A smile broke through her worried features. "I've missed you so much." She gave me a hug.

I breathed in the familiar and reassuring scent of damp earth and newly-grown plants.

"I missed you too." Tears sprang to my eyes.

We spent the rest of the afternoon catching up. I told her about my time in the Underworld, and she told me about her struggles through the blizzard. She was visiting Orpheus' wife in the hospital daily, trying to restore communication between her soul and her body. Between his cult and the new additions to her priestesses I'd sent her from the Underworld, she was quickly gaining ground on Hades as far as powers were concerned.

She'd cursed Melissa with immortality. She'd hoped to do it when she was older but was afraid Thanatos would come to his senses and return for her soul.

"He wouldn't do that," I told her. "You didn't have to curse her yet."

"Persephone, I have no idea what happened in that clearing, but I'm not going to risk Melissa again. You won't be aging for much longer, especially with your powers surfacing so young."

"I don't want to lose her any more than you do."

She frowned at me. "Speaking of your concern for Melissa..."

"Mom, I'm sure you have a long lecture all stored up about how I came to be in that clearing, but it's going to have to wait."

"Excuse me?"

I gave her a look. "Hades will be just as worried as you were, and they're doing this whole equinox thing tonight..."

"Persephone-"

"Mom, I'm linked to the Underworld for the rest of my life. Boreas being gone doesn't change that."

"I know, but you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that you aren't wanted there anymore."

"What? Why?"

"Persephone, what you did in that clearing was terrifying. From the little we could gather from Thanatos, you charmed and killed a god, which shouldn't be possible. I'm just saying be prepared for some...apprehension."

I nodded, feeling lightheaded. She gave me a strange look. "What is it?"

"You've changed," she said, tears glittering in her eyes. "You've blossomed. I feel like the last time I saw you, you were this little girl, and now you're all grown up."

I thought about that while I drove to Melissa's house. I didn't feel grown up. I felt small and uncertain in the face of all that had happened. I had to see Melissa before I returned to the Underworld. I had to see with my own eyes that she was safe.

Mrs. Minthe opened the door. "Persephone!" She pulled me into a comfortable hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much for bringing Melissa back to me."

Tears dampened my hair, but I didn't mind. She ushered me into the house and offered me milk and cookies. "Your mother did her best, but I just knew-" She drew a shuddering breath. "But you rescued her." She smiled at me. "I will never forget that."

"Mom?" Melissa called from down the hall. She emerged carrying a laundry basket overflowing with jeans and T-shirts. She saw me and set it down with a smile. "The hero returns."

I smiled back at her, relieved not to see any apprehension in her eyes. "For a bit. I'm heading back down under for a few hours. I want to see how Hades is taking all of this."

A plate crashed in the kitchen, and I turned to see Mrs. Minthe reaching for a broom. "Slippery fingers." She waved a hand. "Sorry if I startled you."

"You're going back?" Melissa motioned for me to follow her to the laundry room. "Why?"

I brought her up to speed on my time in the Underworld, telling her all about Hades while Melissa sorted her laundry. "So you see, I need to at least try to apologize to Cassandra and Thanatos and work out some kind of schedule with Hades. That is if he's not all scared of me like my mom seems to think."

The sound of the news in the background caught our attention, and we peered around the door to see the television in the living room.

"And I told my son, Billy Bob. I says Billy Bob! You get out there and shovel that there dern snow! And he says, I can't Maw-Maw, it's ice. I couldn't leave my trailer! I ain't missed church in fifty years and I couldn't get out of my dern trailer."

The camera cut away from the obese woman with the stringy brown hair and yellow teeth to a put-together blonde woman in a power suit. "And there you have it," she said sadly. "Residents were trapped in this trailer park for over a week..."

"Where do they find those people!" I gasped.

Melissa laughed, peering around the corner for her mom and shoving all the laundry into the machine. "Every time Georgia makes the national news, I swear reporters look for the nastiest rednecks they can find. But back to the subject, your mom thinks Hades is scared...of you?" She giggled.

My face fell. "You didn't see what I did in that clearing, Melissa. I'm a little scared of me." I took a deep breath. "I am so sorry! It's my fault he came after you, and then he actually killed you. Now you're sixteen forever and-"

"Seventeen," she reminded me. "Happy birthday to us, and I'm not mad. Well, okay, I'm a little mad," she amended, "but only for you actually being stupid enough to come after me. None of what happened was your fault, it was all Boreas'. No one else was responsible. Although," she said, raising her voice, "you'd think turning seventeen and dying would be enough to get you out of chores for a day!"

"Had you finished your chores yesterday, you'd have the day off," her mother called in a sing-song tone.

I suppressed a smile. "Melissa, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

My hands twisted nervously in my lap. "About being a priestess...did you have a choice?"

She shook her head. "I was born into it. But I think I would have chosen it. You're my best friend. It was hard being away from you this winter. Every time something happened, I wanted to tell you about it, and without you there it wasn't real."

We'd been born hours apart. My mom had always made it sound like she'd met Mrs. Minthe in a prenatal yoga class. I remembered my mom telling me the story about how her water broke when she was in the goddess pose.

Of course I got the joke now.

"Was anything real?" I asked, thinking back on the endless play-dates and sleepovers, how we were always in the same clubs, classes, and sports. I'd never thought anything of it before, but now it seemed so manufactured.

"Everything's real," Melissa reassured me. "You're my best friend, Persephone. I mean, you saved my life-"

"You wouldn't have been in danger if it wasn't for me."

She shrugged. "Wasn't your fault."

I sank into the plush leather couch, relieved she still called me her friend. There were vegan cookies and cocoa sitting on the worn cedar coffee table. I snatched a cookie while I searched for my righteous indignation.

