Royal Hearts (14 page)

“Oh, this will probably be permanent. Hades
never forgives a wrong done to him.”

“But that dog wouldn’t let me through the
gate. I tried to explain my situation to it, but it wouldn’t
listen. I had no way out. It was either fight it or die of
starvation from wandering around this desolate place.”

“That won’t matter to Hades. He’s not fair or
logical. He is ruled solely by his passions, and he loves that dog.
It’s one of the few things that gives him joy, except for
Persephone, and she’s not here to calm him down.”

“If she were here, would it make a
difference?”

The old man shrugged. “She puts him in a good
mood. It is quite pleasant when she is with us.”

They approached a long, winding river. The
old man stepped into the wooden boat and motioned for Falon to join
him.

Falon hesitated.

“If you don’t come with me, you’ll die out
here. At least Hades will sustain you with food. There is nothing
out here for a living soul.”

Resigned to his doomed fate, Falon got in the
boat. He hoped that Jaz and Lino would succeed in finding Queen Ann
because it looked as if he wouldn’t be able to help them
anymore.

***

Present day

Ivory Palace

Planet: Olympia

Second Commander Jaz knew the gods and
goddesses on Olympia could be extravagant hosts, but even she
wasn’t prepared for the meal they served. The tables were full of
all kinds of foods so that even the pickiest of eaters would find
something to satisfy their appetites, but the gods and goddesses
stayed mostly with the ambrosia they loved so well. But she had a
hard time enjoying any of it since Guard Falon was in the
Underworld.

As soon as she was alone in her huge room,
she contacted Leader Paff. “Queen Ann and Hathor never made it
here,” she reported. “The gods and goddesses are addressing the
best course of action to take. They are dedicated to her safety and
well-being, and I am confident they will do everything they can to
find her.”

“We have sent out every probe we have and
can’t find her anywhere in our galaxy,” Paff replied. “It’s
starting to look like we’re going to have to search another galaxy.
The only one I think will be of any consequence is the Average
Galaxy because that’s where she came from.”

“Have you contacted the Great Magician on
Raz?”

“I have and he didn’t find anything in his
crystal ball. He said it’s because Katherine is the heir, so Raz’s
future is still secure. So he’s as blind as the rest of us.”

Jaz sighed. “It’s not right that Raz should
be unconcerned about Ann just because her daughter is there. Her
daughter’s in no position to rule at her age.”

“I agree but it’s not our planet. The Great
Magician will continue to work with what he can in the meantime.
Hathor was the last one with the Book of Spells, so the magician
hasn’t been able to use it. I hope with the Olympians’ help, we
will find something useful. Any lead at this point would be a
blessing.” After a moment, he asked, “Have you heard anything about
Guard Falon?”

“Unfortunately, no. The gods and goddesses
are terrified of Hades and won’t ask him about releasing Guard
Falon. If Guard Falon doesn’t return to us within a couple of days,
I’m going down to the Underworld to see what I can do about getting
him out of there. I won’t leave this planet without him.”

“Be careful. We’ve lost too many Palers
already. We can’t afford to lose more.”

“Hades has one soft spot, and that is
Persephone. I’m going to see what I can do about enlisting her
help. Maybe she will find it in her heart to go with me. That would
greatly improve my chances of getting him out of there.”

“And getting yourself out as well,” he added.
“We were doing so well in our transition to a new life on this
planet before Omin’s clone woke up from hibernation.”

“There’s still a chance we’ll succeed. We
must remain strong.”

“Yes, you’re right. Take care, Jaz. May the
three of you make it back here safely. Paff out.”

Jaz closed her telecommunicator. The time to
act was soon. In the meantime, she needed to get as much sleep as
possible. Tired, she fell down on the king-size bed and fell asleep
as soon as her head hit the pillow.

***

Six years in the past

Ann’s house

Xenia, Ohio

Planet: Earth

Ann was in her bedroom, talking on the phone
with Lisa about her date with Hathor the day before.

