My Life From Hell (30 page)

Guess he thought our chat was over.

Guess again.

I grabbed his sleeve.

He shook me off.

I grabbed him again and tugged him around to face me. I brought up my light vine with my free hand. Just enough so he could see the glow. “Take one more step and I’ll gift wrap your ass.”

His fingertips sparked red and he smiled mercilessly. “Try it.”

I tsked him. “Temper, Fee.”

He bristled. “Don’t. Ever. Call. Me. That.”

“You’d be amazed at what I call you. And you love it.”

Festos blinked, obviously confused.

I rolled my eyes. “Not like that, idiot.” I leaned in and lowered my voice. “I’m breaking Prometheus out tomorrow night. During the ball. And I need your help.”

He pried my hand off of his arm. “On so many levels, why? Should I believe you? Should I trust you? Should I help you? Should I care?”

“Because you love him.”

Now Festos looked outright shocked. He turned to the Pyrosim and snapped, “Go find someone to bring in the chandelier or I’ll personally hand Hades the fire extinguisher to put you out.”

The minions floated off.

Festos grabbed my arm and dragged me off to stand beside a twenty-foot-tall statue of my father prissily soaking his feet. Complete with giant, bunions sculpted in loving detail.

Gross. I averted my eyes.

Festos’ gaze drifted over the route Kai had taken out of the room, as if he expected to see him standing there, and feeding me info.

“Kai didn’t say a word.”

“
Kai?!
”

“Kyrillos. I said Kyrillos.”

Festos stared at me, obviously suspicious, and leaning heavily on his cane. “Who are you? You’re not Persephone, so don’t even bother pushing that lie.” He ran the tip of the cane in a sweeping motion up my body. “You got the outside right. But the rest? Way off base.”

I thrilled at the fact that he’d had realized even that much, except it made me wonder whether his hatred for Persephone was so strong that he noted any little deviation in her personality. Which made me wonder about him and me, which led me to shutting down that train of thought. “Yeah,” I said, “I’m vastly improved. Which is why in reality you and I are friends, I’m not stuck in this stupid body, and you’re dating Prometheus.”

“Doubtful,” he muttered.

“You are so friends with me.”

He planted his hands on his hips. “How do you know that’s what I was referring to?”

I just stared at him.

“Whatever. Besides, there is no reality in which I’m dating Prometheus.”

“Okay, that’s true.”

He looked crestfallen.

I relented, resting my arm along the statue’s knee. “His name is Theo. He’s lost his Titan self. He loves you. This?” I waved a hand around the room, “Is all just an enchantment. Long story.”

“Summarize.” His tone brooked no argument.

I summarized.

He opened his mouth, then shut it again. Then spoke. “I have no idea what part of that I believe the least.”

I tapped a finger against the statue, impatiently. I needed Fee on the same page here. “Just believe that I love that stupid Titan, too. I have a way to break him out but for this enchantment to end, everyone needs to see the truth of the situation. Which is where you come in. Have you been invited to the ball?”

His lips thinned. “As help in case my party favor malfunctions. As if it would.”

“Boo hoo. Get over it. Can the help bring a helper? Like Aletheia, the Spirit of Truth?”

“Truth is not really welcome in the Underworld.”

“But you could smuggle her in?” I smiled sweetly at him. “I know how clever you are.”

He smiled back with twice the sugar factor. “Yes, I am.” Then he dropped it. “So stuff the kiss up.”

I made a “get on with it” gesture with one hand. “And?”

“Theoretically. Yes. I could smuggle her in. If so inclined. Which I am not yet.”

“Please.” I brought my hands together in time honored begging formation. “The fate of humanity depends on Aletheia revealing the enchantment.”

“Eh.” He shrugged, indifferent.

“The fate of you ever getting to have hot kisses with the guy you love does, too.”

His eyes narrowed. “While that second part is all fine and good,
you
got Prometheus thrown into Tartarus.”

My face fell.

He smirked. “Yeah. Didn’t realize I knew that part, did you? Tell me why would I take any of what you’re saying on faith alone?”

My shoulders slumped. I didn’t have proof. That was the problem. I rubbed nervously at my neck, and my fingers felt the cool silver of my chain.
The ring!

I pulled it out from under my shirt and showed it to him. “You made me this.”

Festos peered at it, then held out his hand. I hesitated, reluctant to part with it. “Hurry up,” Festos hissed, at the sound of stomping on the far side of the room.

I yanked the chain over my head. Placed it and the ring in his open palm. Then I turned to check out the commotion.

Some other smaller giant—not one of the three busy guarding Prometheus, but a thirty footer nonetheless—clomped slowly across the room, holding a massive wrought-iron chandelier. The thing must have weighed a ton, with its dozens of metal scrolls, hundreds of candle cups, and thousands of glittering crystal teardrops.

But that wasn’t what was slowing him down. The chandelier blocked his view and he was trying not to squash the now-scattering creatures in the hall. Each painful step was a teetering accomplishment.

Four minions floated behind him, with another flying by his head. Presumably to guide the giant to where the chandelier belonged.

I turned back to Festos who was busy examining the ring.

He tested its weight. He held it up close to his eye. He licked it. Then, he returned it to me. “It’s my work. But I don’t understand how.”

