Zeus nodded. “Yes. I allowed Hephaestus to curse it so that no one else would want it. That way, it has always remained safe with Harmonia.”
Hades face grew instantly wary.
“Do you know why, brother?” Zeus asked, still polite.
Hades shook his head, clearly annoyed.
“Because it contains my blood,” Zeus explained, as though that cleared up the confusion. “I’m sure you are aware of the caveat… if any part of me remains in the Underworld, the rest of me is free to leave. A small vial of my blood is concealed in the center of the bloodstone. It is my key to freedom from your treachery.”
“No!” Hades cried. “That is impossible.”
“Oh, yes,” Zeus confirmed, shaking his large head. “Did you think that you are the only cunning one in our family? I outsmarted you. My plan has taken years to unfold, but here we are. The key is now in my hands.”
With his words, he lifted the bloodstone from around my neck and gripped it tightly.
“As long as this bloodstone remains here in the Underworld, you cannot keep me here,” Zeus said needlessly. “I will return to Olympus.”
“Not Harmonia,” Hades snapped. “That may hold true for you, but Harmonia has eaten here, so here she shall remain. The others, also. Everyone but you shall remain.”
“Oh, Hades,” Zeus shook his head. “That isn’t true. Everyone shall leave. And do you know why? Because I know you want your helm back. Isn’t that true?”
There was a long pregnant pause. Of course Hades wanted his helm back. He needed it. Without it, he couldn’t access his full potential in the Underworld. The realization was written on his face.
“I will give you back your helm, in exchange for everyone’s freedom,” Zeus bargained. “You know it is not an option. You must have it. So, I’ll give it to you and we‘ll return to Olympus. We’ll let bygones be bygones and we’ll return to how we were before. Or, we can do it the hard way, if you prefer. I can retrieve my sword and return here to face you head to head.”
The air was thick and tense. Hades’ displeasure was evident, his frustration palpable. But Zeus was right. There was no other choice that Hades could make. We all waited in anticipation to hear him admit it.
“Fine,” he snapped. “We have a deal.”
We all exhaled sighs of relief. Joy flooded through me and my knees grew weak as I bounded down the line of gods into my husband’s arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss me. He had never tasted so good. Just being near him fed my spirit and I grew visibly stronger immediately. He held me tight and I inhaled him, his outdoorsy, Cadmus smell and I smiled.
“Don’t be so happy quite yet, Harmonia,” Hades said smoothly. “We have one minor thing left to discuss.”
“And what would that be?” I asked. I wasn’t worried now. If we were all free and I was back with my family, there was nothing else Hades could do to me that would matter.
“There’s the little matter of your daughter’s soul,” Hades purred.
“My daughter’s soul?” I asked in confusion. “What of it?”
“Well, I hate to bring this up during such a joyful time for you, but your daughter cannot leave. Only the living can leave. The dead must remain in the Underworld.”
Chapter Fifteen
“The dead?” I gasped. “Raquel’s not… she’s not…”
“Oh, I beg to differ,” Hades replied. “She most certainly is not alive. Would you like to know why she is dead?”
I nodded, my heart frozen in my chest. It was true, that here in the Underworld, it was almost impossible to tell the difference between the living and the dead. And she hadn’t slept once since we had found her. But surely… surely she was not dead. I waited stiffly to hear Hades’ explanation.
“Because, you see, you were pregnant with her when you were in mortal form in Camelot. Your life there would have ended in childbirth and you both would have died. But the Fates saw fit to intervene. They thought that a new child brought into the mix would provide hours and hours of entertainment, so they saved her.
“When Hecate turned back the Fates’ manipulations, it interfered with your daughter’s life. It was as if the Fates had never interfered. Your daughter died and came here to the Underworld. There’s nothing you can do.”
There was a collective gasp and I flew to Zeus’ side.
“Please, there must be something you can do. Can you repair what Hecate did? Can you fix it? Please!” I begged him as I grasped his large, wrinkled hand. Zeus stared at me sadly.
“Harmonia, it might be possible, but I should explain something. Think of fate like a magnificent tapestry. Many, many things are interwoven, each life a separate string. If one string is disturbed, it affects those around it. If I re-weave your daughter’s string, it could have dire consequences for the strings around hers.”
Panic rose in my throat, so much so that I could taste it.
“I care not!” I cried anxiously. “I only care for my daughter. Please. Save her.”
“I think you might care if I told you which strings were next to hers, one in particular. Hecate has told me of Empusa’s plight and Hecate has also begged me to intercede on Empusa’s behalf.
“The problem is that their strings are next to each other. I cannot change them both. I can only alter one. To try to change both of them would likely destroy them both.”
Another collective gasp and my gaze met Hecate’s. Our daughters were both in grave danger and only one could come out intact.
“Only one?” Hecate asked. But we both already knew the answer.
“Only one,” Zeus confirmed. “I can secure Empusa’s freedom from the Underworld or I can give Raquel back her life. It is a sad choice, but unfortunately, it is reality. I cannot see a way around it.”
If Zeus couldn’t, then no one could. We all knew that.
“If I may be so bold,” Hades interjected. “I might have a satisfactory idea.”
“I doubt it,” I muttered, glowering at him.
“Bear with me,” he continued. “Allow Zeus to assist Empusa. I will go along with that willingly, not offering a fight at all, even though I would much rather have Empusa in the Underworld than Mormo’s black soul. In return, I will allow the three of you- you, Cadmus and your daughter- to remain in the Isles of the Blessed. You can have full access to every level of the Underworld that you wish with no restrictions. You have seen yourself how happy the Olympians were there. You will be together with your family, the mortal world wouldn’t have to suffer your pain and you can live in paradise for all of eternity.”