The Underworld Crown (Series)

Chapter 17

I followed Persephone in silence as she led us through the winding hallways of the castle and down the familiar steps which led to our leafy haven. Cerberus trailed alongside me in his small form, seemingly just happy to be there. However, he didn't follow us as we stepped into the forest, instead opting to guard the door.

It was night-time again as Persephone and I stepped into the forest. I spied the stars twinkling in the sky, only just visible through the masses of foliage. I followed Persephone down a familiar pathway and deeper into the forest than we'd ever been. We'd been walking for about ten minutes when she came to a stop and I peered over her shoulder. We were standing beside a small lake about the size of a basketball court. It shimmered in the reflection of the moonlight and cast off its reflection against its rocky outskirt. In the centre of the lake, a small island beckoned me closer. On it, a few pebble stones led to a marvellous water feature. It was a carved rock in the shape of a circle. There was something ancient about the feature that had the base of my spine tingling and made me feel as though I was intruding on hallowed ground.

"What's that?" I whispered in alarm.

"That water fountain is how I watched over you all these years," she replied. "It's called the Sedna Fountain. It is said to contain all of the tears of Sedna, the Goddess of the Sea. Every time Sedna cries, her tears pool into this fountain."

I cringed. "That doesn't sound too magical." Actually, it sounded kind of sadistic. "Why would you need to protect her tears here?"

"When someone drinks a mouthful of the water in that fountain, they are able to visit any location they put their mind to. You aren't able to visit that location physically, though. Only your spirit is able to be projected."

"Then if drinking that water can really do that, why are you keeping it hidden here? Surely you should spread it around fairly?"

"Because with this power, there always needs to be a balance. As much as drinking from the fountain could bring someone happiness and joy, it could also drive someone to become addicted and grow deliriously crazy over time if they're not careful."

I shot Persephone a sidelong look. "But you said you've been using this fountain to watch over me." I could put two and two together–I was potentially standing with a crazy woman.

As if she knew what I was thinking, Persephone laughed. "I've been extremely careful over the years to limit my use of the fountain, even though using it once never seems like enough..." A solemn, faraway look appeared in her eyes. After a moment, she shook herself from her reverie. "Anyway, now it's your turn."

"What?" I exclaimed, my jaw dropping. "You want me to drink from the fountain?"

She shrugged. "You want to see your father and Camilla, right?"

Oh boy, did I ever. Without them, a massive hole had appeared in my chest, growing wider and wider with time. Even though I was surrounded by people in the castle, I'd never felt more alone than I did now.

Wearily, I shot Persephone a questioning look. "It's safe for me, right? I won't die or my head won't explode or anything?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your head won't explode."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"You won't die either," she added hastily. "But there's a condition to you drinking from the fountain."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? What is it?"

She gestured towards the lake surrounding the island. "Unless you want to go for a swim today, you need to create a makeshift bridge for us to get onto the island."