The Underworld Crown (Series)

Chapter 9

The arrival of the following cities passed by in a blur.

I soon discovered that the Goddess of Gluttony, Adephagia, took her responsibilities for excessive eating far too seriously. When she smiled, her mouth was framed with teeth as sharp as sharks, and I couldn't help but recoil. I wanted to crawl away when her three children grinned and shared her triangular teeth. When they left, the tension left my shoulders, and I noticed Hades and Persephone relax as well.

I didn't know whether it should reassure me or not that even the Devil was offput by their animalistic nature.

"What do they need those teeth for?" I asked when they were gone, unsure if I even wanted an answer.

Persephone's lips tightened, but Hades was the one to answer, "Human cannibalism."

My stomach curdled. All the colour left my skin.

"Adephagia has agreed that none of them will...indulge themselves while they are here."

"But you're fine with them eating..." I couldn't even finish the sentence, "...at Gluttony City?" I questioned, beginning to feel the rising anger at his inaction. "Out of sight, out of mind, right?"

Hades' eyes darkened. "Despite what you may believe, I cannot control the acts of every god or goddess. The very balance of nature would be turned upside down if I were to force my ideals on every being in the Underworld."

I wasn't sure what he meant by disturbing the very balance of nature–it sounded like a vague excuse to me.

I pinned my accusing glare on Persephone. "And you're okay with this too?"

Lines furrowed her brow. "There are many things that we would seek to change about the Underworld, but it should not surprise you that there are more alarming matters at hand. There are some issues in the Underworld that even your darkest imagination could not provide. Those are the matters that are dealt with first."

Personally, cannibalism was rated quite highly on my list of horrors, so I didn't want to even consider what other matters could reduce to the gravity of cannibalism to nothing.

My arms weakened and my legs shook. I was close to being sick at the thought of cannibals "indulging" themselves. Fear reminded me that I would be required to sleep in the same castle as them.

After Gluttony, the representatives from Wrath City arrived. They were the biggest party to arrive yet, and certainly knew how to make an entrance. The horses which drew them were purely skeletal, and gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for Calista–Alek's horse–despite its red eyes which I'd once considered too intimidating. Now, those blazing eyes were child's play compared to the screeching of bone against bone as the horses pulled a row of carriages to a stop.

Persephone tensed when the Goddess of Wrath, who later introduced herself as Lyssa, emerged from the carriage, her long, black and unruly hair adorned with a crown of bone. I glanced between the two of them, noting how they both appeared to be opposites. Where Persephone was calm, collected and full of life, Lyssa walked and moved as though everything around her irritated her.

Disdain shone as bright as death in Lyssa's eyes as she somehow managed to stare us down while moving up the stairs. I stopped breathing when she turned those eyes on me. The darkness swirling around Hades moved faster in her presence.

I remained quiet as introductions were made, content to shrink into the background as memories of Alek telling me of how Lyssa had sent monsters to attack Pride City flooded my brain. Seeing Lyssa now, the picture of madness and instability, brought credibility to his story. I did not want to get Lyssa on my bad side. Nor did I want to make enemies of her seven children either.