The Gatekeeper's House (25 page)

“
How does having Athena give
us leverage?” Hephaestus asked. “You don’t plan to turn her over to
Zeus, do you, Lord Hades?”

“
No, of course not,” Hades
said. “But with her on our side, free from Poseidon’s prison, we
can create a veritable threat against Zeus, forcing his
cooperation.”

“
Without Poseidon on our
side,” Apollo said, “I’m not sure having Athena in our possession
will be enough to coerce Zeus into doing anything.”

“
If only Hermes and
Aphrodite would join us,” Than said. “They would be enough to even
our two sides.”

“
Hermes won’t go against his
father and king,” Artemis said.

“
And Aphrodite might be
persuaded,” Hephaestus started, “but she alone wouldn’t be enough.
Plus, there’s no way to communicate with her. Zeus has a block
around Mount Olympus.”

“
But my prayer reached
Zeus,” Therese said.

“
Yes,” Hephaestus conceded.
“Only he has access to the outside.”

“
Can’t we ask Demeter to
help us?” Therese asked.

Many eyes around the room turned to the
floor, which made Therese feel as though she had spoken out of
line. She was about to apologize when Persephone spoke.

“
I won’t say anything bad
about my mother, but as long as I’m away from her, she feels as if
I’m dead, and she falls into a deep depression. We’ve tried to get
her out of it before, with no success.”

“
Why doesn’t she join you
here for the six months you live in the Underworld?” Therese asked.
She trembled and worried she was going too far with her
questions.

“
She abhors this place,”
Hades said.

“
Does anyone know why?”
Therese looked around the room.

Hades waited for someone to answer as
he picked at his beard.

“
Because it’s dreadful
here.” Artemis broke the silence. “It’s gloomy and morose. Who
wants to live around the dead? Who doesn’t long to see sunshine?
Now let’s move on to our plan of rescue.”

Therese stood up on shaking knees,
unable to believe what she was doing. Why couldn’t she ever keep
quiet? Why was she always so bent on offering her ideas and
opinions? She couldn’t help herself, even when she knew it might
get her into trouble. “You’re wrong, Artemis.”

Persephone gasped and Hephaestus’s
mouth hung open at Therese’s blatant display of disrespect. Therese
did not mean to be disrespectful, but she couldn’t allow Artemis to
insult her new home. Artemis narrowed her eyes at Therese, making
the goddess of animal companions wish she could
disappear.

“
It’s not gloomy and
morose,” Therese continued. “Beautiful things happen down here.
Souls that are suffering find peace, and souls that have been cruel
to others get a chance to atone for their wrong choices and move
on. Plus, there are more things than the dead down here. The rats
are playful and inquisitive. Cerberus is cheerful when he’s been
fed. Even the Hydra is sometimes playful under the right
conditions. The horses are magnificent and clever. And the bats are
interesting to watch when they leave at night to feed. Did you know
that, when they return from feeding, the mother bats can find their
babies among the thousands? I think it’s by their voice or maybe by
their smell. Anyway, they are amazing creatures.

“
And the gods who live here
are also amazing. They may be intimidating, but they love one
another and are loyal to one another and they take their
responsibilities seriously. No one shirks here. I’ve found a
wonderful family here, and I can’t wait to be a part of it, and if
you gods who live on Mount Olympus can’t see the beauty and the joy
and the pleasure the Underworld has to offer, well, that doesn’t
necessarily mean Demeter can’t be persuaded to see it.” She
hesitated a moment as she studied all of the gods gazing back at
her. Had she gone on too long? Had she been rambling? Was she
making a fool of herself, as she had feared? “I just think we
shouldn’t abandon the idea of getting Demeter on our side,
especially if there’s any chance we can get Aphrodite, too.”
Therese sat down and averted her head as the heat rushed to her
cheeks. When would she ever learn to shut up?

As tears of embarrassment pricked the
backs of her eyes, she heard a prayer from Than.

You are
incredible.

She met his gaze and saw the love in
his face.

Hades cleared his throat. “Perhaps
Therese can be the one to help Demeter see the joy in my kingdom,
which so many despise.”

You have won my
heart
, came an unexpected prayer from
Hades.

She looked across the room at him and
was overjoyed to find a smile for her on his lips.

***

As the gods deliberated in his father’s
sitting room, Than escorted his brother’s soul to Tartarus to await
his body’s regeneration. Hip’s soul would not linger there
long.

“
Hypnos,” Than said. “Do you
know who you are and what’s happened?”

Hip blinked. “Remind, me
bro’.”

“
At least you know me.” Than
embraced his brother.

“
You’re unforgettable,” Hip
said, his ethereal hand patting Than on the back. “So serious and
solemn. But why am I here, away from my body, and not in the
Dreamworld, where I usually am? I miss Jen and want to kiss her as
soon as possible.”

Than explained what had
happened.

“
I remember now.” Hip
grimaced. “Why did you have to remind me?”

Than didn’t know what to say except,
“Sorry.”

“
Why don’t you keep me here,
out of my body, so I won’t have to experience that abominable agony
again tomorrow?”

“
We’d risk losing your body
to decay. Then we’d have to put you into something like a bird,
like we did for Therese’s parents.” Than tried to be cheerful for
his brother’s sake. “Maybe a jackrabbit? That would suit
you.”

“
So you
are
capable of making a joke. Good for
you, bro’.”

“
Maybe I’ll put you into a
turd instead.”

“
Right now that sounds
better than having my liver eaten out again.”

