Twenty-Four
Go with your instincts, Persephone. The pretty young woman didn't match something broken, surely. But the rude, abrasive woman I could definitely see as broken somehow. With a massive breath, I opened my eyes and held out the broken bowl piece to big-boobs. The scowl on her face as she took it made me sag in relief. If she was scowling then I'd got it right. I turned and passed the last piece to the other lady and she grinned.
'Correct! Eris, goddess of discord, and Hebe, goddess of youth!'
Each of the gods held out their piece in turn, and I watched as they glowed a faint purple, then left their owners outstretched hands and floated towards the center of the table. With a little burst of light they rejoined, but this time the golden orb had the three rings carved around it. I stood up and reached forward, plucking the key from where it was hovering, and hurried towards the hourglass. The sand had reached the woman's shoulders and was only inches from her chin. I dropped into a crouch as soon as I reached the hourglass, looking for the hole to put the key in, expecting more inscriptions. But there were none. I screwed my face up, searching for the place to put the orb.
'Where do I put the key?' I asked aloud, panic starting to flood me as I stood up, scanning the frame of the hourglass desperately. There were no holes, no inscriptions, nothing. Silence met my question and my eyes darted to the woman's face. The sand was moving past her chin, and would cover her mouth in seconds. 'Where does it go?' I shouted, my stomach tensing so hard it hurt as I started to run my hand over the metal. As my fingertips reached across the top of the hourglass they felt hot and I paused my frantic movements, feeling more carefully. I could only just reach the top, and there was no way I could see what was up there, but I was sure I could feel a channel carved along the edge of the metal. With a last look at the woman's face as the sand covered her bottom lip, I reached up and pushed the key onto the top of the hourglass. I held my breath as I heard the sound of metal on metal, sure it was the sound of the ball rolling. Then there was a clunking sound, and the sand in the timer began to rush upwards all at once. For a second I thought the woman would suffocate from all the sand moving in the opposite direction, but before I could do anything, the bottom half of the hourglass was clear. My heart felt like it was stuck in my throat as I watched her chest, relief making my knees feel weak as I finally saw it move. She was breathing.
A smattering of applause filled the room, and I heard Hecate give a loud whoop. What the fuck was wrong with these people? I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to rein in my emotions. A person just nearly died and they were clapping like they were watching tennis or something? Even Hecate, my only friend here, didn't seem to grasp how messed up this was. You're in another world now. Just get on with it, and get home.
I turned, knowing the smile I'd fixed on my face must look more like a grimace, but unable to conjure up anything better.
'This is bullshit,' I said through gritted teeth, hardly moving my smiling lips but needing to say the words out loud. I felt a bit better.
'I know it is. But you're doing a good job,' said a voice in my head, and my smile slipped.
'Hades?' I projected the thought at him, using the image of his smoky form to send the word.
'Yes.'
'Where are you?' People were tucking into huge bowls of frozen yogurt, and none of them were looking at me anymore.
'Watching.'
'Are you coming back?'
'Yes.'
'You... you helped me with the other Trials.'
'Yes. Eat your dessert.'
I let out a long breath, and walked slowly back to the table.
'Nice job, Persephone,' beamed Eros.
'Thank you,' I said absently.
'Oooh, someone isn't happy with this set up,' said Eris, her eyes flashing behind her mask. 'What's wrong, perfect Persephone?'
'Seriously Eris, give it rest,' said Hecate, rolling her eyes as she spooned yogurt into her mouth. 'Persy, this stuff is awesome, I can see why you miss American food.'
'It is very delicious,' said the woman I now knew to be Hebe. I turned to her, deliberately ignoring the goddess of discord.
'I wonder if you could tell me, Hebe, how does the fountain represent you?' I asked her, politely.
'Oh, it's the fountain of youth,' she said cheerfully. 'A little obscure perhaps, but I'm glad you worked it out.'
'Thank you,' I said, and dipped my spoon un-enthusiastically into my own yogurt. My appetite had vanished. 'I didn't, really. I just knew you weren't the broken one.' There was a collective intake of breath, and I looked up, directly at Eris. Her expression was dark, her lips twisting in a snarl and venom in her glare.
A week ago a look like that would have terrified me. A week ago I would have been groveling and apologizing for what I'd said. Hell, a week ago, I wouldn't have fucking said it.
But I was done.
I was angry and scared and sick of being used as a twisted puppet for the entertainment of others, and the only person I could take it out on right now was the bully across the table. So I was going to.
'You're right, I am broken,' Eris said, her voice almost a purr. 'You've no idea how broken I am. And how much I enjoy breaking others.'
'I do have an idea,' I told her. 'I've met plenty of people like you. Hell, I've met quite a few since coming here.'
'Oh naive little Persy. I'm afraid you're wrong. You haven't met anybody as fucked up as me yet. With one exception that is, but you're competing to marry him. So what does that make you?'
Defensiveness sparked in me out of nowhere. Hades wasn't a bully. He may be pretty scary, but he wasn't like her, or Minthe, or Erebus, or Zeus. I knew he wasn't. I opened my mouth to respond, but common sense kicked in just in time. I was the hostess of the ball. And Eris was smart as she seemed cruel. I knew what she was trying to do, and I wasn't going to let her bait me into making a scene at my own party. I wasn't going to let her win.
'That makes me a fucking mystery,' I smiled at her, and stood up, pushing my chair back. The whole room turned to me and I raised my glass before Eris could say another word.
'Time for dancing!' I announced loudly, and this time I got an actual cheer, instead of the pathetic applause when I'd saved two people's lives. I needed air, but this stupid underground place had nowhere to go, nowhere to breathe. Claustrophobia began to press in on me, and the rules made clear at the beginning of the evening echoed in my head. 'You may not leave the ball.' I was stuck here, with all these freaking lunatics. My heart began to skitter in my chest, my breathing too shallow. Stay calm, don't freak out, I instructed myself, my eyes darting around the room. There must be a quiet corner I could hide in somewhere. I walked towards the far wall, the one opposite the hourglasses, smiling at everyone I passed as sweat began to trickle down my spine, my anxiety ratcheting higher. I only stopped when I found an area where the columns seemed closer together, and for a merciful moment, I couldn't see anybody. I leaned gratefully against the cool marble of the nearest column, taking a long, slow breath. I probably only had minutes before somebody showed up, but I would take whatever I could get. I just needed a couple minutes to get my shit together, that was all.