Chapter Fifty | KITTY ELLIS
A GENTLE BREEZE BLEW strands of her light brown hair into her face as she sat kicking her small legs in the comfortable wicker rocking chair on the blue porch. In the distance, she could hear laughter. The scent of strawberries, carried on the wind, filled her nose as she looked out over the grass and trees.
There were volleyball courts here. In the heat of the summer sun, she watched a group of young boys screaming and laughing as they tried to keep the ball in the air. Overhead, she watched a pair of pegasi soar beyond reach. She took a deep breath. She could get used to this.
"Focus on the game, Katerina."
Katerina turned back towards the table. Across from her sat a beautiful woman, pale skin glistening in the sunlight and dark brown hair curled down one shoulder. Her golden dress, covered in sequins, or maybe diamonds, shuffled a deck of cards. At the site of the cards, Katerina found herself smirking, matching the same expression on the woman across from her.
"Do you remember how to play poker?"
Katerina, legs unable to touch the floor, absentmindedly drummed her fingers, sparkly nail polish glinting in the sunlight, on the table top. "Five card draw?"
"Yes."
"Yeppers." But then Katerina frowned, looking for her pile of chips, or M&Ms, or anything else to bet with. "I can't ante though."
The woman smiled. "I'll lend you a coin."
Katerina took the golden coin excitedly. She held it in her hands. The metal was heavier than she expected. On one side it had a cornucopia. On the other, a skull glared back at her. Katerina didn't want to give it up. But she looked across at where the woman was shuffling the cards. She couldn't give up a bet, either.
"Ante up."
The coin sat in the center of the table, all alone. Katerina frowned. But it didn't take more than a few seconds for the woman to ante up as well. Soon she started dealing cards.
The first one she got was the King of Hearts. Always a good sign. Then the Queen of Spades. Next, the Queen of Clubs. Katerina smiled with excitement as her five cards were complete with the Jack of diamonds and 10 of diamonds. So close to a straight!
So close to a straight. Katerina frowned. She wanted to keep the queens. She guaranteed herself at least a pair if she kept the queens. A pair wasn't great but it was a safe bet. But she could also give up one of the queens. If she gave up a queen, and she got an ace, she'd almost certainly win. She bounced her legs off the wicker rocking chair as she tried to keep still. But if she gave up the queen and didn't get an ace…
"Katerina."
She glanced up.
The woman's smile had faded. Her brown eyes flecked with amber never blinked. "Don't hesitate."
Katerina smiled. "Ok."
She slid the queen of clubs across the table, face down. Her heart beat faster as the woman picked the card up and put it at the bottom of the deck. What would she get? She had to win. She wanted to win so bad.
The woman dealt her another card. Katerina stared at the blue decor on the back of the card sitting flush against the circular wooden table. She felt herself almost buzzing with excitement. A win or a loss, hanging in the balance. Katerina reached out.
The Ace of Clubs.
Katerina grinned. She couldn't help giggling just a little as she slid it into place. Ace of Diamonds, King of Hearts, Queen of Spades, Jack of Diamonds, Ten of Diamonds!
The woman let out a small chuckle. "I call."
Katerina laid them out on the table, practically bouncing in her seat. The woman didn't even bother to reveal her hand. She just laid them face down on the table, leaning forward with her arms crossed on top.
"That's what happens when you don't hesitate, Katerina." She pointed to the cards. "How much do you know about these cards?"
Katerina frowned.
The woman just chuckled. "The suits have meaning, child. Would you like to learn about them?"
A gust of warm air blew through the covered wooden blue porch. But Katerina didn't care about the smell of spring on the breeze or the laughter she could hear far beyond. She just scooted forward. "Yes."
The woman pointed to the King of Hearts. "Hearts can mean many things, but always love. Also Passion, strength, or fire."
Katerina liked that one.
Next, she pointed to the Queen of Spades. "Spades stand for swords, action, for death and the power of darkness."
She didn't like that one as much. But it had gotten her a straight, so she was glad she kept it.
The woman placed a finger on the diamonds. "These stand for money, but also commitment, stability, even ethics."
Definitely important.
And finally, the woman rested her hand on the Ace of Clubs. "Clubs resemble a clover. They stand for youth, recklessness, and luck. I like this one best."
