to be standing next to the legendary waters when she’d heard so much about them. Demeter used to tell her stories of gods and heroes who took vows by the waters of the Styx.
She’d built it up in her mind as this glorious place where only the worthy stood. But in reality, it was cold and damp.
Unlike the Lethe, the Styx didn’t seem to burble with screams or cries. The boiling waters were just water, although she remembered the stories well. It was the river of hatred, and the waters were more poisonous than any substance on earth. Yet, this was the river souls were ferried across when they wanted to go to the next stage of their mortal existence.
A soul was a fragile thing, but something mortals were blessed with. She watched them as they stared in hope at the water. They desired a final resting place in the Elysian Fields, where all the heroes were laid to rest. Or perhaps they were merely hoping for the Asphodel Meadows, a place that wasn’t divine but certainly wasn’t the worst. Neutrality was best for most mortals.
None of them would hope for the Fields of Mourning, although she had a feeling some spirits might. If they didn’t want to forget with the waters of the Lethe, then maybe they wanted to spend the rest of their existence in mourning.
She curled her fingers around the coins. There weren’t a lot of them, so she would have to make her choices wisely. Some of these people might not be worthy of going into the Elysian Fields, or even the Asphodel Meadows. Some of them might deserve to remain on the banks.
Kore didn’t know how she was supposed to choose.
All the spirits clustered together on the riverbanks with their wide eyes staring at the boatman as he slowly paddled toward them. Charon stood on the wooden craft with sturdy legs and wiry arms. He held onto the single stick that he continually plunged into the waters and shoved the boat forward. From where Kore stood, she couldn’t guess what he looked like other than skeletal and eerie.
She shouldn’t focus on him. Instead, she should look at the blue spirits who wanted something more than just an eternity of waiting. No, they didn’t want more; they deserved more than what Hades was giving them.
Coins digging into her palms, she took a few steps closer. Kore hoped someone would notice her watching them and approach. She didn’t know how smart it was to walk into a group of desperate mortal souls with limited coins in her hands.
What would they do? Swallow her up with their grasping hands? Rip her limb from limb?
She reminded herself that she had beaten the god of death in a bet. But plants weren’t much of a weapon against hungry souls who couldn’t be touched by anything living.
Shivering with sudden fear, Kore let her hands fall to her sides. A cold, wet nose pressed against her fingers, and without thinking she pat the dog trying to comfort her. Kore had always liked dogs. There were many of them wandering around her home.
Another nose pressed against her other hand, and a third nudged her back.
This wasn’t just any dog she was patting. This was Hades’ beast.
She glanced down at the drooling animal behind her. Cerberus. The guardian of the Underworld and the creature who would tear apart any person who tried to enter without Hades’ permission. She’d heard a thousand stories about the horrible things this creature could do.
People were afraid of wolves, but they should be afraid of this creature far more.
Except, all three tongues were lolling, and he sat back on his haunches with a grin on each of his faces. His eyes were warm and his gaze was kind, not that of a beast who would rip her to shreds if given the opportunity.
This wasn’t a monster like her mother had said. And it appeared her mother was wrong about many things about the Underworld.
Sighing, she turned around and dropped onto her knees before the dog. “Hello, boy. I’m so sorry I was frightened of you the first time we met.”
Cerberus’s tail thudded in the black sand. The sound was like he beat a drum with the thick appendage. The ground shook and quaked under the force of his happiness.
Kore lifted a brow at the animal. “You aren’t frightening at all. You’re just a big boy, huh?”
His tail thudded faster, almost as though he understood what she was saying.