Solstice (16 page)

He looks back. “So what?”

I motion down at my clothes: the jeans, boots, and coat. “Are you going to change my clothes again?”

He gives me a look which makes me want to both kiss him and punch him in the stomach at the same time. “Are you coming on to me?” he says.

I start to pull off the coat. “Whatever.” I wonder what I have on underneath the clothes, but I never get the chance to find out. Shayne waves his arm again, and I’m back in my tank top and shorts.

I close my eyes and let the heat of the two suns warm my skin. Shayne walks over to me and touches my arm, brushing my tattoo, and a chill runs down my body.

The tattoo catches my eye. It looks lighter, like it’s vanishing, but the skin is still raised underneath.

“It’s fading.” I’m not sure what it means. “Is Chloe—?”

“—fine.” Shayne rubs the tattoo again, and the color returns, each Greek letter darkening at his touch. “She’s just like we left her. I gave you my word.”

I stare at the tattoo. “Have we been gone long?” Is the fading a bad sign for her? Is she dying—again?

But Shayne shakes his head. “No time has passed.” He holds my chin with his thumb and forefinger, and his eyes meet my own. In his eyes, red flashes within the chocolate brown.

“Thank you,” I say. His words settle the lump that’s been surfacing in my throat every time I think of Chloe. The image of her and the horrible, beautiful winged man.

“Piper!”

I turn at the sound of the voice, and I see a child running toward me on the beach. She’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and her long brown hair trails after her as she runs.

“Charlotte?”

She laughs, and when she reaches me, I let go of Shayne and grab her into a giant hug because I can’t really believe she’s here. She was my best friend from childhood, but Leukemia came along with a fury and took her away from me in sixth grade. But now that she’s here, I never want to let her go.

“Piper! You’re so pretty. So grown up.”

“Charlotte…” I’m not sure what to say. I feel like I’m back six years ago, running around, watering plants in our shop. We were inseparable—my mom even approved, and then Charlotte left me. Like Chloe almost left me today. “I’m so sorry.”

Charlotte pulls back from me and reaches up to my eyes. “Piper, you’re crying.” Her face is soft, and her hand moves up and touches her mouth as if she’s trying to make sense of my words.

I realized I haven’t been clear. “You were so young. You had your whole life ahead of you. And then it was over. Just like that.”

Charlotte’s face lights up, and her smile returns. “Don’t cry, Piper. I’m so happy. Even my dog is here with me.” And on cue, the Yorkie she used to have is next to her, pawing at her leg for attention.

I scratch him behind the ears. “Remember how sad we were when he died?”

Charlotte shakes her head. “He never died, Piper. He’s here. See?”

It takes me a few seconds to process her words, and I realize she only remembers good things about life.

I bend down, and Charlotte wipes my cheeks, and I gather her again into a hug. “Everyone missed you so much. You had the loveliest funeral. It was perfect.” I think of her funeral, the only one I’ve ever been to. I told my mom I’d seen Charlotte there, up by the altar. Like a ghost and an angel blended into one. So small, but shining and looking right at me.

My mom told me I’d imagined it, and she made me promise never to talk about it again.

“Your parents missed you, Charlotte. Everyone did. Even my mom.” I’m rambling now, but I want her to know how much I cared. What an impact she had on my life. If not for Charlotte, I may never have had a true friend before Chloe. And seeing Charlotte, I know I can’t let Chloe go, even though I know Chloe would be happy here. I may be the most selfish person in the planet, but she’s the only friend I have.

But Charlotte shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Shayne. “Humans can’t escape death. The best they can hope for is to leave their sorrows behind at the River Acheron and come to live here,” he says

I look around at the world I’ve come into and wonder what Charlotte’s sorrow was. Does someone that young have a true sorrow? “But everyone doesn’t make it here,” I say.

Shayne shakes his head. “And everyone doesn’t deserve to either.”

