‘Puzzled’ feels too soft for the vitriol I’ve felt from him. ButI doubt Tempest will be inclined to shed light on what she means, so I ignore her stares and focus on pooling honey in sticky waves on to the yogurt before me.
‘I should tell you that I plan on going outside the moment I’ve finished here,’ I say.
Tempest simply shrugs again. ‘Hades told us to tell him what you did, not stop you doing it.’
‘And did he tell you to tell me that?’
She blinks. ‘No, but I really don’t care enough about any ofthis–’ she waves at me – ‘to be all that bothered.’
After breakfast, Tempest disappears back into a mist, though I’m sure she’s with me still, and I start towards the main palace doors. Which is when I hear the shouting.
‘I’m not leaving here until you tell me where she is!’ It’s a high-pitched voice with something gravelly beneath it, like silt on a river bed. I don’t think it’s a nymph.
‘I will not repeat myself,’ Hades says. He’s not shouting but the walls are shaking again and I imagine, wherever he is, that aura of darkness is stronger than ever.
‘You’re lying to me. Tome, of all people! You absolute –’
‘I would be careful how you speak to your king.’
‘I’m not one of your other subjects, Hades. I’m your secret keeper. Lie to me again. I dare you.’
‘You of all people should know I’m not lying when I say that I took nobody.’
‘I know what I saw,’ the stranger insists.
‘And you really think so little of me that you believe I would kidnap a woman?’
‘Maybe the other kings finally got to you. Maybe I should gather the other members of the court and see what they think.’
No.I can’t have more people knowing where I am.
I rush out and the woman Hades is arguing with turns at the movement. She doesn’t look much older than me – all big, round eyes and long black hair that’s damp and plastered to her corpse-pale skin.
She immediately pushes past Hades to grasp my shoulders in her clammy hands. Her dark eyes race across my face and her concern reminds me so much of Cyane that a lump forms in my throat.
‘Are you okay? Has he hurt you?’ she asks urgently.
‘Rivers of Hell, you know me better than that,’ Hades huffs.
‘No, no, I’m fine,’ I stutter, panic surging. ‘Please don’t tell anyone I’m here.’
The woman blinks.
She turns from me to Hades, who holds his hands open like he has no idea how to explain this.
‘Kore,’ she says after a moment, ‘you and I are going to take a walk.’ She points an accusatory finger at Hades. ‘And I’ll talk to you about this later.’
Hades nods, glancing between us like he’s not sure whether he should be concerned at what I might say or pleased that I’ve saved him from her wrath. ‘Tempest,’ he finally calls. ‘Would you stay here, please? Let them talk privately.’
‘You’ve got aurai tailing her?’ The woman gapes at him. ‘All right, we’re definitely having words later. Come on, Kore.’
Outside, I have to rush to catch up with her. She’s not much taller than me but she’s slight and spindly. Her long hair and legs make her look stretched and I have to half-run to match her stride.
‘I’m Styx. The river,’ she says, which explains her general demeanour of having been dredged up from the bottom of a swamp. ‘You made flowers for me. That’s how I knew you were here. You’re Kore, right? Hence the flowers?’
I nod, dejected. Is she … Is this it? Am I going to be shipped off home at any moment?
‘Hades adjourned court and he’s never done that before, so I thought it was to … to …’ She seems confused, blinking rapidly and shaking her head.
