The Deep End of the Sea (33 page)

Poseidon’s eyes narrow sharply. “Well, well. So this is where you’ve been hiding, Pemphredo.”

Pemphredo? I jerk my eyes up toward the woman I’ve come to love as my real grandmother. Bernadette is ...
Pemphredo
? One of the Graeae, the three gray sisters who were accused of being witches?

A monster, like me?

“Fuck off,” she hisses in a voice so terrifying that I reel back just as surely as I would had she directed those words at me. “Leave this house, never to return.”

“Or what?” Poseidon leans forward in his chair. “Will you curse me, old woman?” He clucks his tongue. “No, I think not. Without your sisters, you are nothing. No wonder I didn’t feel you when I came in. You’re not even ...” His head turns thoughtfully to the side. “You’re nothing now, are you?”

How
dare
he say those things about someone I love. “Don’t talk about her like that. She is five thousands times the better person than you are.”

The look he gives me is one of utmost hurt, like I’ve just betrayed him in the worst of ways by siding with Bernadette over him. “So, my brother forced you to hide with one of his neutered pets. What an incredibly amateurish move. I’m sorry you had to go slumming, pretty girl.”

It’s then Jocko steps into the room, instantly grabbing Poseidon’s attention. He rises slowly from his chair. “Ah. I was mistaken.” He wags his finger at me. “My brother is smarter than I thought. He sent you with Death.” To Jocko, he says, “I’m curious, what did he promise you? You so rarely agree to intervene with any of us nowadays.”

Jocko says nothing as he comes to stand behind me. Bernie joins him, her cane now held like a sword.

“Your services don’t come cheap,” Poseidon continues softly. “Nor do they come easily. In fact ... I can’t think of the last time you agreed to purposely work with one of the gods.” He’s thoughtful for an unbearable moment. “No. Wait. It was ... you aided Hel and Anubis when they quarreled with my brother that one time ... when was it? Seven, eight thousand years back now?”

“As a matter of fact,” Jocko says, his hand falling on my tense shoulder, “you are incorrect with your recollection of the situation with Anubis and Hel.”

Poseidon reaches up and runs a hand through his dark hair. “I guess it doesn’t really matter why. I have no quarrel with you, Death. I’m just here for my girl.”

My hands are shaking. Everything in me screams to stand up and show off my new moves courtesy of my dojo. To snap kick him and send him sprawling. To lay a precise punch across his windpipe.

To hurt him like he’s hurt me.

I am not his girl.
But I swallow my rage and fear so I can pretend to say calmly, “If you stop your storms in the next five minutes, I will go with you willingly.”

When Bernie shouts, “No!” a chunk of my heart breaks off.

This surprises the Lord of the Seas. Did he really think I’d just agree to go? “Medusa. Sweetheart. Don’t be like this. Not after everything we’ve been through to finally be together.”

I want to shout,
I’m not your sweetheart, asshole
. But I keep my mouth shut; I have to for him to agree to such terms.

“She will not be going with you,” Bernie snarls. “She is under our protection, and you will not be—”

Poseidon’s annoyance finally shows. “Honestly, Pemphredo. You need to butt out of what is not your business in the least.”

“She is my granddaughter, so I’m making it my business,” she hisses.

I didn’t think I could love her anymore than I did five minutes before, and yet my heart grows even larger with these words.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Poseidon says quietly. Evenly. Calmly. “But I will if you stand in the way of me and my happiness.”

Even though Jocko says nothing, I notice he’s clutching his scythe in his other hand.

I stand up slowly. I take another of my cleansing breaths. And then I say, even though every inch of my body crawls at the very thought of it, “I will do ...
be
... whoever you want, as long as you stop these storms and leave my family here alone.”

His eyes widen. “Family?” He takes a step closer; now, we are only a few feet apart. “Ah, sweet girl. That my brother has you so brainwashed makes me sad. I am all the family you need. I’m all the family you’ve ever needed.” He lifts his hand and touches my cheek gently.

