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She looked at me gently. "You can always find a way if you want to."
"Do I want to?" The desperation of this question had been burning inside me for days. "And does he even want to?"
"You can only find answers if you face up to the questions."
"How exactly did you manage to overcome all the hurdles?" I wanted to know from Persephone.
"By changing the roles we had been assigned. Hades as Death and me as the new life, too opposite to exist together? We decided that this was not the case. We adapted ourselves and our surroundings to our desire to be together, not the other way around."
"That probably sounds easier than it is, doesn't it?"
"Sometimes the solution to a problem is not as far away as expected. You just have to be able to see it, want to see it."
The soft sounds of music reached us through the thicket of bushes.
"It seems to me that the men have already moved the party to the pavilion." Persephone grabbed my hand and pulled me along the winding path. "Let's go dancing, Myrina! Float above it all for a little while and forget everything."
CHAPTER 39
At the end of the stone path, we came to a clearing. Small fires burned everywhere, countless candles flickered on tables, and lanterns shone above the scene.
In the middle of this perfect circle stood a large pavilion. Transparent curtains fluttered in the faint breeze that blew through the realm of the dead.
A small orchestra of strings and a piano played gentle waltzes. It was simply outstanding.
Persephone let go of my hand and walked towards her husband, who kissed her lovingly before joining her on the dance floor behind the delicate cloths. I looked around and spotted Tanael not far from the orchestra. He was staring at me, indecisive and restless. Then, he suddenly stepped to the side, and Alex appeared behind him. Tears blurred the image. Nevertheless, I saw Tanael say goodbye to my best friend and push him toward me.
Alex approached me with a smile. His gaze slid admiringly over my dress. "You look so ... grown-up, Rina!" he said, hugging me tightly when he finally stood before me. "You're beautiful," he whispered tenderly, and I pressed myself closer to him.
"I missed you," I whispered back. Over Alex's shoulder, I saw Tanael standing at the edge of the clearing. Our eyes met.
"Thank you," I breathed to him in my mind.
With his lips pressed together, he nodded to me and then turned to the bar Hades had also set up here. I could feel his pain, and yet he had given me this moment. Did he know how much this reunion meant to me?
My best friend kissed me on the cheek and pulled me to the dance floor. "You should definitely dance in such a beautiful dress."
He lovingly put his arm around my waist and held my hand, and then we moved carefully to the beat of the music. Persephone and Hades, on the other hand, floated around us, completely absorbed in each other.
"How are you, Rina?" Alex wanted to know. "How are the others?"
"I'm fine, I think," I tried to answer the question. "The others, too. Except Jordy. We're worried about him. He hasn't been himself since Anne disappeared."
"Do you have any new clues yet?"
I told Alex about our search in Jerusalem, Aspasia's true identity, and our plans for tonight.
"I seem to be missing out on a lot." He looked at me contritely and tried desperately to maintain a smile.
"I'm so sorry about everything, Alex. I wish it had gone differently," I stammered, and the sadness about his death caught up with me again.
He placed his hand on my cheek as light as a feather.
"No, Myrina, you have nothing to be sorry for. It has come as it had to. Of course, I would like to accompany you on these adventures, but I am not unhappy in the realm of the dead. Quite the opposite. It's actually perfect to live here ... or to be dead. Whatever you say." He laughed, and it was one of those laughs that reached the eyes.
"So, stop mourning me, and don't miss out on what life offers." His gaze fell on Tanael.
"But..." I looked at Alex, confused.
