Page 50 of Monster Song

“What happens if we don’t let him in?” I asked as clumps of the ceiling fell on my head.

“He’ll come back with Ares and break the gate down.”

“Good point.”

Everything was still shaking when we joined everyone on the front lawn of the castle. My monsters surrounded Persephone. We went to stand by them. They made a circle around us. When Hades realized we were all present, he snapped his fingers, and the shaking stopped. Lightning lit up the sky, and a man appeared before us.

Have you ever seen those memes of sexy Santa Claus? That was Zeus, and he was pissed off. Lightning was going off everywhere, and it looked like he was ready to aim it at Hades.

“Where is Demeter? We know she was here. We felt her life force snuff out, but it’s never been activated again like she’s in the pits of Tartarus.”

Persephone stepped forward like she wasn’t afraid.

“Why did you let her come here, father? You know I’m happy here. She tried to kill everyone in the Underworld, and she drugged me. She threatened to kill me too.”

Zeus didn’t soften like he felt sorry for his daughter at all.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I can’t find Demeter’s life force anywhere.”

Persephone raised her chin.

“She sent several monsters there, and she would have been happy to trap me in the pits of Tartarus with the Titans. Demeter is dead for good, and I’m not sorry about it.”

Zeus let out this huge roar. My hair blew back, and I flew into Kimon’s chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me.

“Say nothing, baby bird,” he whispered.

“Who killed Demeter?” he yelled. It echoed across all of the Underworld.

Well, I was the one who killed Demeter, and I was also the only one not in on this plan. Someone would have to cop to it, and I wasn’t letting anyone take the fall for me. I had a feeling they’d all try to stop me if I said something. Kimon’s arms tightened around my waist. Before I could say something, someone else did.

“I made the weapon, Father. It’s been destroyed, and there are no weapons like it in existence anymore,” Hephaestus said.

Not Hephaestus. Was this what earlier today was about? I kept getting the feeling he was saying goodbye to me. Was the plan to have him take the fall this entire time? I couldn’t deal with that.

Zeus growled.

“My abomination of a son. Only you would craft a weapon capable of killing one of your own with your gifts.”

Zeus snapped his fingers, and Hephaestus just disappeared before me.

“No!” I cried.

“I’ll decide what to do with the rest of you after I deal with my son.”

Zeus disappeared in a pop of lightning. I shoved Hades in the chest.

“Thiswas your plan? Have Hephaestus take the fall? What kind of God are you? He wouldn’t have even been involved if it weren’t for you!”

Hades caught my wrists and shook me.

“River! This is only part of the plan. Zeus can’t kill Hephaestus because he doesn’t have one of his weapons. We will rescue him. I have the one thing Zeus fears in the Underworld, and Hephaestus was making more of his God killing weapons while he was gone.”

“What exactly does Zeus fear?” I snapped.

Hades gave me a cruel grin.

“I’ve got a pit full of Titans I can unleash on Olympus if he doesn’t want to play nice. Never mind all our weapons. Your father is off talking to Bael about reinforcements.”

I thought my plan for Demeter was crazy, but Hades' plan was just dangerous enough to work.

Zeus wasn’t dumb enough to not to bow when the threat of everything in the pits of Tartarus getting unleashed in his domain was looming over his head, right?

I just wanted Hephaestus back, and if that meant siccing some Titans on Olympus, well, I’d already killed one Goddess. We’re coming for you, Zeus.