Page 85 of Going to Hell
“Mother,” Zotera said softly. “Father doesn’t—”
The first of them rushed toward me.
I spun and ran.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
A thunderof footsteps followed me. It didn’t tremble the ground like Hades’ anger but rattled my thoughts regardless. What level of crazy did it take for Persephone to want to be chased by monsters? Who would ever want this?
Behind me, I could hear Zotera’s voice rising above the cry of the creatures but couldn’t make out what she was saying. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t save me from them. Only one person could do that.
Running past the throne room, I lifted my skirt higher to lengthen my stride. A minute later, I blindly tore into the Hall of Records and slammed into Hades. Rather than bouncing off of him, I wrapped my arms around his torso and clung to him.
He immediately embraced me, one hand pressing between my shoulder blades and the other hand cradling the back of my head. Shivering, I stayed right there and listened to the monsters close in.
“She belongs to none,” Hades said softly when the noise settled to silence. “Go.”
I didn’t lift my head from his chest until I heard the last of them shuffle away.
“She didn’t go to the viewing pool,” Zotera said from behind me. “She chose ‘run and chase’ instead.”
I jerked back and shot her a disbelieving look.
“Run and chase? I didn’t choose that.”
“Did you run?” Hades asked, almost sounding bored.
“Because they chased me. I didn’t run first.”
He exhaled slowly. “If you do not wish to remember why you want to return home, so be it. Return to the throne room. I will have your surrender after I find the soul you seek.”
Hands on my shoulders, he turned me toward Zotera while those words sunk in. She gave me a pitying look as he nudged me toward the door. They both thought sleeping with Hades was the inevitable conclusion to this “game” they believed I played. They were in for some disappointment, though, once Hades found my uncle.
Calmer now that there weren’t creatures running after me, I took the hint and left with Zotera.
“Father should have punished me for disobeying him, Mother,” she said when we reached the hall. “We should return to him.”
“How did you disobey?”
“I didn’t take you to the viewing pool.”
“That wasn’t your fault. And I’m glad he didn’t insist on me going there or your punishment. Both are unnecessary.”
I certainly didn’t need a viewing pool to remember why I wanted to go home. Everything here was a constant reminder.
When Zotera and I entered the throne room, my mind was on what would happen once we found my uncle. How would Hades react? Would he release me once he knew who I wasn’t or punish me for not being the goddess he loved?
“Thank you for sparing me, Mother,” Zotera said, interrupting my thoughts. “But by sparing me, you also spare Father.”
I paused, not sure what she meant.
Before I could ask, I heard a whisper of noise behind us. I whirled toward the door, pulse jumping in anticipation of another monster. Instead, I saw a normal looking woman, maybe in her late thirties, standing there.
It took a moment to register just how “normal” she was. She wore jeans, a tee shirt, and held a phone in her hand. Modern things. Earth things. Her gaze shifted from the screen to me then back again. Recognition lit her gaze, and as it did, I saw her similarity to Megan in the shape and color of her eyes and her steady stare. This had to be her mother or grandmother.
Megan had sent help.
“Yes!” I yelled at the top of my lungs before laughing like crazy. “Finally!”
