Page 99 of Hell On Earth
I looked at Hades hopefully, not yet ready to return to the house.
Warmth crept into his gaze, and he gently caressed my cheek. His head jerked to the right, but when I looked, the area behind us was empty.
“We are being watched again,” he said. The street faded away into nothingness and reformed as another beautiful mountain vista but in a much warmer place.
“Where are we now?” I asked.
Hades shrugged.
Megan unlocked her phone and opened an app. “The international plan I have on this thing doesn’t always mean that the GPS works, but it’s saying we’re somewhere in Mexico.”
“You need a satellite phone,” Oanen said.
“Are they waterproof?” she asked.
He frowned at her, and she grinned.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, looking at Hades.
“It’s another place I remember.” He turned and looked around. “Another village that is gone.”
“I can feel people that way,” Megan said, pointing.
“It’s not a good thing if you can feel them, is it?” I asked.
She shrugged a little. “I might need to take a quick side trip, but it’s not the worst.”
“Thank you for all that you do, daughter. The tasks given to you are not an easy burden to bear for a lifetime.”
“No, they’re not. So, why’d you give them to us?”
“Long ago, I sought to help my brother. The humans fascinated him. Their complex simplicity. When the other gods created creatures to torment humanity, I created the furies to reap the souls of those who had been too corrupted by them. He thanked me for my help by granting me Persephone and caging me in Hell.”
“No good deed goes unpunished somedays,” Megan said. “But it’s not always like that. We don’t know what happened to the other gods, but you’re still here. I’ve found that second chances usually happen to people who really deserve them. Don’t mess up this round.”
Hades hugged me close. “I won’t.”
“Now, let’s go explore,” she said.
After a quick wardrobe change into something more suitable for the warmer weather, which required a picture that Megan could send to Eliana, we hiked down the mountain a bit and wandered into a sizable town. Megan did have to make a quick run to Hell, which Oanen wasn’t too happy about, but she returned with a smile.
“It’s so much prettier down there now,” she said. “Love the soul fields. They look much happier. Not the guy I just dropped off. He’s in a room.”
“What happens to them in the rooms?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Hades said. “They have nothing to see or do and are simply left with an infinite amount of time to reflect on the lives they have led. Most feel anger for a very long time. If it ever turns to regret, they are taken to the rivers to decide their fates.”
“So that’s why it’s not overcrowded,” Megan said just before a food vendor caught her eye.
“Look! Fried chicken!” she yelled with a laugh as she dragged Oanen toward the cart.
“Hades.”
I turned to look at who had said Hades’ name.
Thanatos met my gaze as Hades roared beside me.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
