Beneath

Chapter Seventeen:

The Underworld...

"No beach this morning. Doctor's orders," Persephone said, fluffing the pillows behind my back as I sighed, tapping furiously at the keys on my laptop. Two weeks post-Kronos and they still treated me like I was made of glass.

"Seph, this is ridiculous. I'm fine, so you guys can chill and stop worrying about me so much. Also, please tell Hades to drop those stupid shields around the castle. Every time I step outside it feels like my skin is going to peel off."

She smiled, filling Bailey's food bowl. "You know I can't do that, Emma. Hades takes security to an extreme level when someone in his family is threatened."

"Awe, he cares? That's so sweet." I put my hand over my heart dramatically and she snorted, rolling her eyes as she coaxed the roses dotting my room back to life.

"Who are these from?"

"Poseidon. I think he feels guilty about dragging me into Kronos' business in the first place, and rightly so, that little jerk."

"I need to be kidnapped more often," she mused, plopping down beside me on the bed. "So, what's on the schedule for today? And more importantly, can I join you?"

"What about work? The good people of Portland aren't going to find your unique arrangements anywhere else on Earth, you know. Besides, you need to give me something to write about!" I wasn't going to say, 'I actually need a little space from both you and Hades right now', because I knew it would hurt her fragile feelings and I didn't want to be that person. Not to mention the fact that it probably wasn't wise to insult a goddess to her face.

"Hades says that I need to be your nurse and-"

"Guard?" I retorted, sliding out of bed and wrapping a light sweater around my shoulders.

"Playmate," she corrected. "And when he gives me a direct order like that, well, I can't refuse, can I?"

"Where is he, anyway?"

She fidgeted, an awkward movement I didn't fail to notice. "He's bouncing around a bit today between the beach and Portland, taking care of business. You know what it's like."

My eyes narrowed. "He's not, by any chance, picking up my slack, is he? You know, the work I should be doing right now? The work he won't let me do?"

"Emma, it's for your own good. You don't know what your death did to him - what it's still doing to him. He feels intensely guilty that he let you go to Kronos at all, so please give him a break. He doesn't want to risk your life again over something he's more than capable of handling himself."

"No, that's not acceptable," I said, pushing Bailey into her kennel as Persephone followed, fluttering over me. "This is something we did together-something that he hired me to help him with, and I'll be damned if he keeps me soft and useless in my rooms because he's scared. Screw that."

"Emma, please be reasonable," she said anxiously as I stormed into the hallway. "This isn't forever, just until he thinks you're ready to do the work again."

"There have been plenty of moments over the past four years when thought that I wasn't ready to do this, and it pissed me off as much then as it does right now. Move."

Persephone punched a hand into the rough staccato wall, blocking my path. "You need this time away from all of the chaos that's happened over the past few days, and don't you dare try to deny it. You're wrung out, Emma, and it's not a weakness to admit that. So why are you being so difficult?"

I gave her a level look, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "I know you helped with the souls for ten months, Persephone, but you weren't born to do it and I-"