Hades laid in bed and stared at the rafters. Something had woken him; a feeling more than a noise, he guessed. Both his wife and infant daughter were sleeping peacefully beside him, and his dreams had not been unpleasant. He was revisiting Lexi's birthday celebration.
While Valencia's fall from the balcony had nearly destroyed the festive mood, Lexi shone like the brightest star in the cosmos, reviving Val's fragile body and reaffirming her benevolent presence among the gods. No, those thoughts had not woken him. The sudden call from sleep had come from somewhere else.
Taking care not to disturb the sleeping beauties, Hades slipped out of bed and padded to the curtained balcony, moving quietly as he opened the door. The Bonsai tree was the first to catch his eye as he stepped outside. The lanterns glowed powerfully, as if they had been freshly stoked, emitting tiny bursts of flame like canaries trapped in a cage. Were they reacting to his presence, or was it something else? He could not tell, and this bothered him. If Elm had not been the one to present the gift, the infernal thing would be downstairs on the patio, away from living things.
Hades crept up to the tree, giving it a closer look, and he was surprised by the intense heat. His fires rarely burned so hot, and only when his emotions were high. He put his fingers on his pulse and counted. Maybe it was a bit fast but nothing significant. So, why did the flames seem determined to burst through the glass? And who was that whispering behind him?
Hades turned to the open doorway, but only the drapes stood in the frame. He was alone...or was he? He distinctly heard a voice. Two voices, if he wasn't mistaken. Hades knew the cries of the deceased. These were spirits calling to him. But where were they? In the tree? Hades listened intently to what he thought was an argument between two souls. One appeared to be whining about his predicament, while the second threatened to vanquish the other with his fist.
The sound of breaking glass interrupted their fight, and Hades stumbled back as a lantern exploded with a swift – Pop! Splinters sprayed the air, and he felt their stings as he tripped over the balcony chaise. Grabbing the armrest, he righted himself as another shrill – Crack! – echoed from the tree, and the second lantern shot out a potent mixture of sparks and shards. By the time the third lantern burst, Hades was prepared for it, taking refuge behind the chaise cushion to shield against the onslaught.
"What in the name of Zeus's wrath is going on?" Hades cursed as he watched the tree vibrate. The limbs creaked and flailed, as if they were being animated by something beyond their control. By magic, perhaps?
A sudden gust of air erupted from the pot, spewing dirt and spirits upward and forcing Hades further back. Was that the scent of patchouli under his nose? He watched, open-mouthed and dumb as a slew of ethereal bodies coalesced over his head and took the form of an unruly mob. The sound of lament filled the evening quiet.
Before Hades was able to use his gifts to calm them, a spirit dove for the drapes, and they billowed inward as the rest of the spirits followed suit. Amid the mass of shapes, Hades swore he saw wings, but his focus was quickly rerouted to chasing the souls out of his bedroom.
After wrestling with the drapes far too long, Hades found spirits bouncing in all directions, and the shrieks of an unhappy infant joined the chaos. Lexi was already on her feet, bending across the railing of the crib to fetch Juniper.
"What's going on, Hades? How did all these souls get in here?"
"I believe your birthday gift is to blame," Hades said as he stood at his wardrobe, tucking himself into a pair of pajama bottoms.
"The Bonsai tree?"
"Yes. The lanterns exploded one by one. Then spirits erupted from the tree itself. It was quite an impressive trick."
"Trick? As in magic? Are you saying we were right to think Melinoe still hates me?"
"It appears that way." Hades grabbed two sashes and wrapped them around either hand, shouting over Juniper's cries until Lexi had the frightened babe latched onto her breast. She shuffled to her chair and dropped groggily into it while the spirits dove and weaved around her. Hades wanted to kiss her for the calm she maintained under duress.
"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, my queen," he said. "It may take me a while to round all of them up. I counted ten."
"Did you count the two that escaped into the bathroom?"
"Damn. It looks as though I'll need to call in reinforcements."
"Do you need assistance, my lord?" Blythe's sleepy voice crackled through the speaking tube, most likely roused by the crying babe, and Hades called back as he chased a spirit into the rafters.
"Yes, Blythe. I need you to call Ink to the palace. Tell him to get here as fast as his horse will carry him. And bring his sashes."
"Very well, sire. May I ask what the emergency is?"
"A dozen or so spirits have inundated our bedchamber and are likely to wander further. I will need everyone's help locating them."
"Oh, dear. Friendly spirits, I hope."
"You and me both."
"And the babe?"
"Lexi has her well in hand. Thank you, Blythe."
It took no time at all for Ink to arrive, and the palace was already in full battle mode protecting the contents of Hades's home. Ink was instructed to round up the spirits who had escaped into the west stairwell, while Elm and Ely followed Hades around the bedchamber as he wielded his sashes.
"Can I have a magic sash someday, Daddy?" Ely asked as Hades wrapped the gold fabric around his son's hand. At the other end, the spirit of an elderly woman floated placidly.
"I will give you one when you show me you can use it properly. You're doing great, so far, son." Hades offered his encouragement as he lassoed the foot of a more aggressive spirit hanging from the rafters.
"Where will you take them?" Ely asked. "To Charon's boat? Or will you take them to Tartarus for being naughty? This one doesn't seem too bad."
Ely stared at his feeble charge while Hades glanced across the room at Lexi. She and Juniper were at rest in front of the fire, reclined on a chair with eyes closed. Hades knew Lexi didn't appreciate him sharing certain horror stories with their impressionable children, and he had conceded not to push the subject until they were older. "I don't think they meant to be bad. They just lost their way."
