create balance, not chaos.”

Hades nodded, and I blinked, startled. I had begun to get used to talking to a man as stiff as a statue. He gestured curtly with his hand, and I felt my legs move without my will, pushing me up off the floor into a standing position.

“Death is the ultimate balance, Witch. Would you seek to cheat me of my kingdom?”

I shook my head frantically. “Never. Persephone and I … I want to find a balance for the living. I would never presume to control the dead.”

“And yet, by your own admission, the magic you work causes death.”

“But it doesn’t have to!” Too frightened to check my words, I plowed ahead. “The first time I used Red magic, Hecate told me I had altered a fated pattern of death. I stopped death once, and I know I could do it again.”

A faint smirk played about his lips. “Are you standing here, in my realm, telling me that you want to prevent death? Doesn’t that worry you at all, Witch?”

He was right; I should have been terrified. I took a chance. “Everyone dies eventually. Does it matter to you if you get their souls now, or in a few years?”

There was silence in the cavern, and I was afraid I had gone too far. Then, all of a sudden, Hades threw back his head and laughed. His eyes crinkled up and his laughter echoed in the throne room. Suddenly, Hades seemed like a badly dressed version of Santa Claus. I stared at him, stunned.

When he finished laughing, he rose. “Little Witch, you are not as foolish as I thought. You are right; it matters not to me when the dead enter my realm. And”—his voice softened—“I know that my wife has often expressed a desire for mortals to live their lives in some degree of peace.” He strode purposefully toward me. “You may stay here as long as you need. But know this: the living do not easily come and go among the dead. I do not know how long I will be able to offer you shelter without some lasting harm befalling you.”

Hades held out his hand to me and I took it, uncertainly. His flesh was thin and cold, and I tried not to flinch. We shook hands once, solemnly, but I couldn’t help wondering whether his final statement had been a warning or a threat.

Hades led me from the throne room along a narrow passageway. “I cannot offer you accommodations such as you may be used to, but until Persephone makes her journey to me, you may use her rooms as your own.”

“Thank you.” I hesitated, not wanting to ask a foolish question. “What will I do while I am here?”

He glanced at me, almost smiling. “I seem to recall that you are highly desirable to certain gods, including that old crone Hecate.” I nodded nervously. “Rest assured that none can harm you here. Persephone sent you to me to seek sanctuary, and I gladly offer it. While you are here, you will practice your magic.”

“Thank you. If I had time to practice—” I broke off, not wanting to think about Rochelle and Hecate hunting me and waiting for me back in the world. Things wouldn’t be pretty once I went home, but I was determined to do better the next time I had to face Rochelle. Hades nodded, hearing my thoughts.

“When you leave my realm, you will again have adversaries to face. But for now, little Witch, you have time to rest, to strengthen, and to learn.” We had reached a carved wooden door fitted snugly into the cave wall. “I’ll leave you here to get your bearings. Feel free to use anything in these rooms.”

I hesitated for a moment. “What will I do for food?” I didn’t want to offend him, but I needed to ask; what if he decided he wanted to keep me there in the Underworld? I wouldn’t fall for the same trick that had bound Persephone.

Hades chuckled. “Don’t worry, I have no desire to trap a second wife. I will have some brought from aboveground.” I must have looked skeptical, because he sighed in exasperation. “Witch, I am not one for breaking faith. I have offered you sanctuary because of my wife, and I will not renege on that promise. As long as you are in my realm, you will be safe from all harm.”

“Thank you. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I tried to smile.

Hades looked sad. “Mortals rarely trust me. I should not have expected otherwise.”

Without another word he turned and stalked back toward the throne room. I felt bad for him, and I resolved that I would try to trust him. He’d been kind to me so far, and just because I had started to be suspicious of everyone didn’t mean that they were all out to get me. Hades had no reason to be my enemy, and from the way he had talked about Hecate, I wondered if he might even be my ally. It must be hard to be a god who no one trusts. I doubted that any Witches ever took Hades as a patron. Was it lonely? He seemed lonely, but maybe that was just because Persephone wasn’t here. Either way, I liked him. When he was out of sight, I opened the door to Persephone’s rooms.

The smell of dust rushed to greet me, and I coughed. Cautiously, I entered the room. Dried flowers were everywhere, arranged in vases, hanging from the ceiling, strewn across the floor. It looked like a postponed funeral, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for Persephone. Obviously, she missed her life aboveground: she’d tried to recreate springtime here in her cave, but the flowers were brown and battered. Petals and leaves crunched under my feet as I explored the vast chambers.

The ceiling of the first room was so high I almost couldn’t see it. It must have reached all the way to the top surface of the earth, because a jagged skylight cut into the ceiling allowed a patch of natural light into the room. There were candle stubs on the furniture, and an unlit torch waited by the door that led into the next room.