Upperworld, Twenty Years Later  

Pandora had forgotten Hades’s visage. The fine details of his face were a blur. Two decades without him did that. Thoughts of him brought immeasurable pain, but she knew this path was inevitable. His fingers ghosted across the markings, reminding her that he was always with her. Then bitterness tainted the ache when the uncomfortable tingling traveled along the jagged scar that never quite healed on her sternum. She never got an explanation, but Hypnos paid a hefty price to save her.     

Nyx started her monthly therapy sessions in the Upperworld after she woke up on Corina’s couch. They steered their conversations clear of Hades as much as possible. It was preferable that way.    

She threw herself into her work as a Champion. Early morning training occupied her mind. Fighting demons and policing other preternaturals throughout the Upperworld ate the day. She finished the night with an additional workout and did everything she could to stop her dreams. Every dream centered on Hades and the fact that she left him alone with Persephone.     

“Pandora?” Helen called from the locker room doorway, and it snapped her out of her thoughts. “You’ve been here for a while. Are you okay?”     

She grinned and pushed aside her fatigue. “I’m fine! Mentally preparing to kick Warin’s ass. Again. For the millionth time.”     

Her friend smirked but looked unconvinced. “You need better sparring partners. I’ve heard Freyja’s Champions are absolute maniacs.”    

As Athena’s Champion of Wisdom, Helen never sparred. She did the research and planning, though she wasn’t defenseless. The Champion of Justice was Warin. He served as one of the preternatural police, using Pandora as backup. They rounded up demons that weren’t causing harm and returned them to their realm or gave them the opportunity to reform in the Upperworld. Being half-nymph, it went against his nature to kill. Neither excelled at her kind of sparring, but they tried. She was used to handicapping herself. No magic and her weaker hand. It was helpful for real-life scenarios.     

She longed to tell Helen about Hades, positive she would understand. Perhaps she would accept it and agree to keep their secret. That was what family was for, right? She understood what it was like to love someone unconventional. Warin was a half-nymph prince who gave up his title and became a Champion. For her.     

When she said nothing, Helen shoved off the doorjamb and perched next to her on the bench. She caught Pandora’s gaze. “What’s really happening?”  

“Is heartache worth loving someone?” Unshed tears threatened to choke her, and she scrubbed at her face. She didn’t want to cry because Helen would push harder. Then she’d cave and spill everything, leaving her complicit.   

Helen jolted and gripped Pandora’s hand. “Who?”   

“I wish I could tell you,” Pandora whispered. “There are ears everywhere.”   

“It’s him, isn’t it?” When she didn’t answer, Helen nodded solemnly. “I knew something more was happening. You’ve been pushing yourself to burnout.”  

“This is nothing,” she lied.   

Helen leveled her with a scathing look. “When was the last time you slept through the night?”   

“More than a century ago. Leave my insomnia out of this.” She winked, trying to lighten the mood. Helen didn’t take the bait. “I can’t talk about it, Hel.”  

“I know,” Helen sighed. “But heartbreak shouldn’t keep you from living your life, Panda.”   

Pandora mulled over her words before she hugged Helen. “Thank you, Hel.” 

“I’ll always be here,” Helen said as she stroked her back. “Now, let’s see you destroy Warin. He needs it.”        

Helen held out her palm as she stood. Pandora took it, thankful to have her unwavering support.      

Less than two minutes later, Pandora did as Helen asked.     

“Ouch!” Warin cried as Pandora planted him on the ground. Her knee dug between his shoulder blades, and her dagger was at his throat. “I tap! Godsdamn it, I tap!”     

She rolled off him, unable to hide her triumphant smirk. “You’re improving! You kept me at bay for a solid thirty seconds and then held your own for another twenty-five.”     

Warin turned onto his back, gasping for air as he gazed at the clouds. “Which do you take more pleasure in? Being sarcastic or beating me up?”    

“Just because I enjoy something necessary doesn’t mean I’m a bad guy.” A grin stretched her cheeks. “You need to be humbled.”    

Intent on not laughing, she glanced away and watched a cloud float by. When the trio trained, they used Athena’s Colosseum. The sky had darkened to bronze with pinpoints of shimmering stars.    

“Help me up. I think you fractured my spleen,” he whined and kicked his feet as if he were a petulant child.    

“That’s not possible, but it can rupture.” Helen chirped from the stands by the weapon rack. A book on demonic spells lay on her lap. The parchment had yellowed with age. “She probably cracked your skull, hence why you’re so dumb.”     

“My only love siding with my mortal enemy! How dare thou!” Warin slammed his fist over his heart and feigned death. He’d entered a Shakespearean phase since he met the playwright.     

Then they laughed.     