"Will you throw Charon into Tartarus for losing them?" Elm asked as she ran past Hades, chasing a young male spirit around the room.
"Charon would find a way to get out," Hades said as he watched the spirit pass through the door, pursued intently by Elm, who hauled the door open to follow him out. "Don't let him get far, Elm," Hades called after her. With any luck, Ink would be nearby to assist.
Hades and Lexi had agreed not to tell the children exactly how the spirits had come to invade their home. They wanted to take care of the situation first, and with all the excitement of rounding up the unhappy souls, neither child had bothered to ask.
As Elm vanished, Sella hustled into the room carrying a full tea service on a tray. "Your favorite sweet leaf tea, my lord," she said as she set the tray next to Lexi. "I also brought up breakfast bread. Fiona was baking it just before all hell broke loose." Sella's head snapped up as she held the teapot mid-pour, letting a thin stream dribble into a china cup. "Pardon me, sire. I didn't mean to offend."
"You know you cannot offend me, Sella. I expect you're just repeating what Fiona said."
Sella's cheeks turned scarlet, and she looked down at the pot, stopping the flow of tea just before it spilled over the rim. "I take responsibility for my comments," she said, waving away a spirit who swooped down to investigate.
"And you don't need to change a thing," Lexi said as she left her chair to walk Juniper to her crib. "That bread smells divine. Did you bring butter?"
"Of course, my lady. Would you like me to prepare a slice for you?"
"Yes, please. I don't think any of us will be getting back to sleep before dawn." Grabbing her robe, Lexi disappeared into the bathroom just as the scrying mirror chimed. Moments later, Blythe's voice called through the tube.
"It's Zeus, your lordship. He sounds quite agitated."
"I'd be surprised if he weren't. He is never awake at this hour." Hades shuffled over to the scrying mirror, toting his spirit across the room like a circus balloon. The glass cleared as he tapped it, and his brother's bearded face appeared, looking squinty-eyed and just as agitated as Blythe had described. "What has you up so..."
"Damn it, Hades!" Z shouted unnecessarily. "I have trees blowing up in the grove and spirits spilling out everywhere! What's going on down there?"
"Come again?" Hades held tightly to the sash as his captive tried to wrestle free. "How many trees?"
"Just the one. Lexi's elm. All the lanterns exploded in grand form, then it caught fire as the spirits escaped in a mass exodus. A legion of are gods trying to contain the blaze, but the damned thing stands over fifty feet tall. I'm afraid we might lose it."
"Oh, dear." Lexi appeared at the bathroom door, cinching up her robe as her expression darkened. "This will be taken as a bad omen. I need to go to Olympus. There's sure to be panic in the streets." Lexi walked over to join Hades, glancing at the unruly spirit over his head before addressing her father's grimace in the mirror. "How many spirits, Zeus?"
"I have no idea. They were spreading to the four winds by the time anyone reached the tree. I've got Hermes leading a group to contain them."
"We have the same thing happening at the palace," Hades said, demonstrating with a tug on his sash. "Lanterns exploding and spirits wreaking havoc. Ink is here helping me track them all down."
"What's the cause of it?" Z demanded.
"We have a theory..."
"Daddy, a spirit is trying to get outside!" Ely cried as he bolted for the balcony, yanking on the old woman's sash and causing her body to distort.
"Don't follow it out, Ely. Take care of the one you have."
"I can see you have your hands full," Z said. "I'll let you take care of your situation. And don't worry about rushing to Olympus, Lexi. I'll handle the panicked masses here."
Lexi appeared to be holding in a snort, and Hades felt compelled to respond for her. "No offense, Z, but I believe the situation requires the comforting tone of a female. I will send Hecate to the palace first, and Lexi can follow when she has had a proper breakfast."
Z's eyebrows furrowed, and Hades could tell he wanted to argue, but sometimes he got lucky. "You don't think I have a comforting tone, eh? I might have to agree with you there. Send Hecate if it makes you feel better. And, Lexi, do what you think is best. I will be in touch regarding the tree."
The scrying mirror went dark, and Lexi turned to Hades, blinking away a tear. Before he could console her, she was distracted by the blood on his arm. "Hades, your arm is bleeding."
Hades made a show of looking, but he had already seen the blood. "Ah, yes. Casualties of war."
"This has gone too far. We need to tell Zeus about Melinoe. Action needs to be taken." Lexi made her case as she held her hands over his wounds, imbuing her healing brand of warmth.
"We will, but let's take care of our situation first, like Z recommended. Then, when his blood pressure has returned to normal, we will discuss what to do about Melinoe."
"What about Melinoe?" Elm asked. She had returned to the room and was holding the hand of the young boy.
"Oh, Elm. You've made a friend." Lexi stepped respectfully up to the pair and knelt in front of them. "Do you want to introduce me?"
"I don't know his real name, but I call him Blaze. Now, what about Melinoe? Did she do something wrong?"
"Hello, Blaze," Ely said, interrupting Elm's interrogation. "My name is Ely, and this is Mrs. Doubtfire...from the movie." He pointed to the woman hanging limply from his sash. The poor thing looked exhausted.
"We need to get these nice souls where they belong," Hades said, hoping Elm would set-aside her questions for now. "Why don't you two follow me out with your spirits. We'll see how Ink is doing." He pressed a kiss to Lexi's cheek, whispering in her ear. "I'm afraid you'll be flying solo until I return. There's another sash in my wardrobe. You might need it to recover the crafty spirit hiding in the drapes."