My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Gods and Monsters (Part 2)

I edged closer to my friends. "Question is what are you going to do with them?"

She looked at me, her eyes unreadable, before turning to Theo without answering me. The two of them were frozen, staring at each other, like they'd just lost their best friends. Which they were about to do. Again.

"Was it worth it?" she asked.

One side of his mouth quirked up. "Guess we'll find out."

"I could order you to move," Kai said.

I glanced over at him. He watched her carefully but didn't look particularly alarmed at her presence.

"You could," she said.

"But you won't," Theo added. He stepped forward, closer to Oizys. "I didn't get to say good-bye last time."

"I hate you."

He nodded. "I know."

Her face twisted with an instant of hurt, then she crushed Theo to her, bending down to hug him. It was a fierce hug. And Theo returned it.

I didn't begrudge them. Nor did I think about whatever good-bye he and I would be saying later today.

It was all very sweet until Kai reminded us. "They'll be here any second," he said, and I knew we had to move.

I grabbed Theo's hand and tugged him away. "Oizys ..."

There was so much I wanted to say to her, but she cut me off with a sharp shake of her head.

"Get out of here," Kai instructed her. "Don't let them see you."

Oizys looked surprised at this, but she nodded. Then she turned to Festos. "Take care of him."

Festos snatched up Theo's hand. "Always."

I waved. "See you soon, Goth Girl." It came out more wistfully than I'd intended.

She left me the ghost of a smile. "Not if I see you first, Springtime." With a final nod to me, she blended back into the shadows around the cave. And just in time. It seemed like half of the Underworld was stampeding toward us.

We raced into the cave. "Demeter kept her word," Kai said, pointing to a glowing light in the next chamber. "The entrance to her temple is open."

She had to, I thought with grim satisfaction. She was bound by the oath. I wondered how Demeter felt about almost killing me all over again. Did it matter to her at all? Was she glad I lived? Or sorry she'd failed a second time?

My chest felt tight. Sorrow spread through me like a virus. Settling into my bones. Add it to my nervous breakdown list for later. I wasn't being flip. I just didn't have the luxury of grief right now. Because if I started, where would it stop? With Demeter? Zeus? Theo? Hannah? The cyclone that was Kai and me?

And what would be left of me in its wake?

So no. No grief. Anger-fueled determination. That was good. I could work with that.

Still, I felt a brief pang as I wondered if the time I'd spent with Demeter in the Underworld would have any effect on the next time I saw Felicia. Right now, I had to get to the battle site. Which meant going through the exit into the Temple of Demeter in Eleusis.

My stomach turned as I stepped into the next chamber in the cave and stared at the light. Of course, it wasn't some nice portal to just jump through. Nope, we'd have to dive into a pool of water so deep and dark that light only highlighted the shadows, and potential shadowy monsters, beneath the surface. I jerked away from the pool.

"Nothing to be afraid of." Kai pointed to a lip of rock overhanging the water. "All you have to do is swim under that ledge, and through a short tunnel. When you surface, you'll be inside the Temple of Demeter."

"I'm not afraid. Just understandably cautious."

"Thesi first," Festos said, kicking off his shoes. "Safe and sound. Go." He'd obviously had enough of Theo being in danger in the Underworld.

"Festos," Theo began. He sighed and rubbed his hands roughly over his face.

Poor Theo. He'd had no time to process. No time to deal with seeing Oizys again, or transition from a world in which he hated Festos to a world in which he loved him. Not to mention the torture.

Again.

"Sorry." I knew how hard it was for Kai to say that one word to Theo. But it was clear that he meant it.

Theo acknowledged the apology with a slight nod, but kept his distance from Kai.

Festos wrapped his arms around Theo, and leaned in. "Please." It was more a breath than a word.

Theo touched Fee's cheek. "We'll go together."

"Or you could let me take you home. Right now." Festos gave Theo his most encouraging smile, but Theo shook his head.

"I can't."

I murmured to Kai. "Fee is still really worried about Theo undoing the ward that Zeus and Hades put up."

It worried me too. I knew it would be dangerous. Everything about this situation was dangerous.

But Festos' expression was full of resigned heartbreak.

It scared me.