The Forgotten Witch

29 ~ Melinoe

Melinoe wished she had brought her glass of port when she left the palace. Not only was she surrounded by accusers who had refused her a fair trial, but Zeus always made her want to sedate herself. On top of that, Hades felt it was too risky to transport Josef in a vial, which meant they had to walk to the Lethe with Josef on a tether. The only up side was that Zeus and Hecate had taken his chariot to the dock to wait for them, while Ink, Hades, and young Ely accompanied her on the path.

"What did you do before you were dead?" Ely asked Josef as he led them with his outstretched sword.

"I captained a Viking ship. I explored new lands. Josef the Vanquisher, they called me." Josef's voice had dimmed to a whisper, but the evening quiet allowed it to carry, and Melinoe detected a hint of melancholy in his tone.

Ely glanced at his father with a quirked brow. "What does vanquisher mean, Daddy?"

"To defeat or subdue completely."

Ely's inquisitive gaze turned back to Josef. "What did you vanquish?"

"People, mostly."

"You killed them?"

"If necessary. Most of them tried to kill me back."

"How did you kill them? Did you use a weapon, or did you use your mind power like you did with my mommy?"

Hades's head snapped to Josef as he stopped in the middle of the path. "What did you do to Lexi?" he growled.

"Nothing of consequence, your eminence. Her godly prowess bested me at every turn. You are fortunate to have won her favor. Never have I felt such a need to possess another..."

"Enough!" Hades spat.

"I apologize for my insolence, your lordliness, but condemned men rarely hold their tongues." Josef chuckled weakly as Hades dragged him forward, and the conversation appeared to be over, until... "Before I am banished," Josef continued. "I wanted to say that I think the design of your home is inspired; vaulted ceilings with oak rafters, fires burning behind every hearth, private staircases and nooks. Plenty of space to seek entertainment."

"I suggest you don't remind me how long you were entertained in my home," Hades said. "The only reason you have not been turned to dust is because I'm using you to teach Melinoe a lesson."

Josef clammed up for the remainder of their journey, and by some miracle, so did Ely. Melinoe predicted it was Hades's sour mood that had silenced everyone, and she did not have to speculate why his scowl had deepened. Hades suspected something happened between Josef and Lexi. She knew this by the way his eyes blazed like torches, shedding nearly enough light to navigate the trail by.

When they reached the dock, Charon waved them forward, appearing much to self-righteous for Melinoe's liking. But Charon was not the cause of her sudden misstep on the path. She was focused on the dark water of the river, flashing back to the only memory that survived the incident. That lone dock.

According to legend, Melinoe had given the slip to a palace nymph and hid herself. No one knew how she ended up in the river, but half the day had passed before the search party found her wandering the forest in a near catatonic state.

"I'm still not likin' this setup," Charon said as he gave Melinoe his scrutiny. The ferryman had steely eyes that could pierce even the thickest skin, and he tended to wear his beard too long. He was Melinoe's least favorite god in the underworld, and even then, there was rumor he wasn't a true god. He appeared at Hades's service as soon as Hades had need of him. Although Charon had never demonstrated supernatural powers, that didn't stop the damnable man from living forever. "Last time you borrowed my punt..." he went on. "...you let it float downriver. I had to chase after it and lasso the infernal thing."