Meeting Aggie

11.

"I need a null enchantment potion from Hecate." I said.

"May I ask why?"

"I can't face the gods in my true form."

Hades gazed at me with curiosity. He lifted his nose in the air, taking a deep sniff as if trying to discern something. His eyes glowed a bright green before returning to their natural hazel hue.

"Welcome child of dark. Your kind is adored here." He bowed his head toward me.

"Thank you, Hades," I said gratefully and bowed back.

This was a new feeling for me. I lived my whole life thinking everyone hated my kind, but here was the king of the Underworld accepting me with open arms. I now understood why Apollo was eager to bring me here.

Hades gazed at me with curiosity. "Why not stay here? You'd no longer need to hide, and you'd have my protection."

"My brother would hunt me down to the end of the realms," I explained. "I need to be able to defend myself when he comes for me. Seraphim blood flows through his veins, and he excels not only in magic but in combat as well."

"Firstborn child of Empress Iridessa Nightingale," he said in his god voice, "once you reclaim your throne, I will be one of the first to congratulate you."

"How long did you know?"

"As one of the few gods who genuinely keeps an eye on the rulers of the supernatural realm, I recognized you the moment I opened the door. Your striking resemblance to your mother is unmistakable. Your scent only further confirmed it."

I nodded at his response. Nyx smoked back into the room and set the tray of nectar and ambrosia on the table before us.

"Anything else, master?"

He looked over at us to see if we had any other requests, but Apollo and I shook our heads no.

"You're free to go, Nyx. Thank you."

Nyx nodded but before leaving the room, she bestowed a gentle smile upon me. She then dissipated into smoke. It was in that very instant that I felt a profound sense of acknowledgment from Nyx.

"Hecate rarely comes out of her room. You would have to go past Cerberus to speak with her." Hades said, reaching forward and grabbing the ambrosia from the table.

It resembled a delicious cookie, tempting and inviting. He popped one into his mouth and sighed in satisfaction. I reached out eagerly to grab one, but Apollo shook his head, denying me the treat.

"Agatha can wait here. I got the potion before, so I don't mind doing it again." Apollo insisted.

"Unfortunately for you, you're out of favors with her. I think she would prefer to meet she for whom she is making the potions. Agatha will be fine. After all, she is her child." Hades slit his eye at him and erased the idea.

"What about Cerberus? We don't know if he will like her, uncle." Apollo frowned, taking a cup off the tray, and pouring nectar into it.

"Then she won't get the null potion and die. That is the trial to meet Hecate, and you are well aware of this." Hades interjected as Apollo swallowed his drink.

Apollo faced me and spoke softly. "You don't have to do it, Aggie. We can find another way to hide your aura."

"There might not be enough time to find another way. If I can't go through a three-headed dog, then I might as well let my brother kill me without a fight."

Rising from the couch, a determination took hold within me.

"That's the spirit! Head up the stairs then down the hall. Then make a right, left, right, right, and another left. I think. Cerberus is right in front of her door. Good luck." Hades smiled.

Apollo swiftly stood up and seized my wrist. His eyes, glistening with desperation, pierced into my soul as he pleaded with me through his puppy eyes. I shook my head, unwilling to yield to his appeal.

"Wait for me here, okay? I got this. I'm a big girl." I smiled, cracking a joke with him.

The humor failed to resonate with him, evident in his lack of appreciation, as he issued me a cautionary remark.

"Show no fear. He can sniff it out and will use it against you," he warned.

With that, he released his hold on my wrist.

I couldn't help but quip, "I'm practically wetting myself already."

I turned around, retraced my path, and ascended the stairs.

I whispered aloud to myself at the top. "Okay. So. Straight down the hall then make a right, left, right, right, and a left."

The hallways were huge, confusing, and full of too many unmarked doors. I could see why Hades forgot where her room was. I followed his instructions but ended up in a dead lane. I tried to backtrack my steps but got lost.

"Shit!" I yelled, frustrated.

As I regained my composure, a cunning plan started forming in my mind. I recalled an ancient witch trick and started scanning my surroundings for any sign of animal fur. If I could find even a single strand of Cerberus' fur, it could serve as a powerful guide to locate him.

I dropped to my knees and began meticulously scouring the floor, relying on my heightened sense of smell to guide me. My eyes gleamed with determination as I honed in on a hidden treasure.

Though invisible to the naked eye, I utilized my exceptional sight to pinpoint a lone strand of dog fur. Luck was undeniably on my side.

"Lead me to Cerberus," I commanded the strand in Greek.

The strand glowed and slowly moved forward, floating in the air. It moved at a pace just enough for me to follow it without losing track. It turned the last corner and there he was.

Cerberus was fast asleep. The strand stopped glowing and fell to the carpeted floor of Hades' castle, becoming lost in the darkness.

I crept toward the three-headed dog. He twitched, nose flaring and eyelids popping open. Fear almost froze my body, but I ignored it. Apollo explicitly said that Cerberus could smell my fear.

Cerberus became aware of his surroundings and his three heads snapped toward me. He growled as he stood and menacingly walked up to me.

His heads bared their teeth at me, barely two inches away. Chunks of flesh and blood stuck to his gums. Once he realized I wouldn't back down, he stopped and laid down in front of me.

"You're worthy of seeing Hecate. You shall pass," he sighed wearily before drifting back into slumber.

I released a long-held breath, unaware of the tension I had been holding. Despite my apprehension, succumbing to fear would have been a fatal mistake.

I walked around Cerberus and approached the dooradorned in shades of green and gold. Gripping the doorknob, I turned it andstepped into the unknown.