“Are you like that, too?”

  He noted the disgust in her voice. “No. Neither are the other Infers or the rest of the Augurs, save Avar. Infers and Augurs must keep their lines pure by having sex with their assigned spouse. Avar is granted the right to do as he pleases since the leaders regard him so highly. He is second to them. The rest of us are mere creatures.”

  She frowned, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  Before he could ask her about it, Hermes flew up the arc, calling out for Pallid and Amanda to clear his way. Noting the leader’s urgency, Pallid pressed Amanda against Demeter’s office window so that she was out of Hermes’ way. Hermes flew directly into Demeter’s office. Pallid wondered what the rush was about. He quickly ran through the events that happened during this time in Atlantis’ past.

  “Will you please move away from me?” Amanda snapped.

  “Sorry,” he apologized, not even aware he had been too close to her. He stepped away from her and watched Hermes’ interaction with Demeter.

  Others were just as curious and stopped on the stairs to watch the scene unfold before them.

  “I found your daughter,” Hermes told Demeter.

  Demeter put aside her pen and stood up. “Where is she?”

  “Persephone is in the Underworld. Apparently, Hades has taken a liking to her and dragged her down there to be with him against her will. He refuses to bring her back.”

  “My sweet daughter is a prisoner down there? In the Underworld? I must speak with Zeus at once. He will force that monster to release her.”

  Ignoring everyone else, she raced out of her office and up the stairs to the very top of the arc where Zeus was known to spend most of his time.

  “At last she has found her daughter,” a woman nearby said, sighing with relief. “She is such a wonderful mother. This shouldn’t be happening to her.”

  “And Persephone is so pleasant,” her friend agreed. “She doesn’t deserve to be forced down to the Underworld.”

  Others agreed then continued their walk up, or down, the stairs.

  “We should go, too,” Pallid told Amanda.

  “What was that all about?” Amanda asked.

  “Hades kidnapped Persephone and took her to the Underworld to marry her. Demeter has just discovered where her daughter’s been for the last three weeks, and she is on her way to plead her case to Zeus, but Zeus won’t interfere because he’s afraid of Hades. This will cause Demeter to use her weather making technology to plunge Atlantis into an immediate winter. Zeus, due to all the complaints he’ll receive, will consent to Demeter’s wishes and go to the Underworld to bring her daughter back.”

  “But Persephone will have eaten six pomegranate seeds so Hades and Demeter will be forced to share her,” she said.

  “That’s how it will turn out. Of course, we’re not supposed to know that.”

  They walked down the steps in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. “Will this affect Katherine?”

  “I don’t think so. She’ll just stay in one of the temporary dwellings until I finish with my plan. Then we’ll get her and Jake out of there.”

  “What will her dwelling be like?”

  Startled at her concern, he paused and glanced at her. “Cold and impersonal. It is carved into the side of a cave. She will be given the basic necessities but nothing more. Thankfully, Jake will be there to keep her company. It is a lonely place if you’re alone, and most of the people there are alone since their loved ones stay up here until they are either too old to be up here anymore or are deemed unfit for society.”

  “Oh. It sounds horrible. If I had known that it was going to be that bad for her, I would have made her wear a veil.”

  “She had to make her own decision.”

  “She made the wrong one.”

  “Perhaps. Who knows? Maybe something good will come of it.”

  She scoffed. “That is hard to imagine.”

  “It isn’t impossible. I sense Jake is interested in her. She may end up with a marriage proposal.”

  Amanda laughed. “You’re kidding.”

  He raised an eyebrow, dismayed at her reaction. “What is so funny about it?”

  “For one, she belongs on Raz. Jake’s world is here. They cannot be together. And second, he’s only with her right now because he feels sorry for her. I noticed he tends to be soft towards others.”

  “Is that what you really think? Is she always shoved to the sidelines on Raz?”

  “I make it a point to include her. I mention her good qualities to men all the time.”

