Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2)(97)

"Scott," Lina said dryly.

"Scott," Persephone purred. "I found him to be an interesting dal iance."

"He fel in love with you."

"Of course he did." Persephone shrugged her shoulders. "He wil recover and be a better man for the experience. Knowing how to please a goddess is something al men should learn." The idea made Lina smile.

"I even miss those two creatures who live with you, especial y the cat," Persephone admitted. That made Lina laugh. "Patchy Poo the Pud is awful, but loveable."

"Horrid beast," Persephone teased.

Lina nodded.

"Now it is your turn to remember. What is it you miss about the Underworld?"

"I miss Eurydice," she said with only a slight hesitation. "The little spirit was like a daughter to me. I worry about her."

"What else?"

"I miss Orion. I know he's supposed to be a dread steed, but he reminded me more of an overgrown black lab puppy."

"And?"

"I miss the way the sky looked. Daylight was like a watercolor painting that someone had breathed into life. I realize that sounds ironic because I'm talking about the Land of the Dead, but it wasn't dark and gloomy there, at least not after you got to Elysia. Actual y, it was the most incredible place I've even been, ever even imagined." Lina let her mind wander. Now that she had started talking she didn't want to stop. "Did you know that the night sky is lit by the souls of the Hyades so that when evening comes to Elysia everything looks like a beautiful forgotten dream?"

"No, I did not know that," Persephone said.

"And the souls of the dead aren't scary or disgusting. They are just people whose bodies have become less important. They stil have the ability to love and laugh and cry." Persephone took Lina's hand. "What is it that you miss most?" Lina's eyes fil ed with tears. "Hades," she whispered. "You fel in love with my world, but I fel in love with the Lord of the Underworld."

"Good!" Persephone said happily, squeezing Lina's hand.

"How can that be good? I love Hades, but he loves you."

Persephone's laughter was a joyous noise that seemed to make the lights in the bakery glow brighter. "If he loves me, then why is he refusing to see me?"

"You've tried to see Hades?"

"Of course. I was miserable with missing your world. Then I started hearing rumors of Hades having gone mad and the spirits in the Underworld being in disarray, et cetera, et cetera, because the Queen of the Underworld had left her realm."

"Wait! Hades has gone mad?" Lina felt the color drain from her face.

"Oh, it is nothing. He is simply sulking." She made a careless gesture with her slender hands. "But the rumors made me think that perhaps I was not alone in my unhappiness. So I visited the Underworld."

"And?" Lina had the sudden urge to shake her.

"And the first thing that happened was that awful three-headed dog refused to al ow me to pass." She shivered. "Edith Anne has much better manners."

"Cerberus gave you a hard time?"

"Hard time? He blocked the road, growling and slobbering. I was afraid to get near him. I actual y had to cal for help." Persephone shook her head in disgust.

"And Hades didn't come to you?"

The Goddess frowned. "His daimon appeared instead. With that hateful black horse."

"Orion was mean to you?"

"He laid back his pointed ears and bared his teeth at me."

"I'm sorry about that. I have spoken to Orion about his attitude. He probably just thought you were me, and when he realized you weren't, well , he should have behaved better," Lina said.

"Yes, he should have. Anyway, I told the daimon that I wanted to speak with Hades. The daimon asked me if I was the Goddess of Spring, or the mortal woman, Carolina." Persephone looked annoyed. "As if he did not already know! Even the spirits of the dead knew. The whole time I was traveling down that gloomy black road they watched me. At first they seemed happy, then when I spoke to them - simply trying to be polite - they drew away from me. I even heard them whispering things like 'Someone is masquerading as Queen of the Underworld.'" Irritably, she brushed aside a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail. "I can tel you, it was certainly a disturbing experience."

She paused before continuing and studied her well -manicured fingernails. Lina wanted to shake her again.

"Wel , I assured the daimon that my body and my soul were the same. He disappeared, and when he returned he said that his Lord refused to see Persephone, and he commanded that I leave his realm and stop bothering him."

"And how does that prove that he doesn't love you? Hades is very stubborn." Lina glanced at Demeter, who was pretending to study her wine. She leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"Sometimes it takes a lot of work to get him to relax and talk. Actual y, he's romantic and passionate. You should try again. He wil probably see you next time." Lina's stomach clenched and she hated herself as soon as she said the words. She didn't want Hades to see Persephone. She didn't want him to see anyone except her.

"I think you should try," Persephone said firmly.

"Me?" Lina blinked in surprise. "How can I?"