The Queen of Gods by Katharind and Elizabeth Corr

Author:Katharind and Elizabeth Corr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Published: 2023-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

Deina gagged and clamped her palm over her mouth and nose, trying vainly to avoid the stench that saturated the air of the vast cavern in which they now stood. She wanted to do much more: to screw her eyes shut and stuff her fingers into her ears, to bury her head against Theron’s shoulder and shut out the horror that surrounded them. Theron hadn’t let go of Deina’s hand, but he was using his other hand to cover his eyes. Deina couldn’t allow herself that luxury. To keep up the pretence of having surrendered to Hades, she had to brave Tartarus and the tortures it contained, to appear … interested. She tightened her grip on Theron’s fingers and hoped the god would not notice how white her knuckles were.

They were surrounded by suffering. The light in Tartarus came only from huge torches set up on the rocky walls, dimmed by the choking fumes that rose from fissures in the ground. Still, Deina wished it was darker. She could see too clearly the mortal shades, tormented by hunger and thirst, that crowded the banks of the river that ran through the cavern. Every time one of the unfortunate creatures tried to scoop up some water, the rippling liquid instantly turned to stinking mud. Others hovered near blankets on which an abundance of delicious-looking food had been laid out. When Deina drew closer, she saw that every dish became putrid, crawling with maggots, as soon as one of the ghosts tried to grasp it.

‘Why are they being punished?’ she asked Hades.

‘Each has committed some offence against the gods. They are guilty of impiety, or of seeking to thwart the will of the gods, or of breaking some decree the gods hold to be important. Thus, they are punished for bringing dishonour upon those they should worship unconditionally.’

Offences against the gods. Offences against one’s fellow humans didn’t seem to be so important. Deina dropped her gaze before Hades saw the anger in her eyes.

Hades beckoned to someone standing in the shadows.

‘We have visitors, Tisiphone.’

One of the Furies. Deina felt Theron flinch. The figure who approached them reminded Deina of the blood hunters – like something that had been long dead. Mostly bald, a few scraggly hanks of dirty-looking hair clung in patches to Tisiphone’s scalp. This, and much of the rest of her skin, was covered in oozing pustules. Her blood-red eyes were lidless, with vertical, reptilian pupils. A forked tongue flicked from between her parted lips. The Fury’s costume made a bizarre contrast with her physical appearance: her tunic was so covered in gaudy baubles, sewn on or hanging from her neck, that it was impossible to see the underlying fabric. Snakes coiled around Tisiphone’s muscular arms, torso and neck, and there was a scourge stuck in her belt. Each leather thong was tipped with an iron nail. She bowed to Hades.

‘My sisters are still searching for the miscreant Thanatos,’ the Fury hissed. ‘They will scour the very last reaches of the Underworld to retrieve him.

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