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Below us, the darkness of the sea starts to fade, a blue light coming through. By now I’m fascinated, staring as we descend, getting closer and closer. I don’t even realize that my mouth is open and that…
I’m breathing.
Somehow, I’m able to breathe without sucking in water through my mouth and choking on it.
Holy hell, was Death right? Either he was right or I’m dead.
I try again, breathing in and out, and while I don’t quite feel air in my lungs like I do on land, I’m not drowning and I’m not suffocating either.
Wow. Guess I have more Goddess in me than I thought.
It’s not long before I start to see shapes moving in the light; a kelp forest, one that seems to keep going down to an unseen sea floor.
Death pulls me through it, the kelp sliding past me in various colors—teal, purple, green—like a field of flowing ribbons.
Below us, a grotto appears in the middle of the kelp forest, resembling a small amphitheatre carved into a mix of volcanic rock and coral. It’s lit up by a few of those creepy-ass angler fish that live in the deep. They’re half bone and half scales, as if they’d been the meal of someone who got full too early, and they’re harnessed to the rocks with twine. The blue light that dangles at the end of their antennae thing illuminates the whole area, including the Gods, who are standing in the middle of the grotto, looking up at us.
At the feel of their godly, inhuman eyes, I immediately panic, wanting to go back to the surface, but there’s no way Death is letting go of my hand now.
He swims until we’re right above them, circling the Gods like a school of fish.
One God with bright aqua eyes, tanned skin, and a wide, clean-shaven jaw reaches up and hands Death something. Death takes it and then twists around to hand it over to me, placing it in my hand.
It’s a small black disc with a strange symbol carved on it, resembling a gothic sand dollar of sorts. The moment it hits my palm, I start to sink like someone’s tied rocks to my ankles, until my feet are flat on the grotto floor.
“That will keep you down here,” Death says, standing beside me with ease. I can’t see his mouth under the mask but it seems like he’s talking like normal, not telepathically. A stream of bubbles rise from him, disappearing into the darkness above us.
Then he puts his hand at my elbow, taking on a most commanding posture, and turns me to face his brethren.
“Gods, Goddesses, Brothers and Sisters of the Underworld,” he says in a booming voice, the voice he uses when he feels like being king, “may I introduce to you my wife, Hanna, Queen of Tuonela and the Goddess of Death.”
I swallow uneasily, looking at all the eerily beautiful faces staring at me.
Thankfully, I recognize two of them. One of them is a pale girl about my age, maybe younger (looks-wise, anyway) dressed in a dark green dress that flows around her like seaweed. Her hair is vibrant red with tiny antlers poking out of the top of her head. This is Tellervo, Goddess of the Forest, who helped me in the Hiisi Forest back when Rasmus took off in the night, right before I was traded for Death.
I give her a quick smile and she nods. Her eyes are friendly but from the stiff way she stands, I guess she has to keep up the formalities.
Then there is Vellamo, Goddess of the Sea. She’s just as amazing as I remember. Her otherworldly beauty is complimented by the most intricate outfit, half-gown, half-armor comprised of fishbones, shells, octopus legs and pearls. On her head is a bishop-like hat made of scales with crab claws on top.
She eyes me coolly and raises her strong chin in recognition. Guess that’s the most I’m going to get. I want to ask her about Bell, if she’s with her, or if any of the mermaids are, but I have a feeling that isn’t on the agenda.
“Nice to finally meet you, Hanna,” the square-jawed God says. Now that I have a better chance to look at him, I notice he’s bare chested, like Death, but his pants are made from shells and fish scales. In his hand he has a tall staff made of bone and starfish. I know who he is even before he says. “I am Ahto. God of Oceans. Tuoni’s brother, husband of Vellamo. I have heard a lot about you from her. My brother hasn’t said much.”
He glances at Death, who doesn’t move.
“You know you can take your mask off, Tuoni,” Ahto says with a smirk. “We all know what your hideous face looks like.”
A few of the Gods chuckle. I burst out laughing. Guess all my nervous energy needs a place to go.
