“So all these rivers feed into Charon’s Marsh; right in the middle of it all,” Willow gestured at the squiggly lines on the map that signified the different rivers. “Which one will Stasia have to find?”
“There are five rivers in the Underworld,” Finn contended, “They all feed into Charon’s marsh in the middle; which is how he carries the souls to the different sections. The rivers are not to be taken lightly, however. They each shelter secrets of their own between their unassuming banks.”
“What do you mean?” Phoebe asked, completely entranced.
“Three main rivers circle the different sections of the Underworld. The River of Fire surrounds Tarturus and-“
“The River of Fire!?” Phoebe’s eyes widened in fascination.
Carmen looked at him skeptically, “Is it actually a river of fire?”
“I guess it would be better described as a river of lava,” Finn shrugged his shoulders, as if a river of lava were no big deal. “Let’s just say you don’t want to fall in it.” He chuckled at himself, but Phoebe’s face paled at his words.
“The River of Forgetfulness surrounds The Vale of Mourning,” he paused; anticipating more questions. Phoebe didn’t disappoint.
“Forgetfulness? So does that mean it makes you forget things? Is that why it’s around the Vale of Mourning? So those souls will forget whatever made them kill themselves?”
“Only if a soul drinks from its water, will they forget. The amount they drink will determine how many memories will be erased. It can be very tempting for those souls who have many memories they’d like to forget.”
“But if you erase the bad, how will you be able to appreciate the good?” Willow pondered.
“I have a million memories I’d like to forget, but they also made me who I am. I wouldn’t want to forget them,” I divulged quietly.
“I agree, but unfortunately the souls of the Vale of Mourning have succumbed to their pain.
They are weak and the river is all too tantalizing,” Finn stated.
“How sad…” Phoebe gushed, as he described the third important river.
“The River of Unbreakable Oaths surrounds the divine Elysian Fields. It’s also called the River Styx.” He nodded his head at Willow, who quickly turned it a bright neon pink and tapped her chin in deep thought again.
“So how exactly does Stasia get there?“ she asked studiously.
“She’ll need to reach the end of the groves, where she’ll run right into the marsh. Following along the marsh to the east, the River Styx will be the first river she’ll come to.” He pointed to the place where the River Styx met Charon’s Marsh on the map. “The mouth of the river meets the marsh in spectacular fashion, creating a large waterfall. So, she’ll need to follow the banks of the river until she can no longer hear the waterfall.”
“Large waterfall…” Willow mumbled, as she set to changing more of the map to pink.
“So how does it work? Does she run and cannonball into the river or simply stick a toe in?”
Carmen asked, scribbling again in the notebook.
“She’ll have to completely submerge herself in the waters of the river. But the torrent is extremely strong. Hence the swimming lessons.” He raised an eyebrow at me. Carmen had been tasked with giving me swimming lessons. And I was dead set on putting them off for as long possible.
Finn turned his attention to me, “You’ll need to avoid any rocks or boulders, as you flow down river.
Then you’ll go over the waterfall; landing in the marsh and ensuring your immortality.”
“Did you just say I’d have to go over the waterfall?” I asked; dumbstruck and praying I had heard him wrong.
“That’s exactly what I said,” he looked up at me, his face solemn. I could tell he didn’t like this any more than I did, but his resolve had grown into an understanding and acceptance of what must happen. Alternately, my resolve was still crawling around in diapers.
“Right. Go over massive waterfall. Got it.” I swallowed and tried not to start shaking again.
“You’ll make your way out of the marsh, and walk west along the River of Forgetfulness. But no matter how thirsty you are, do not drink from it.” He looked at me with intensity, “When you see the groves of Persephone appear to your left, you’ll know you’re almost to the Gates of Horn and Ivory.”
“The Gates of Horn and Ivory are real?” Willow’s big blue eyes grew impossibly larger. Finn shook his head in confirmation.
“I can assure you; they’re all too real. And Stasia will need to pass through them in order to get back to this realm…and her body.” My stomach lurched and I held down the queasiness that ensued. I had no idea what the Gates of Horn and Ivory were, but I could only hope they weren’t lined with flesh-eating spiders the size of buses busily spinning webs; perfect for capturing detached souls.
“Let me guess, there’s a big fire breathing monster she’ll have to slay with her sword in order to get the golden key and save the princess?” Carmen’s eyes darted toward Phoebe who crossed her arms and glared back at her. Finn just rolled his eyes.
“The only big monster Stasia will have to face is herself.”
Chapter 18
“Did you just call me a big monster?” I joked with him, trying to hide the paralyzing fear that had taken hold of every fiber in my body. The three almonds that broke free from the shaking of my hand as I reached into the bowl had betrayed me.
“The most incredibly, beautiful monster in the world…,” Finn retorted with a smirk.
“There’s that charming side I just can’t resist,” I teased, and swatted at him playfully. He caught my still- shaking hand and pulled me close, instantly making me feel better. He turned to address my roommates.
“The Gates are actually ‘The Gate’. Depending on the soul’s integrity, it will either be made of ivory or horns. The catch is that that soul will not be able tell which it is when they walk through it.”
“So, what’s the difference? Why does it matter?” Phoebe asked curiously.
“If the gate is made of horns, they’ll pass through without a problem. But, if it’s made of ivory, they’ll be refused exit and trapped in the Underworld to serve under Persephone. Forever,” he declared with finality.
As I attempted to swallow this newest pill of bad news, a knock sounded at the door. We all jumped out of our skin and Phoebe let out a surprised yelp. Finn just grinned wickedly and his blue eyes sparkled as they shot towards Willow.
“Oh yea, I forgot to tell you. I invited Liam over,” he shrugged innocently.
“What?” Willow’s face flushed the same bright pink color of her highlighter. She immediately jumped up and frantically began to clean up.
“You did?” I couldn’t help wondering what Liam would add to the conversation.
“You don’t knock. You invite people over. You do realize you don’t live here, right?”
Carmen put her hands on her hips and glared at Finn, but he was too busy eyeing Willow with obvious amusement to care.
“You might want to answer the door.” He unsuccessfully covered up a chuckle as Liam knocked again. Willow shot Finn a warning look and smoothed down her unruly blonde hair. As she opened the door, Liam sauntered into the suite looking quite proper in khaki shorts and a green polo shirt that offset his blonde hair nicely. He also appeared to be extremely nervous. He grinned shyly at Willow, who just stared back at him speechless. An intervention may be in order for those two. At this pace, they might go on a date by next
