Page 8 of Monster Whisperer
Chapter 5
River
H
ades let me down a staircase to an apartment of sorts in the dungeon. It looked like it had been maintained better than the cells. It was an open floor plan, but it had everything I could possibly need. There was a bed that looked like it could be comfortable, a modern looking kitchen, a sofa, and a television.
I sat on the leather sofa which was surprisingly comfortable. Hades pulled one of the dining room chairs over and sat. He crossed his legs and elegantly pretended to pick invisible lint from his pants leg.
“If those monsters were your friends and you have these apartments, why not give them one?”
“First of all, they aren’tjustmonsters. They can look just like you and me. They are stuck in their monstrous form and being forced to kill other monsters while Gods bet on them. They have made some Gods wealthy.”
“How is that possible, and why haven’t you done anything about it?”
“One word. Demeter. She’s still upset about Persephone being my wife. She’s trying to force us apart. Persephone was doing her duty and visiting with her mother. Demeter was ranting again about how she wanted her to just stay and leave me. Persephone had enough. She told her mother that she loved me and wanted to stay with me. If she kept talking bad about me, Persephone would stop visiting with Demeter.
“You don’t know Demeter. She didn’t take that well at all. She drugged Persephone’s drink and took her hostage. She put this devious plan into motion. She visited Hephaestus and told him she was having a problem with monsters. She needed unique collars made. She recruited several of Artemis’s warriors. She told them Persephone told her she was tired of staying, and the monsters were terrorizing her in the Underworld.
“Demeter knows the way to the Underworld because of Persephone. She didn’t need Hermes to show her the way. She snuck in with her army, and they collared all the monsters here, trapping them. The collar also controls them. If they raise a hand against Demeter and her military, it will kill them.
“They drove me back to Tartarus while Demeter wreaked havoc in Elysian Fields. She started causing draughts and famine. I tried fighting back, but Demeter went on a smear campaign telling people Persephone wanted to leave, and I was keeping her here against her will. She told everyoneIhad Persephone in my castle, and she would continue to ruin the Underworld until I gave her back.
“Honestly, I don’t even know where my wife is at this point. I know Demeter has her, and she’s doing all this to make Persephone say she will stay with her. If I could find a way to get the collars off the monsters here and stop the pit fights, we could beat them, and I could get my wife back.”
I actually felt bad for the guy, and I could see why he had been desperate enough to kidnap me. It still didn’t change me not knowing the first thing about treating monsters.
“Hades, just because I can hear them doesn’t mean I can help them. I treat cats, dogs, and the occasional gerbil. I wouldn’t even know how to treat a minotaur.”
“You can still talk to them and keep their spirits up while I figure out how to get those collars off.”
“How close are you on that?”
“Hephaestus made them. They will not come off easily. There will be a trick or a key. I know I kidnapped you and you don’t have to stay. Will you help me, or should I bring you home?”
Maybe I was insane. The Underworld was in the middle of some war with a crazy mother-in-law. Still, I’d seen the look in those monsters’ eyes. They were lonely, and they were about to break. They needed me, and I’d never been able to turn away anyone in need before.
“I’ll stay. But if I’m staying in that apartment, Cerberus is staying with me.”
Hades grinned and held out his hand.
“You have yourself a deal, River.”
Chapter 6
River
A
ll Hades had to do was put his fingers to his lips and whistle. A swirling blue hole opened in the air, and Cerberus came bounding through. He ran straight to me instead of Hades.
“Traitor,” Hades grumbled.
“Are you staying? Are you? Are you?”Cerberus yelled, licking my face.
“Yes, I am,” I laughed, scratching one of his heads.
“The kitchen is stocked, but I didn’t know what you eat. If you have any requests, let me know. I don’t expect you to cook. Someone will bring you meals, but there’s food in case you get hungry between meals.”
