“Here it is,” Mrs. Quill said, appearing beside me suddenly.
I hadn’t even realized she’d left.
“You need to drink this, Ashlyn,” she said, uncorking the vial.
She tipped it to my lips, and I swallowed. The potion burned my throat and made me gag.
“Keep it down,” she said, rubbing my arm. “It will counter the poison. Just breathe. Breathe.”
I focused on each inhale and exhale, shivering and fighting not to gag, while pain twisted in my middle and pulsed outward until I could think of little else but the last time I’d almost died of poison. Hades had saved me with a touch, taking away the pain as if it had never been.
My breath caught, and a whimper escaped me. Why had I left Hell?
“Mother,” Zotera whispered near my ear. “Please don’t cry. Remember how much you love this world.”
Did I? I thought I had, but I was just as unwanted here as I had been in Hell. At least in Hell, Hades had protected me.
But only because he thought you were Persephone,I thought bitterly.
The pain started to ease enough for me to feel the cool hand brushing over my sweat-soaked forehead. A shuddering sigh escaped me.
“Rest,” Mrs. Quill said. “When you wake, you’ll feel like yourself again.”
* * *
Someone gently shook my arm.
“I really need you to wake up, Ashlyn,” Eliana said. “Come on.”
“I’m up,” I mumbled without opening my eyes.
“You already said that, but you went back to sleep. Please wake up.”
At the desperation in her voice, I struggled to open my eyes.
Her face swam into focus, and she smiled at me.
“Hi, sweetie. Can you sit up too?”
“Sweetie?” I almost closed my eyes again, but she put an arm under me and hoisted me upright.
“I think you should allow her to rest,” Zotera said.
I swung my uncooperative gaze to Zotera, who was sitting on the bed beside me and holding my hand like she was afraid I’d take off without her.
“What’s going on?” I managed groggily.
“We’re getting a little nervous about how long this earthquake is lasting,” she said. “And I figured you’d rather be awake and know what’s going on if we have to move you. I didn’t want you waking up disoriented or afraid.”
I nodded in understanding. Eliana still felt guilty about her part in my trip to Hell, even though I didn’t hold her responsible.
“Okay. Help me stand. I’ll wake up more that way.”
The tremors teased the bottoms of my feet as Eliana helped me walk a circle in the room. It did help me wake up enough to register what she’d said.
“How long was I out?” I asked.
“Over an hour,” Eliana said.
