Page 14 (1/2)

Eurydice&039;s voice was brittle with shock-Lino&039;s eyes flew to her face The girl was staring at her husband Her eyes had gone huge and round Her face was coht do you enter the realm of the dead?" Hades demanded Orpheus tore his eyes from his wife He bowed low, first to Hades and then to Lina Then he ran his fingers lightly across the lyre, as if testing its readiness When he spoke his words were accoic that held theether:

O Hades, who rules the dark and silent world,

to you al born of a wos at last return to you

You are the debtor always paid

A little while we tarry upon earth

Then we are yours forever and ever,

but I seek one who came to you too soon

This bud was plucked before the flower bloomed

I tried to bear my loss, but oh, oh, I do love her so and the pain of her loss is kil ing od

I beg you return to ain her sweet life&039;s refrain,

which ended too quickly,

I ask this s

That you wil lend her back to ain when her life&039;s span is ful she shal be

Because oh, oh, I do love her so

and the pain of her loss is kil ing me slowly

Orpheus&039; words ended, but his fingers kept plucking a soft, sweet version of theLina felt her heart ache and break His music moved her like she had never before beenoff the tears she hadn&039;t realized she was shedding

She looked at the silent God sitting beside her His face, too, reflected the grief of the an to speak, and then he stopped His head turned slowly until his dark gaze met Lina&039;s tear-fil ed eyes

"The choice is yours I gifted you with the next judged herself to your service Only you can release her; therefore, twice over you are granted the power to decide her fate Choose wisely, Goddess of Spring" Hades said in a voice that

Lina drew in a shaky breath, feeling for the first ti Goddess Eurydice&039;s future rested on her decision She turned in her chair so that she faced the girl

Eurydice&039;s slender body had gone very stilThe only irl was from the tears that washed wet trails down her colorless face and dripped steadily onto the gauzy fabric of her gown

"How did you die?" Lina asked softly

But Eurydice didn&039;t answer her Instead the tune Orpheus played changed to a darkerhis words

"Only onea moonlit walk She beca She chose the wrong path Instead of leading her back tohusband, it led her to a nest of vipers where she , his words stil sounded lyrical Lina felt them create a spel of sadness around her She wept anew over the tragedy of Eurydice&039;s death So that was the wrong choice the girl hadhusband was the price she had paid for that choice - a price that stil weighed heavily on her soul So heavily, Lina noted, that Eurydice had been struck speechless with grief at Orpheus&039; appearance

Lina reached out and grasped the little spirit&039;s hand Eurydice&039;s hand was cold and Lina could feel the silent tremors that shook her body

"I free you," Lina said through her tears "You may return to your life with your husband Now I understand your sadness, and I aasped in surprise Her body trerief

"Oh, honey! Don&039;t worry about ood care of lancing at Hades for support

The dark God atching Eurydice closely

"Persephone has spoken I bow to her decision I have but one condition" Hades&039; gaze speared Orpheus "Eurydiceonly if you do not look back at her; you must trust that she fol ows you When you turn froain until she has departed my realm and stands firmly once more in the mortal world"

"I wil adhere to your wilShe wil fol ow me, of that I have no doubt" Orpheus bowed low to Hades and Lina "Hereafter I wil sing praises to you extol ing your benevolence" His eyes captured Eurydice and his words turned to liquid ether forever we shal be You belong to ether forever we shal be

Orpheus stru look at his wife, he turned, and, singing his Siren&039;s song, he walked froan to fol ow him as if he held her on an invisible tether She stuhted herself and continued with jerky steps after her husband She glanced once over her shoulder Lina was shocked at the glazed expression in the girl&039;s eyes Eurydice looked as if she were in agony Orpheus, his music and Eurydice drifted from the Palace of Hades

Hades spoke into the sudden silence "Petitions are closed for today" Iapis stuck the spear against the roup of women bowed to Lina onceher alone with Hades and Iapis None of theet out of her mind the expression on Eurydice&039;s face as she fol owed her husband froirl had looked - Lina wrapped a strand of hair around and around her finger -