Poseidon (The God Chronicles) (17 page)

“Audrey,” Athena said from behind me.

“Aw, man,” the man said, the flames dimming to almost nothing. “Athena, you have got to stop bringing every person you’ve wronged down here. It’s not freaking Disneyworld!”

“Hades,” Athena said, tipping her head in acknowledgment.

“What?” I screeched, jumping back even further.

“Take her back, now,” Hades ordered.

“I
cannot,” Athena stated simply.

“Why not?”
He growled, the flames brightening.

“Stop your parlor tricks,” Athena ordered. “This is
Audrey
,” she said, adding emphasis on my name.

“Really?” He looked at me with new appreciation, circling around me once before speaking again, his black cloak whispering against the ground.

“So you’re the girl that has my little brother in a fit,” he laughed. “Figures. He never could control his emotions.”

“You know they are dictated by the movement of the ocean,” Athena scolded. “Now let us in so I can do my duty.”

“They wouldn’t be if we had divided the kingdoms fairly,” he argued. “He might have ended up here for all we know.”

“Now is not the time for your petty arguments!” Athena was upon him in a moment, her hand around his neck. 

“Whatever,” he said, shrugging. “Persephone has been on a roll lately though, if you know what I mean. I’d try not to run into her.”

“Thank you,” Athena said, nodding her head again and releasing him. “Come along,
Audrey.”

I stared at the both of them, my mouth hanging open. What was going on?

“No,” I said shakily. “Not before you explain to me why I have to do it.”

“Go ahead, niece,” Hades sneered, walking past us. “You may come in whenever you want. Don’t bother me with it again.”

“Audrey,” Athena breathed out on a sigh. “I have done great harm against you. If you insist I explain first, then I will.” She settled onto a rock next to her and the owl on her shoulder slid down to her lap.

“Sometimes, wisdom gets in the way of things it should not.”

“Meaning?” I interrupted.

“Give me a moment,” she said harshly. “It means that sometimes what seems like the best option is not. This was how I came to murder your husband.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, shocked. “Sy already told me it was him. Did you all just decide to gang up on him, or what?”

“Poseidon believes he is the one who killed Odysseus, yes. He is mistaken though.”

“I am so confused,” I said, tears forming in my eyes. “Who?”

“Your husband, John, is the reincarnation of the great hero Odysseus. When Poseidon attacked him it was for events during his first life, not in the one he knew you.”

“Oh,” I said, giving up on trying to understand any of what she was saying.

“Poseidon and I fought over a few things, one of which was your husband. I thought he deserved my blessings and help on his journey home from the war at Troy. Along the way though, he killed Poseidon’s son. Much to Poseidon’s anger, he still made it home safe to his wife, Penelope.

“I thought it was over then, but somehow Odysseus was brought back as another man after his death. Unfortunately, he could not escape the great Earth Shaker’s wrath that time. It has been that way with every reincarnation since then as well.

“Of course, I was furious with my uncle. I did my best to protect Odysseus through the years, but it hasn’t been much help. Finally, I decided that I needed to break the cycle. Before he could find Odysseus, I snuck on board the fishing ship and killed him myself. It was much more merciful that Poseidon would have done—quick and virtually painless. I then took the shape of Odysseus and waited for Poseidon.

“I cannot be killed with a regular blade like mortals, so I went along with it, pretending to be your husband, and let him slit my throat. It was all over very quickly after that.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I looked at her with tears running down my face.

“Why didn’t you take him away or hide him somewhere? Why kill him?” I asked with a shaky voice, my brain not accepting what she was telling me.

“If I’d taken him away I wouldn’t have been able to return in time to take his form
. Poseidon would have known what I’d done and it would have been worse for everyone. As for hiding, there is nowhere in the sea that one can hide and be invisible to its King. Death was the best option I could find.”

“
It was you?” I asked softly, clutching my heart.

“It was,” she said
mournfully. “I thought this way to be the more logical. However, it didn’t even occur to me the ramifications it would have in the mortal world. I extend my deepest apologies.”

“No,” I said. “You don’t get to just say sorry for that.” I shuddered, my body being rocked with
new sorrow for my late husband. “I lost everything because of you.”

“I understand,” she said softly, looking down into her lap. “That is why I have brought you here.”

“I don’t understand,” I hiccupped.

“I wanted to offer you something as a type of peace offering,” she
explained, standing. “Come with me and I will show you.”

“What could possibly be here that I would want or accept as your apology?”

“Your husband.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Will I die if I go in there?” I asked fearfully, standing before the wall that would open up to the underworld.

“Only if you eat or drink anything,” Athena said simply.

“Why only that?”

“Things from Hades cannot leave,” she explained. “If you were to take something from here into your system, it would become part of you and you would have to stay.”

“Has that ever happened to anyone?” I asked nervously as she touched the stones.

“It is how Hades tricked his wife Persephone into staying.”

“Oh,” I said softly.

She stepped back from the blockade and it opened up to us, revealing a shimmering river. We stepped through the entrance and walked down the bank to a waiting boat, heat much worse than home’s slapping me in the face.

As soon as we both sat in our ferry, it began to move over the water on its own, heading to an unknown destination.

“You’re sure I’ll be able to leave here fine?” I asked again nervously.

