Page 72 of The Ferryman’s Rest Inn & Grogshop

Her brow furrowed. She didn’t believe me.

“Let me ask you.” I squeezed her hand. “A dryad said she saw a man visit you in the meadow the day before this happened. Do you remember him?”

Persephone seemed confused by the change in topic but nodded. “He said he was a goatherd and was looking for a wayward goat, I believe.” She shrugged a delicate shoulder. “He wasn’t important. I think he said something about my beauty and that I shouldn’t be out on my own, that someone might try to steal me.”

She shook her head. “He spoke in flowery words and tried to woo me, but I wasn’t interested. Hades was on his way, and I couldn’t wait to see him again.”

“Did the goatherd have funny eyes?” I asked her.

She tipped her head to the side in thought. “Now that you say that, I think they were more gold than brown. I’d assumed he was a demigod with eyes like that.” She looked up at the sunlight above. “I heard the tread of Hades’ feet on the path and forgot all about the goatherd. He must have left because I didn’t see him again.”

She looked down at her free hand, at the intricately fashioned gold band she wore on a finger. “Hades gave me this ring and asked me to come live with him. I told him I needed to speak with my mother, but no matter what she said, I’d meet him back in the meadow at noon the next day to start our lives together.”

“Your mother said you ran out of the house at dawn,” I reminded her.

She grinned, a light flaring to life in her eyes. “I did. I couldn’t wait. Mother and I had come to an agreement. I’d spend half the year above with her and half the year below with Hades. It had been decided and I wanted to be with him as soon as possible.

“He arrived early too,” she continued. “He was as excited as I was. He held his arms open for me and I ran to him. When he hugged me, though, I dropped through the earth to this chamber.” She stared sadly at the ring. “I know it was Hades. He’s punishing me for some reason. I’ve wracked my brain, trying to think what I could have done, but I haven’t yet discovered it.”

I let out a long breath. “Do you know about the fae?”

Her brow furrowed again. “I don’t know that word.”

“The dryads and nereids,” I said.

“Nymphs. Yes, I know of nymphs.”

“Good. Well, dryads and satyrs and elves and fairies, they’re all referred to as the fae in my time. The fae are governed by the queen of the fae. She’s known by many names, but I call her Gloriana.”

Persephone nodded, following but clearly unsure as to why I’d veered off into this lesson.

“Gloriana is married to an evil, spiteful man who is jealous of her power and does things to try to weaken her and destabilize their realm.”

“I’m very sorry for her,” Persephone said. “It is a grievous pain to be betrayed in love.”

I patted her hand. “You weren’t. I think the goatherd you met was her husband Finvarra. He tried to seduce you, to mesmerize you, but it didn’t work. Instead, he saw you run to Hades and jealousy took over. You refused him and ran to Hades? No. That wouldn’t be allowed. He came back the next day in the guise of Hades. The fae are quite adept at glamours, at making themselves look however they’d like. I believe it was Finvarra who imprisoned you here, not Hades.”

I stood and went back to the wall. I pressed my hand through the rock and then pulled it back. I held up my hand to Persephone. “This gold ring is Gloriana’s. That’s how I was able to finally break through to you. It worked because this is a fae prison. All the gods and goddesses tried to get you out. None of them could because this chamber was created with fae magic.”

I crouched at Persephone’s knee. “That wasn’t Hades who imprisoned you. I believe it was Finvarra who did it.”

“Interesting,” a deep voice said from across the chamber.

Persephone and I flinched, both standing and moving away from the fae king. I put out my arm and shuffled the poor woman behind me. The fact she was still alive was amazing. She didn’t have it in her to fight this one.

Finvarra gave me an annoyed look. “It’s always you, isn’t it? And now I know why. My tricksy little wife gave you her ring. Well, that explains that, at least.” He glanced around the chamber. “I hate to tell you this, but I completely forgot that I’d hidden you here.” He gave a theatrical grimace. “My goodness. How many others have I tucked away and forgotten about?” The color in his eyes began to swirl.

I pushed Persephone back. “Don’t look him in the eyes. He’s trying to mesmerize us.” I pulled my axe out of the sheath on my back and unleashed the claws of my left hand. Keeping my gaze locked on his nose, I clocked the shift of his stance, which muscles flexed. He had a shit ton of power I didn’t possess, but I was going down fighting.

When his shoulder moved, I pushed Persephone down behind the rock and dove over it in a somersault before I came up swinging my axe. Finvarra’s eyes widened and then he was ten feet away. I’d almost hit him with my spelled axe. It automatically sent the fae back to Faerie. I didn’t know if it would work with the king, but it was worth a try.

“Ah ah ah,” he said, his index finger waving back and forth at me. “I know all about that axe and the spell she put on it. If you attack unprovoked—and I’ve done nothing to provoke you—it’s immediate death for you.”

I looked him in the eye for one second before I remembered to look away. “You abducted a goddess and held her captive for thousands of years!”

“Thousands?” Persephone whispered in horror.

“That’s what I did to her,” he said with a smirk. “I haven’t done anything to you.”