Pluto and Persephone stood over them at the height of the tower before them. Cyrus could not help but feel there was no need for this trial. The judgment was already passed in the gods’ eyes. He was already guilty.
And so is Marilyn, he thought. All because I was a fool.
“Cyrus, son of Pluto, you stand accused before your regal father, charged with the betrayal of the pantheon. You turned against your own family, worked against us, even struck your own blessed sister. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty,” Cyrus said.
“We will see, Cyrus. You make a poor choice by dragging out these proceedings Your father might have been lenient if you would have admitted your guilt.”
“I would have to be guilty of something for that, mother. Yet I feel no guilt here.” Cyrus stood tall in the face of his mother and looming father. Pluto merely stared down at his son. But Persephone looked annoyed at her son’s rejection of her words.
“You have chosen to continue this trial,” Persephone said. “Let the record reflect the arrogance you show in doing so.”
“Call it what you will, mother.”
Persephone turned to her daughter. “Melinoe, you stand as prosecutor to Cyrus. Tell us your experience with his crime.”
“Of course, my queen.” Melinoe turned and gave her brother a smirk as she spoke. “I remember the time well. You had left for your annual pilgrimage to stay with the honored Demeter. Cyrus and I both remained behind to serve watch over Hades House. Father showed little interest in the house’s day to day affairs as is often the case when you are away.”
This brought a smile to Persephone’s face. Mother always liked to hear stories about Pluto’s mad love for her.
“However, Cyrus proved to have no interest in his godly duty. As soon as he was free of his parents’ oversight, his attention turned to the human world.”
“I object. We live in the human world. Why are we even pretending otherwise?”
“You have no right to speak at this time,” Persephone said. “You will get your chance to defend your actions, Cyrus. Now is not that time.”
Cyrus crossed his arms as Melinoe continued. He would listen to his sister’s words, but he didn’t have to like it.
“Dear Cyrus immediately started packing. He wanted to leave and he wouldn’t let anyone stand in his way. He would not be dissuaded, not even when one of his dearest friends tried to stop him.”
I don’t like where this is going, Cyrus thought. None of this makes sense. I just left. I didn’t talk to anyone. I don’t know what Melinoe is playing at.
Marilyn squeezed his hand. He gave her a nod as Melinoe continued.
“It was horrific. Patreus grew up alongside Cyrus. He was nothing but a human grandson of Zeus, yet another of a thousand bastard children. But Patreus came to us when he was young. He grew alongside Cyrus. And Cyrus killed him.”
Patreus is dead! No, it can’t be. That cannot be right. He—I should never have left here. Cyrus buried his head in his hand.
“I watched it all,” Melinoe said. “My brother did not think I was near, but I stumbled upon him when he tried to leave. He argued with Patraeus. I thought at first it was some kind of lover’s quarrel, but I never knew the two to be so intimate. Patraeus seemed distraught.”
None of this happened. I simply told Patraeus I couldn’t stay. He tried to convince me to stay, but we didn’t yell. We didn’t fight. She’s lying.
“Cyrus pushed Patraeus. Patraeus fought back, even though he knew he had no chance of victory against a true child of a god. With no reason or recourse, Cyrus decided to use his powers against the poor young man. It wasn’t loud, not like I expected. But it was a low steady hum. I could feel the force of the vibrations even from across the house. I watched as Cyrus’s powers flayed the skin from his dearest friend.”
“No!”
Marilyn’s words broke up the affair. She pulled away from Cyrus as she said it, but her words were directed towards Melinoe. “It isn’t true!”
“Silence, mortal!” Persephone’s words rang through the room. “Another outburst and I will pass judgment on you now. You are a fly before us. Do not forget that.”
Persephone turned to her daughter. “Finish your story, daughter.”
That’s all it is, Cyrus thought. A story, a piece of fiction. I thought I was to face a few decades of confinement. But this is a frame up, a con job. I didn’t think even Melinoe could want me dead.
“I have little use for mortals as you well know,” Melinoe said. “But I also know that demigods are protected under Olympian law. Cyrus didn’t care. He wanted his freedom and would not let anyone stand in his way. He didn’t even seem troubled by his crime. I watched him take his bag and walk over the blasted corpse of his friend. Little more than a skeleton was left of the boy.”
“Is this all of your testimony, Melinoe?”
“It is, mother.”
“What do you accuse your brother of?”
“I accuse him of the murder of a child of Zeus. He willfully killed a child of Olympus. And he did it to abandon his sacred duties.”
Persephone turned to Cyrus. She peered down at him as Pluto stood silently beside him.
“You have heard the charges against you, my son. These are dire charges. You know that they could lead to your death or your exile to the lower realms. These actions are indefensible, but you have time to speak, son. I suggest you make the best of your remaining few minutes. Let it not be said that your father does not know mercy.”
