My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Not Quite Cinderella (Part 1)

I flew to the door but it was locked tight.

"Let me out of here." I pounded on it. Shot at it. Nothing. I laid my fingertips against it in defeat. I swear I could feel Kai on the other side. Feel his fingers pressed to mine. "Please."

The silence was long enough that I supposed it was just wishful thinking. Then he spoke. "See you in the morning, kardia mou."

"Argh!" I kicked at the door. But he didn't open it.

I spun and focused on the window, but he'd planned ahead. When I touched it, a sharp electric shock ripped through me. My power did nothing, and the lamp I threw bounced harmlessly off the glass, before hitting the floor and shattering.

Great.

I sank onto the bed, my hands on my knees. Sometime before the equinox, in less than forty-eight hours, my mother was going to try and murder me.

Again.

Even if she didn't succeed, my big prize was to stop Zeus and Hades and save humanity. And how did I get to psych myself up for all that? Watch my relationship fall apart, save one best friend from further torture, and wonder if the other remembered that I existed.

I buried my head in my hands. Helplessness and hopelessness choked me. I wished I could stuff those feelings in my emotional lockbox, and deal with them after the battle. When I had the luxury of collapsing in a massive heap of PTSD.

But the box was so stuffed with other emotional crap that, when I visualized adding one more thing, it exploded all over my imagination in millions of messy fragments.

Even my denial/coping mechanisms had been pushed too far.

I lay on the bed, knees to chest, arms wrapped tight around myself. A puddle of misery and doom.

Which turned out to be the best course of action. Because in the next instant, Oizys tore a hole in my door and popped her head inside. "Quit wallowing," she said. Her eyes were bright red and she was breathing faster.

Okay, maybe this wasn't spending time with my friends and loved ones in the face of impending death, but I felt a rush of fondness at seeing her, right then.

She shimmied through the hole in the door, and seamlessly repaired the wood. Happily, her magic had screwed with Kai's ward.

I swung the door open and closed a few times, pleased at my new freedom. But I'd have to make sure to leave the bedroom before Kai came back to check on me. With a final look around to make sure no one had seen anything, I closed the door behind Oizys and waited for her to settle herself.

It took her a moment to lose the demon eye and calm down.

Mostly calm. She got miffed when I suggested that we raid Persephone's closet for a costume. It was the best and most obvious choice, and she knew it. Although, I may have prolonged the selection process because it was so damn entertaining to see how uncomfortable she was in the parade of flowery gowns.

"They all suck."

I pursed my lips in a "huh" kind of way. She was right.

Knock. Knock.

I hesitated before grasping the knob. It wasn't Kai. He wouldn't knock and I couldn't imagine Persephone having friendly visitors here. I gestured for Oizys to hide behind the door. I cracked it open a smidge, one hand braced on the jamb with my light at the ready. "Yes?"

Hypnos stood there in all his naked glory, a box tied with a jaunty red bow tucked under one arm.

More disturbing than glorious. I forced myself to keep my eyes on the wings sprouting from his head.

He offered me the box. "My Lord requests you wear this at the masquerade ball." Hypnos' voice had the same smoker gravellyness as Kiki's. Maybe they smoked the same brand. Hellfires, I thought, amused. I could just imagine the tagline. I'd sell my soul for a Hellfire.

Hypnos stood there waiting for me to take the gift.

Oh, brother. I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe. "And if I refuse?"

He arched an eyebrow at me. Amazing how one little eyebrow can promise so much pain.

I took the box, trying not to think of it making contact with his bare armpit. "Understood," I said and firmly shut the door.

Oizys leaned in close as I put the box on my bed and opened it.

It was a dress. And oh, what a dress it was. Oizys' blanching look of pure revulsion was almost enough to put a little happiness in my heart.

The floor-length gown was woven from flowers. Fresh flowers somehow perfectly alive and full of blossoming joy. There were yellow and orange daffodils, deep purple Hyacinths, and red tulips. Pink anemones formed a sweetheart neckline and, although it was neatly folded, I caught a glimpse of white crocuses along the hem. It was surprisingly gorgeous.

I frowned down at it. "It's too pretty. You think it's poisoned?"

Oizys brightened. Like that somehow made the dress more attractive.

If that was the case ... I looked between her and the dress. Considering.

Her eyes narrowed. "You could kill me, peel my clothes from my cold dead body, leave me naked in middle of the throne room, and I'd still fight you if you tried to put that monstrosity on me."

I gave a tight smile. "Tell me what you really think."

I lifted the dress, intending to to hold it up against her for size. But the second I picked it up, all the flowers started to die.

Oizys smirked. "That's more like Hades."

I grimaced. "Of course it is. Dying springtime."

The petals felt dry and brittle. Their edges curled in on themselves, brown, droopy and wrinkled. I waited to see if they would start falling off, but despite looking like they were on their last gasp of life, they held on, not going anywhere.

I brightened. "On the upside, it's just your style now. Life-sucking. It would fit you perfectly. And look. There's a matching mask."

There was, but I don't think she was convinced. Oizys crossed her arms and gave me that flat stare that I was kind of getting fond of. "Why should I wear it? What will you be doing?"

I gave her a sweet smile. "Freeing Prometheus."