Katerina looked down at the cards in front of her. Another breeze carried an almost overpowering scent of flowers and fruit in the air. She felt like she'd been hit by spring in the face. Taking the cards in her small hands, she smiled. King of Hearts, Queen of Spades, Ace of Clubs. She liked these.
"You have to go now, Katerina."
She looked up. Frowning, Katerina looked around. The world had started to fade to a pale white. No more volleyball courts, no strawberry fields. Just her, the wooden table, and the woman in gold.
"What's your name?" Katerina said.
The woman smiled wide. She pushed the two coins in her direction. "I'm Tyche. Say hello to Alex for me, Kitty."
An overwhelming scent of flowers overwhelmed her until finally, Katerina opened her eyes to see darkness. Kneeling over her on the left was a pale woman with brown hair and an olive and brown dress. Her hands sat on each of Katerina's shoulders. But Katerina also saw a boy looking down at her, covered in blood and dirt, tears on his face.
"I have done what I can," the woman said. She sat back, removing her hands from Katerina. "I cannot fully reverse the effects of Lethe."
Lethe?
"Kitty?" The boy covered his mouth for a moment as he took a shuddering breath. He looked so tired. "Are you ok?"
Katerina frowned. "What's going on?"
She didn't understand any of this. The air here felt so cold. Her hands shook as tried to sit up. Everything was dark and the gravel bit into her exposed skin. Everywhere she looked, she saw ash or a winding white river.
"It's Alex. Do you remember me?"
Alex. Tyche had said that name. Tyche had said Alex and called her Kitty. She turned back to face him. He looked like a mess. Covered in blood and dirt, clothes ripped and tears carving lines down the grime on his cheeks, she wondered what had happened to him. But she didn't fear him.
"I…" Kitty trailed off. "Alex?" It sounded right. But she didn't remember why.
Alex released a long breath. He closed his eyes, swallowed back tears, and with pain written all over his body, dragged himself to his feet. He held out his hand. "Come on."
Kitty accepted his hand. They stood in an endless plain of darkness, with red fires lighting the horizon. A few meters away, standing all alone with arms crossed over her chest, stood a pale girl with dirty blonde hair. Kitty shivered when she saw her. But she was familiar too.
Turning back around, Kitty saw the woman who smelled of flowers standing with two other adults. One looked terrifying, a tall man all in black. He glared at her and Kitty took a half step back. Her heel knocked into something hard.
Kitty turned to look at it. It sparkled in the darkness. A source of light all its own, Kitty looked down at the most beautiful golden lyre she'd ever seen. It looked so out of place, half buried in dark ash and gravel. Kitty picked it up. It felt familiar in her hands.
"Come on," Alex said. He turned from Kitty to the girl across from them. "We're getting out of here."
Kitty vaguely remembered where 'here' was. They were in the Underworld. She didn't know why, or how. But the darkness and the scent of death triggered some memory locked far away. She wanted to leave. They needed to leave.
"And why should I allow that," said the man in black. But when no one responded, he just released a thin, annoyed sigh. "You want to leave, boy? Since my wife so clearly cares for the Lyre of Orpheus, you and Tyche's daughter can try it his way. But she stays behind."
Kitty looked to the sad girl across from them. She didn't protest, but Alex did. And so did the woman who smelled of flowers.
"Allow Ophelia to try, Hades. Let the debt be settled that I swore to her mother on the River Styx: I would not forget the kindness Hecate showed to my mother in lighting the way to me. Or do you forget, Hades, the circumstances that led to me being your queen?"
"Persephone."
"Ophelia may go. Or do you wish to make me break my oath on the River Styx?"
Kitty watched Hades and Persephone stand off across from one another. The woman beside Persephone looked so much like Ophelia that Kitty guessed that must be Hecate. The woman never wavered in her silence nor her resolute stature.
Hades sneered. But he turned back to them. "Very well. But Ophelia will lead the way. And if you turn back even once," he said, looking at the girl across from them, "none of you nor that lyre will leave the Underworld. Apollo never getting it would certainly help my constant migraine whenever he's around."
Kitty looked at Ophelia. The girl glared back at Hades, but said nothing. Instead, she came to stand on the other side of Alex. Not all the pieces clicked for her. There was so much she couldn't recall. But she had no desire to stay in this place. If following in the footsteps of Orpheus meant leaving the Underworld, she looked forward to it. As Tyche….as her mother had said. Don't hesitate.