The room fell silent. Cyrus could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He knew his mother expected him to fall to his knees. He knew she wouldn’t really listen to any of his words. He could save himself by pleading and begging. But none of it mattered. It wouldn’t save Marilyn. She would be punished one way or another. A hundred years in confinement here would be a pain for him ,but it would mean her death. He couldn’t have that burden on his soul.
“Melinoe is lying. I didn’t even know that Petraeus was dead. I spoke to him before I left. He tried to convince me to listen to you and stay. But I didn’t do that. I left. I freely admit to that crime. I thought that was the crime I stood trial for today. But I have never taken another man’s life. I’m still trying to believe that my friend is dead.”
Melinoe shook her head. Persephone joined her. Cyrus could feel his chances sinking. He would fight if need be. He wouldn’t let them frame him for a crime he did not commit.
“Your words sadden me, son. I suspected truth from the son of death. Instead, you make excuses. You deny the sworn word of my blessed daughter. You turn against the gods words and then have the gall to deny your guilt.”
“I deny nothing!” Cyrus’s voice echoed off the walls as he raised it. “I admit I left Hades House. I admit that I hid to keep from returning. I admit that I grow tired of horrible standoffish behavior of this family. Our era is a thousand years past. Maybe it's because I never saw the heyday of our era, but I see that fact clearly. The age of the Olympians is dead. I wanted to see the world and understand humanity. Not hide from it.”
“We don’t hide from the world. The world belongs to us!”
Cyrus shook his head. “You are so deluded you cannot see what is before you. You think mortals so lowly that you could think I would kill a friend. I loved Petraeus. He meant more to me than anyone else in this room. But he was a lowly to you despite his grandfather. You are so lost in your world that you truly cannot believe that I looked at Petraeus as an equal. I could never kill him.”
“Enough! You will say no more!” His mother’s fury echoed through the room. Her eyes seemed to flare as she spoke.
Cyrus rose up to his full height. He breathed in deeply. “I will not be silent! Not anymore!”
“You will not speak!” Persephone’s rage shook the room. “This is my court, not yours!”
Pluto’s hand reached out and rested on his wife’s shoulder. His head moved slow as his wife and everyone in the room turned to look at him. But the nod was obvious.
“He—”
Pluto said nothing. He only looked at his wife.
She turned and threw a hand into the air. “Fine. Speak.”
Cyrus felt all eyes on him.
“I did not kill Petraeus. I didn’t even know he was dead. I—it’s still hard for me to think that my friend is dead. I do not know what motivates her, but Melinoe’s story is a fabrication. I left Hades House. Petraeus and I spoke before I left. He tried to persuade me to speak with you before I did. But I knew that conversation would be pointless. I knew you didn’t want the connection to humanity that I want. I’m tired of pretending we’re somehow better than them just because we live forever and have some power. Thousands of them can say the same thing.”
He shook his head. “I love you, but I cannot be like you. So I said goodbye to Petraeus and left.”
“How dare you!” Melinoe’s words echoed through the room. “I am not a liar. You are a murderer and a false witness!”
“I don’t know what happened to Petraeus,” Cyrus said. “But now that I do, I will bring his killer to justice. Find me guilty or innocent but his death will not go unavenged.”
He met Melinoe’s eyes as he finished his threat. Cyrus turned back to his mother and father.
“I left you under my own volition, mother and father. Punish me for that if you see fit. But I have not killed my friend.” He looked to Marilyn. “Mortals are far more important to me than you could ever imagine.”
No one said anything for a very long moment. They don’t trust me, Cyrus thought. But they don’t fully trust Melinoe either.
Persephone looked between her two children. “You challenge your sister’s word. But you also admit to your own wrongdoing. Her word does not give us reason for question. But yours do. You willingly stepped away from your duties as a god of Olympus. I do not—”
“I have no duties as a god of Olympus. Ancient Greece is three thousand years dead. The last of the Romans gave up on us more than a millenium go. We survive on the power provided by a few outlying worshipers. Beyond that Olympus is just a myth. The humans look on us as a story. They don’t even know I exist.”
“That would have changed, Cyrus. You would have rose to be a great force in Olympus. You could have—”
“I could have done nothing, mother. You hold on to a dream that no longer exists. You had your followers. Petraeus would have followed you both anywhere. But I am not the person for that. I no longer see myself as some god. I am a man, a gifted man, but just a man.”
Persephone’s eyes widened in shock. “Sacrilege!”
“No, mother. It is the truth. We can no longer live above them. We are already forced to live among them. Let’s not play games with what that means.”
“How dare you? This is your way of life! You cannot just say no and walk away. That is not the way of our people. You may not live in Olympus, but you are an Olympian. You are a god and you must learn to act like one.”
“I know very well how to act like one,” Cyrus said. “And I don’t want to do it anymore. I won’t do it anymore. So make your judgement, but do not pretend this is anything but a farce. My friend was murdered and I’m being aimed as the patsy.”