“A college guy? That is so cool,” Lisa said.
“You are so lucky to have two guys after you. Are you going to tell
them about each other?”

Ann laughed. “I have a right to date more
than one boy at a time.”

“They have no clue, do they?”

“I’m not married, Lisa. Besides, it might not
work out with one of them this weekend. Then it’ll be pointless to
go through all the trouble of letting them know about each
other.”

“Do you like one more than the other?”

“I kind of like Hathor more, but William’s
the one who’s going to be in Florida.”

“Don’t let the fact that William wants to
move to Florida push you into choosing him. If you like Hathor
more, you should choose him.”

Surprised, Ann straightened up. “Is there
something about William I need to know?”

Lisa hesitated then said, “I wasn’t going to
say anything because I didn’t want to influence your decision, but
Carson’s noticed something different about William.”

“Different good or different bad?”

“Bad. He thinks William is lying about going
to Florida. He’s known William since first grade, and never once
did William talk about wanting to go to college or Florida. But
then he meets you and he wants to go to college there. He said it
just seems weird.”

“Did William know I was moving to Florida
before he mentioned it?”

“That’s just it. He didn’t. So I don’t know.
It could be a coincidence, or there could be something more to
it.”

That seemed innocent enough. “Maybe he made
that decision recently,” Ann replied.

“Yeah, it could be a coincidence.”

Noting there was something else Lisa seemed
to have on her mind, Ann asked, “What else is going on with
William?”

“Carson says William’s been acting like he
knows everything, like he’s a big shot.”

“I don’t understand. If William is acting
like a jerk, why did you fix me up with him?”

“That’s just it. This change just occurred
last week. Before then, William was acting like his normal self.
William was never an optimist or anything, but he didn’t make fun
of Carson.”

Ann sat back, absorbing this new information.
She knew that Lisa wouldn’t lie to her. If Lisa was having doubts
about William, then she should, too. “I’ve already made a date with
William for tomorrow night.”

“I know, and that’s why I wasn’t sure if I
should tell you what Carson’s been saying or not. I mean, it could
be that Carson is upset about the time you and William are spending
together. Carson can be possessive of the time he gets to spend
with his friends. You know how he gets upset if he thinks you and I
hang out too much over the weekend.”

Ann hadn’t considered that angle, but it
could very well be the case. Perhaps there was more to this than
Carson was willing to admit. “What do you think of William?”

“I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t think he
likes me much. He’s never been rude to me or anything, but I have a
feeling he would rather see Carson with someone else. I’ve had that
feeling since I met Carson, though, so this is nothing new.”

“I’m going to have to pay close attention to
William tomorrow night. So far he’s been fine.” She paused. “Would
you like to meet Hathor on Saturday? I want to know what you think
of him.”

“As long as it’s after six. Carson and I are
going to the zoo that day.”

“Okay. I’ll try to be over there at six
thirty.”

They said good-bye, and Ann hung up her
phone. This weekend just might prove more enlightening than she’d
expected.

Chapter Thirteen

Present day

Underworld (Hades’ Domain)

Planet: Olympia

Guard Falon and the man rowed down the River
Styx. The river was the same maroon color that was on the walls.
The only source of light in this dismal place came from the many
torches lining the walls. Falon wondered if those torches were
eternal or if they burned out and needed to be replaced. But even
so, did it really matter? This was a dank and gloomy place. Surely,
things weren’t going to go well for him.

Even in Pale’s darkest days, Pale wasn’t as
foreboding as this place. The narrow winding river soon expanded,
and the distance between the walls grew wider as they came upon
Hades’ palace, which was made of black marble. It was impressive,
even in all its dreariness. The top of the palace looked as if it
ascended forever, but that, of course, was an illusion.

At the entrance was a solid black gate, which
had etchings of Persephone. Beyond the gate were rows and rows of
flowerbeds that were currently empty because she wasn’t there to
tend to her gardens.

“Do not speak to Hades unless he speaks to
you first,” the old man warned. “He is very sensitive when it comes
to upholding certain standards and regulations.”

