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The Goddess&039;s knowing steps found a smal dirt path that ap peared to circle the lake Deentle bend, which led directly to the e rock fore of the lake As they approached the tunnel Lina could see that its stone wal s had been sods and goddesses feasting, laughing and loving But soon the frescoes were sed by the darkness within

Lina&039;s throat felt dry The darkness was like a tomb

Demeter&039;s steps didn&039;t falter She ruffly to her

"Wel , you hted?" the Goddess coaxed

"Lighted?" Lina repeated, realizing she sounded like an idiot Eirene sighed "You are the Goddess of Spring Use your powers" Lina&039;s brow knotted

"Listen within, Persephone," Denoring her ht If she could ht, hoould she do it? Think! she told herself A half-forht hand to the level of her eyes It was a lovely hand The color of new cream, it was smooth and unlined -

unlike her oorn forty-soht, she would do it like she had done so s in her life - with her hands And suddenly she knew She turned her hand, palht, please

With a perky snapping sound, a little globe of bril iance popped from her palm to hover inches above her hand Enorht and into Demeter&039;s eyes

"That&039;s how I&039;d ht"

"Wel done, Persephone," Dely botto her shoulders, Lina stepped forward, leaving the bal of light hovering in the tunnel behind them

"You must command it to stay with you," De within the edge of darkness, so Lina couldn&039;t tel for sure, but she thought De

"Wel , coht I her head Lina jerked back, squinting at its brightness "Withbal , and it settled into a spot just above her right shoulder "Up higher, you&039;re blinding my eye"

The bal rose a few inches

"Right there Good job" The light seele in pleasure at her corin at it "Okay, we&039;re ready," she told Demeter

The three of the the way The tunnel was large and its doard grade was steep, but the wal s around theed very little The colorful frescoes decorated the diht cheer in the midst of such utter darkness Lina was just about to ask Demeter who had painted the scenes when the wal s around the darkness in their place Directly in front of therove of trees materialized from the blackness Lina stared at them

"Ghost trees," she whispered in awe That&039;s what they looked like Though their branches were thick and fil ed with leaves that appeared to be thriving and healthy, they hite - trunks, limbs, leaves - al the color of milk They fascinated Lina Their beauty was unearthly and delicate, and they appealed to her senses at a deep and elerove that you wil find the entrance to the Underworld" Then Derove "Eurydice, cohten with nerves She was just about to meet her first dead person No!

She had to quit thinking about them as "dead," that would only creep her out She needed to remember Demeter&039;s words - they were just displaced souls, rove movement flickered and Lina forced herself to reure stepped from the tree line andstrand of hair around and around her finger while she strained to get a clear iure, but al she could see was a blurred sense of long hair and the flow of a diaphanous garht, and she felt the nervousness leave her in a rush of relief This was no walking specter or Dawn of the Dead-like zoirl If Lina had been able to give birth to a daughter, this child would have been her age -

probably eighteen or nineteen

She approached Demeter hesitantly and curtsied low It was only then that Lina noticed that her body was not as substantial as it had at first appeared Upon closer inspection, Lina could see that the light actual y passed through the girl&039;s body and the silky, toga-like robe she wore She wasn&039;t quite a shadow or a ghost; she wasthat had come to life Lina felt a rush ofWhat had happened to her?

"Great Goddess, I have awaited your presence as you commanded" Her voice was melodic and sweet

"You have done wel , child This is the final task I require of you I ask that you serve as guide to hter, ishes to visit the Underworld," Demeter said

"I am pleased to serve you in any way, Demeter," Eurydice said She turned to Lina and inclined her head respectful y "It is a great honor forwil join me onirl "I&039;ve never been to He" - she caught herself just in ti the child didn&039;t notice her slip - "Hades before"

"Neither have I, Goddess"

Eurydice&039;s voice was shadoith sadness, and Lina wanted to smack herself in the head for her insensitive coize, Deh you have not yet experienced the wonders of Elysium, your soul knows the way and seeks to take you to your eternal destination As your soul guides you, so you wil guide hter, and I entrust her to your care," Deentle, her expression maternal Eurydice bowed her head, obviously humbled by the Goddess&039;s trust Then Demeter turned to Lina

"It is here I must take my leave of you, Persephone"

Demeter embraced her and Lina was enveloped in the rich, summer scent of ripe corn and windblown fields of wheat

"May your sojourn in the Underworld bring Spring to Hades&039; realm, and comfort to those who have felt the absence of a Goddess Fare you wel , daughter, o with you" Deo

"Wait - wait - wait!" Lina stuttered The Goddess was leaving already? Just like that?

Delanced back over her shoulder "Listen within, Persephone Your instincts wil not fail you"

Lina took a step toward the Goddess and dropped her voice "What if I need more help than that?"

&039;Trust yourself Draw upon your inner knowledge, as wel as your other experiences," Demeter said pointedly "You life has prepared you wel for this endeavor" Lina&039;s whisper was for De comes up that I can&039;t handle?"

Dehtfully "Perhaps it would be best" The Goddess gestured toward the tunnel from which they had descended "I wil leave my oracle for you at the mouth of this entrance You only have to look into it to see my face"

"But how can I be sure to find hter of the Harvest Turn your face upward, and your steps wil always lead you to your home," Eirene snapped in her usual, caustic aze and Eirene felt herself soften This woainst her wil in Persephone&039;s body

"Believe in yourself, child Your strength rests within"

Lina was alentleness of the old woman&039;s words as she was by her smile

"I&039;l remember, thank you, Eirene," Lina said

Dehtly on the forehead again "May you be blessed with joy and oddess turned aith a finality that told Lina not to cal her back, even though her heart was fluttering nervously at the thought of what lay ahead Lina watched the darkness s the toun to think about whether she should send a little of her light to help lead Deloith the bril iant golden light of a suht the way for her?" Linayour pardon, Goddess, but we irl was plucking at the transparent folds of her garetic smile

"I feel compel ed to continue My soul tel sas I a instantly asha her alone to get started on a temporary job that she had been assured she could complete with no problem, and little, dead Eurydice was weldead Poor kid "I&039; spirit re-entered the grove of white trees with Lina fol owing close behind The little bal of light enveloped thelow, and as it touched the trees that surrounded theht in the

branches and sparkled between the leavesthem shine like they were faceted jewels

"They&039;re so beautiful," Lina said quietly

"I think it is your light that makes them appear so, Goddess," Eurydice said in the timid voice of a child

"Oh, I don&039;t know, I&039;l bet they have always been beautiful" As soon as she had spoken the words, the lian to ripple, as if in response to her colistened in her light She suide and pointed up into the forest of diaht is just al owing theive me, Goddess I did not aze fro leaves Eurydice had ducked her head, as if she aiting for some kind of chastisement

"You didn&039;t speak out of turn You just made an observation I want you to feel free to talk tomy" - Lina paused She&039;d almost said "life" or "bakery" or