“That depends on if Hades would like you to stay,” she said mysteriously.

“What?” I shrieked.

“I will protect you,” she reassured with a smile.

After some time, I finally could see a huge palace at the end of the river, swallowing the water up. It appeared that several other rivers fed into it, including one of fire.

“Is that where the heat comes from?” I asked, trying to think of anything but how scared I was.

“Part of it,” she said, nodding.

My heart hammered harder as we glided smoothly under the first wall and were greeted by guards all in black.

“Athena,” one said in a surprised voice.

“Calm yourself, Hades knows we are here. It won’t be longer than needed.”

“I will inform the others,” he said in a commanding voice, motioning to his fellow workers.

“No one can leave permanently unless Hades gives his permission,” she explained to me as we continued on. “Only Gods are free to come and go as they choose, once he grants them access.”  

I swallowed the lump that kept reappearing in my throat and looked forward, praying that I would make it out in one piece.

As we rounded another bend in the river, everything opened up before us and we came out from under the castle. The other rivers ended here as well, creating not only a massive heat wave, but also a confusion of pathways to the only land in sight.

There were people everywhere I looked. Some of them sat at the edge of the dirt and rocks, other standing ankle deep in the water. Everyone looked so
. . . empty. Was this really all there was after life?

As my gaze swept over the numbers around us, I caught a glimpse of familiar face,
trudging further back into the crowd.

“Dad?” I called.

“Let him be, Audrey,” Athena warned. “He’s been here a long time. He won’t remember you.”

“That was my dad though!” I argued.

“Leave him alone,” she commanded again as we came ashore. “We are here to see one person only.”

“Why is my dad in Hell? He was one of the greatest people I know!”

“Everyone who dies comes here,” she said like it was common knowledge. “Those who have the money to pay to cross the river stay on this island.”

“Money?” I asked, confused, still watching his back as he went further away.

“It could be as simple as a dime in their pocket at the time of their passing,” she said with a shrug. “Not everyone has it though.”

“Where do they go?” I asked, losing sight of him.

“Somewhere else.”

I looked at her, disbelief and confusion written on my face.

“What about Heaven? And why would they forget who they are?”

“So many questions,” she sighed. “We don’t have time for them. Suffice it to say, this is where the dead roam. Once you’ve been dead long enough, you remember only this place.”

“I don’t understand,” I argued.

“It is time for what we came for,” she said as we came ashore.

I gave her one last burning look before turning back to the crowd in front of me.

As I
stepped out onto the soil, I was instantly crowded by the dead, all of them reaching out to touch me.

“Move forward and they will leave you alone,” Athena said, stepping out herself.

“That’s easy for you to say,” I said, swatting away a hand. “They won’t even come near you.”

She had a wide circle around her—apparently they were afraid to touch her at all.

“I am a Goddess,” she stated. “They know better.”

She strode over to me, the bodies scrambling out of the way, and grabbed my hand, propelling me forward with her.

“We do not have much time,” she said.

“What are we rushing back to?” I asked confused.

“The longer you are here the better chance you have of being stuck. I am confident we will be fine, but I don’t want to risk it.”

“Great,” I mumbled, panic rising up once again.

We walked for several minutes before I finally saw someone I recognized.

“John!” I called out, happy tears suddenly spilling from my eyes.

I broke free of Athena’s hold, running towards my dear, sweet husband.

He turned around, surprised, just in time to catch me as I jumped into his arms, showering his face with kisses and crying.

“Oh, John. My John!” I sobbed. “I thought I was never going to see you again. I’ve missed you so much, John. Say something so I can hear your voice again, please!”

He set me back on the ground and held me out to look at me, confusion on his face.

“Do I know you?”

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

“I’m. . . I’m your wife—Audrey. You remember me, don’t you?” I couldn’t breathe, my chest hurt so bad. To come all this way and have him not remember me was like I’d died for real.

“
Audrey,” he said slowly, testing the feel of it. “Audrey . . . my wife, Audrey. My wife! Audrey Willis!”

He wrapped his arms around me in a crushing hug and laughed.

“Audrey. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see you,” I laughed through my tears.

“I’m sorry, I have a hard time remembering my reincarnations,” he said. “My name was John, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” I laughed again pulling back but still holding his hands. “You look so good!”

“So do you!” He beamed at me, excitement plain.

“Odysseus,” Athena said, nodding her head in greeting.

“Great Goddess,” he said, breaking away and bowing.

“Odysseus,” I laughed. “You’re my John, no matter what anyone says.”

“Oh, Audrey,” he said, hugging me again and planting a kiss on my forehead. “I am Odysseus. I remember that very plainly here. It is part of my curse.”

“I don’t care,” I said, wiping away my tears. “I’m just happy to be with you again.”

“You seem different,” he said, looking me over.

“She has fallen in love with Poseidon,” Athena said.

“No, I didn’t!” I rushed. “I would never—I love you.” I frowned, remembering everything that had happened since he left.

“I’m so sorry,” I cried. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have even spent time with him.”

“Audrey,” he laughed, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. “Why are you so upset?”

“I kissed another man,” I sobbed. “I let him sleep in my bed. I even thought that I was falling in love with him! But I don’t want anyone but you.”