Page 88 of Love and Death
“I will pay what is owed for passage,” I begin, taking another step toward him, “but as you well know, you made adealwith Death. And I intend to collect on it.”
The wretched creature grumbles under his breath for a moment before letting out a deep moaning sigh.
“Fine, under one condition,” he sneers at me, his eyes flashing in the depths.
“No,” Cerberus interrupts before I can ask what he wants, Charon’s hood snapping toward him. “You are simply to ferry themsafelyto the other side. No deals, conditions, or deviations, am I understood?”
The hooded figure mumbles something unintelligible as he jerks a boney thumb toward his boat.
“I said, am I understood?” the hellhound snaps, startling the ferryman to attention.
“Yes,” he croaks.
“Good.” Cerberus strides across the dock and kneels to settle Death and Eros securely in the bottom of the boat before rising to hold out his hand to me. “Let me help you in.”
I take a steadying breath, and step forward to accept, more than happy to avoid touching Charon’s hand again. Settling onto one of the wooden seats, I turn to look up expectantly at the hellhound.
“Wait, wait, there is still the matter of payment. That will be, hmm,” Charon pretends to count on his twisted fingers, “four obols.”
“What? Why four,” I exclaim, looking down at the three coins I’d pulled out of my corset, suddenly realizing I don’t have enough to pay him.
“One for the pretty god here, one for the dog, and the two Death still owes me.”
“Is that true?” Cerberus questions. “Does Death still owe you two coins?”
“It is,” Charon says, his voice slithering down my spine.
“Three, then. As I am not crossing with them.”
“What?” Charon and I both gasp, although for entirely different reasons, and the ferryman quickly snatches all three obols from me in my shock.
“Hazel—”
“Don’t do this, please.”
“I have to.”
The ferry rocks as Charon steps down onto it,readying his pole.
“Why?”
Cerberus hesitates for a moment before kneeling down beside me on the dock, his eyes smoldering as they meet mine.
“Because I cannot trust myself around you,” he breathes, his voice too low for Charon to hear. “Eris was right about one thing … our bond was forced, and Hades will try to use it against me again.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You cannot promise that. Besides, someone has to guard the gates and hold hell back from chasing you.” His eyes search my face for a moment before he reaches up, and tears the sapphire ring from his ear, his jaw clenching against the pain.
“Here. Take these,” he insists, his voice catching as he grabs my hand and forces the ring and silver key into my palm, closing my fingers over them. “You must make sure Death gets these.”
“Why?”
“Death will know.”
The boat is suddenly pushed roughly away from the dock, forcing Cerberus and me apart.
“Wait, no, I cannot do this without you!”
