“It won't happen again,” I vowed.
“I don't think you can make me that promise, Vervain,” Odin said gently. “But it's okay; I love you more than my pride.”
We both blinked as those words seemed to resonate with us. I knew that they were true for Odin, but it had been harder for someone else to embrace. I just couldn't hold onto the memory long enough to remember who had been so furious when he was in Odin's position... and Odin had been the interloper.
“Why do I suddenly have the image of a snarling wolf in my head?” Odin asked.
“It doesn't matter,” I said hurriedly. “Let's focus on this task, and hopefully everything else will fall into place.”
We hurried outside to find thousands of Greek gods gathered in the flower-speckled field in front of the palace. Hades waited before the army with Thor, his rebel gods, and Naye.
“Dear Gods,” I whispered.
“Indeed,” Odin said.
“I see what you mean about the dog,” Azrael noted as he wrinkled his nose in the direction of Cerberus; the three-headed, canine Guardian of the Underworld.
“Cerberus isn't that bad,” I said as I went forward. “It's the Centaurs who you have to watch out for; they're skittish and if you get too close to their hind ends, they'll kick you.”
The men followed me through the grass, and all of us gave the herd of horse-men a wide berth.
“There you are,” Hades declared as we walked up. “Are you ready?”
“We're ready,” Odin answered for all of us.
“It's time to march!” Hades shouted, and the Army of Gods came to attention.
We began to march down the Dividing Road; straight toward the mouth of Hell.
Chapter Twenty-Five
We made it down the Dividing Road and through the cave that held the entrance to Tartarus without incident. Nothing jumped out at us; it was a rather uneventful hike. We came to a cavern and at its far end was a portal set between two pillars. Somehow, I knew that the pillars were made of solid adamant—a substance that even gods couldn't break. There was an iron tower set beside the massive door, and a blood-soaked woman stood upon it; holding three snakes in one hand. She had really big hands; these were not small snakes.
“Welcome to Hell!” She proclaimed.
“I feel as if I've heard that before,” I muttered.
“Um, my dad's the Devil,” Azrael said as he lifted his hand. “So, thanks for the show, but it's kind of an old one for me.”
“What do you people want?” The woman huffed.
“We march on Nyx,” Hades declared. “Open the portal, Tisiphone.”
“Oh! Lord Hades; I didn't see you there!” Tisiphone jumped off her perch and opened the double doors with her free hand and bowed to Hades as he passed by. “Is there any help that I may offer?”
“We go to avenge the death of your queen,” Hades said. “You may join us if you wish.”
“Nyx killed Persephone?” Tisiphone hissed along with her three snakes. “You're damn straight I'm going!” She released the snakes, and they slid up her arms to curl about her neck. “Come on, my babies,” she said to them, “let's get us a bite of murderess flesh.”
“Graphic,” I murmured.
Tisiphone joined the army; finding a place among the throngs of gods who wanted justice for Persephone. I wished Sephy could have seen this; it was a violent, yet touching, testament to how deeply she'd been loved. Persephone would have been proud and most likely moved to tears.
“You have the power of speech now,” Azrael said to me as we began our trek through Tartarus.
I glanced around me at the vast landscape and the varied punishments being carried out within it. There was a red cast to everything; possibly due to the flaming river of blood flowing through the center of Tartarus. Yes; blood that was burning. It was hot, humid, and just plain horrible. I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to live there.
“I've always had the power of speech,” I said to Az.
“You know what I mean.” Azrael chuckled. “You should try it out before we reach your enemies.”
“Our enemies,” I reminded him, “and what's with all the practice; first you want me to fly and now you want me to talk. I feel like a toddler.”
“You have new magic and you're marching to war,” Azrael pointed out. “Being prepared is not childish.”
“He has a point, Vervain,” Odin said.
“Okay; what do you suggest?” I asked Azrael.
“Try speaking a word with intent,” he said.
“Like; water?” I drew the word out and thought about a geyser as I said it.
To the left of us, water spurted out of the ground, and I gaped at it as Odin made a surprised sound. Before I could say anything, a man came running out of the darkness; shrieking with happiness. He stuck his face directly into the geyser as he opened his mouth.
“Tantalus, you idiot, that's not going to work,” a Greek goddess who was dressed like a Goth teenager shouted at the man.
I scowled at her lack of sympathy, but it looked as if she were right. The man—Tantalus, evidently—fell back onto the ground and started weeping with despair.
“Told you,” the Goth said as she shook her head. She caught me looking at her and added, “His punishment is eternal thirst and hunger; he can drink the water, but it will never satisfy him.”
“I'm having the oddest feeling of deja vu,” I murmured.
“You know what? Me too,” the goddess said as she scowled at the crying Tantalus.
“Perhaps you can try the word 'dry' now,” Azrael suggested.
“Oh! Yeah; okay.” I focused on the geyser going away and said, “Dry.”
The water disappeared.
“That's an impressive talent,” Odin noted. “We