“Doesn’t matter. Just do me the one favor. No, two.”

“Don’t push it.”

“Get Aletheia here in time for the ball. If I’m wrong, well, you can do your worst.”

He thought it over for a moment, keeping one eye on the quickly approaching work force. Luckily, the throne room was as big as a football field, so even the giant took a bit of time crossing it. “I’ll do my best. What’s the second thing?”

“How do I break Prometheus out of the chain you made, and is it supposed to be on fire?”

“Fire?” he screeched.

“Shh!” I glanced nervously around. The giant was making so much noise with the chandelier that no one paid Festos any attention.

“Kyrillos is dead,” he muttered.

“He did that?” Kai and I would be having words when this was over.

“It’s overkill,” Festos snarled. “The chain is strong, and painful enough without adding fire. That was just to hurt Prometheus.” Fee’s eyes glazed red.

“Forget Kyrillos,” I said hurriedly, not wanting Festos to erupt. “Focus on Prometheus. What do I do?”

“Nothing.” I started to protest but Festos shook his head at me. “
I
do it.” His expression softened, and he stared into the distance. “I can whip up what I need, but barely on this timeline, and not until I finish up with
that
.” He threw an annoyed look toward the chandelier before returning his attention to me. “Meet me under the throne room at 2AM Thursday morning.”

“Thank you,” I sighed. I turned to leave, but froze as he gripped my arm, his fingers digging into my skin.

“But if you’re wrong and you’ve made me hope for the impossible?” He leaned close to my ear. “Not even the gods will be able to help you.”

I shivered at the malice in his voice.

Then, he released me and strode off toward the giant, hollering directions.

I rubbed my stinging arm, and took a deep breath. Then let it out hard as I realized what I’d agreed to. Meeting Festos under the throne room in the early hours before the equinox. Site and rough time frame of Persephone’s murder.

Way to go, clever girl.

Eighteen

Five minutes later I was still kind of paralyzed, with worry. I tried to get Festos’ attention, but he blatantly ignored me. He was testing jets of fire and lava from each individual candle cup on the chandelier. That was one way to light up a room.

I’m sure the result would be spectacular, but I’d leave my close up
oohing
and
ahhing
for the night of the ball. Besides, the one time I did manage to make eye contact with him, Festos tossed me a look that promised burns from the dancing plumes of flame if I came any closer.

Since I had zero desire to take him up on that experience, I kept my distance. Besides, there was no need to panic, right? I mean, Demeter and I had left on perfectly good terms. She’d kissed me.

Hmmm. Mafioso kissed people before killing them, too, didn’t they? My pulse spiked. I brightened a little when I figured that, even if she did come to whack me she might have second thoughts doing it in front of a room full of witnesses. At the very least, I’d be with Festos, Prometheus, Aletheia, and possibly Oizys. Although it wasn’t like Demeter had to worry about getting arrested so what did witnesses matter?

Jaw set, I scanned the room, looking at all the faces. Fact was, I didn’t have a single friend here. I watched Festos as, with a flick of his hand, he made the chandelier come alive with fire. Then, he pointedly turned his back on me. Again.

I saw Kyrillos, surrounded by fawning suck ups, while minions hovered protectively nearby. He spared me one hard look before charming his posse with a grin.

Not even my friends were my friends here.

The whole situation felt so unreal.

Dazedly, I wandered farther into the room. I felt one second out of synch with everyone else. The chatter around me sounded like a buzz, coming through a long tunnel. Colors seemed teeth-jarringly bright. Even walking felt too languid. Like I was streaming through a river of molasses.

I couldn’t breathe. I pressed a hand to my side, taking in gulping breaths of air, desperate to get my lungs to expand.

“Did you get his help?” Oizys asked. Suddenly in my way.

My chest loosened at the sight of her, and I took a much needed breath. “Yes. And you don’t need to sound so doubtful.”

She shrugged. “You dance in flowers. That doesn’t scream ‘competent’.”

“Give me a freaking break. I’m Goddess of Spring. I celebrate occasionally in a meadow. It’s not like I prance around with floral arrangements. Nor do I just get bored with people and forget about them. Guy in chains suffering? Who’s that?” I held myself stiffly, chin up, and added, “For your information, Hephaestus is coming to free Prometheus personally.”

She pursed her lips, displeased.

“Now what?”

“Prometheus isn’t going to be happy.”

Maybe for five minutes. Until Aletheia revealed the truth. At which point Theo would probably even hug me for bringing Fee to him, given how they’d left things.

My last hug?

Oizys took a step back, eyes huge.

Which made no sense until I realized that, in thinking about Theo and what lay ahead for us, I’d worn a dark enough look to bother her.

I smiled, thinly. Good.

Hurt flashed across her face.

And my stomach sank. I balled my fists. I was not going to apologize. She got to be as crabby as she wanted to me.

Guilt.

She didn’t even like me.

More guilt.

I sighed. “I have a lot on my mind. Look, there’s still stuff we need to take care of before the ball. Like the nectar, and getting us both a costume.”

“I want a floral arrangement.” Her voice was even. “For the costume.”

“You’re going to milk this, aren’t you?” I was resigned. But not really annoyed.

“Yes.” She headed off in typical stomping stride.