to make out details, I could see no color. A gleaming white temple sat between the blue river and another one that glowed purple until it merged with the blue.
'What are these rivers?' I asked.
'The big blue one is the Styx. She's hatred and honesty. The purple one is Acheron, who is woe.'
'Nice,' I mumbled.
'The river Cocytus is over there today. That's lamentation.' She pointed at a green glowing river streaming through an uneven section of rock far to our right.
'And the Lethe?' Hecate shrugged.
'She's always a bitch to find.'
'What color is she?'
'Can't remember,' Hecate grinned at me. 'And I've given up trying to. That's her power, after all.'
'It's quite beautiful,' I said, staring out at it all. 'If a little dark.'
'Yeah. I think so too. See over there? That's the main entrance, for folk who can't flash. That's where Cerberus guards the gates and the ferryman collects the dead.' She was pointing to the top of the cavern, at the opposite end of the river Styx to the palace, where the river seemed to disappear into the rock.
'OK. So where will we be racing?'
'The starting point is the Judgment Hall,' said Morpheus without turning around. We were dropping in height, the spectacular view disappearing as high outcrops of dark rock grew up around us as we moved lower.
'Where are the demon's lairs, like the Empusa and Eurynomos?' I asked Hecate.
'They move around, but they're all hidden throughout the rock.' I stared down at the dark, jagged surface as we raced over it. There could be any kind of creature right below us, and I wouldn't know.
'How do you find them?'
'I'm tethered to them, like Hades. They are bound to us.'
'Would... Would they be bound to me if I became Queen here?'
'No. You'd be giving yourself to Hades, not Virgo.'
I thought about what Hades had told me the night before. He said he was part of Virgo, that he and the Underworld were one now. So maybe Hecate was wrong, and if I gave myself to Hades in marriage, I would be wedding the Underworld too. If I became his Queen, perhaps I would have dominion in this place.
Did I want that? Did I want to know what was hidden in the rock, in this dark and toxic place? If it was a part of Hades, then I must embrace it. But it felt so very far from any part of me.
I was saved from my thoughts when the gleaming white temple loomed before us. It was massive, at least three stories tall, and just like all the throne rooms it had no walls. The left and right sides had a tight row of columns holding up the triangular roof, and the other two sides were completely open, allowing Morpheus to glide the chariot into the building. We landed gently on the white marble floor and my gaze fixed on the chariot we had pulled up next to.
Nineteen
Persephone
It looked exactly how I would expect a chariot belonging to Minthe to look. Where the wood of mine was a rich and natural hue, hers was painted a dark, angry red. Instead of square Greek spirals, hers was decorated with a fierce looking eagle, the wings of the bird stretching intimidatingly around each side of the chariot. There were big pointed spikes jutting out of each side like mine, but where I had flails she had ropes with red sacks tied to the end. I frowned at them, then scanned the rest of the temple as I stepped off the wood and onto the marble. I could see row upon row of stepped benches, set up like bleachers along the right side of the space, and the dais with the twelve thrones was on the other side. In front of the dais was the grand table that the three judges were always sitting at when they appeared. I couldn't see any other people.
'Where is everyone?' I asked as Morpheus followed me out of the chariot.
'I'm not sure. I'll go look,' he said, and strode towards the dais. Hecate followed him.
'They're waiting for you,' Minthe's voice rang out, and she stepped out from behind one of the pillars. She was wearing an outfit similar to mine, but the leather was a rich burgundy color and her hair was loose around her shoulders. 'They can't start without their precious human underdog,' she said, her voice dripping with menace.
'Seriously, you're still going to be this shitty to me? After I saved your damned life?'
'I've wanted