If Falon had known what those standards and
regulations were, he might have avoided this whole catastrophe to
begin with. Since arguing would be pointless, he followed the old
man through the gated entrance and up the onyx walkway that led to
the front door of the palace.

The old man rang the chimes, which sang a
melancholy tune. It was as if Hades chose to surround himself with
darkness and sorrow.

“Enter,” a grim voice ordered.

The old man opened the large black doors and
stepped into the throne room. A red carpet led to two black
thrones. Hades sat on one and Persephone’s was empty, except for a
single pomegranate missing six seeds. Many empty diamond vases
lined the walls, waiting for Persephone to fill them with her fresh
flowers.

Clearly, Persephone dominated Hades’ world.
Falon couldn’t help but wonder if it hadn’t been for Persephone’s
influence, would he have given up on life altogether?

The old man bowed before Hades.

Falon didn’t want to bow before the god who
made rules he never let strangers know about, but he decided it was
best to follow the old man’s example just in case it would help his
cause.

“Rise,” Hades dryly said.

They did, and the old man motioned to Falon.
“Master, I found a stranger from Pale who, by mistake, found your
lair. Unfortunately, he was struggling with Cerebus. In all
fairness, Cerebus was violent towards him. This Paler was only
trying to defend himself.”

Hades pounded the armchairs on his throne and
narrowed his eyes. “What did he do to my beloved pet?”

“Cerebus will require two new jaws,
Master.”

“What other damage do you insist on doing to
those I love?” Hades shouted at Falon.

Falon’s throat went dry. “Hades…ah….it is not
my intention to hurt anyone or anything. I had to pass through the
gate. If I didn’t, I would’ve been forced to roam the passageways
of this place until I died of starvation. Cerebus wouldn’t let me
through.”

“Enough! I will hear no more from you.” He
turned back to the old man. “Take him to the Hall of Torment. Let
him suffer a broken jaw. Have water rise up to his mouth, but he
shall be unable to drink from it and his thirst will be unbearable.
He will pay for what he did to Cerebus.”

The old man glanced at Falon, and he winced.
Turning back to Hades, he said, “Perhaps the judgment is a tad bit
harsh, Master. He didn’t mean to-”

“Who is the ruler here?”

The old man lowered his head. “You are.”

“And who are you?”

“Your faithful servant.”

“Then, as my faithful servant, I order you to
obey me. I set the rules. You follow them.”

“Yes, Master. I will do as you say.” He
turned to Falon, gave him an “I’m sorry” look, and quietly escorted
him out of the palace.

“Does this mean I am to bear this judgment
for as long as I live?” Falon asked, too shocked to feel anything
like anger at the moment.

“If only it was that easy,” the old man
replied. “Hades has access to the Stone of Immortality, so he can
keep you alive for as long as he wants, even for eternity.”

Falon considered running away, but he knew he
wouldn’t be able to escape this place. There was no way out, and
sooner or later Hades would find him, and when he did, he might
design a worse judgment. Resigning himself to his fate, he quietly
followed the old man out of the gate.

***

Present day

Ivory Palace

Planet: Olympia

Second Commander Jaz felt much better when
she woke up the next morning. She got dressed in a hurry, eager to
find out if the gods and goddesses had discovered anything about
Queen Ann or Hathor. When she was finished getting ready for the
day, she went to Guard Lino’s door and knocked on it.

“I talked with Leader Paff,” she told him as
soon as he opened the door. “There’s been no new development. It’s
beginning to seem like we’ll never find the queen or king of
Raz.”

“I hate to say it, but things don’t look
good.”

“No, they don’t.”

He stepped out of his room, and they walked
down the long hallway until they entered the living area.

“Oh good, you’re up,” Apollo said, heading
over to them. “We are having breakfast in the morning room. Would
you care to join us?”

Jaz glanced at Lino. He didn’t seem to be any
more eager to eat than she did. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could
eat anything when things looked so grim.