I hate him. Loathe him. I pray I can keep the contents of my stomach down until we at least leave.

“Don’t,” Bernie says, grabbing my arm. “Don’t do this Maddy. We will find a way—”

“But to let you know just how sincere I am with my intentions,” Poseidon says to me, “I’m willing to make that promise for you.” He moves toward the coffee table. “Let us strike this deal together. Another blood pact to bind us.” He picks a bowl up off the table and smashes it until it is nothing but shards. One piece is selected and swipes across the palm of his hand. “Do you remember our first pact, Medusa?” He’s smiling happily up at me, like his hand isn’t dripping blood all over my floors, like he didn’t brutally rape me against my will. “It was the blood from your virginity. You don’t remember it, but I cut myself then, too. Bound our blood together.”

I stare at him in horror. His blood ... in mine? I press a hand against my mouth.

“Don’t,” Bernie begs again. “Don’t ... you will never—”

“Do not listen to her, pretty girl,” Poseidon cajoles, his stormy blue eyes holding mine. A piece of ceramic is offered to me. “All you have to do is cut a line. Then I will stop the storms. I promise. Everyone will have their happily ever after.”

“Don’t,” Jocko whispers from behind me. I should be spooked—when Death tells you it’s a bad idea, that’s a sign right there. I glance up at the television screen, still playing. People are terrified.
People will die
. And I will not be the reason, not any longer. My hand shaking, I reach out to take the shard.

But then the front door swings open, bringing with it strong winds. And there, standing in the frame, his hair askew and his breath coming out in hard burst, is Hermes.

“Don’t,” he says to me, his voice achingly familiar. “Dusa, do not bind yourself to him. Not before you hear what we have to say.”

I am a statue, clutching a bloody shard in a living room filled with immortals. Hermes comes through my door, Hades directly on his heels.

Poseidon hisses upon seeing his brother; he reaches to grab me, but Jocko clamps down on my arms and drags me well out of the Lord of the Seas’ reach. Bernie slaps the shard out of my hand, sending it skittering across the wooden floors.

I stare at it dumbly, marveling at how there is blood on my floor, much like that awful night Poseidon first tried to lay claim to me.

“You sonofabitch,” Hades snarls. A black pitchfork appears in his hands. “You dare come here after the Assembly’s decision?”

“The Assembly no longer speaks for me,” Poseidon snarls right back.

Hermes sidesteps his uncles and darts around to where I am. Jocko lets go of me a split second before I slam into Hermes’ arms. But I have no time to revel in this moment; a trident materializes in Poseidon’s hands as he rounds on his brother.

“Get her out of here,” Hades roars, and the house shakes in his fury.

Hermes tightens his grip and swings me around toward the kitchen entrance. But then, Poseidon says something I cannot ignore.

“Will you sentence the world to die, Medusa, just so you can go play house with Hermes? Have you forgotten our deal?”

A wave of responsibility crashes down over me. “I can’t go,” I tell Hermes. “I can’t let him—”

“You will get my daughter out of this house right this minute, Hermes, or so help me, I will destroy you just as surely as I will my brother!” Hades shouts, rattling the house once more.

My entire reality shatters just as surely as the windows around us as one word comes at me a thousand miles per hour.

Daughter?

That voice of Hermes’, the one I’ve dreamed about for months, says to me, “Love, I will explain everything, but we must—”

“NO.” I skid to a halt right as we reach the kitchen door. “NO. I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL SOMEBODY TELLS ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.”

In the confusion of my meltdown, Poseidon swings his trident at his brother; Hades barely manages to pull up his pitchfork in time to block the strike. The clang of metal against metal rocks the house so hard that pictures fall off the walls and lamps jolt off tables.

“You think you can disobey the Assembly, that you are above us?” Hades’ voice fills the entire house “You think, even if you had won, I would ever let you put your hands on my daughter again?”

My heart stops, jumps into my throat, and nearly suffocates me. He’s once more called me his daughter.