  “Men who are courting you, correct?”

  “Well…I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yes. I suppose they are all coming to see me. I don’t remember anyone coming to see her. But that’s because I’m the queen. Those men just want to be king. They aren’t interested in me either.”

  “Maybe not all of them, but I’m sure some of them are. You are attractive and men notice that kind of thing.”

  She blushed. “You really think I’m attractive?”

  He frowned at her. Could a woman be any shallower than this one standing before him? “I want you to meet one of the leaders.”

  She blinked at his change of subject but nodded.

  He stopped in front of Aphrodite’s office. There were ten men—all good looking—vying for Aphrodite’s attention. They had brought her many gifts in order to please her and win her over. She looked absolutely stunning. Compared to her, Amanda didn’t have a chance, which was exactly what he wanted Amanda to understand. It would be good for her to gain a new perspective on Katherine’s situation. He waited for Aphrodite to wave him in before leading Amanda into the office with him.

  “Infer Number 177, what a pleasure it is to see you,” Aphrodite warmly greeted.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” he replied, giving her a slight bow in respect to her authority.

  The ten men looked at Amanda but hardly gave her a second glance. Their sole purpose was to win the heart, if not just one night, with the most beautiful woman on Atlantis.

  “I didn’t mean to disturb you, Aphrodite,” Pallid spoke. “I just came to ask if there is anything new you would like me to remember for you?”

  She twirled her long wavy hair around her fingers thoughtfully. Her gorgeous red dress flowed neatly around her figure. “No.” She shook her head. “I can’t think of a single thing. You already know about my son Cupid creating all kinds of trouble with his drinks to make people fall in love with each other. I’m still working with Zeus and Hera to get him to stop. It is totally inappropriate behavior.”

  “Yes, I recall that very well.” The men around her seemed to grow displeased by her lack of attention to them, but Pallid didn’t let that stop him from introducing Amanda. “By the way, this is a friend of mine, Amanda. I thought you might be able to help her. It is what you do best.”

  Aphrodite giggled. “You know exactly what to say to get me to do your bidding. If you weren’t limited to your wife, I’d love to show you what I’m really good at.”

  He cleared his throat at her meaning. Aphrodite was well-known for her sexual pursuits.

  “I’ll be just another minute,” she told the ten men who grinned widely since she had spoken directly to them. She turned to Amanda and scanned her critically up and down. “Amanda, you have potential. You seem to have natural good looks, so I am assuming that you have never had cosmetic surgery to enhance your beauty?”

  Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat. “No. I didn’t even know such things existed.”

  “You are a visitor then! No wonder I didn’t recognize you. You’re in luck. We happen to offer beauty treatments to visitors. It is a new service I insisted on. I think if you can look even better when you return home, then I have done you, and those who look at you, a great service. Here are some brochures you might find to your liking.” She handed Amanda a few colorful pieces of paper. “You will see that we offer every kind of treatment available. The most popular one is the Aphrodite’s Deluxe Treatment. It will give you my figure and eliminate all wrinkles. I can’t make anyone look like me, though many women have often wished to. We haven’t developed that far in our technology yet. I’m afraid you’ll just have to be content to look less beautiful than me.”

  “Oh, okay,” Amanda slowly said, her face growing pale.

  “I would also recommend a wonderful clothing store down by the water. It’s called Aphrodite’s Boutique. The owner is a man who named it after me because I was his inspiration. You will find the most exquisite clothes not found anywhere else on this planet. It will give the illusion of having the perfect figure so men will be drooling all over you. There are also accessories there like make-up. It would really help with your inadequately thin lips and pale complexion. It doesn’t wear off in the rain either, so you can look great in any kind of weather.” She winked at her. “You never know when you’ll want to have fun in the water.”

  Amanda only nodded again.

