Mother, let me tell you a secret
Your flowers always died in my hands
And I hated being the goddess of spring
Something you could never understand
And I know how you see me
Your broken, corrupted child of light
But mother, I wanted pomegranates...
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Light overwhelms Persephone's senses as the bag is removed from her head. Her hands are tightly tied behind her back as she tries to make sense of her surroundings. She realises that she is still in the hidden library but this time it's not so abandoned. She fears that they have wandered into the hideout of a cult. A group of strange figures in purple cloaks and black masks form a ring around the three captives. A projector shines an image of ravens cawing and flapping into their faces. Persephone really regrets leaving her bed.
Wednesday is front and centre with Hades and Persephone situated further back on either side of her. Persephone's eyes lock with Hades who is already staring at her, wordlessly asking if she's alright. If they have harmed her in any way, their bodies would never see sunlight again. She sends him a subtle nod before a booming voice echoes through the room, "Who dares breach our inner sanctum?"
Persephone recognises that voice. "Bianca? Why are you talking in a silly voice?" She questions, tilting her head to one side.
When they hear no reply, Wednesday speaks up, "You can take the mask off, Bianca." A huff is heard from the siren girl as she yanks off her hood and removes the mask, the rest of the cult following her lead. The projector is turned off and Persephone can now see that her kidnappers are just her fellow classmates. "Wait, I preferred you with it on."
"How did you get down here?" Xavier asks. The more members' faces she sees, the more disappointed she is. This club can't be that exclusive.
Three voices answer the question.
Wednesday's reply is, "Rowan showed me."
Whereas Hades and Persephone simultaneously admit, "Wednesday dragged us along."
Wednesday sends her brother a sharp glance before turning back to Xavier. "Left pocket." He hesitantly approaches and pulls out the page in her pocket. "I tracked the watermark to the Poe statue. Then I solved the riddle." Hades clears his throat and gestures to Persephone. Wednesday rolls her eyes and corrects herself, "Persephone and I solved the riddle... Hades was no help." Hades guessed that statement would have to do, as long as Persephone got her recognition. He really didn't contribute that much anyway, apart from holding the torch. No one gets any praise for being a glorified lampshade.
"Wait, there's a riddle? I thought we just snapped twice." Kent, the siren who tried to help Bianca win the Poe Cup, asks with his face scrunched in confusion. Several members scoff at him and shake their heads.
"Well, aren't you the brightest in the bunch?" Hades mocks sarcastically, not really forgiving Kent's actions in the boat race.
"The Nightshades are an elite social club. Emphasis on elite." Bianca brags.
"Then why is he here?" Persephone points out, motioning her head towards Kent who is obviously only here because of his twin sister.
Persephone's comment is ignored by Yoko informing them on what the 'elite' social club does. "We have roof parties, campouts, the occasional midnight skinny-dip."