Poseidon laughs, like the Lord of the Underworld’s fury was merely a fly buzzing around his head. “What trick is this, brother? Your daughter? I knew you’re fond of the girl, but—”

The pitchfork swings through the air, striking Poseidon so hard he’s sent sprawling into my fireplace. Hermes shoves me to the ground, covering my body with his as stones rain through the air. We stay that way until my fireplace is nothing but a crater.

“Had you showed up at the final decision,” Hades continues, stepping through the rubble to stand in front of where his brother lies, “you would have heard the truth finally come out.” The prongs of the pitchfork stab into Poseidon’s chest. “You know what other truth came out that I found very interesting, brother?” He shoves the prongs until blood seeps through Poseidon’s shirt, kicking the trident just out of reach. “The one where you and Athena have been lovers for ages. And how she thought she’d take out her competition one at a time by cursing those you cheated on her with. How Medusa wasn’t the only one, just the only who managed to not go insane and die before we could reverse her unjust punishment.”

WHAT? I look up at Hermes; is this truth? But his eyes, so bright blue, tell me it is.

“You
knew
what Athena was doing,” Hades says, voice terrifyingly low.

Poseidon swats at the pitchfork, but Hades doesn’t budge. “I had no idea what she was doing until it was too late!”

“I will kill you for what you’ve done,” Hades growls.

For a moment, nobody in the room even breathes. And then Poseidon throws his arms wide. “I’d like to see you try, brother.”

“Do it.”

Persephone is standing in the door, her long black dress whipping in the wind. “Do it,” she says again, her voice hard and unforgiving. “Because if you don’t, I will.”

Poseidon moves to knock the pitchfork away, but Hades clomps a steel-toed boot right below the prongs. “You heard my lady wife. Goodbye, brother.”

“It would be unwise for you to do that,” comes another female voice.

Both Hades and Poseidon still, as if they’re both calculating their odds. The Lord of the Seas speaks first. “What ... Demeter. What are you doing here? Come to fetch your daughter home?”

From behind Persephone comes a goddess I have only seen once, at the initial petition to reverse my curse. Tall and proud, the Goddess of the Harvest appears as merciless as one can come. “Let him up, Hades.” Her green eyes flick toward where I’m standing, halfway hidden behind Hermes and then back toward where Hades has Poseidon pinned.

“Fuck you, Demeter,” Hades seethes. “I’m done listening to you.”

Her voice is cool and controlled. “Yes, but the Seas is not. Come. Let him up so I may end this petty play for this girl once and for all.”

Persephone spots me, and the next thing I know, I’m being wrenched out of Hermes’ arms to be folded into hers. She’s sobbing, running her hands up and down my arms, my back, up to my face. “Darling, are you okay? Has he done anything to you?”

I don’t even know what to say. Think.
Do
.

She pulls me closer, until I almost can’t breathe. “Pemphredo, is she okay? Is my daughter okay?”

Daughter
.

Bernie shuffles over to where we’re standing. “My lady, she is fine. Lord Hermes arrived just before she could complete a bond with the Seas.”

“Thank the heavens for that.” She looks up at Hermes. “Will you take her home until we—”

I pull out of her arms and step back, right into Hermes. “Nobody is taking me anywhere until I know what’s going on.” His hands come down on my shoulders, weighting me to the ground when all I want to do is step out of my body and float away.
“What is going on?”

Demeter’s smile is cold. “I see the little bitch is still causing problems. Can any of you finally understand why I sent her away? I knew this day would come, where she would try to rip the Assembly asunder. Nothing good can ever come from a union between the Harvest and the Underworld!”

Hades backhands his mother-in-law straight across the face in a move that would normally shatter a skull. But Demeter barely rocks on her feet.

Persephone steps in front of me just as Hermes pulls me closer into the safety of his arm. “Mother, if you ever say such a thing again, I don’t care what bargain we made years ago, I will never speak another word to you. Am I clear?”