Goddess of Spring (29 page)

“Don't scold him. I've decided that he's incorrigible, but loveable,” she said, heart fluttering. Laying her cheek against Orion's soft muzzle when he nuzzled her in greeting, she averted her eyes from Hades. “You're just glad to see me, aren't you, handsome boy?”

Hades thought he knew exactly how the stallion felt; he had the ridiculous urge to strut and shout at the sight of her. Persephone was swathed in a long length of fine linen with a skirt that was full enough so that she could ride comfortably. When the breeze stirred it pressed the semisheer fabric against her body, outlining the swell of her breasts and the delectable curve of her waist, making Hades wish that he had thought to call up more wind. He watched jealously as she caressed Orion, even though he felt like a shallow clod for being jealous of a horse.

Dorado nickered at the goddess and looked bereft. Instead of doing the same Hades said, “Persephone, I do not believe that you have been formally introduced to Dorado. He does not lead as well as your Orion, but he is the swiftest of the four.” He patted the horse's glossy neck affectionately.

Lina rubbed Dorado's head. “It's nice to meet you, Dorado. Faster than Orion, huh?” She slanted a sassy look at Hades. “I guess that means that we won't be able to run away from you.”

Hades swallowed past the sudden thickness in his throat. Just being close to her made him feel powerful and helpless, hot and cold, all at the same time. He was probably going mad—and he didn't care. Moving close to her so that the sides of their bodies pressed against each other, Hades caught her teasing gaze with his own. “No, you will not be able to escape me.”

Lina felt like she was falling into his eyes. Escape from him? Not likely. She wanted to climb under his skin.

Orion butted her back and snorted. She laughed, breaking the spell between them.

“Okay, impatient boy!”

“The beast is not impatient. He is jealous,” Hades said, sending the stallion a black look, which Orion pointedly ignored and lipped innocently at his goddess's shoulder.

“Jealous?” Lina pretended to be taken aback. “Just because I petted Dorado? That's very silly of you,” she cooed to the horse.

“You have no idea how silly,” he muttered, but he wasn't talking about Orion. “Come,” he took her elbow, guiding her to the horse's left side and helping her mount. “The Elysian Fields await the presence of the Goddess of Spring.”

 

 

THEY rode side by side, following the black marble road. The steady clip of the horses' hooves mingled with the lyrical sound of songbirds calling to one another from the boughs of the imposing cypress trees that lined their pathway. The fragrance of narcissus blooms perfumed the air. Every so often they would pass spirits, sometimes in groups, sometimes a solitary soul walking alone. But all of the reactions were the same. First, the spirits would step off the road, giving the dread steeds a wide berth. Then the realization of who was riding the steeds would hit them. The dead bowed solemnly to their dark god, all the while keeping wide eyes fixed on Persephone. The men would smile at the goddess and bow to her, some of them even called greetings to her, but it was the women whose reactions moved Lina the most. When women recognized that they were in the presence of the Goddess of Spring, their faces became alight with joy. Many of them addressed her by name and asked for her blessing, which Lina readily gave. Some even dared to approach Orion so that they could touch the hem of the goddess's robe.

Lina couldn't believe what a difference her presence seemed to make to them. She had to admit that Demeter had been right—for whatever reason, the spirits of the dead needed to know that a goddess still cared for them. It was an awesome responsibility, but it made Lina feel needed and cherished. If, just by being visible in the Underworld, she could spread happiness and hope, then Lina was very glad to be there.

At first she worried that Hades would be upset, or even threatened by all the attention she was receiving. But though he said little in words, his pleased, relaxed expression spoke volumes. The dark god was obviously glad that the dead responded so joyously to her.

Eventually, the road climbed sharply uphill. They topped a rise and Lina pulled Orion to a halt.

“It's like someone divided it in two, and then painted it—one side dark, the other light.” She shook her head in disbelief, even though she knew her eyes didn't lie. The road they were on stretched in front of them as the dividing line in a radically different landscape. It was the most bizarre thing Lina had ever seen.

