Hellscape

Chapter 18: The Maiden Haven

    "Ma," Mel says shortly. Boy jumps down from her arms, taking a defensive stance in front of the girl. Nervously, Mel takes several steps backwards and grabs Lazarus' wrist. She stands protectively in front of him, shaking her head, "it's not what you think."

    Persephone presses her lips into a firm line, bowing her head slightly with a knowing smile. She raises her green eyes to her daughter's scared and wide eyes, and she audibly sighs, "you don't know what I think, little flower."

    Mel tightens her hold on Lazarus' wrist, her gaze not wavering from her mother. She fights a frown as tears threaten to expel themselves down her cheeks and she releases a short exhale, "he doesn't belong here, Ma. He doesn't. He's good, he's-"

    Persephone raises her hands to her child, stopping the words from flowing thoughtlessly from her lips. "Melinoe, you do not need to explain anything to me. I trust that you know what you're doing. Your father isn't going to like it, but-"

    "You can't tell him!" The words burst from her mouth in a panicked rush and she drops Lazarus' arm as she steps forward. "Please, Ma, Daddy won't understand. He'll hurt him!"

    "Is that really what you think of your father?" Persephone scrunches her perfect face, "he's not a monster, Daisy."

    "Daddy can't know about him," Mel says again. Lazarus closes the space between them, placing his hand on her hip to calm her. She looks over her shoulder up into his grey eyes and he offers a faint smile. Persephone eyes them curiously, the closeness between them verifying what she thought she saw from the beginning.

    "Alright, fine. My lips are sealed in regards to Big Blue, but what about this little guy?" She smiles down at the hellhound, squatting down and snapping her fingers as she calls the beast to her side. Boy runs into her arms immediately, sniffing and licking her hands happily. "You can't, very well, hide him in here!"

    "No," Lazarus agrees too quickly. The two women look at him in equal surprise. He smiles sheepishly with an awkward shrug, "he doesn't like me."

    Mel laughs, shaking her head, "Daddy won't mind Boy."

    "No, but he'll have questions about where you found him." Persephone stands, smoothing out her dress — the many bangles around her wrist clinking together as she fluffs her curly hair. A curious wonderment crosses her face and she asks, "where did you find him, Dewdrop?"

    Mel bites her bottom lip, trying to think of a convincing lie, but she falters, "around."

    "You've been snooping again, haven't you," Persephone states rather than asks. She grabs her daughter's chin, twisting her face to expose the reopened gash on her cheek that despite Boy's best efforts, hasn't fully healed. "That's how you did this. It should have healed by now."

    "It was," Mel says truthfully, nodding, leaving out the parts of it being reopened.

    Persephone drops her hold on Mel's face and she walks away from the teenagers without another word. They both exhale held breaths, smiling at one another in relief. Persephone pokes her head around the staircase, beckoning her daughter with a bent finger, "this way."

    Mel follows her mother behind the staircase, turning the corner to a large table. Many vials and jars filled with flower petals, pollen, leaves, stems, herbs, and glowing lights cover the space and hang from chicken wire behind the surface. Lazarus can't believe his eyes as he examines each jar labeled with some species' he's never seen.

    "What's "fury dust", is that like fairy dust?" He asks, holding the small vial of dull grey soot.

    Persephone gasps lightly, snatching the vial from his hand and holding it closely to her glittering chest. "Don't touch that! It's very dangerous and nothing like fairy dust."