Page 27 of Love and Death
“In Eros’ palace?” Florence nods, and my head swims in confusion. “But … but she is here. She is one of the women being held here by Hades.”
“Not anymore.”
“Then, she escaped the palace?” I ask, hardly daring to believe it possible.
“Yes.”
“Did the others escape, too?”
She nods, and I nearly burst into tears over this news and the momentary reprieve it grants me from the heaviness in my soul.
“But I still don’t understand why you would ask Cerberus to send you here instead. This place is a nightmare that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
Florence tilts her head slightly to one side, as if she doesn’t quite know how to answer me.
“Because,” she finally starts, “yousawme. You cared enough to take an interest in me, despite your own troubles. You gave me something that few succubae ever come to know outside of infamy … a name. And, in doing so, you gave me hope. Now, I would like the chance to give you hope, if you will allow me.”
“Of course, I did not mean to sound ungrateful,” I sigh deeply. “Gods know I could use a friend here.”
“Then it is settled,” she says, smiling brightly. “I should also mention, now that we are friends, that there is another reason for me coming.”
“And that is,” I ask, suddenly wary again.
“I gave Death my word.”
I go still, mind and soul, at the mention of his name. Surely, I must have misheard her.
“You … you gave Death your word?” I say, the question barely more than a whisper on my lips.
“Yes,” Florence says, inching closer as she offers her hand to me.
“When was this? What did he say to you?”
“Come, let me help bathe you and tend to your wounds, and I will answer your questions as best as I can.”
I glance down at myself, suddenly reminded that I am sitting before her naked, dirty, and streaked with dried blood. Thankfully, the wild waves of my hair have helped to preserve some of my modesty. Still, my cheeks burn hot with embarrassment as I take her hand, allowing her to help me to my feet and over to the pool of steaming water.
Every inch of me aches, and I have to bite back a groan of discomfort as I carefully lower myself into the hot water and Florence quickly sets to work.
For a while, neither of us speaks. I give in to a moment of peace, the soft splash of water and sudsy lather of soaps filling my ears as Florence tenderly cares for me. If nothing else, it gives me a chance to gather my thoughts as I patiently wait for her to continue.
But, try as I might, I can only take her silence for so long before questions begin to flood my mind once again.
“Florence, you said you found Cerberus in Eros’ palace. Did he come back with you?”
I ask, turning to give the succubus a questioning look.
“No, I came alone.”
“How did you manage that with all the palace guards, not to mention the door being locked?”
“Ego and stone are easy to fool,” Florence says offhandedly. “As for the door, Cerberus gave me his keys.”
My eyes widen as she reaches into the folds of her dress and pulls out the set of keys that I’d watched thehellhound use earlier. Immediately, hope bursts to life in my chest, though I hardly dare to acknowledge its presence.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had this?! Hurry, help me out of this bath so that we can escape before Cerberus returns.”
The succubus’ fingers close over the keys before she quickly tucks them back into the folds of her dress.
