Page 262 of Hekate: The Witch (Goddesses of the Underworld #1)

‘We Are Too Late’

The words felt heavy in my mouth.

As though I was dropping a weight

onto the world.

The plate sat there,

taunting us.

Kore stood up,

her lovely red hair falling

to her waist as she asked,

wide-eyed and innocent,

‘What are you saying?’

I swallowed the hot tears

at the back of my throat.

I was going to break her heart.

And then I would break

Demeter’s heart too.

‘I… I am sorry.

I was supposed to take you home.

But the condition was

that you had not eaten

a single thing in

the land of the dead.’

There was an awful silence.

And then the girl let out

a terrible cry of despair.

Her hand picked up the plate

and she smashed it

to pieces across the floor.

She sank to her knees

and we stood there

helpless, unable to do anything

but watch

as rivers of misery

flowed down the girl’s face.