Destined (44 page)

When Charon looked back, he was smiling. “I suppose I’ll see you again eventually anyway.” He reached out and stroked my cheek with his knobby fingers. “I’ve had fun though and I thank you for my day off.”

“
Fun
probably isn’t the word I would’ve picked, but I’m glad you came with me,” I answered. “And I’m serious. I couldn’t have made it without you.”

He gave me a light pat on the back. “All right, enough with the sap. Let’s get out of here.”

We both trotted back to Charon’s boat and he steadied it while I climbed inside, still clutching the box to my chest. Charon pushed us out into the river before climbing aboard himself. As soon as he was standing, he plunged his staff down to the river bottom and we were moving away from Hades.

I couldn’t help but sigh with relief as the shore was lost in the blackness of the cave. Persephone had been wonderful, but nothing else about Hades gave me any reason to look forward to the day I’d have to return.
 

As we glided through the darkness, I tried not to peer into the murky water. I didn’t want to see the hapless shades drifting like submerged clouds below the surface. But when I let my focus drift, something caught my attention and I had to look.

A pair of shades took shape. One was a woman who held her baby up to the surface. Her paper-thin lips pled the same silent word over and over until I was sure I could read what she was saying. Please. Please, she begged, and the infant’s
 
body broke through the surface.

“Charon!” I screamed. “Stop. We have to save them.” Working more on impulse than reason, I set the box down on the floor of the boat and reached out to the shades. I scooped the baby up into one arm and grabbed the mother around her wrist with my other hand. They were like holding solid air. They had shape, but no weight. When I pulled the mother up, she easily came over the edge of the boat without so much as making it tip.

 
By then, Charon had stopped paddling and turned on us. “What are you doing? Put them back. Now.”

Chapter 52 - Psyche

Charon loomed over us in the small boat. The shade mother took her weightless child out of my arms and cradled him while cowering on the floor. “Please,” she cried as she stroked her baby’s withered head. “At least let my son pass on.”

“Charon,” I pleaded. “We had a deal. You promised to help some of the shades in the river. Why not let these be the first?”

He just stood there, motionless. In the darkness I couldn’t read his expressions to gauge what he was thinking.
 

“Please. For me?” I asked. Seconds ticked by without an answer.

Finally, Charon grumbled, “It’s lucky I like you, or you’d be in the water with them.” But before he was even done grousing, he’d begun pulling the boat forward again.

Remembering why I was even on the river in the first place, I bent down to retrieve the wooden box from the floor. When I leaned over, the mother kissed me on the forehead.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know who you are, but may the gods be with you always.”

For the rest of the ride, I watched the mother and child huddle together. Their obvious love was so consuming, I moved to the floor of the boat, just to be nearer. In fact, I was so engrossed by them, I didn’t notice we’d emerged from the cave until our boat scraped to a stop on the shore.

That’s when I heard Eros’s voice calling my name.

Hearing him again was like getting my heart back. My chest had been empty without him and now it swelled. I jerked up and saw him half running, half flying toward me. His arms were outstretched, his lips pulled in a smile so wide it consumed his face.

I scooped the wooden box off the floor of the boat and scurried over the side and onto the sandy shore. Clasping the box tightly in one hand, I ran full speed toward him.
  

We quickly closed the distance to each other and I was only a few steps away from launching myself into his arms when I noticed a ribbon of color descending on me. The radiant hues tangled around my feet, tripping me as I ran. I was moving too fast to keep from falling. As I toppled, my chin smashed into the packed sand and the box skidded out of my hand, bouncing away.

I watched, eyes wide, as the box tipped onto its side and the lid cracked open. Scrambling on my hands and knees, I scurried to the box, hoping to close the lid before any of Persephone’s beauty escaped.

The last thing I remembered seeing was an illuminated fog circle up out of the box as my hands closed around it. The mist swirled around my head, filling my nose and mouth. When I gasped, the mist pulled me under the surface of my own consciousness. And everything went black.

Chapter 53 - Eros

Eros’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Charon’s boat emerge from the cave. At first, he didn’t see Psyche crouched low in the boat. An involuntary pull set his feet in motion, dragging him slowly toward the approaching ferry. Even if Psyche wasn’t on board, he had to see the boat, talk to Charon, figure out what happened. If nothing else, he would find out how to get into Hades so he could see Psyche one last time.

When Psyche’s head bobbed into view over the side of the boat, Eros exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’s been holding. His footsteps quickened as he hurried to reach the spot on the bank where Charon was mooring his boat.

“Psyche!” he yelled, now running and flapping his wings to push him faster. “Psyche!”

Relief washed through him as Psyche’s eyes met his and she scrambled to get out of the boat. He was amused that she wouldn’t leave without the little box that must be holding Persephone’s beauty. As if his mother could stop him now. He would have her again whether she fully completed Aphrodite’s task or not. He opened his arms wide so he could wrap them around Psyche the very second she was close enough to embrace.

