Page 28 of A Goddess Unraveled (Olympus Rising)

Lexi dropped to her knees and seconds later the wheels of Hades’s chariot skidded across the cliff just shy of their heads. The front wheel wedged itself into a gap in the rocks, stopping the team with a sudden jolt, and the horses whinnied as they fought against their leads. No doubt they were eager to escape the fury of a pissed-off god.

“Are you sure it’s Zeus?” she said. “I don’t see anything up there besides clouds.”

“I know my brother’s handiwork. We need to hurry or we’ll never make it.” Hades hauled her up by the waist, and together they ran for the chariot.

When they reached the horses, an auburn-haired mare tossed her head like she was battling a swarm of bees.

“Settle down, Misty. I won’t let anything harm you.” Hades spoke in a composed, sedate tone, as if his voice held its own brand of magic. “Misty hates leaving the underworld, but she’s my fastest horse, which keeps the others motivated.”

Lexi offered the horse a sympathetic but unflinching stare. “I know how you feel, Misty. I’m scared too.”

This seemed to work, and they regarded each other for a few intense seconds. Then another thunderous crack had Misty snorting. Lexi turned to stare at the clouds, shielding her eyes as the sun tried to break through and searching for signs of the reckless god she used to call uncle . A shiny silhouette could be seen, approaching at the speed of a small aircraft, but she knew better. Moments later, the distinctive shape of a chariot led by a team of ivory horses became all too clear.

Hades detached Misty’s lead, and she immediately stretched toward Lexi, sniffing and snuffling around her head. “Misty will take you from here, Lexi.”

“Wait. Are you suggesting I fly on her back over the gorge with only a harness?”

“I’ve seen you do it before. Remember, you have the powers of a goddess. And it’s probably your best chance to reach the underworld. I’ll distract Z while you make your escape.”

“I’m going to the underworld without you?”

“I’ll be right behind you. Oh, and you’ll need to recite a password before you can gain access— fterá pagonioú . It translates to peacock feathers . Let me hear you say it.”

With confusion and adrenaline battling for supremacy, Lexi repeated the words until Hades was satisfied with the inflection. Sadly, by then, Zeus and his team had reached their cliff and were making a wide circle over their heads.

“I knew you two were up to something!” he shouted. “You blame the gods for their dishonesty, Lexi, but you are a liar and a hypocrite.”

“It takes one to know one!” she screamed at the sky, fighting dizziness as she looked up at the legs of four galloping horses.

“Your poor choices this weekend have forced my hand! You will come with me to Olympus and receive the appropriate training under my supervision.”

“I have no intention of spending the next century with a bunch of gods like you. It’s just more of the same controlling bullshit!”

Lexi took hold of Misty’s withers and hoisted herself onto the mare’s back. The horse tensed beneath her, and Lexi bent forward, caressing Misty’s neck as she slid the reins into her hand. She already felt a kinship with the animal, probably because they were both scared out of their wits.

“Okay, Misty. It’s just you and me. I’m trusting you to know the way home.”

Zeus had piloted his chariot close enough that she had a bird’s-eye view of the tempest brewing in his eyes. She didn’t see how an escape was possible, at least not without injury, but she was going to give it her best shot.

She glanced at Hades, and his smile gave her hope, something she really needed at that moment. “We’ll meet again on the other side,” he said. Then he slapped Misty on the rump and the horse bolted into the air without so much as a running start.

Lexi tucked in behind Misty’s head, holding on for dear life as they soared above the gorge. The river weaved and twinkled far below, and she had to remind herself that she wasn’t afraid of heights. But this was no ski lift in Switzerland, and she had a god with an ego complex shouting at her.

“What makes you think your life will be any better in the underworld?!”

“Because Hades knows the importance of listening! He treats others like they matter! And, most of all, he has learned humility!”

Lexi shouted into the wind, not really caring if Zeus could hear her. A moment later he pulled up beside her. The desperation behind his stormy eyes and ruddy cheeks smothered her anger for a second.

“Come with me, Lexi. We’ll work out an arrangement. It doesn’t have to be a century.”

“I don’t believe you. I don’t think I ever will.”

He roared and it sounded like thunder. “If you go with Hades, you’ll be there so long you’ll forget what freedom feels like!”

Hades had his team in the air now and was gaining on them as Lexi continued her argument with Zeus two hundred feet above the gorge.

“Why does it bother you so much that I want to be with Hades?”

Hades had an answer for that. “Because he can’t control you in the underworld. He can’t oversee your training and decide how he wants to suppress your power.”

“But why would he want to suppress my power?”

“That’s a very good question, Lexi,” Hades said. “And we can address it after you’re safe.”

He gestured to a land bridge stretching between two canyon walls, his eyes sparking like wildfire. She knew it was now or never, and she spurred Misty lower, while Hades guided his team toward Zeus’s chariot, forcing them both to change course.

“Lexi! Land that horse immediately or you’ll feel my wrath!”

Zeus’s threat made her think of a corny movie script, but the force behind his words felt very real. What would he do to punish her? Would he keep her in the underworld forever? Would he throw her in Tartarus? What about Hades? How would he suffer for her choices?

Misty wasn’t sticking around for more arguments. They dipped away from the iron-fisted god and headed for the bridge. But Lexi knew the gorge like she knew her own backyard, and the only thing beyond the bridge was a wall of solid rock. Once she realized this, her body froze.