Cyrus turned to Marilyn. He spoke in hushed tones. “I’m sorry. I wish you never got involved in this. I was afraid you would just be forced to grow old next to me. But they want more than that.”
“How much more?”
“My sister wants me dead, Marilyn. I don’t know why, but she’s murdered my friend.”
“How can you be sure? How do you know this Petraeus is even dead?”
Cyrus stopped short. She was right. The gods were fickle if nothing else. It wouldn’t be unlike Melinoe to simply lie about Petraeus’s fate. A missing demigod could be as good as a murdered one if her story was right.
“I demand to see the evidence held against me.”
“What?”
“I want to see the body of my friend, mother. It is the least you could do if you accuse me of his murder. I only have the words of those around me that he is even dead. I will not be condemned for a crime that I didn’t even know happened. Not without seeing the proof.”
“No,” Melinoe said. “No, you cannot let him do that, mother. It is too terrible! He—”
“Enough, Melinoe. He speaks truth. He does have the right to see the body.” She turned to her husband. Pluto nodded. The courtroom began to shift again.
Beneath their feet, the floor shifted downward. Marilyn grabbed on to Cyrus. He wrapped a comforting arm around her. He knew she wasn’t used to the behaviors of Hades House. Trapped between two planes, the Estate was set at the whims of Pluto.
“It will be fine. Just watch and wait.”
“I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff in my life,” Marilyn said. “But this might be a new record.”
“I’m afraid we’re only just getting started. Brace yourself for some real oddities. This isn’t a normal world. There’s a reason why I left.”
The floor continued to drop directly beneath them, even as the rest of the courtroom opened. Persephone and Pluto lowered down next to Cyrus and Marilyn. His father was still passive. Persephone showed no emotion, but Cyrus couldn’t help but feel the doubt she felt.
Melinoe sat high above, still in her booth. The fact that Pluto didn’t bring her down also made Cyrus wonder if they didn’t trust her either.
Something was off about this whole affair. Petraeus’s death made no sense. Melinoe had no reason to kill him, not that he could grasp.
The floor came to a stop a full two stories beneath the surface. Cyrus knew his parents could take them down much farther, but the underworld had no real answers for them. Instead, they would just travel to the crypt, a simple stone crypt for the honored dead. Petraeus would rest there until his grandfather Zeus gave an answer to his final resting place. But that could not happen until the trial was complete.
The room shifted behind Persephone and Pluto. The moving walls opened to expose the crypt. Cyrus had only visited the tomb once before, when a demigod in the service of Apollo was killed by a messenger of Hermes. He didn’t remember it to be a pleasant experience.
Pluto turned and yanked on the large stone door. It opened with ease.
Marilyn squeezed in closer to him. She didn’t really seem afraid. But she did seem to need some kind of comfort. He was happy to provide it as they moved to follow his parents into the tomb.
It was black inside the crypt. Persephone brought the torches to life with a wave of her hand. “This way.”
They walked through another door inside the massive crypt, which Pluto opened as easily as the first. As soon as they entered, Cyrus saw him. He lay in perfect state atop a stone slab. Petraeus was still and white. His body had been cleaned up and cleansed. His corpse was perfect, clean and still.
Cyrus pulled away from Marilyn and stepped towards the body. “Oh, Petraeus. I’m so sorry, my friend.”
He stared down at his dead friend. For the first time the loss felt palpable. For the first time he truly regretted leaving his parent’s home. He couldn’t help but feel that his friend would still be alive had he remained.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you,” Cyrus said. “I’m so sorry.”
Petreaus’s bright blue eyes shot open. “Don’t be sad, godling. I’ve been waiting millennia to meet you all.”
A sly grin filled the face of Petraeus. But Cyrus knew this wasn’t his friend. It was something else. Something old. Something very, very evil.
“What are you?”
Petraeus sat up, still smiling. “Don’t you recognize your old friend, Cyrus? It hasn’t been that long, has it?”
“You’re not Petraeus.”
Pluto stepped forward. His hand came up. Energy crackled through the room. For the first time in forever, Cyrus saw an emotion on his father’s face. It was fear.
Petraeus—or whatever he was—raised a hand. A burst of power struck Pluto head on. Cyrus watched his father suddenly consumed by energy as dark as his own.
Pluto fell to his knees. Persephone moved to her husband’s side as crumpled face first to the floor. She bent over him, even as Pluto shook from whatever strange energy fell over him.
Cyrus stepped between his parents and the monster in his friend’s corpse. “Who are you? What are you?”
Petraeus’s body smiled. “You would never hope to recognize me, little human. I am greater than this tiny demigod body. I am greater than the gods that sit before you. I am the darkness, the universe from which this world was formed. I am Caelus and after a thousand, thousand years, I am free.”
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