Persephone the Daring by Joan Holub Suzanne Williams

Author:Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

9

Planting Seeds

Persephone

AS EURYDICE AND PERSEPHONE NEARED the shore of the River Styx opposite from the Underworld side Tuesday morning, they saw a group of girls hanging around there.

“Who are they?” Eurydice wondered aloud.

“Good question,” said Persephone. She could tell they were mortal right away because their skin didn’t shimmer. But what were they doing here?

She dipped lower and read one of the signs they held. WE ♥ HADES! Huh?

“Looks like your crush has a fan club,” said Eurydice. “Awesome! Now I’ll have some friends to hang out with while you’re off gardening. I kind of hate being alone.”

Persephone glanced at her in surprise. She would’ve thought everyone needed alone time now and then to think and just, well, be alone. Rock stars must be different, though. They were probably used to lots of fans hanging around.

The two girls touched down near the ferry dock. Persephone immediately bent and wrapped her sandals’ laces around the wings to keep them from flapping, so she could walk at normal speed. Of course, Eurydice didn’t have to do anything with her laces. Her wings had stopped flapping the minute Persephone had let go of her hand.

The ferryboat was already coming toward them, having just dropped a load of passengers in the Underworld. A grizzled, stooped man was at the helm. Captain Charon. Persephone waved to him, and he tooted his horn in greeting.

One of the mortal girls squealed in excitement when she suddenly noticed the two girls. “It’s Persephone! And Eurydice!” she shouted.

Persephone clutched her scrollbag and backed away, a little startled as the girls ran toward them. However, Eurydice dropped her bag and spread her arms wide in greeting. “Hi, everyone!” she shouted gleefully.

“Need a ride to the Underworld?” Charon inquired as his ferry docked.

“Yes, please,” Persephone called to him.

“Will you be okay?” she asked Eurydice before heading for the boat. “I’ll be back as soon as—”

“Go ahead. I’m fine here,” Eurydice interrupted, waving her away. She’d already begun to sign autographs, seeming delighted by all the attention.

“All right, then. Back in a few,” said Persephone. She dashed over and stepped onto the ferryboat just as it was about to leave again. A dozen or so shades—souls of the dead—had already boarded.

“What brings you down here this morning?” Charon asked her. His mournful voice always reminded her of a foghorn.

She smiled. She’d been to visit the Underworld so many times that she and Charon were friends now. She held up her scrollbag and shook it so the box of hybrid seeds inside rattled intriguingly.

“I’ve brought a surprise. For Hades’ birthday. But I can’t tell you any more than that,” she said.

“Glad you’re doing something special for that boy,” Charon replied. “He likes you. I can tell. Wears that amulet you gave him everywhere.”

“What amulet?” Persephone asked blankly. She’d never given Hades such a gift.

“The one with the seed in it,” Charon said matter-of-factly, which only made Persephone more curious.

“What kind of seed?” she asked.

But Charon didn’t answer. His attention was divided between steering the boat and counting the silver coins in the old burlap bag he kept tied to his belt.

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