Scion of Gaia by Michele Amitrani

Author:Michele Amitrani [Amitrani, Michele]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781988770253
Publisher: Michele Amitrani

9

The White Narcissus

I remember the incident that brought us to this moment. It started with a flower, a white narcissus, and ended with a promise of war.

I remember the solitude of my chamber, the silence surrounding every waking second. The pain was like a living thing, spreading into my chest like a monster feeding on hope and happiness. After my mother locked me into my room, I could no longer bathe in the blessing of nature. It was as if I had been maimed.

She forbade me to leave the palace and kept me under constant watch. I had no way to let Hades know what had happened.

I hated my mother, and every day my hate grew like a raging fire.

She did not care. The thought that I could marry Hades repelled her so much she preferred to be despised by her only child, if it kept her away from the demons of the Underworld.

I spent months secluded inside Henna until my birthday came. And not just any birthday.

It was the Age of Maturity, the day a goddess is no longer considered a child. It was Athena and Artemis who convinced my mother to let me go out for an hour. My mother surrounded me with nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs. I was never to be left alone.

Outside the gates, I welcomed the cool breeze of the wind the way a traveler welcomes a cup of water after wandering for days in a desert.

I bathed in the power of nature, feeling its calling. I walked beside the lake Pergus, a deep body of water where countless swans fluttered their wings peacefully. Woods crowned the lake, their branches heavy with leaves stifling the sun’s beams.

Pallas and Artemis were not far behind me when I saw it. It was a single narcissus, the frost white of its petals most striking against the green-brown of the ground. It was the most beautiful flower I had ever seen. I stared at it, feeling a sudden urge to pick it up. So I did.

As soon as the narcissus was in my hand, the ground shifted; the very air quivered with the power to shake the world. The earth cracked open like a broken egg, and a golden chariot rose from the fractured earth. I was so surprised by its sudden appearance, I screamed. The next thing I knew, his arms lifted me from the ground and brought me into his carriage.

Away the chariot sped; Hades urged each horse by name and shook the dark-dyed reins. In the distance, my companions called my name and screamed.

“Hold on,” Hades said. The chariot rushed forward and into the hole, where darkness swallowed us.

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