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Charon Ariti stands there, his shoulders taking up the narrowhallway, his expression carefully blank. We’ve never met in an official capacity, but one of the side effects of Hades coming to light—and marrying society darling Persephone—was that MuseWatch turned their hungry gaze on those around him. They ran articles on all of his subordinates they could divine, and Charon was top of the list.
He’s a big white man with a handsome face that feels kind of timeless, like he might be found in the back alleys of the lower city, or perhaps bashing his shield into some guy’s face back in the Middle Ages. Dude hassoldierbasically tattooed on his forehead.
I step back instinctively, and he moves into my apartment without hesitation. He takes in the place with an unreadable look and waits for me to close the door.
I don’t move. “If you’re here to beat the shit out of me, just know I’m partial to my good looks and I’ll fold immediately.”
Charon exhales harshly. “If I was going to beat the shit out of you, I would have done it back in December.”
Back when Eurydice was hurt because of my selfishness.
I shut the door. “I deserve it.”
“I’m aware.” He looks around the room again. “Seems you’re paying penance all the same.”
What’s that supposed to mean? I laugh without any humor. “Yes, absolutely. Living in a nice apartment with a steady job is penance. Sure.”
He seems to be studying the paintings I’ve stacked haphazardly against the wall. I can’t bear to throw them away, but treating them with care feels like…too much. “So. She’s haunting you the same way you’re haunting her.”
Haunted. Yes, that’s exactly how I feel. My sins dog my steps, a shadow I can never escape. Guilt is a nettle cloak I can’t shrug out of. I’ve convinced myself that talking to Eurydice,apologizingto her, will be enough to bury my demons, but the longer this goes on, the less sure I am. “It doesn’t really matter who’s haunting who. If you haven’t come to beat the shit out of me…whyareyou here?”
Charon turns back to face me, his blue eyes cold. “I meant what I said about you haunting her. She can’t move on until she makes peace with you.”
“Move on?” I stare. Why the fuck does he care if she…? Oh.Oh.Pain lashes me, hot and furious. I want to be jealous, to be angry, but all I get is a crushing force that makes me weave on my feet. “She wants to move on withyou.”
“If you really want what’s best for her, that wouldn’t bother you.” He holds my gaze. “You held her carelessly and shattered her. I won’t make the same mistake.”
I want to rail at him. To tell him to fuck right off and never return. I don’t move, don’t speak. He’s not saying anything I haven’t thought myself. Oh, I never imagined Eurydice moving on with someone like him, but eventually she had to move on, and it was never going to be with me. I had my chance with her, had the opportunity to treat her the way she deserved, and I fucked it up.
I take a breath that feels like knives in my lungs. “Let me apologize. I know it doesn’t mean much, but maybe it will put things to rest once and for all.”
“It’s not safe for her in the upper city. Find your way to the lower city and make it right. You owe her that much.” He turns toward the door.
My shock shatters. “Wait. There’s a barrier between the upper city and lower city. How am I supposed to get through it?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” He leaves my apartment, closing the door softly behind him.
I stare for a long moment and curse. “What thefuckwas that?”
4
EURYDICE
I’ve gotten very good at dodging my sister and brother-in-law. It’s easier with her these days because she’s massively pregnant with twins, so I hear her coming well before she has a chance to catch me slipping out the front door.
I’m not trying to be sneaky exactly. This is the lower city; there are few places I can go that Hades won’t find out about. Or more accurately, that Charon won’t find out about.
But he’s off on some errand tonight, and so I’m taking advantage of his absence. Again. I have no doubt I’ll face his disapproval when he finally tracks me down, and I’m not quite ready to face him after what happened last night…
We both said things we can’t take back. No matter what he offered, there’s no returning to the safe friendship where we both pretend there’s nothing deeper. I’ve ruined it.
No. I’m not thinking about that. I need to focus. Ariadne texted me earlier that she could get out tonight, so we’re meeting on the bridge. Not the Juniper Bridge. I still avoid that one, eventhree-quarters of a year later. It’s not quite superstition that something bad will happen if I revisit the place where everything changed, but it’s notnotsuperstition. If I take the long way around to the Cypress Bridge every time I need to cross the river, well, that’s my burden to bear.
Mine and Charon’s, since he’s usually driving me.
I promised Charon I wouldn’t go to the upper city, but Ariadne has an open invitation to the lower city, courtesy of Hades. He hasn’t explicitly said that he’s aware of the task Aphrodite gave me—or I suppose she’s Eris again, since she relinquished the title—but nothing happens in the lower city that he’s not aware of. Eris promised me that Ariadne had an invite, and I don’t see why that would have been revoked. Getting her to flip on her father is still the goal.
I’m not a complete fool though. I know better than to go out alone without letting someone know where I am. Since there’s no way I’d clue in any of my sisters, I text Eris.
