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  As soon as she was alone in her huge room, she contacted Leader Paff. “Queen Ann and Hathor never made it here,” she reported. “The gods and goddesses are addressing the best course of action to take. They are dedicated to her safety and well-being, and I am confident they will do everything they can to find her.”

  “We have sent out every probe we have and can’t find her anywhere in our galaxy,” Paff replied. “It’s starting to look like we’re going to have to search another galaxy. The only one I think will be of any consequence is the Average Galaxy because that’s where she came from.”

  “Have you contacted the Great Magician on Raz?”

  “I have and he didn’t find anything in his crystal ball. He said it’s because Katherine is the heir, so Raz’s future is still secure. So he’s as blind as the rest of us.”

  Jaz sighed. “It’s not right that Raz should be unconcerned about Ann just because her daughter is there. Her daughter’s in no position to rule at her age.”

  “I agree but it’s not our planet. The Great Magician will continue to work with what he can in the meantime. Hathor was the last one with the Book of Spells, so the magician hasn’t been able to use it. I hope with the Olympians’ help, we will find something useful. Any lead at this point would be a blessing.” After a moment, he asked, “Have you heard anything about Guard Falon?”

  “Unfortunately, no. The gods and goddesses are terrified of Hades and won’t ask him about releasing Guard Falon. If Guard Falon doesn’t return to us within a couple of days, I’m going down to the Underworld to see what I can do about getting him out of there. I won’t leave this planet without him.”

  “Be careful. We’ve lost too many Palers already. We can’t afford to lose more.”

  “Hades has one soft spot, and that is Persephone. I’m going to see what I can do about enlisting her help. Maybe she will find it in her heart to go with me. That would greatly improve my chances of getting him out of there.”

  “And getting yourself out as well,” he added. “We were doing so well in our transition to a new life on this planet before Omin’s clone woke up from hibernation.”

  “There’s still a chance we’ll succeed. We must remain strong.”

  “Yes, you’re right. Take care, Jaz. May the three of you make it back here safely. Paff out.”

  Jaz closed her telecommunicator. The time to act was soon. In the meantime, she needed to get as much sleep as possible. Tired, she fell down on the king-size bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  ***

  Six years in the past

  Ann’s house

  Xenia, Ohio

  Planet: Earth

  Ann was in her bedroom, talking on the phone with Lisa about her date with Hathor the day before.

  “A college guy? That is so cool,” Lisa said. “You are so lucky to have two guys after you. Are you going to tell them about each other?”

  Ann laughed. “I have a right to date more than one boy at a time.”

  “They have no clue, do they?”

  “I’m not married, Lisa. Besides, it might not work out with one of them this weekend. Then it’ll be pointless to go through all the trouble of letting them know about each other.”

  “Do you like one more than the other?”

  “I kind of like Hathor more, but William’s the one who’s going to be in Florida.”

  “Don’t let the fact that William wants to move to Florida push you into choosing him. If you like Hathor more, you should choose him.”

  Surprised, Ann straightened up. “Is there something about William I need to know?”

  Lisa hesitated then said, “I wasn’t going to say anything because I didn’t want to influence your decision, but Carson’s noticed something different about William.”

  “Different good or different bad?”

  “Bad. He thinks William is lying about going to Florida. He’s known William since first grade, and never once did William talk about wanting to go to college or Florida. But then he meets you and he wants to go to college there. He said it just seems weird.”

  “Did William know I was moving to Florida before he mentioned it?”

  “That’s just it. He didn’t. So I don’t know. It could be a coincidence, or there could be something more to it.”

  That seemed innocent enough. “Maybe he made that decision recently,” Ann replied.

  “Yeah, it could be a coincidence.”

  Noting there was something else Lisa seemed to have on her mind, Ann asked, “What else is going on with William?”

  “Carson says William’s been acting like he knows everything, like he’s a big shot.”

  “I don’t understand. If William is acting like a jerk, why did you fix me up with him?”

  “That’s just it. This change just occurred last week. Before then, William was acting like his normal self. William was never an optimist or anything, but he didn’t make fun of Carson.”

  Ann sat back, absorbing this new information. She knew that Lisa wouldn’t lie to her. If Lisa was having doubts about William, then she should, too. “I’ve already made a date with William for tomorrow night.”

  “I know, and that’s why I wasn’t sure if I should tell you what Carson’s been saying or not. I mean, it could be that Carson is upset about the time you and William are spending together. Carson can be possessive of the time he gets to spend with his friends. You know how he gets upset if he thinks you and I hang out too much over the weekend.”

  Ann hadn’t considered that angle, but it could very well be the case. Perhaps there was more to this than Carson was willing to admit. “What do you think of William?”

