Page 82 of Persephone's Curse
“And what’s the hole in the sky?” Maybe asked.
“One of Persephone’s footsteps, the weak spots. We think when Evelyn came back, it sort of ripped it open,” Clara said.
“Right.”
“Maybe if Henry came back—maybe if you would just come back now, Henry!—he would know how to fix it,” Clara said.
“But he can’t come back,” Evelyn said, still staring at the crystal. “Wetried.”
“You really went to the Underworld?” Maybe asked.
“Yes.”
“What was it like?”
Evelyn tore her gaze away from the crystal and looked at Maybe. “Horrible. Beautiful. Miserable. Wonderful. Very overwhelming. If I’m being perfectly candid, I tried to get back last night, and it wouldn’t let me through.”
“You tried to WHAT?” Bernadette said loudly.
“The doorway is closed to me now,” Evelyn said.
“You tried togo back?” Bernadette said.
“I can’t leave him alone,” Evelyn said. “You don’t understand—”
“I don’t understand? I DON’T UNDERSTAND?”
“Bernadette,please—”
“I thought you said January first,” I said, and Evelyn looked at me, caught. “You told me January first.”
“She told you what?” Bernadette said, glaring at me. “You told herwhat? You were really going to go back? You want togo back?”
Evelyn ignored her and turned to me. “I know I told you January first, Winnie, but you don’t understand, I can’tsleep,he doesn’t have anybody, he shouldn’t be alone down there!”
“No wonder you fell in love with him; you’re bothinsufferable,” Bernadette said to Evelyn, pushing back from the table so abruptly that she knocked a taper candle over. It fell, harmlessly, toward the center of the table, extinguishing itself on the way down.
“I’minsufferable?” Evelyn said, her mouth tight, her eyebrows slanting dangerously downward.
“You’re insufferable and inconsiderate and you only think about yourself!”
“We should all try to remain calm,” Maybe said. “Did I not say that at the beginning of this? I need to add that to my introductions. Aggression, anger, negative emotions… They can all attract things we don’t want here.”
“The only thing I don’t want here isher,” Bernadette said, spitting her words at Evelyn.
“FINE,” Evelyn said, jumping to her feet, storming across the room, stomping her way downstairs.
“Can we talk to John Singer Sargent next?” Clara asked, as if she had not witnessed a single part of the last two minutes. “If nobody has anything else for Henry? No offense, Hen, I’ve just always wanted to talk to him.”
I had never once heard Clara call HenryHen,but I found it not necessary to bring up at the moment. Plus, Clara’s request had theadded benefit of immediately removing all the tension from the room, which, knowing her, might have been her intention all along. (Or, knowing her, she might have just actually wanted to speak to John Singer Sargent. It was a bit of a toss-up.)
“All right,” Maybe said. “I would guess everyone is thoroughly séance’d out. What do you say we close the portal?”
“Sure,” Bernadette said, falling back into her seat. “Fine. Whatever.”
“Henry, thank you very much for joining us,” Maybe said. “Our safe space here, our portal, it will remain open to you, and you only. If you have anything further to tell us, you can send us a message however you are able. Tonight, we’ll all leave paper and pencils on our bedside tables. You are free to speak with us there.”
“Can he really do that?” I asked.
