Beautiful Curse

Chapter Twenty-Four

After a sleepless night spent worrying what the goddess would cook up next, I was ragged and frayed. My nerves sharpened when I walked into the empty salon.

She must be in the back room. Knocking softly on the door, I waited for Aphrodite's command. When I was met with silence, I opened the door a crack and peeked my head around it, frowning. The goddess wasn't there. She'd told me to come back, right? Confused, I sat down on a styling chair to wait.

Two hours passed, and by the time Aphrodite breezed into the shop, I'd bitten my nails down to nothing. The goddess took one look at me and smiled meanly.

"I'm glad to see that you have learned patience with such grace."

I stopped chewing on my hands and stood up. "Is this the last task?"

The goddess considered for a moment. "Yes, I believe it is. And none of your tricks will help you with this one. If you survive, perhaps I will intercede with my son on your behalf."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Tell me what I need to do."

Aphrodite leaned closer and whispered in my ear. "You must go to the land of the dead."

I swallowed in fear. "Is that even possible?"

"Oh, it's possible. People go there every day," the goddess chuckled as if she'd told a joke.

Ice slithered down my spine. "What do you want me to do there?"

Aphrodite rubbed her hands together. "Goodness, I need moisturizer." She leaned across me to the pump of lotion on the counter and smiled as she rubbed it into her hands. "Where was I?"

I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my voice calm as I asked again, "What do you want me to do?"

"Fetch me some of Persephone's beauty. She lets me borrow it from time to time, and I'm feeling a bit peaked. I could use the blush of springtime in my cheeks."

"That's it?"

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes. "That's everything."

My mind was racing. Other than the whole land of the dead thing, this didn't sound that hard. "If I can do this, will you let me speak to your son?"

The goddess shrugged. "Yes, I suppose so. But you better get a move on; I don't like to be kept waiting."

I hesitated. "If I don't come back..." I trailed off and shook my head. "Never mind. I'll see you again."

Aphrodite's lips curved up in a sinister smile. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

Once I was out of the mall, my bravado left me and I sagged against the building. "How do I get to the Underworld?" A terrible suspicion began to form in my mind, and the whole bus ride home, it grew. By the time I got home, I had the answer, but I didn't like it.

There was only one way to get to the Underworld.