Page 71 of Going to Hell
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Tell me more about Hell.”
She launched into stories about monsters I didn’t know, entertaining me with their daily struggles. This person burnt the roast pig. That person stepped on-so-and-so’s tail. A cyclops thought it would be funny to put his eye in another person’s soup and had to wait three days to get it back.
I didn’t realize I’d finished my stew until she paused.
“Would you like to summon Father for more?”
I glanced at the bowl I’d wiped clean with my bread. “I’m fine. But how would I summon him?”
“You used to have to say, ‘Hades, my love, I have need of you.’ Remember? But you made a better deal with him so you only have to say his name now.”
“And he can hear me?”
“Father said he would give you his world to hear his name tumble from your lips.” She giggled. “You cut off your lips.”
I sat there stunned and glad I’d finished eating before that bit of information.
“And how long does it take him to find me once I say his name?” I asked.
She gave a shrug. “When you summon him, he does not delay. He hopes it’s to fulfill your union.”
“Ah. I see.”
She nodded sadly. “Yes.”
“Other than carving painful chairs with your fingernails, what do you do to keep yourself busy around here?”
I learned that Zotera spent most of her time lying at the base of her mother’s chair, missing the woman who’d abused her daughter her whole life. Not long after hearing that bit of information, Hades strode into the room. He looked irritated and lost in thought as he made his way across the space.
“Is there a problem?” I asked when he reached us.
“Goddess, yes. You removed Creon from his work for too long. There are scrolls that should exist but are missing.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to reiterate that I wasn’t a goddess.
“Does that mean it will take longer to find my uncle?” I asked.
“Of course.” The accusation in Hades’ voice added to my mental exhaustion. It felt like it had been days since I’d last slept, and I’d already been tired before the long walk to the Throne Room. The trauma of freeing Creon and learning more about Hell and the woman who looked like me just added to the toll.
“I understand,” I said finally. “Is there maybe a room nearby where I could rest?”
I felt too exposed in the Throne Room to dare to close my eyes. The mood the statues cast didn’t help, either. Besides, Hades liked to magic up comfortable rooms with nice things, and after the long day I’d had, I wouldn’t mind sleeping on a nice bed. Not at all.
His intense gaze locked with mine.
“You wish to rest?”
The sultry rumble in his tone sent a shiver through me.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
“Yes.I thought I could rest while you help Creon,” I said, making it clear that I wasn’t extending an invitation to join me.
Hades offered his hand without commenting, and I glanced at Zotera, who watched me with pity in her eyes. It was enough to remind me of all the horrible things that had been happening in Hell and to be careful.
There was so much I didn’t yet understand about Hades’ relationship with Persephone. Yet, he had kept me safe so far, and I had no reason to start doubting that now.
