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Lina was feeling a little breathless and displaced, which was truly ironic She was, after al , final y wearing her own skin

"It probably has so one of the newly dead," shein a body She was , and she was pleased that it appeared that her body had taken on a forer than she had been at her death With a start, Lina realized that she had hed "The exact age I hen I met him," she said

The tunnel stretched before her, black and unending, but its darkness didn&039;t intimidate her Lina walked forith confidence without once looking back at the last light she would ever glimpse from the mortal world

Suddenly, a little bal of bril iance burst into being at her shoulder, and she laughed in surprise

"What are you doing here?" The globe bobbled around, wiggling like a puppy But she didn&039;t real y need to ask - she kneho had sent the light "Thank you, Persephone," she cal ed to the listening air

She walked quickly through the cluster of beautiful ghost trees that had come to be known as Persephone&039;s Grove As always, she enjoyed the sparkling facets that were their leaves Lina left the grove, and blinked in surprise Before her, the onyx road that led to her lover&039;s palace stretched as usual to the gates of pearl, but this ti wide open, and behind the, se mass stood Hades, flanked on one side by Orion and on the other by Eurydice and Iapis As the stal ion caught sight of her he screah of joyous welcoainst her pale aily at her mistress while tears of happiness streaan to move toward her, Lina&039;s entire world narrowed to hold only hi with emotion When he final y stood before her, he reached out, and with a gesture that was as familiar to her as was as her own heart, he caressed her cheek

"Welcome home, beloved," he whispered

She smiled at her soul mate

Hades spun around to face the , he raised his arms victoriously over his head

"She has cood

A shout rose from the unnumbered dead that echoed frohout al of Olympus " Rejoice! Our Queen is come and she shal leave us neveroblet and touched it against Persephone&039;s as they s

"Wel done, hters," Demeter said "Wel done"