“Are you sure we’re headed in the right direction, Misty?”

Of course, Misty didn’t respond. She just kept flying toward the mountain like a bat out of hell. Lexi squinted at the rock wall through watery eyes, although she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. A portal? A hidden door that opened at the commend of magical horses? All she could see was a crack traversing the mountainside, jagged and much too narrow.

Were they supposed to squeeze through that little gap? They were going to die. Was that how someone entered the underworld? Through death? Lexi’s idea to find her freedom seemed to be taking her further away from it. What was that password again?

“Try not to be afraid, Lexi. Just hold on tight!” Hades’s reassurance arrived a little late as he pulled his chariot beside her, the wind tousling his chestnut hair and his eyes shining like stars. “I won’t be far behind you. Fterá pagonioú! ”

“Hades! You will regret this for the rest of your days!” Zeus’s shout echoed inside the canyon ahead of a loud CRACK ! The flash of light that followed blinded Lexi and startled Misty, causing them to veer off course.

Oh gods! Zeus was going to be the cause of her death. Lexi stroked Misty’s head, trying to calm them both.

“It’s okay, girl. Ignore the mean god and just take us home.”

Putting her faith in the horse, Lexi fought the image of smashing headfirst into the rocks as she pressed her head into Misty’s neck and let her eyes flutter closed. She didn’t need her sight to feel the canyon wall coming at her, and she kept repeating the password out loud, wondering if they would be the last words she uttered.

An arctic wind suddenly enveloped her, and all sound abruptly stopped. Only the breathing of the horse and her own erratic panting filled the void. Lexi slowly lifted her head and peeked at her surroundings. There was nothing to see, only pitch blackness, and the air felt moist and glacial. Her skin crawled at the cold nothingness.

Was she dead? Was this dark, empty place her new home? Where were the fields? The rivers? Where was Hades? Had he been forced to fight Zeus for her freedom? What if he lost? Guilt and doubt washed over Lexi like a tsunami, causing her to feel very alone and very foolish. But there was nothing she could do except hold on tight and trust in her magical guide.

~

“This time you have gone too far, Hades!”

Z’s obstinate bellow echoed across the gorge, and Hades had to duck his head to avoid the lightning strike by inches. His brother seemed determined to behave like a royal pain in the ass, and while Hades wanted to point this out, he knew he’d have to choose his words more carefully, for both his and Lexi’s sakes.

He swung his team around, plotting a course alongside Z’s chariot to have a few words with the fatheaded lout. “Don’t you think it might be you who has gone too far this time? You’re going to an awful lot of trouble for a demigod. What are you so desperate to protect?”

“If you’d stop thinking with your dick for once, you’d understand why I’m doing it!”

Hades bit back a curse. If anyone thought with his dick, it was Z. “Are you telling me I don’t know how it feels to lose control of something precious? To feel disrespected and abandoned when someone I care about is ripped from my grasp?”

His rebuttal appeared to dampen Z’s anger, and Hades watched the menacing gleam fade from his brother’s eyes as they maneuvered their chariots in a circle. “I don’t want Lexi becoming feral in the underworld. We know the consequences of an improperly trained demigod.”

“If you bothered to spend a modicum of time in the underworld, you would know that not everything there is feral. And I’m quite capable of making sure Lexi realizes her full potential. I’m sure Hecate will have something to do with that as well.”

Z snorted, mimicking the horses as they carried them from one side of the gorge to the other. “Demigods are different, unpredictable. They must be carefully monitored. Plans must be made and followed. That’s my job!”

Was it just his imagination, or was his brother scrambling for a sound thesis for his argument? Something that didn’t paint him as a tyrant? Hades glanced at the rock where Lexi had vanished. She was in his domain, and her safety was all the assurance he needed.

“Is it also your job to erase the memories of those who threaten your careful planning?” he said, hoping he wasn’t making matters worse.

“Do not claim to know my plans! Lexi doesn’t know them either. She’s conjuring up excuses to justify her poor behavior.”

“Lexi’s decision to enter the underworld was her own. And she made the choice because you couldn’t find a compromise she was happy with. By her own admission she’s been controlled by others all her life. I believe she saw this as her only way to escape the strong will of a god who doesn’t understand her.”

There was more Hades wanted to say, but he dared not leave Lexi alone at the gates with Thanatos, so he made a final pass by Z’s chariot and delivered his ending oration.

“Lexi is aware of your threats, and she still made this choice. I promised my allegiance to her, knowing what the consequences could be for me as well. I expect she and I will manage the consequences together. Should you wish to discuss them with her, you’re always welcome to visit.”

Z’s face settled into a marble pose, like a heavy stone fighting against the pressure of an earthquake. It was an expression Hades knew too well, and he snapped the reins, causing a spark to pass between himself and his horses. This was all they needed to shoot ahead, blazing a fiery trail toward the gap in the mountain.

“You’ll regret this, Hades! In your wildest dreams, you cannot imagine the pain I can inflict.”

Actually, Hades could imagine it. He felt it every spring and any time his hopeful requests went unanswered. He was used to the pain. Numb to it. But perhaps this time his brother would learn a long overdue lesson in humility. A sarcastic smile crossed his face when a streak of lightning blasted the mountain ahead of him, blackening the rocks as he slipped into the darkness.