Pandora helped Warin to his feet, dusting off the dust that clung to his backside. A sudden zing through the filigree on her skin made her gasp, and she looked behind her. She expected to find eyes watching her. Nobody was there. As usual. Shadows filled the corners. She stepped back from Warin, and her jovial mood soured. No one entered Athena’s realm without their knowledge; only the trio and Athena had unlimited access.     

Helen seemed to notice her shift and placed a hand against her forearm. “Why don’t we call it a night and go debrief with Athena?”     

“Yeah. Good idea.”     

As if summoned, Athena appeared in the archway. Her chestnut hair, pulled into a chignon, allowed her to wear her helm, though she tucked it under her arm now. Silver irises, devoid of pupils, swirled as if they were liquid metal. Even her figure was striking. Lithe with a muscular build that fits her tall frame.     

“My children,” she called in her deep timbre. They smiled like youngsters who hadn’t seen their mother for a while. It had only been a few days. She’d met with the Golden Gods.     

Athena scared everyone but them. Her gentle nature remained unseen. She needed to be perceived as strong and intimidating. Misogyny was alive and well amongst the deities, no matter what pantheons they hailed from.     

As she approached, the scenery shifted from the arena to the dining room. The Colosseum stands melted into wallpaper, done in gold and white. Boot heels clicked across rich brown herringbone as the dirt track blew away on an unfelt breeze. The earthy tang of freshly cleaned weapons gave way to the savory aroma of decadent food. Plates rested around a solid oak table, and steam still wafted off them. The sudden change was like stepping through an open doorway. Simple and mundane.   

“Sit. We have much to discuss.” Athena said.    

The goddess took the head position, and they followed. Pandora sat last. She dusted her leather pants and grimaced as dirt fell off her. Her spot was at the other end, and she glanced at her family members. They were her everything.   

“Helen, start our debriefing.”    

“Three new cults have surfaced. The Nords and Celts desire the coastal ones, California and North Carolina.” Helen explained what she knew about them. Humans craved power and summoned forces they didn’t understand. Then it misfired. The cult in the Midlands was different.     

“The Midland Group is using forbidden rituals to summon hellscape portals,” Helen continued. “Blood magic takes intimate knowledge to work properly. Someone with a profound understanding is guiding these mortals. We must exercise caution.”       

Three gazes snapped to Pandora.     

“Are you implying that I don’t know how to be careful?” She asked indignantly. Their silence was answer enough. “I take offense!”     

“Pandora, you are your namesake. If given the box, you would open it.” Warin deadpanned. “Your mom knew what she was doing when she named you.”     

She sneered, and Warin grimaced. She’d talk to Nyx about Karina someday. Maybe. If she could bring herself to remember. 

“Look, I’ll be careful. Helen, do more research. Warin and I will ask around. There are a few preternatural spots we can investigate. I won’t make any moves until we’re eighty-eight percent sure it’s safe.” She crossed her heart and winked at Athena.     

A smirk graced the goddess’s lips, but it disappeared when Helen and Warin’s gazes fell upon her. “Any preliminary guesses, Helen?”     

“After what happened last time…” Helen studied Pandora again. “It wouldn’t be a far stretch that another god has gone rogue, trying to recreate what your brother was doing.”     

Pandora had told nobody that she suspected he wasn’t dead. Eris’s warning did not go unheeded.    

“That is quite an accusation. If it’s confirmed that they aren’t part of the Greek House, you must pass this case to the proper pantheon. You shall keep a record of your findings to submit to the Upper Council so they can’t dismiss the issue.”     

“Affirmative,” Helen said.    

“Do we need to involve them?” Pandora asked. She refrained from rolling her eyes. Barely. “Most of them think they’re above everyone else. Especially Jupiter and Juno. The Dagda and the Morrigan aren’t horrible…” She trailed off when she noticed Athena’s irritation.   

“You would be wise to remember that the Council is the only reason Champions exist,” Athena chided. Her clipped tone hinted at her own displeasure. “Do not give them cause to revoke your status. Not after our last incident.”  

“Yes, Athena,” she huffed.     

They ate after that, and the conversation moved from business to something casual. Idle small talk prevented the area from falling into silence, but distraction fogged Pandora’s mind.     

An unrelenting tug emanated from the filigree. It begged her to follow, to come to it. To where? She didn’t know. After several minutes of pushing her food around, she excused herself. They hardly noticed as she left.     

Once at her bedroom door, she paused. The sensation intensified and jerked taut when she touched the doorknob. Her heart thrummed as she pushed the panel wide. Surprise widened her eyes as her lips parted open.      

“Hello, my darling pixie.”  

Editor: Lucy Cafiero