The Underworld Crown (Series)

Chapter 29

The other, more intriguing alternative was my mother. I tried to picture her in my head – dad had always described her as beautiful inside and out – yet I was having difficulty remembering her from both the photo frames decorating our house and my own childhood memories. Just as my memories of Earth started to move away from me, so too did the ones I loved. Right now, my mum was one giant question mark. There were so many things I didn't know about her, so many things she could've hidden from us.

"I suspect you already know," Persephone said softly.

I nodded numbly. "My mum."

Persephone's silence was all the confirmation I needed.

I clutched my head between my hands as a wave of dizziness overcame me and tried to come to terms with this new information. While I'd suspected I was descended from Persephone on my mum's side, confirmation of it was like being kicked in the gut.

"I can't believe you're my distant relative," I murmured, almost laughing at the ridiculousness of it. "How long have you lived in the Underworld?"

She cocked her head to the side, thinking. "Coming up to about a thousand years...with a few trips to Earth here and there."

My hands fell to my sides. "Wow. To be honest, though, I thought it would have been more. Alek said the Underworld has lived for thousands of years. Possibly tens or hundreds."

Persephone shrugged. "He's not wrong. There are only a select few who are as old as the Underworld itself, however. I can't imagine this land wanting to be bested by anyone." I bit my lip, thinking. "What about Hades? I thought he'd be as old or almost as old as the Underworld?"

She smiled sadly, taking a few steps forward and surprising me by grabbing my hands and holding them close to her chest. I froze momentarily.

"Not nearly," she answered in a low voice, looking deep into my eyes.

I shivered, ignoring the sensation to look over my shoulder. The way Persephone talked about the Underworld...as if it had life, was...unsettling.

"Anyway," she continued in a much brighter tone. "I can tell you all about the Underworld and its history when you come to Hades' palace."

I took a step back, completely stunned. When my mind had fully processed what she'd said, I wrenched my hands from hers and glared at her.

"Are you crazy?" I exclaimed, putting as much distance between us as possible. "You think answering a couple of my questions suddenly makes me want to come to you?"

"Serena, I'm just trying to watch out for you. I know what's best for you," she said. The calm tone of her only set me on the edge of anger.

She reached for me, but I backed away, my heel catching in one of the crevices in the ground. Then I was falling, closing my eyes in preparation for impact against the ground. I waited for the rush of air to leave my body, but I just kept...falling. Falling. With my heart in my throat, I plunged into an endless void.

I woke with a start, sitting upright and gulping down breaths of air. My hands clenched the sheets in knots – a perfect depiction of how my stomach felt – and beads of sweat ran down my forehead. When I was certain I was no longer dreaming, I laid back down on my back and stared up at the marble white ceiling, focusing on calming my breathing.

When my hands stopped shaking and I was breathing normally, I sat back up and looked around the room. The soft red light from the sky shone out from underneath the bedroom door, lighting the room up faintly and casting eerie shadows behind some of the furniture.