I silently counted to three in my head.
“Why are you here? To convince me he doesn’t love me? Do you think that I’m suddenly going to fall to my knees and beg you to kill me? My life has been a string of shitty experiences up until I went to Hell, Adira. If I was going to give up, I would have done it before that. I’m not the quitting type.”
“I’m here to try to get you to see reason. Hades cannot be freed from Hell.”
I tilted my head at her as I suddenly understood.
“You know he told Megan to find a way to free him, and it scares you.”
“It should scare us all.”
“Why? Because Thanatos said that Haa is bad? What if Haa– isn’t the bad god? He never tried to kill me. The only times he shook the world were due to misunderstandings or an attempt on my life. What did Thanatos tell you that convinced you this thoroughly?”
“It’s not what Thanatos told me. It’s what he showed me. A memory of a conversation he had with Persephone. She was adamant that Hades never be allowed to wake again. That if he did, the world would fall. The banshees’ cry verified that.”
I sighed. “Their cry verified death and destruction. Both have already happened.”
“Not on the scale they predicted. What we’ve witnessed is only a precursor.”
“Again, you still haven’t said anything meaningful. Why are you here, Adira? Why do you care what I believe or don’t believe?”
“Because your life is tied to Hades. In order to put him back to sleep, you must die.”
I snorted. “Good luck with that.”
When I started to close the door, Adira put her hand out like she was going to stop it. The barrier sparked, but she didn’t fly back. Her skin started to sizzle, she made a pained sound but didn’t stop pushing forward.
Zotera pulled me back and stepped around me in one fluid motion.
“Not today, frost giant,” Zotera said. With a touch, she sent Adira flying backward into the snow-trampled front yard. Adira didn’t lose her footing like Oanen had. She landed on both feet and looked at me.
“Have you asked yourself why, yet, Ashlyn?”
“Why what?”
“Why you were able to travel to Hell when no other living human can? Why does Hades answeryoursummons?”
Megan appeared suddenly beside Adira.
Adira’s eyes went wide, and a portal shimmered to life beside her. Megan grabbed Adira and flipped her away from it. Unfortunately, right into another shimmering portal.
Megan swore a blue streak, and snow melted around her. She caught me watching and waved a hand at me.
“Give me a minute.”
“Take as many as you need,” I said.
Standing beside Zotera, I watched Megan pace the snow to cool off and thought of Adira’s parting comments.
“Is it true?” I asked, looking at Zotera. “Am I the only human who’s been to Hell alive?”
She gave me a small nod, and her expression shifted slightly, turning angry.
“Please don’t keep the truth from me.”
The anger fled. “I won’t,” she said with a smile.
I glanced at Megan. “Ready to come in?”