  “It would help if you stood up straighter, too,” Aphrodite continued. “Your posture needs to convey confidence. Men don’t want a woman who thinks too little of herself. You could also stand to lose about ten pounds. The curves you have are nice, but your face is a little on the chubby side. We do offer a beauty treatment to surgically remove the fat from you so you don’t have to diet. You will find that in one of our brochures as well.”

  “Yes, um, thank you. I think I’ve heard enough,” Amanda said before Aphrodite could continue. “Infer Number 177 is anxious to go shopping.”

  “Of course. I understand. It was a pleasure to meet you, and if you have any questions or want any more help, please come by any time my office door is open. If it’s closed, it’s because I’m busy.”

  The men chuckled at Aphrodite’s words.

  Amanda blanched at the woman’s meaning, finally understanding what kind of society she had stepped into. She mutely waved her thanks to the leader and left the room.

  Pallid grinned to himself as he helped Amanda down the steps. Maybe now she wouldn’t think too highly of herself. “I take it Aphrodite was different when you met her on Olympia,” he said.

  Amanda shook her head, still looking bewildered. “She was nice on Olympia.”

  “What do you think of her here?”

  “I don’t like her. She wasn’t helping me. She was being critical of me.”

  “Fortunately, she changed her ways since she lived here.”

  “Yes. Fortunately. I hope she was sincere on Olympia when she said I was beautiful and could have any man I wanted with the snap of my fingers. Maybe she really didn’t think much of me at all.”

  “No, Amanda. She was true to you on Olympia. The leaders changed after Atlantis sank into the ocean. They developed a sense of humility they lacked before. They no longer thought too highly of themselves.”

  “Thank goodness Atlantis sank then. Who would want to live in this kind of world? It’s all fake.”

  He sighed. It seemed as if their visit with Aphrodite didn’t accomplish what he had hoped it would. Instead of making the comparison between herself and Katherine, Amanda had chosen to look at things from a different angle. How was it possible for anyone to be so vain? He felt sorry for the man she ended up with.

  Giving up, he led Amanda to the store where he could buy the weapon he would use to kill Avar. He wouldn’t let Amanda distract him any longer. From this moment forward, he was going to do everything he could to save his beloved city.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Thousands of years in the past

  Atlantis

  Meanwhile, the old man led Katherine and Jake to Hades’ mansion. He rang the bell, which chimed a melancholy tune. She thought it fit with the mood of this world. There was no happiness here.

  The door seemed to open on its own. It took her a second glance to realize a petite woman had answered the door. She wore a long black dress and limped as she went to summon her master.

  Katherine’s first impression of Hades was that he was an intimidating figure in his black clothes and cape. He was tall. His black hair matched his dark eyes. He would have fit in perfectly here if it weren’t for the fact that he was extremely handsome, even when he scowled.

  “I did not wish to be interrupted,” Hades growled at the old man. “I am trying to talk Persephone into having something to eat. As soon as Hermes tells Demeter where her daughter is, I have little chance at getting Persephone to marry me.”

  “I am sorry for bothering you, leader,” the old man began. “I thought you might be interested in meeting this woman and her friend. She is the only person, besides Persephone, that I have found Cerebus taking an immediate liking to.”

  Hades raised an eyebrow in interest. “Really?”

  The man nodded.

  For the first time, Hades addressed the two. “You are not residents of Atlantis. I would have recognized you if you were.”

  “We are visitors,” Jake replied.

  “Then you have no business being here. It’s not the ideal vacation spot. If I were you, I’d leave this place and check out another city on Earth. There are more understanding and compassionate societies than this one.”

  “My sister has to be here,” Katherine informed him. “I was told I had to accompany her. However, in order to stay up there, I’d have to hide my face behind a veil.”

  Hades rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable. There’s nothing wrong with the way you look. The other leaders are getting more and more ridiculous in their standards of perfection. If it was up to me, you’d be allowed to remain up there without a veil. Unfortunately, my vote doesn’t count for much up there.”

  She appreciated his words. Certainly, there was a note of compassion in this place despite the dreariness around them.

