Page 51 of A Single Thread Of Hope

“It’s not your fault. She was trying to kill you. Anyway, being down here with me is better than being imprisoned beneath a volcano.”

That was true. “Typhon ate Lachesis, by the way.”

Letting out a belly laugh, Cerberus doubled over. “Good. Fucking old bitches. Bet she tasted like shit too.”

The other person on the bank cleared his throat, clearly tired of being ignored. “Are you not going to introduce me, Cydon?”

Thanatos was a bit of an enigma in the Underworld. Little known, and much more in line with the Christian visage of an angel, he had huge black wings that sucked in the light, and skin that had never seen the kiss of the sun. He looked like death, and that’s exactly what he was. But he was also my old friend.

“Depends. If I introduce her, are you going to steal her away from me and into those gates from which she can never emerge?”

Thanatos gave a heavy sigh. “Obviously not, Cy. If I wanted her, she’d already be drinking from the River of Forgetfulness.” The River Lethe was just past the gates to the Underworld, andit was Thanatos’s job to take you there and make you drink, so you’d forget your life and enjoy your afterlife, I guess.

“In that case, Wren, this is Thanatos, the God of Death. Thanatos, this is my Wren.”

He bowed at the waist, his wings shifting behind him to counterbalance the movement. “It is an honor to meet you, Wren. Sephy sends her condolences that she couldn’t meet you down here personally, but Hades is away, so she’s in charge. She’s using the time to redecorate the throne room. A few less skulls and a few more flowers, apparently.” His lips twitched, and I could imagine them sneaking around putting out lilies of the valley in place of a giant’s skull.

Wren raised an eyebrow. “Maybe there’s a middle ground, and she can use the skulls as planters? Good, uh, sustainability?”

Cerberus laughed loudly. “Oh, that’s a great idea. Can you imagine pansies growing out the eye sockets of those who tried to usurp him? So disrespectful. I adore it. I can’t wait to tell her.”

There was a brief tinkle of a bell attached to the side of the cliffs that formed the gates to the Underworld. Charon sighed and picked up his barge pole. “Well, death waits for no man. There was a full moon last night, and I swear, it always results in an influx. Plus, if they have to wait more than ten minutes, they succumb to temptation to lean too close to the river.” He rolled his eyes. “Wren, it was lovely to meet you. I hope to see you again on better terms. Cydon, come and visit soon. Bring some of that wine we like.”

I waved. “I’ll bring a whole case, and we’ll try recreating 1460.”

Charon shuddered. No matter how long your memory was, you always remembered that one time you drank so much, you nearly re-died.

Wren gasped and patted her pocket. “Oh! I forgot.” Grabbing a coin, she held it out to the Ferryman. “For my ride.”

Taking the coin, Charon flipped it, and it landed into the river, the souls swirling around it like fish around a pellet of fish food. “Thank you. It’s a little known secret that every time I’m paid, I throw it in the river, and that coin pays for another passage. It lets a soul rise from the Styx and climb onto the barge, allowing them to cross into the Underworld finally.”

She immediately reached back into her pocket and pulled out the second coin. “Everyone deserves a chance.” She tried to hand it to him, but he shook his head, a soft smile on his face.

“Ah, the universe chose well. Keep it; you never know when you might need it. I’ll take it from you then.” Jumping easily onto the barge, he waved as he pushed off.

I turned back to Thanatos while Wren was distracted. “Where is Hades?”

Thanatos just stared at me. “You know where he is, Cy.”

“And did they come up with a solution?”

Thanatos shook his head. “No, old friend. There is no easy, ‘get out of jail free’ card here.” Apparently, they’d been playing the Monopoly game I brought down last time. “But we both know that there’s a loophole for everything, even death. You just have to find it.”

I wanted to roar in frustration, but Wren needed me to be calm. Composed. We couldn’t both break down. “Maybe if I could talk to Hades? Or we could summon Apollo?”

Thanatos curled his lip at my father’s name. There was no love lost between my father and just about any God in existence. “The only person you could summon who could solve this problem would be Zeus, and he is not welcome in the Underworld.” Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen on any plane of existence. “Cy, if she steps foot into our domain, she will never leave. Right now, no one is coming for her. She is a child of no faith. But I find it interesting that her guide is a Celt, don’t you?”

I looked at Fea. I hadn’t realized she was from the Celtic Pantheon. “Do you know who she is? Have you met her before?”

Thanatos shook his head. “I’ve never met her, but I can tell where she belongs, if that makes sense. Sometimes it helps when it’s a busy day on the other side of the Styx.” He looked at Wren. “I’ll tell you what Hades will tell you. You have two choices. You can join us in here, where you’ll enjoy the Elysian Fields and eventually, be reunited with your Gods.”

In one thousand, two thousand, three thousand years. Who knew?

“Or you can trust that the universe doesn’t want to fuck you over one more time, and remain open to her guidance. You were her chosen one, and there has to be balance. Have a little faith.”

Fucking Mythics. Always so damn cryptic.

Stepping away, I wrapped my arm around Wren once more. “Thanks, Thanatos. I’ll bring you Candy Land next time I come down for games night. I think you guys will like it. Say hi to Hypnus for me.”

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