“Painted different colors, dark and light, that is an apt description of it,” Hades said. He pointed to their left where the land reached down into a vast darkness ringed by a distant red line of fire. “That is the flaming River Phlegethon, which borders Tartarus, where darkness reigns.” With his other hand he gestured to the brightness to their right. “And there you see Elysia, where light and happiness exist perfectly together and the only darkness that is there is what is required for the spirits to rest peacefully.”

Quickly, Lina accessed Persephone's ghostly memory.
Tartarus,
the voice whispered within her mind,
the region of the Underworld where eternal punishment is meted out. It is a place of hopelessness and agony. Only evil dwells there.

It was Hell. Lina couldn't take her eyes from the dark abyss. Suddenly she felt chilled. The darkness seemed to reach for her, like tendrils from a malevolent creature.

“Persephone!” The sharpness in Hades' voice drew her attention from the void of Tartarus. She met his intense gaze. “You may roam anywhere within my realm, with or without me at your side—except for Tartarus. There, you may not enter, nor may you travel near its boundaries. The realm itself has been tainted by the corrosive nature of its tenants.”

“It's awful there, isn't it?” Her face felt bloodless.

“It must be. You know that there is great evil in the world. Would you have it go unpunished?”

Lina thought about her mortal world. Snippets of news stories flashed in her memory like nightmares: the Oklahoma City bombing; the horrors of grown men and women who abused and killed defense-less children; and, of course, 9/11 and the cowardice of terrorists.

“No. I would not have it go unpunished,” she said firmly.

“Neither would I. That is why I command that you do not enter its borders.”

Lina shivered. “I don't want to go there.”

Hades relaxed his stern expression. He nodded toward the brightness that illuminated the right side of the road. “What I would like to show you is a little of the beauty of Elysia.”

With a conscious effort, Lina turned her back on the horrors of Tartarus, smiled at Hades and patted Orion's warm neck. “All you have to do is lead the way. We'll follow you.”

Eyes sparkling, the god gathered Dorado's reins in his hand. “It is well that you follow me. You ride the slower steed.”

Lina narrowed her eyes at him and she drew out her words in her best John Wayne imitation. “You shouldn't talk about my horse, pilgrim.” Then she pointed down the hill. “See the big pine at the edge of that field down there?”

Hades grinned at her and nodded. “Dorado and I will reach it first. He is the faster horse.”

“He may be the faster horse, but he's certainly carrying more dead weight,” Lina quipped. “Oops, that's probably a bad pun to use in the Underworld, but—YAHH!” She yelled, catching the grinning god off guard. Orion responded instantly by leaping forward and lunging past Dorado to fly down the embankment. The wind whistled past her cheeks as the stallion ran. Lina leaned into his neck and he increased his speed until the world blurred by her. Close behind, she could hear Dorado gaining on them. “Don't let them catch us!” she shouted into the stallions flattened ears and Lina felt him respond with another burst of speed. Then they were past a tall, green shape that was the pine tree and Lina straightened in the saddle, whooping with victory as Orion slowed to a snorting, prancing trot before he stopped. Breathing hard, Dorado slid to a halt beside them.

Lina laughed aloud at the expression on Hades' face.

“The fastest horse, huh? Don't ever underestimate the power of a resourceful woman.”

“I believe you cheated,” Hades said in mock seriousness, trying unsuccessfully to hide his smile.

“I like to think of it more as using all my resources to win than actually cheating.”

“I had no idea you were so competitive.”

“There's a lot you don't know about me, Lord of the Underworld,” Lina said, still stroking the stallion's neck. “I am not your typical goddess.”

Hades snorted. Orion snorted back at him. Dorado tossed his head.

The god gave his horse a couple quick pats. “Don't feel bad, old steed. We will have our day of victory.” Adding in a staged whisper, “We must keep a close eye on her—the goddess is wily,” Hades said, more to himself than Dorado.