  “So Cerebus likes you,” Hades said, his voice thoughtful. “He knows something the rest of us don’t. Cerebus is very picky about who he’ll accept. You and your friend must stay in this mansion while your sister performs her business. I will have my servants set up the rooms for you.” He motioned for the thin woman to escort them to their rooms. “Unfortunately, I have other matters to tend to at the moment, so I cannot be a gracious host.”

  Katherine hesitated to say something, but then she figured she might as well. After all, she had nothing to lose. “If I may speak, please let me do so.”

  Hades granted her request.

  “I have heard much about Persephone from where I live,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “May I speak with her?”

  He sighed. “You might as well. I have done all I could. If she won’t marry me by now, it will never happen.”

  She knew he would end up marrying her, but she had often wondered if it was something Persephone wanted or if she was forced into it.

  The servant led them to Persephone’s room. Her door was closed so the servant knocked on it. “She is very nice,” the servant said. “But she is sad.”

  Katherine nodded, expecting that to be the case.

  The door opened. Persephone’s long, curly light-brown hair was pulled back through an onyx and diamond crown that Hades had given her. She wore a black dress with diamonds embedded into it. Katherine was surprised Persephone wore this attire. She had expected Persephone to be wearing clothes suited for her position above ground.

  “Please, tell Hades I cannot accept any more of his gifts,” Persephone said. “My mother will be here to get me soon. I cannot be with him. She will not allow it.”

  “He didn’t come bearing more gifts,” the servant replied. “A young lady and gentleman have asked to speak with you.” She gestured to Katherine and Jake. “Cerebus likes the lady.”

  Persephone didn’t hide her surprise. “I thought that dog didn’t like anyone.”

  “Not except for you and this lady.” The servant motioned to Katherine, who smiled.

  “In that case, they may enter,” Persephone invited.

  As Katherine and Jake walked in, Katherine noted the elaborate way the room was adorned. Despite the black satin bed sheets and furniture, it was a very comfortable environment. Jewels, elegant dresses and black flowers filled her room. These were the tokens of love Hades had bestowed on her in hopes of winning her over. But they hadn’t been enough. Persephone required more.

  Katherine’s heart pounded loudly as she debated how to begin. She couldn’t just come out and tell Persephone she was from the future.

  “I wish I could be happy to see you,” Persephone told them as she sat on the edge of her neatly made bed. She motioned for them to sit in the chairs across from her, which they did. “My heart is heavy. I don’t know what to do.”

  Sensing Persephone’s desire to confide in someone not related to the problem, Katherine spoke, “I have heard of your dilemma from the place I live. Do you wish to be here?”

  “Yes and no.” Persephone smoothed out her dress. “It is true Hades brought me down here against my will, but in the time I’ve been here, I have gotten to know him, and he’s not the ogre others make him out to be. He’s actually quite sweet.”

  “So you care for him?”

  “That is my dilemma. I not only care for him. I love him.”

  “Why is that a problem?”

  “Two reasons. One, my mother already hates him. She will never approve of my marrying him. That will create a lot of tension for everyone involved. Two, it is depressing down here. I miss the joy of Atlantis.”

  “There is little you can do about your mother. However, you can do something about this place.”

  Persephone tilted her head in interest. “Go on.”

  “You wish to be with Hades, but this place is holding you back from marrying him, correct?”

  She nodded.

  “Can you do anything to change the environment down here?” Katherine asked.

  “I believe Hades will let me do anything I want. He is very generous.”

  “What would you like to see this place become?”

  Persephone stared at the wall thoughtfully. For a long moment, no one spoke. Finally, she gave her answer. “I know that this place cannot exist above ground, so it is foolish to wish for sunshine. I can live without that anyway. What I most want to hear is laughter. I want people to enjoy themselves. I accept that the condition they are in is difficult to bear. I also understand how awful they feel, but can’t they find a sense of joy and contentment despite their situation, or am I expecting too much?”