Charlotte’s dancing back and forth on her feet like she can’t contain herself. “Are you coming, Piper?

I look to Shayne who gives an “I don’t know” shrug.

“Coming where?” I ask.

“The sculpture contest,” Charlotte says. “Meet me there.” And then she runs off before I can say another word. I’m struck by how different our reactions are. She’s acting like we were just hanging out yesterday, and I watched her be buried and have lived six years since.

I turn to Shayne. “Can we go?”

He nods his head toward a giant dune. “We need to check in first.”

W
e walk over the dune toward a house I haven’t noticed until now. In fact, the more I think about it, the more sure I am that it wasn’t here two minutes ago. Maybe in paradise, things can appear out of nowhere.

“Who lives here?” I ask. As we get closer, the beach clears until it’s just Shayne and me walking side by side. He reaches for my hand and holds it. I pretend my heart isn’t beating like crazy.

“Rhadamanthus,” he says, like it’s a name everyone should know.

I guess he sees my blank look.

“Overlord of the Elysian Fields.” Shayne smiles and gives my hand a squeeze. “And one of my best friends.”

My stomach fills with jitters when I think of meeting Shayne’s best friend, and I guess Shayne can tell.

“You’ll love Rhadam,” he says. “Of the company in the Underworld, he’s the best. Though I’ll be honest—the competition isn’t too tough.”

I grin, and the thought that Shayne wants me to meet his best friend warms me. Like he wants to show me off, when, in fact, it’s me who would want to show him off. Though, aside from Chloe, I have only my mom to show him to. And I can imagine her reaction.

“What’s so funny?” Shayne asks.

“I’m not sure
funny
is the right word,” I say.

“What?”

I laugh again at the absurdity. “I was just thinking of how my mom would react if I brought you home to meet her.”

Shayne’s face goes deadpan. “Your mom would try to skewer me.” But then he gives me a playful smile. “So can I take that as an invitation?”

I figure the question doesn’t even need an answer. Ahead of me in the sand, I spot something dark, and when we reach it, I bend down to pick up a black oyster shell.

“So much of the fish life is dying…” my voice carries off, and I look upward. I’m not sure how to phrase it.

“Above ground?” Shayne finishes for me.

I nod. “It’s hard to find any shells at the beach.” The beach back in Virginia scarred me. Dead fish littered it, and the birds that fed on them coated the sand like filth. It was one of those images that never goes away. I can still remember when the alarms sounded, signaling that the sea level was rising. Everyone was supposed to evacuate the beaches. And most people did. The bodies of those who didn’t washed up for weeks afterward. But the sea life never had a chance. Contaminants rushed in with the rising water and killed armies of species. My mom and I had walked the beach for hours, and all we saw was death.

Shayne must be able to read some of the horror on my face. “Your mom took you to the beach when you were younger?”

I reach down, picking up another shell which curves in on itself until I can’t see anything but a single dot in the center. I try to focus on it instead of the memory of dead fish. “We used to live by a beach. Back in Virginia, when I knew Charlotte.”

“I never knew that.”

“Why would you? Are you omniscient?” The thought of Shayne knowing everything sends a rush of adrenaline into my chest.

“If only.” He shakes his head, and for a moment, he looks so vulnerable. So normal. “Omniscience is not within the power of the gods.”

I laugh. “That’s a good thing, I think. Anyway, my mom never wanted anyone to know who we were or where we lived.”

“So why’d you move?” He’s casual, reaching down, grabbing a handful of sand, letting it fall through his fingers. Each grain sparkles in the sun, and it’s so white, when it hits the ground, it reminds me of powdered sugar. But he wants the answer. I hear it in his voice.

“It was right after Charlotte died.” My heart starts pounding when I begin to tell him, catching me totally off guard.

“What happened?” He’s looking at me now, coaxing the words out with his eyes.

