Elphame's Queen by Jennifer Allis Provost

Author:Jennifer Allis Provost [Jennifer Allis Provost]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bellatrix Press
Published: 2024-07-13T00:00:00+00:00

“The gates of hell are open night and day. Smooth the descent, and easy is the way.”

Nicnevin glanced at me. “Is that from one of the books you’ve written?”

“No, it’s Virgil.” A blank stare. “Virgil. He was a Roman poet. That quote was from one of his works, the Aeneid.”

“It sounds lovely,” Nicnevin muttered. She was distracted by something behind me, something that, amazingly in this gray and lightless place, was emitting its own light. Rays of golden light angled over us, light that was as warm and welcoming as an autumn sunset. I turned around, and saw Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld, smiling at us.

She looked just the same as she had when last I’d seen her true form, which had been in the back room of a diner in Queens. Persephone and her son, Andreas, had gone into food service when they came to the New World while her mother, Demeter, had gone into academia, but that’s a story for another time. Now, she stood before me wearing a carefully folded white gown and a crown of spring flowers upon her brow. Her golden hair was loose, and tumbled in rich curls over her shoulders.

Persephone was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen, save for Anya when she first wakes up in the morning. When Anya's eyes open, and find mine, it undoes me every time.

I realized that I was seeing Persephone in her true form, not the watered down version suitable for mortal eyes she’d always shown to me before. How could I look upon a goddess and not be struck dumb? Was it because I was in the underworld? While I remained in the underworld, was I simultaneously not alive?

Maybe Rina really had killed me.

“It’s good to see you, Christopher,” Persephone said, and my heart did a somersault. Persephone remembered my name! “But, it isn’t quite time for you to be here.”

“Um, no, it’s not.” Not knowing what else to do, I bowed. Persephone’s bemused smile—and Nicnevin’s snicker—told me that was unnecessary. “I needed help, and I had no place else to turn.”

Persephone arched a golden brow. “I assume this is a matter of life or death?”

“More like an entire realm succumbing to an evil earth deity.”

“Which deity are we referring to?”

“Crom Cruach.”

“And you thought coming here would somehow thwart him?”

“In a roundabout way, yes. Do you remember my girlfriend, Anya?”

She nodded. “Of course I do.”

“She’s the Queen of Winter now. It was sudden, but she took everything on like a champ and she’s been doing great, and—”

Nicnevin pinched me. “Best not to waste the goddess’s time,” she muttered.

I glared at Nicnevin, but she was right. I could gush about Anya another time. “Okay. Sorry. Soon after winter began, Crom resurfaced, and he wanted to take over Elphame. A few days ago, Anya’s parents were killed, actually, because of you,” I said, turning toward Nicnevin.

“Are you blaming me?” Nicnevin’s hand fluttered above her breast. “Truly, Christopher, I am the actual victim here.

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