My mind screamed against the onslaught of images that raced through my head: Cumberland Island, two sunsets, lightning crackling in the sky.

Dasvidaniya. I forced myself to think the word, closing my mind to the invasion of images bombarding my mind...

I bolted up in bed with a gasp. A weight in my hand made me look down. I unclenched my fist, revealing the white stone from Dungeness. That had been no ordinary dream.

Gods used dreams to communicate with each other, but an unguarded mind is ripe for attack. To protect myself, I was supposed to think the word dasvidaniya before bed, closing my mind to other deities. But it had been months since Zeus had sent Boreas to abduct me, and nothing had happened since that horrible day in the clearing. I'd grown complacent.

That's no excuse. I glanced at my phone and saw it was almost three in the morning. With a groan I flopped back into bed, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. Hades. I directed my thoughts to him. I could sense the energy of all the other sleeping deities, both alive and dead. It was a weird sensation, like catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye only to have it move before I turned my head. It was easier to find gods I knew. I could sense Hypnos' energy right away, flickering like a strobe light beyond the horizon. He was always the easiest to find because I'd learned to dreamwalk from him in the Underworld.

I found Hades next, a bundle of dark energy guarded like a fortress. I sent out the mental equivalent of a knock and found myself in the Underworld, standing in his library.

"This better be good," he grumbled, sitting in his usual oversized leather chair. The library faded into muted reds and browns, fuzzy and unfocused. Hades, on the other hand, was in hyper-focus, the sharp angles of his face almost too real in this strange setting.

My heart leaped at the sight of him. His dark curly hair fell into his bright blue eyes. His lips curved in a smile despite his grouchy tone. He loved me. How long would that last when he realized what I was hiding from him?

A few months ago, Thanatos, the God of Death, tricked me into promising that I wouldn't reveal he was working for Zeus. Actually, I'd promised I wouldn't tell anyone anything about Thanatos, and that Hades would have no help from me learning about his betrayal.

I was stupid like that sometimes.

I'd tried everything I could think of to break my word, but gods can't lie. My promise was ironclad.

"It's good to see you, too." I leaned down and kissed his forehead, letting the images from my dream flow into him. I tried to slip thoughts of Thanatos through the kiss, but my mind rebelled at the idea, and I only managed to convey a troubled feeling. Given the nature of my dream, Hades wouldn't think much of me feeling worried.

His eyebrows shot up. "When did this happen?"

"Less than a minute ago." My hand trailed off his shoulder.

He gave me a disapproving look, but didn't waste time lecturing me about leaving my mind unguarded. He could sense I was kicking myself enough as it was.

"What did it mean?" I perched on the arm of his chair. I usually have a better sense of personal space, but Hades was the only thing in this room that looked real and solid. Staying close to him made me feel grounded. I frowned, comparing the nauseating swirls of unfocused furniture coloring this room with my dream. "Whoever sent that message put a lot of energy into making it feel real."

"It had Poseidon's signature all over it. He considers himself to be quite the artiste." Hades waved his hands in the air. A dark, mocking smile played on his lips.

"Poseidon's still alive?" I wondered if he could be working with Zeus.

Hades nodded. "He won't be working with Zeus, either. They didn't-I mean don't get along. From what I could gather from your dream, something is happening in two days at Cumberland Island. I don't know what the girl means, but she did mention Zeus."

"This is the first lead we've gotten," I murmured, linking my hand with his. We hadn't learned anything new since Boreas' earth-shattering revelation that Zeus was alive and looking for me.

"I can handle this." Hades' eyes met mine. "You don't need to come."

"Yes, I do." I leaned down and gave him a slow kiss.

He broke the kiss, gripping my shoulders gently. "How much time do you need to talk to your mother about leaving?"

I took an inward hiss of breath. I hadn't thought of that yet. "Thirty minutes?"

"See you soon." He smiled and pushed me out of his dreams.

Acknowledgments.

I'd like to acknowledge all the members of the Athens Area Writers Group and my friend Amber Floyd. If it wasn't for them, my book wouldn't be half as interesting.

About the Author.

I spent my childhood curled up with a book, and a pen. If the ending didn't agree with me, I rewrote it. I've always wanted to be a writer, and I spent high school and college learning everything I could so that one day I could achieve that goal. I graduated college with my BFA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and am pursuing my masters at the University of Georgia.

I also write for Athens Parent Magazine, and truuconfessions.com. You can learn more about me and my work at: www.kaitlinbevis.com.

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