Soft and low, Charon muttered, “You don’t deserve her, boy. Take good care of her, or someone else will.”

The warning was too low for Psyche’s ears, but Eros heard. He cut his eyes away from Psyche for a second to glare at Charon. What business did the old ferryman have telling him to take care of his love? Anger almost blinded Eros for a moment, but Psyche’s steps were so close, he quickly regained his elation.

Eros looked back at Psyche in time to see her eyes dart right. In a burst of rainbow-tinted speed, Iris swooped down on Psyche, wrapping up Psyche’s ankles in her vibrant tail. All he could do was watch as Psyche slammed into the ground. Overcome by rage, Eros lunged after Iris, but missed catching her.

“Damn it, Iris!” Eros shouted after her. “This is enough.”

He ripped his bow from his shoulder and snatched an arrow from his quiver. Taking aim at the sky, Eros said, “Helios,” and released the arrow. It shot into the sky and exploded in a burst of silver fire when it hit the sun god’s chariot.

Iris immediately stopped running and looked to the sky. Her violet eyes sparkled as her expression changed from vengeance to adoration.

Shooting toward the clouds, Iris left a glittery trail of color in her wake.

Satisfied that he was finally rid of Iris, Eros slung his bow back over his shoulder and hurried to Psyche. He knew he should’ve gone straight to her and dealt with Iris later, but his temper had gotten the best of him. Especially after the stunt she’d pulled last night by drugging him. If it hadn’t been for Iris, Eros could’ve saved Psyche from having to go into Hades at all.

As he reached her, Eros saw that Psyche wasn’t moving.
 

“Psyche. Psyche, are you okay?” He skidded to a stop by her shoulder and kneeled. The sand pressed into his knees as he reached down and scooped Psyche into his lap. Eros rolled Psyche over so he could see her face and cradle her head. Her expression was still and peaceful, a mask of tranquility.

Eros rocked her and stroked her hair. “You’ll be okay, Psyche. Everything’s okay now. You hear me? You’re safe with me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, boy,” Charon said. The old man leaned on his staff as he approached. “The box is empty.”

Eros’s jaw fell open when he saw Charon holding Psyche’s box, but he couldn’t stop rocking her. “No, I’ll protect her.” Eros whispered his conviction more to himself than Charon. Tears burned at his eyes. “She has to wake up. I need her.”

Charon crouched down and looked at Eros from across Psyche. “I didn’t want to see her back so soon either.” Charon’s old blue eyes misted as he looked away and back out over the lake. “She did everything right. It wasn’t her fault the box opened.”

Eros stopped his rocking to concentrate. “How do we fix this?”

Charon slowly stood and tossed the box to the ground. “She’s a mortal. There is no fix. She should be dead already.”

“But she’s not,” Eros said. “I can feel her heart beat. And she’s breathing. She’s not dead.” Eros looked down at Psyche and resumed his rocking. “I won’t let you die, love. Hang on with me until we figure this out.”

“Maybe we can take her back to Persephone and ask her what to do,” Charon said. “As fast as you fly, you could get her into Hades in no time.”

Eros’s face blanched. “I won’t take her in there. They can’t have her yet.”

Charon glared. “So you have a better idea then?”

“Enough fighting boys.” Queen Persephone’s warm, silken voice interrupted their argument. Her brown eyes flickered with calm and confidence as she looked between the two men. “I see we have a little problem here.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Charon said with a bow. “Your beauty escaped, but it wasn’t Psyche’s fault. She didn’t open the box.”

“I know,” Persephone said, waving Charon away with a dismissive flip of her hand and gliding to Eros and Psyche. She knelt down beside them and brushed Psyche’s cheek. “I actually wanted to see Aphrodite freak out when Psyche made it back.” A sad smile tugged at the corner of Persephone’s lips. “I saw it all.”

“Can you help her?” Eros asked.

Persephone shook her head. “I really don’t understand what’s happened to her. Charon’s right, she should be dead already.” Persephone looked down and scratched her forehead. “Was there anyone in her bloodline who was divine?”

“Yes. Yes, actually.” Eros’s arms wrapped tighter around Psyche’s shoulders. “Poseidon’s her father.”

Persephone nodded. “At least the necessity for a test makes more sense now.”

“Perhaps, my Queen,” Charon added, still standing outside of their circle, “you could take your beauty back.”

“I don’t see why not.” Persephone sat, crossing her legs. “Here, give her to me.” She gestured with her arms for Eros to slide Psyche over.

Eros’s muscles flexed as he lifted Psyche from his own lap and placed her head on Persephone. His fingertips lingered before sliding away from Psyche’s soft curls.