A shudder crept down Than’s spine. He
loved his brother and couldn’t bear to let him suffer. “We won’t
let that happen.” Although Than had been against Therese’s plan to
pierce the hearts of the vultures, he now thought better of it. “We
have a plan to protect you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two: The
Birds

“
I’m going with her,” Than
said to his father and to the other gods seated in a ring in his
father’s chambers.

Therese turned to him with raised
brows.

“
Because I’m death, I’m
everywhere,” Than continued. “I travel all over the world, ushering
in the souls. Zeus is used to my presence and won’t suspect me,
especially if he senses me lingering at Mount Ida, waiting to take
the soul of my brother.”

“
He’ll have guards,”
Hephaestus said.

“
I’ll tell them I’m there to
collect my brother’s soul,” Than replied. “No one knows exactly how
death works, except for those of us who have served in its
office.”

“
What if the guard is
Hermes?” Meg said.

“
He’ll know,” Tizzie
agreed.

“
Hermes escorted the dead
before you were born,” Alecto pointed out.

Hades picked at his beard. “It won’t be
Hermes.”

“
Hades is right,” Apollo
said.

“
Can you sense it?” Hecate
asked.

“
No,” Apollo replied. “But
my reason tells me that because Hermes has a special relationship
with the gods of the Underworld, Zeus would not risk putting him in
a role where he could be recruited by his enemy.”

Apollo’s reference to the relationship
they all had with Hermes made Than grit his teeth. He loved his
cousin and was hurt that they had fallen on opposite sides of this
conflict.

“
Think of it this way,” Than
urged. “If Therese is hurt or captured before she sends her arrows,
Hip will have to go through his torment all over again. If I’m
there to protect her, we have a greater chance of success. And if
she fails, I’ll be there to take my brother’s soul as soon as
possible, and maybe spare him a portion of the pain.”

He wished he could take his brother
before the birds descended, but he knew it to be impossible with
the immortals.

“
I think we should let
Thanatos go,” Persephone said.

“
I agree,” Artemis
said.

“
Hear, hear,” others
implored.

“
Then it is settled,” Hades
said. He turned to Therese, who was quiet. “How are your prayers to
Demeter?”

Than was proud of his future bride. She
had not only found a useful purpose for serving humanity and the
world as the goddess of animal companions, but she had also managed
to become a key player among them. She’d earned their respect as
much as she had earned his love.

“
She hasn’t responded,”
Therese answered. “I don’t know if I’m getting through to her. I
think I’ll have to go to her winter cabin in person.”

“
Is there time for that?”
Hecate asked. “I’ve lost track of Helios.”

“
There’s only time if
Therese isn’t captured in the process,” Hades replied. “If Therese
is captured while on her visit to Demeter, we will have no choice
but to turn over Cybele.”

Apollo shook his head. “Without
Demeter, we have little hope of winning this conflict.”

“
I’m going with her,” Than
said again. “For the same reasons I already mentioned. I’m out
there now flying around in the hundreds of thousands, and no enemy
follows me. No enemy could. They lack the power of
disintegration.”

“
Very well,” Hades
consented. “Drop in on Demeter at the base of Mount Kronos, but
don’t stay for more than one hour. Then go on to Mount Ida and wait
for the birds. Therese will wear my helm and fly beside Than, who
will seem to be serving the dead. Keep in constant communication
with me, and if anything goes wrong, be prepared to give up
Cybele.”

***

Therese held tightly to Than as they
flew across the morning skies to Demeter’s cabin at the base of
Mount Kronos. She wore the helm of invisibility, which made it
impossible for Than to feel or sense her.

Are you still with
me?
he asked again.

I’m here. I’m holding your
hand, and now I’m kissing your cheek.

I wish I could feel that.
Kiss my lips.

She leaned in and touched
her lips to his, which were moist and minty.
Hmm. I liked the taste of that. Too bad you missed
it.

Don’t tease me.

Therese wrapped her arms around his big
shoulders and rode on his back as they descended toward the cabin.
She could sense Demeter inside.

She’s
weeping
, Therese said.
She might not like us interrupting.

Let’s get on with
this.

They landed a few yards from the cabin
and picked their way through the woods. Therese spotted the altar
where, nearly two years ago, she and Than had set themselves on
fire.

She senses
us
, Than prayed.
She wants to know why death approaches.

Tell her you bring a
message from your mother.

Demeter opened the door, and Than
entered with Therese riding on his back.

“
What message does my sweet
Persephone send?” Demeter asked as soon as they were
inside.

“
She wants you to first
safeguard your house with powerful wards so no spies might overhear
me,” Than said.

Good idea
, Therese praised, still unnoticed by the goddess.

Demeter stepped outside her home and
walked all around it, waving her arms in the air and speaking the
old language. Then she returned inside.

“
My place has always been
protected, but now it’s even more so. Tell me her
message.”

Therese took off her helm.

Demeter put her hand to her mouth and
asked, “What’s this? A trick?”

“
No grandmother,” Than
replied. “Please listen to my mother’s message.”

Therese went down on her knees to show
she wasn’t there to threaten the goddess of the harvest. Than
followed her lead and knelt beside her.

“
Persephone is really
upset,” Therese began.

“
But of course she is,”
Demeter said. “She’s stuck in the Underworld for six months away
from the mother who loves her.”

“
It’s worse than that,”
Therese said. “She understands a mother’s pain more than ever,
because her own daughter...”

“
Has something happened to
Meg? Tizzie? Alecto?”

“
It’s Melinoe,” Than
said.

Therese and Than then explained what
Cybele had revealed.