Then Hades leans back on his heels, mercurial gaze roaming my features. “Adding to your collection?” he asks me softly with a glance at both Charon and Cerberus.
I roll my eyes. “Are you admitting you’re jealous of your best friend and your dog right now?”
Charon laughs. “I agree, Cerb. I like her, too.”
Hades rises to his feet and tosses his friend a cold stare. “You’d probably like a fungus, you’ve been down here so long.”
“Did you just compare me to a fungus?” I scramble to my feet, ignoring his outstretched hand, even as I wobble a bit. I jam my hands on my hips, about to give him what for when he interrupts.
“Not now, Lyra. The third Labor is about to begin.”
Oh. Every word I was about to say goes up in smoke, leaving behind a haze of fear.
The third Labor. Already.
This time I don’t hesitate to reach for his outstretched hand as my stomach pitches like I’m still in the river and Hades is my only shore.
48
Dionysus’ Labor
“Welcome to your third Labor,” Dionysus announces in a jovial tone an hour later, his deep voice bouncing off large cavern walls at least a quarter mile away in every direction. Dressed to impress, the god is basically the epitome of hedonistic playboy with too much time and Daddy’s money.
I look away from him to check our surroundings.
Based on the vegetation, we must be in a rainforest except it’s in a massive cave. One with humidity, and the drip, drip, drip of trickling water. There’s a small, circular opening high above us that allows sunlight to spill inside.
I had just enough time to take a quick shower and change into my uniform before I started to fade again, but the humidity has my uniform sticking to me in very unfortunate ways. I glance around, pinching the fabric away from my legs to ease the discomfort.
Next to me, Meike claps her hands at the sight of her patron god. She looks to be around thirty, but her eyes shine bright like a child’s right now as she stares adoringly at Dionysus.
“Do you know what’s coming?” I whisper to Meike.
She shakes her head, bangs flying with the movement, a smile tilting the corners of her mouth. “He insists we play by the rules, and he wasn’t allowed to tell me,” she whispers back in her thick German accent.
The god of wine and festivity just went up a few notches in my book.
The other champions are here, too, dressed like me in their tracksuits by virtue color. I didn’t have much time to get a look at everyone’s uniforms during Poseidon’s Labor before. Strength are in deep green with oak leaves embroidered on their chests in glittering bronze thread. Courage wear purple, of course, with gold thread depicting dogwood flowers. Turquoise for Mind with copper redwood trees. And Heart in wine-burgundy with silver embroidery in the shape of cherry blossoms.
Then there’s me in black with rose-gold butterflies. No wonder Hades was irritated that day in the kitchen. He knew they’d shafted me with that half-assed gray ensemble with prison lettering.
Never let it be said that the gods aren’t petty.
“This splendid place”—Dionysus holds his hands out, looking around him—“is the Lost Cave.”
I’ve never understood the gift of natural charm, but Dionysus has it in spades. He gives us all a smile filled with such warmth, his blue eyes sparkling as if we truly are about to have a little fun, that I find myself relaxing just a skosh. Maybe we really are.
“Mortals have yet to discover this cave system,” he says, “but the gods here have been kind enough to lend it to us for our revelry.”
The other champions visibly perk up.
Revelry sounds promising.
“As you can see.” He points to the hole in the cavern roof. “This is a doline, made by the collapse of the ground above into the cavern below. It has allowed a unique rainforest ecosystem to thrive here. It even has its own weather system.
“This Labor will test your Heart.” He spreads his arms magnanimously, and cases appear before us in a shimmer, as if they are materializing from mist.
With a frown, I peer closer. We all do.
“Vodka?” Samuel asks, tone dubious.
Not just any vodka, either—the high-end, super-expensive stuff.
Dionysus grins. “Your task is to get from this doline to the far waterfall in the second doline. The champion carrying the most fluid ounces of vodka wins the Labor.”
I think every single one of us blows out a breath of disappointment. If that’s his idea of revelry, he can keep it.
“How far is it?” Meike asks her patron.
“About a kilometer.” He points in the direction of a dark tunnel entrance and purses his lips. “But don’t expect it to be easy. In fact, you may want to work together with a team on this. At least in the beginning.”
He looks around us with a bright expression, as if he’s expecting us to be equally thrilled with the “fun” he’s concocted.
I mean…at least there aren’t any monsters or immediate plummets to death.
“The prize for the winner is the Unending Cup of Plenty. You have until break of day, but beware the night.” Dionysus spreads his arms again, this time like he wants to hug us all. “Best of luck, champions.”
