Not that I fucking care.
I have more important things to worry about. Like surviving in this gods forsaken place.
When I get to the dining hall, I’m surprised to find that the earthy, utilitarian scents of the food is actually somewhat appealing. Unlike Hestia’s where most of our food consisted of light and sweet things, Hades House seems to exist on meats and savory dishes they claim started out as fresh vegetables. I spoon a bowl of what’s supposed to be vegetable stew and then continue down the line, skipping the fifteen or so kinds of dead animal they seem to consume at every meal. I’m about to give up on the rest of the options when I find a big bowl of ripe and juicy pomegranate seeds.
Thank you, Persephone.
Tray full now, I turn to the room. There are easily twenty tables in the large dining hall, but there are only ten of us descendants so the place feels empty and I feel conspicuous standing up here.
Some of the other descendants are sitting at the same table beneath the bank of wrought iron windows. Haven holds court at the head. The way the other descendants worship Haven makes no sense to me. It’s almost as though his disciples are too stupid to realize that he’s just as determined to beat them at this competition as he is me. Their sucking up to him now will do them no good as mortals. The thought cheers me slightly as I cross the hall and sit at one of the empty tables by the door just in case I need a quick escape.
“You doing ok?” a voice says behind me.
I almost hit Max when I jump out of my seat.
“Whoa, whoa. Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I look over at the other descendants. They seem not to have noticed, so I count my blessings.
I sit back down and exhale. “Sorry, Max. I didn’t realize it was you.”
“Are you ok?” he asks again.
“How much time do you have?” I reply and motion for him to sit across from me. He glances around, almost nervously.
“What is it?”
“I don’t typically eat out here. The staff have their own dining room off the kitchen.”
“Oh. Well...is it against the rules?”
He shrugs. “I don’t think so?”
“Then sit.”
With one more look over his shoulder, he finally relents and sits down across from me.
I swirl my spoon through the stew. “Do you have less dead stuff to eat in the staff dining room? This is like all meat.”
Max laughs and steals a few pomegranate seeds out of my bowl, popping them into his mouth. “No, we pretty much eat the same things. The dead stuff is kind of the whole theme of our cozy little home here.” He snorts lightly, which makes me laugh. “So...I heard that your initial evaluation with Monstrat earlier today was somewhat…difficult.”
I groan. “That’s putting it kindly.” I lower my voice and lean over the table. “I was completely decimated by Haven’s power and then my own power decided to take a break just when I needed to demonstrate it.” I straighten again and poke at my stew. “How did you hear about it so quickly?”
“It’s a small house, metaphorically speaking.” Max’s voice is sympathetic. “And the goings on with the descendants is always a welcome break from the monotony of underworld life.”
“Brilliant.” I push my stew away. “Well then, everyone will be extra well-informed as I march steadily toward my destiny as a mortal.”
Oh gods, please don’t let that be my Fate.
“Evaluations aren’t everything.” Max takes my fork and digs into my stew. The familiarity of this simple action comforts me as it reminds me of being back home and sharing meals with my sisters. “You didn’t stay for the rest of the descendants to show off their skills. Many of them can’t do more than make a feather float in the air or boil a cup of hot water. Haven is a rare exception, as are all Knightfalls.”
“Ely put on a pretty good show,” I say.
“Ely is also an exception. Professor Monstrat is a demi-god as is his brother, Ely’s father.”
I can’t hide my shock. “They are?!”
Max bites into a potato. “Yup. Direct descendant of Hades.”
“That gives Ely a huge advantage. He’s Hades’s grandson.”
“I know.”
Which, if I’m running with the whole theory that Hades is my godfather, then that would make Ely my…nephew. Egads. And I thought he was cute!
It’s one thing to be attracted to a someone I vaguely share a bloodline with fourteen centuries removed, but a nephew?
I’ve got more important things to focus on anyway. Certainly not flirtations and crushes.
“So why is Haven favored to win?” I ask.
Max brings the bowl to his mouth so he can scoop the remaining stew straight in. “You know, I might be wrong. Your food might be different. It’s seasoned better, I think.”
“Max?”
“What? Oh. Well. Ely’s dad fell out of favor with Hades. I don’t know what happened. Only that Ely’s dad was banished to the mortal realm. Ely could win over Haven, but I doubt he will.”
I sit back, suddenly feeling even more defeated. “Great. Not only do I have to compete with Haven Knightfall who clearly hates me, but I also have to compete with Hades’s grandson? Who doesn’t seem to hate me...but still.”
Just then, another descendant comes into the room. Theo, I think his name is. When Haven sees him, he shoves back his chair, crosses the room and pushes Theo back through the door.
Poor guy.
Does Haven harass everyone here? Maybe it isn’t just me.
“Oh, don’t give up, Ana.” Max’s voice is firm, but kind. “There are many kinds of strength and it’s not always the strongest in power who succeeds but the strongest in will. Besides, Haven’s power is really only impressive until you realize what it’s made of.”
I hold up a hand. “Wait—What did you say?”
“Don’t give up. This is only the first step. You can still—”
“No. What did you say about Haven’s power? What do you mean, what it’s made of?”
Max glances around again, but the room has emptied. “Haven’s power is simply fear mongering with flair. The moment you remember what he’s doing and block out the fear, his illusions have no power.”
The cave illusion had felt so real, like I’d been sent to another realm. But it was the laughter of the other descendants that had pulled me out.
I had assumed that Haven had stopped the vision, but maybe not.
Max fidgets with my napkin, twisting it and twirling it. “But you didn’t hear this from me, okay? We aren’t supposed to meddle with the descendants and their trials.”
I nod seriously. “Of course. Though you can’t tell me that Nereus isn’t giving Haven some kind of advantage. And Monstrat for Ely, too, for that matter.”
“Which is why I told you what I did.” Max smiles at me. “I said we aren’t supposed to. Not that we don’t.” He winks at me.
When a deep ringing sound comes from the hall, Max stands and ushers me to do the same.
“What is that?”
“That’s the gathering bell.”
I must look as confused as I feel because he clarifies, “It signals that the descendants are being called to congregate in Hades Hall. It’s time for the Gifting.”