“Uh-huh,” Lina agreed and they both laughed.

“Persephone!” A young voice called. Lina turned to see who had spoken.

“Oh, it is the Goddess of Spring! I knew it!” A lithe figure broke from the grove of pines that ringed the lovely little meadow in which the horses stood. She was followed quickly by several others who skipped and danced with excitement toward Lina. The entire group was made up of young, beautiful women. Their flowing wraps were draped alluringly around their strong, young bodies. If they hadn't had the semi-substantial look that marked them as spirits of the Underworld, Lina could have believed that she had stumbled into a sorority toga party.

Hades kneed Dorado so that he was close to her, speaking in a low voice for her ears alone. “They are maidens who died before they could marry. They tend to frolic a great deal before choosing to drink of Lethe.”

When the group got close to the two horses, they slowed, making an obvious effort to contain their excitement so as not to get too close to the fearsome steeds. The spirit who had called her name dropped into a deep, graceful curtsy, which the rest of the maidens mimicked. When she rose she was the first to speak. “I heard that you had been seen, and with all my heart I wanted to believe it. Oh, Goddess! It is so wonderful to have you with us.”

A chorus of “Yes! We are so pleased!” followed her little speech.

“Well, thank you. I am having a wonderful visit,” Lina said.

The first maiden frowned. “You only visit? You mean to leave us?”

The meadow was silent as if every blade of grass and leaf on each tree listened for her answer.

She didn't know what to say.

“Persephone may stay in the Underworld for as long as she wills it.” Hades' voice, rich with feeling, broke the silence.

Lina's breath caught at the sudden rush of pleasure his words brought to her. She pushed aside the oh-so-serious-and-responsible thought that reminded her that she could not stay, that she was there for only six months. Instead she smiled at the god, and thought how very much she would like to kiss him again.

“Then you have no reason to rush on. Come dance with us, Goddess!” the maiden called.

Lina tore her eyes from Hades. “Dance with you? But there isn't any music,” she told the young spirit.

“That small detail is easily remedied,” Hades said. “Our goddess requires music!” He commanded with a flourish. The breeze took his words and swirled around them with an odd whistling noise that grew to a crescendo that melted unexpectedly into the melodic sound of musical instruments. The god inclined his head graciously to her. “Now you have music.”

“So it seems.” Lina's heart was beating so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it over the music. Dance? She didn't know how to dance with those girls.

“Yes! Oh, please.”

“Now you can dance with us!”

“Come frolic to the music of the god, Persephone!”

“But . . . I . . . well . . .” Lina looked around helplessly. “What will I do with Orion?” she floundered.

“You will leave him here with Dorado and me,” Hades said, already dismounting. He strode to Orion's side and lifted his arms so that she had little choice but to slide down into them. Hades held her close for a moment, and then he whispered, “Please dance for me here in Elysia. No goddess has ever done so.”

Lina looked up into his eyes, saw the desire as well as the vulnerability that he was feeling, and she knew she had no choice. She had to dance for him.

“I would be happy to dance for you,” she said.

“My dread steeds and I will await you.” He paused, and then added, “eagerly.”

“Okay. Well.” She brushed at her robes, pretending to straighten that which was already straight. “I won't be long.”

“Persephone! We already have the circle formed!” a maiden called to her.

“Oh, good,” Lina said, starting toward the waiting group. Sure enough, they had formed a loose circle in the middle of the meadow. Lina was so nervous that she felt vaguely nauseous. Dance with a group of dead maidens? It was just something that her life experiences had not prepared her for. Her hands felt sweaty. This wasn't like the nectar gathering; she didn't have an example to follow. They were expecting her to show them. Should she break into an imitation of one of John Travolta's disco solos from
Saturday Night Fever
? She was going to mess up. She was going to make a fool out of herself. Hades and everyone would know that she wasn't a goddess. She'd be found out as a fraud.

The echo within her mind startled her so much that she almost cried aloud.