“Nothing.” I throw up my arms. “I don’t know. I mean one minute we’re there going to her funeral. And the next thing I know, my mom’s telling me to pack my bags. That my father had shown up at the funeral. That he was coming to take me away. And we’re leaving that night.”

Shayne takes the hand not holding the black oyster shell. “Did you see him?”

I shake my head, and though my heart is still pounding, it feels good to get it out. “My father? No. I was only eleven. I don’t even know what he looks like. But I’ve heard it my entire life. That if my dad found me, he’d take me away and never let me see my mom again. That he was a dangerous terrorist and was wanted by the government. She told me we needed to be more careful. It was always the same old story.”

“So you never met your dad?”

“No. My parents got divorced when I was a baby. Or maybe they weren’t even married. Sometimes I wonder if I can believe my mom.” I flip the oyster shell over with my other hand, studying the pearly gray of the inside. It’s reflecting a thousand different colors, and I wish I could keep it forever. Keep part of the Underworld forever.

Shayne smiles and reaches up to my cheek. “Sometimes you shouldn’t believe her.”

I know he’s right. But still, it’s not like I want to hear him say it. She’s my mom. My problem.

He starts walking, still holding my hand. “What do you think of the house?” he asks.

I look up to where he’s pointing and try to make sense of what I see there. “Is it really a house?”

I guess in the most technical sense of the word, it is a structure. There are four walls, a roof, and probably a hundred windows, but none of them touches. Each piece floats in the air of its own accord.

“Rhadam is a bit unusual.”

This turns out to be a huge understatement. Rhadamanthus looks like a knight getting ready for a jousting competition. It’s not just the leather pants and undershirt he’s wearing. It’s the fact that when we walk into the atrium of his home, he has a sword in each hand and is fighting off two invisible opponents.

“I’ll take your spleen this time.” Thrust. He whips around, his long brown hair flying. “You think you can sneak up behind me.” Stab. Back around. “The spleen wasn’t enough? You’ve come back for more.” Thrust.

It’s like he’s totally unaware of our presence. Shayne clears his throat, but it doesn’t help.

“Your head comes off this time.” Swipe.

I can almost see a head rolling away into the corner of the atrium. Turn. Kick. Thrust. Twist.

“Is he fighting anyone?” I whisper to Shayne, wondering if there are actually ghosts he’s battling or something else invisible to me.

Shayne shakes his head. “Rhadam just has a really good imagination.” He clears his throat again.

Still nothing. “You can join your companion.” Swipe. And I can almost see the head flying through the air, landing with a thud next to the other one.

Maybe I just have a really good imagination, also.

Only when both invisible opponents are defeated does Rhadam turn around and smile at us.

“I hope you came to fight. It’s impossible to find good competition these days.” Rhadam’s face cracks into a grin that makes it obvious he does a lot more smiling that frowning. And he looks like he lives life exactly how he wants to, kind of like Chloe. She’d go nuts over him. I can almost picture them together.

Shayne—or Hades, I have to keep reminding myself—lets go of my hand and walks over to Rhadam, where they do some handshake thing that makes me think they’re trying to kill each other.

“No fighting today,” Shayne says.

“Scared?” Rhadam asks.

“Please. If I kill you, who am I going to get to watch over Elysium for me?” Shayne punches Rhadam in the shoulder, but he’s so solid he hardly moves.

Rhadam punches Shayne back. “And if I killed you, I’d have to take your place ruling the Underworld.” His eyes flash over my way, and he smiles. “But maybe that’s not a bad thing. The Underworld seems to have nice spoils.”

Blood rushes to my face, and I know I’m turning seventeen different shades of red. I smile back, hoping I don’t look like too much of an idiot in front of Shayne’s best friend.

Shayne purses his lips. “Spoils. I like that.” He walks back to me and takes my hand, leading me over to Rhadam. “This is Piper.”

Rhadam lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it which, even though I’m sure I’m already at the stage of infinite red, still makes me blush deeper. “You’re even prettier than Hades said.”