Lexi's Fate

~55~

Hades stood in front of the scrying mirror long after the face of the palace nymph had vanished. She had informed him that Lexi was still in the council meeting but that she would personally deliver his message to Lexi as soon as the meeting adjourned. Could he afford to let another minute pass while he waited for Lexi's face to appear? Persephone's health was paramount, and there was no telling how long it would take him to collect Hecate's fungus and spill his blood to appease the minotaurs.

Was he insane to consider such an act of submission? Given the right tools, they could use his blood against him, possibly even cause his demise. What god would take his place? And what if the council denied Lexi's request to bring an end to the hunt? Surely, the minotaurs would demonstrate their outrage. One well-placed arrow containing a tincture of his blood and even immortality could not save him.

Hades left through the kitchen door and made his way toward the temporary shelter where Misty and Jackie O were tethered. Although Jackie O clearly wished to assist, he needed the speed that only a flying horse could accomplish, and he stroked Jackie O's mane as he untied Misty. "I'm sorry, girl. You'll have to wait here until your friend returns. I'll see if I can scrounge up a treat from Hecate's garden that hasn't been buried under snow."

Despite the breathtaking winter landscape, Hades' somber mood followed him as he traveled to the minotaur forest, and by the time he arrived at Hecate's cabin, his blood ran as cold as the ground under his feet. Maybe if his blood coagulated, the minotaurs would have trouble taking it from him. After securing Misty in the stable and filling her trough with fresh hay, he trudged through the woods toward Anna's home. Hades knew the nymph lived in a dwelling with several others, having become quite drunk at many of their parties. Nymphs were responsible for preparing the ambrosia the gods thrived on, and their wine making skills were excellent as well. Anna was waiting for him outside her home when he arrived, and they proceeded through the woods with minimal small talk.

"The fungus grows rampant in a cave just north of the minotaur encampment," Anna explained, navigating deftly over obstacles as if she weighed nothing at all. "After we collect what you need, we will proceed to the camp. Did Hecate give you a vial for the offering?"

Hades patted his jacket pocket, where the leather pouch and a small glass vial waited to fulfill their purpose. Anna nodded, her solemn expression forcing his shoulders further into a hunch. It wasn't long before they arrived at a split in the earth where the mouth of a cave had formed from a large crag. Coated with thick moss, the rocky outcropping dripped with snowy residue, making the ground moist and spongy.

Anna offered to collect the the fungus, and Hades handed over the pouch, waiting outside the cave while she disappeared into the darkness. When she returned, and the pouch rested in his pocket again, Hades had the overwhelming urge to skip the visit to the minotaur encampment and return home with his delivery. Was it cowardice that made his stomach wrench, or was it a premonition? Wouldn't it be more prudent to learn the outcome of the council meeting before offering up the recipe for his death? He was no fool. He knew the value of an instinct when it came from the gut.

"Anna, I think I would rather... With Persephone so ill... Time is of the essence..."

A beating of hooves cut off his stuttering, and by the time he had turned around to investigate, a pair of minotaurs burst through the trees, armed with spears. The hard lines of their beast-like faces made it clear they were not happy to see him. It seemed time was not on his side this day.