"I can't believe you knew about me this whole time."

"I wanted to tell you." She sat beside me. "You have to believe me, Persephone. I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. Your mother wouldn't let me. She bound me to secrecy when I was born."

I considered that for a moment. "So do you have to listen to her? To me? Is that part of being a priestess?"

"You're gods. You can bind anyone to anything if you wanted to. It has nothing to do with me being a priestess. That's just an antiquated title. I'm not going to perform any ceremonies, or pray to you, or anything weird. I just believe in you. You choose how you want your followers to show their devotion."

"What do Mom's priestesses do?"

"My mom and the others honor her by working with the earth and growing things. They also give her a bit of everything they grow, but I think that's more about friendship than tithing."

I thought back on the jars of jam, fresh baked breads, and fruits and vegetables my mother's friends were always bringing over and had to agree. They would come bearing gifts, and the women would retreat to the back porch and gossip for hours. That didn't seem like worship to me.

"They're all her followers, aren't they?" I realized. "All of her friends."

Melissa nodded.

I shook my head. This was too much to process, and I had more important things to worry about. "I'm glad you're okay. I'll drop by again when I get back from the Underworld. We should do something normal. Like go to a movie."

"The new Dusk movie is out."

I grinned. How had I forgotten about that? I left Melissa and headed back to Memorial Park. I parked my car and ventured into the clearing. It looked so different today! The clearing was drenched with life. The grass was a vibrant green, and wildflowers had burst into bloom. The tree was gone, but several saplings had already sprung up in its place. The sun was starting to sink in the sky when I ducked into the Underworld. My feet barely touched down in Tartarus before I teleported to my bedroom in the palace.

I walked across the hall and knocked on Cassandra's door. She opened the door and then she drew away from me apprehensively. I looked behind her and saw Helen on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" Cassandra asked coldly.

"Persephone!" Helen exclaimed. She ran to me and gave me a hug. "Thank the gods you're okay!"

I smiled at her. "Cassandra, I'm so sorry."

She waved her hand, distrust still in her eyes. "It worked out."

"You're not going to the Equinox celebration in that, are you?" Helen asked.

I looked down at my floral patterned skirt and pink top and shook my head. "I was kind of hoping you'd help me with that."

Cassandra sighed. "Come on in."

Chapter XXVI.

The party was in full swing by the time Helen released me. I gripped their hands tightly as we walked to the ballroom. What if my mom was right? I hadn't really meant to surprise Hades like this. I just needed to see him, to talk to him, and hear that everything was going to be okay.

Helen had outdone herself on my dress. It was a beautiful full-length strapless yellow taffeta gown. The material gathered around my stomach, enhanced by clusters of diamonds forming daisies. Corset strings tied the dress in the back, starting just beneath my shoulder blades. My hair was down, and the same diamond daisies sprinkled throughout, forming a loose crown. I wore a matching bracelet.

"Hades can take care of the ring," Helen joked.

The door to the ballroom opened and Thanatos stumbled out, laughing at something Charon had said. They both stopped when they saw me.

"Whoa," Charon said, giving me a once-over before pulling me into a quick side-hug. "It's good to see you're okay."

"Thank you." I looked at Thanatos. "I'm so-"

"I was honored to help you." He clasped my hands. "You were incredible out there."

"Are you still...?"

"No," he assured me. He glanced at Helen, Cassandra, and Charon. "Could I talk to you in private for a moment?"

The blood drained from my face. "Melissa?"

"Is beyond my reach. I just needed to ask you something about Boreas. His...unusual death has made his soul difficult to classify, and I'd like to get this sorted out before I go."

"Can't it wait?" Cassandra asked.

"It will only be a moment," Thanatos promised.

"You guys go ahead," I said with a smile at Helen and Cassandra. "It's probably best we don't all show up together. Hades may not be too thrilled with me after what I did."

My heart sank when they didn't argue. Charon nodded and walked toward the throne room. Charon couldn't lie, but I would have welcomed false platitudes from Cassandra or Helen.

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked Thanatos.

"Vacationing on the surface for a bit. You won't be needing me for guard duty down here, will you?"

"No. I'm going to be spending most of my time on the surface from now on."

Thanatos nodded. "Boreas died human, somehow. He didn't have an ounce of divinity left. Do you know what he did with his powers before he died?"

"No, but I bet it had something to do with Zeus. Have you told Hades what Boreas said about him?"

Thanatos shook his head. "He needed to know you were okay before he could handle news like that. He's not happy you snuck off, but he really does worry about you."

I smiled. "Well, I hope you enjoy your vacation. I hope telling Hades about Zeus doesn't mess it up for you."

"I'm not really all that useful to Hades." Thanatos looked down at the marble floors, scuffing his black shoes back and forth. "Have you told...anyone that you charmed me?"

I frowned, thinking back. I'd told my mother and Melissa about the fight with Boreas, but between witnessing and then committing a murder, charming Thanatos wasn't all that memorable. I studied Thanatos. It was memorable for him. His face was flushed, his hands were gripped tightly together, and he wouldn't meet my eyes.

He's embarrassed. I remembered him saying I outranked him, and as far as bloodlines went, I did, but knowing that and having his will overpowered by a goddess who hadn't even come into her powers couldn't feel very good.

"I haven't told anyone."

"Is there any way... I hate asking you this, but could you promise not to tell anyone anything about me? It's just that I'd never live it down if anyone ever found out I'd been charmed."

I smiled at him. "I promise. I can't promise Hades won't figure it out, but he won't have any help from me."

A grin broke out across his face. "Thank you."