“I am sorry for the sadness you feel.” Were those the correct words to say? I hoped so. I wanted to ease her pain, though the how of it perplexed me.
She looked up at me, her eyes glinting with the faintest tears. “Thanks.”
I stared at her a moment longer, waiting to see if she would cry more. What would I do then?
She didn’t, thank fates, and I nodded. “Whenever you are ready, then.”
She drew in a steadying breath. “Let’s go.”
I nodded and followed her down, grateful that I’d passed that gauntlet of emotion by saying the correct thing.
As we neared the shoreline, the old woman turned to us. She wore the simple dark clothes of a fisherman’s wife, and her face was lined from the sun. Her expression brightened when she saw Seraphia, and a brilliant smile broke out over her face.
She stood and shouted to her husband. “Stavros! Stavros! Seraphia is back!”
The old man looked up, and an identical smile spread across his weathered face. He hurried off the boat, joining his wife.
I could feel Seraphia’s tension. I’d give half my kingdom to make it go away. Instead, I was useless to her. This was her strange battle to fight, and I would never understand what it was to have family you wanted to see.
Seraphia
I stared at my aunt and uncle, a riot of emotions seething through me. Last time I’d seen them, I’d cut off all my feelings. We’d needed their help badly enough that I’d come here, but I hadn’t stayed to talk.
Now, I was supposed to talk to them.
Excitement thrummed through me.
The last time I’d really done that, I’d been a small child. Four or five at the oldest. I had sweet memories of them—of the honey treats that Aunt Aurelia would give me and time spent on the boat with Uncle Stavros.
Now, I stood only ten feet from them. The cerulean sea sparkled behind them, turning silver as the sun began to set and casting the most beautiful backdrop. A storm hovered on the horizon, nearing us, and the clouds were lit up with the pinks and oranges of the sunset.
“Seraphia. Have you come home?” Hope echoed in my aunt’s voice, and tears pricked my eyes.
“For just a short while,” I said. “I’m sorry I was gone so long. Nana—”
“Told you it was for the best,” Aunt Aurelia said. “And she was correct. It was for your own safety.”
From Hades, I thought.
Nana had taken me from my home to hide me from him. Fat lot of good that had done. Anger surged through me. When things were good between us, it was easier to forget what I’d lost because Hades had hunted me my whole life.
But now that he was still bent on pursuing the darkness, things were decidedly ungood. It fueled my anger to realize that I’d been driven from half my living family because of him.
“Come.” Aunt Aurelia sat on the blanket and patted it. “Enjoy a picnic with us.”
I looked at Hades. I had a hard time imagining him sitting on a picnic blanket with my elderly aunt and uncle. Stavros gazed at Hades, his brow furrowed, then clearly decided to ask no questions. He sat next to Aurelia. He’d been silent in my childhood, too.
I joined them on the blanket. Hades chose a rock several yards way.
Well, if this wasn’t the weirdest family meeting ever.
Ignoring Hades was the only reasonable option.
Aurelia seemed to agree, because she picked up a platter of her honey pastries and shoved it at me. “Here, eat. These are your favorite.”
“Thank you.” I took one and ate it, the sugary sweetness exploding on my tongue, bringing with it a rush of memories. More tears pricked my eyes, and I realized I needed to say the important things before I lost it entirely.
I reached for the golden chain around my neck and pulled on it, freeing the blue gem. “Nana told me to show you this.”
Aurelia’s eyes widened, and she dropped the platter of pastries. Tears sprang to her eyes, and her face crumpled. “Oh! It is finally time. I’m so happy.” She moved fast, lunging toward me, and wrapping her arms around me. “Thank fates she has finally given that to you.”
Her warmth enveloped me, and I smiled, hugging her tightly, so grateful to be here. Over her shoulder, I spotted Stavros wiping a tear from his eye.
Aurelia pulled back and looked at me. “It’s been so long since you had to leave. We understood why, of course. But I’m so glad that day is over.”
“You know why I’m here, then?”
“It is time to find your mother.”
Hope flared. This day was giving so much more than I expected. Nana had hinted I might see her but hadn’t been clear about it. “She’s alive, then?”
Aurelia hesitated. “In a way, yes.”
“What do you mean, in a way?”
“You will have to find her to see,” Aurelia said. “And we can help you with that.” She pointed to the necklace. “So can that.”
“Is she in Cyprus?”
“You can find her here, yes, but the storm is rolling in. We will have to wait until morning to take you.” As if to punctuate her words, distant thunder sounded. She rose. “Come. We will have a proper meal, and you may take some rest. When the storm passes and the sun rises, we will take you to the place where you can find your mother.”
My heart pounded with anticipation. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I nodded gratefully. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course.”
Stavros nodded, his wrinkled face creased in lines of happiness. I could sense Hades behind me, watching from a distance. I could almost feel his confusion at the scene. This was so far outside his wheelhouse—family and love and picnics. The truth of his life had to be so lonely. It almost made my heart hurt.
What was it about him that sent me so quickly from anger to caring about his loneliness?
Aurelia and Stavros rose and gathered the food and blanket. I helped them, and we left the beach and began to climb. Hades followed, quietly observant, and I couldn’t help but shoot him several glances.
The house was warm and welcome as we entered. Hades hesitated at the door. His gaze was conflicted as he looked at the simple kitchen inside. Through the doors, I could see a living room with old couches and a wooden table. The house was probably big enough to have several bedrooms.
“I will wait outside,” he said.
“What?” I turned to him, surprised. “All night?”
“It is not long.”
“The rain, though.”
“There was a workshop where I can take shelter. It is fine.” He turned and strode out into the darkening night, disappearing before we could argue.
Surprised, I turned to my aunt. “I’m sorry, that was strange.”
“He is god of the Underworld. Of course he is strange.” Her eyes softened. “But he is made uncomfortable by family. By affection.”
“That’s the truth.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe I was separated from you for so long just to hide me from him, and now we must work together.”
“You were never hidden from him,” Aurelia said. “If you thought that, you were mistaken. In truth, we were hiding you from Chronos.”
My jaw slackened. “Really?”