Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2)(43)

"I'm going to go back to my room now," Lina said, trying to sound nonchalant. She smiled briefly at Hades. "Thank you for inviting me. I found it very interesting." She hurried down the dais steps, holding her breath and hoping that Hades didn't stop her. She cal ed to Iapis, who was stil standing in the entrance to the Hal . "Could you show me back to my room? I think I'm going to take a nap. The excitement of the petitions has worn me out."

Lina saw lapis' eyes travel questioningly over her shoulder, but he must have received the go ahead from Hades, because he nodded convivial y to Lina and led her from the Great Hal . When they were out of Hades' hearing, Lina stopped and pulled at the daimon's sleeve so that he had to face her.

"Something's wrong with Eurydice. I can feel it. well , I didn't while Orpheus was playing his music, but as soon as he was gone everything changed," Lina said.

"What is it you wish, Goddess?" Iapis asked, lowering his voice.

"I need to fol ow them." Lina didn't realize what she was going to say until she had spoken, but the words felt right. "I have to watch and make sure that I made the right decision by letting her go back to him."

Iapis nodded solemnly. "We would not want her to be hurt."

"No, we wouldn't."

"Come this way," Iapis said decisively. He led Lina quickly to the front of the palace. "There is the pathway." He pointed to the path of black marble. "She is not far ahead of you."

"Thank you, Iapis." Lina hugged him impulsively before she hurried down the path.

"The Underworld is opened to you, Goddess," Iapis cal ed after her. "You may come and go at wil . Eurydice belongs here. She, too, has access to this realm. But Orpheus is a living mortal. Once he passes through the Gates, he may not return as long as he is living."

"I'l remember," she cal ed over her shoulder.

"Persephone fol ows Eurydice?" Hades asked the daimon.

"Yes."

Hades paced the empty Great Hal restlessly. "Orpheus was hiding something. His music spun a web of seduction, but his words were false. The little spirit did not want to fol ow him."

"I agree, Lord," Iapis said fiercely.

Hades stopped his pacing. "You care for Eurydice." It was not a question.

"I do," Iapis said.

"Are you certain?"

"Eurydice makes me laugh. I have not laughed in eons."

"Do you know her heart?" Hades asked softly.

"There has not yet been time, and she is so young," Iapis said helplessly. Hades nodded. "Women are difficult."

"They are indeed."

"Bring me the Helmet of Invisibility. I wil fol ow Persephone. It may take my intercession to right this error."

Relief flooded the daimon's face. "Thank you, Lord."

Hades' eyes wanned and he grasped lapis' hand. "You need not thank me, my friend." Iapis rushed to the pil ar that held the Helmet of Invisibility. He grasped it firmly in his hands. As always, its weight was a surprise to the daimon. It appeared so lightly wrought, yet it was, indeed, a heavy burden to bear. He brought the Helmet to the Lord of the Underworld. Hades took it from the daimon. Then he paused, considering.

"Iapis, I need you to look into something."

"Of course, Lord."

"See if Aeneas has recently entered Elysia."

"It shal be done, Hades."

The God nodded. Then in one swift motion, he placed the Helmet of Invisibility over his head. The pain that lanced through his body was excruciating. He pressed his lips together and refused to give in to the agony. It would pass, he reminded himself - nothing worthwhile comes without a price. He breathed deeply against the pain until his senses were his own again. Iapis watched the God's body ripple and then disappear. He spoke to the empty space before him,

"Bring them back, Lord."

Hades' answer floated to the daimon from across the room. "I shal ..."

Chapter 14

Lina fel into a rhythm of hurry-up and slow-down. She managed to keep Eurydice's back just at the edge of her sight, while staying out of the reach of Orpheus' music.

"Doesn't he ever get tired?" She muttered to herself. When she considered the situation with a clear head, versus one fil ed with the compel ing notes formed by a magician masquerading as a musician, it hadn't been difficult to see the drug-like effect Orpheus' music had on everyone and everything that heard it. The dead paused in their pilgrimages to Elysia as he passed. Flowers and trees swayed toward him. Even Lina found herself smiling ridiculously if she got too close to his voice.

"Ugh. He reminds me of too-sweet candy. He seems great at first, but pretty soon he'l just make me want to puke." Lina talked to herself, taking comfort in the non-hypnotic sound of her own voice while nodding briefly to the surprised spirits that curtsied and bowed as she hurried past them. "I should have been wiser. I should have paid more attention to Eurydice than to that singing boy. And I shouldn't have been so damn cocky after that whole Dido thing." She bit her lip in frustration.

The sky ahead of her was changing and a chil of trepidation shivered through her. She knew al too well that the fading light signaled the end of the bright, cheery part of the Underworld. She was retracing the path she and Eurydice had traveled from the upper world. Lina ordered herself not to think about the bad dreams and the darkness. If Eurydice was going through it again; so would she.