  “I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t think he likes me much. He’s never been rude to me or anything, but I have a feeling he would rather see Carson with someone else. I’ve had that feeling since I met Carson, though, so this is nothing new.”

  “I’m going to have to pay close attention to William tomorrow night. So far he’s been fine.” She paused. “Would you like to meet Hathor on Saturday? I want to know what you think of him.”

  “As long as it’s after six. Carson and I are going to the zoo that day.”

  “Okay. I’ll try to be over there at six thirty.”

  They said good-bye, and Ann hung up her phone. This weekend just might prove more enlightening than she’d expected.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Present day

  Underworld (Hades’ Domain)

  Planet: Olympia

  Guard Falon and the man rowed down the River Styx. The river was the same maroon color that was on the walls. The only source of light in this dismal place came from the many torches lining the walls. Falon wondered if those torches were eternal or if they burned out and needed to be replaced. But even so, did it really matter? This was a dank and gloomy place. Surely, things weren’t going to go well for him.

  Even in Pale’s darkest days, Pale wasn’t as foreboding as this place. The narrow winding river soon expanded, and the distance between the walls grew wider as they came upon Hades’ palace, which was made of black marble. It was impressive, even in all its dreariness. The top of the palace looked as if it ascended forever, but that, of course, was an illusion.

  At the entrance was a solid black gate, which had etchings of Persephone. Beyond the gate were rows and rows of flowerbeds that were currently empty because she wasn’t there to tend to her gardens.

  “Do not speak to Hades unless he speaks to you first,” the old man warned. “He is very sensitive when it comes to upholding certain standards and regulations.”

  If Falon had known what those standards and regulations were, he might have avoided this whole catastrophe to begin with. Since arguing would be pointless, he followed the old man through the gated entrance and up the onyx walkway that led to the front door of the palace.

  The old man rang the chimes, which sang a melancholy tune. It was as if Hades chose to surround himself with darkness and
sorrow.

  “Enter,” a grim voice ordered.

  The old man opened the large black doors and stepped into the throne room. A red carpet led to two black thrones. Hades sat on one and Persephone’s was empty, except for a single pomegranate missing six seeds. Many empty diamond vases lined the walls, waiting for Persephone to fill them with her fresh flowers.

  Clearly, Persephone dominated Hades’ world. Falon couldn’t help but wonder if it hadn’t been for Persephone’s influence, would he have given up on life altogether?

  The old man bowed before Hades.

  Falon didn’t want to bow before the god who made rules he never let strangers know about, but he decided it was best to follow the old man’s example just in case it would help his cause.

  “Rise,” Hades dryly said.

  They did, and the old man motioned to Falon. “Master, I found a stranger from Pale who, by mistake, found your lair. Unfortunately, he was struggling with Cerebus. In all fairness, Cerebus was violent towards him. This Paler was only trying to defend himself.”

  Hades pounded the armchairs on his throne and narrowed his eyes. “What did he do to my beloved pet?”

  “Cerebus will require two new jaws, Master.”

  “What other damage do you insist on doing to those I love?” Hades shouted at Falon.

  Falon’s throat went dry. “Hades…ah….it is not my intention to hurt anyone or anything. I had to pass through the gate. If I didn’t, I would’ve been forced to roam the passageways of this place until I died of starvation. Cerebus wouldn’t let me through.”

  “Enough! I will hear no more from you.” He turned back to the old man. “Take him to the Hall of Torment. Let him suffer a broken jaw. Have water rise up to his mouth, but he shall be unable to drink from it and his thirst will be unbearable. He will pay for what he did to Cerebus.”

  The old man glanced at Falon, and he winced. Turning back to Hades, he said, “Perhaps the judgment is a tad bit harsh, Master. He didn’t mean to-”

  “Who is the ruler here?”

  The old man lowered his head. “You are.”

  “And who are you?”

  “Your faithful servant.”

  “Then, as my faithful servant, I order you to obey me. I set the rules. You follow them.”

  “Yes, Master. I will do as you say.” He turned to Falon, gave him an “I’m sorry” look, and quietly escorted him out of the palace.

  “Does this mean I am to bear this judgment for as long as I live?” Falon asked, too shocked to feel anything like anger at the moment.

  “If only it was that easy,” the old man replied. “Hades has access to the Stone of Immortality, so he can keep you alive for as long as he wants, even for eternity.”

  Falon considered running away, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to escape this place. There was no way out, and sooner or later Hades would find him, and when he did, he might design a worse judgment. Resigning himself to his fate, he quietly followed the old man out of the gate.

  ***

  Present day

  Ivory Palace

  Planet: Olympia

  Second Commander Jaz felt much better when she woke up the next morning. She got dressed in a hurry, eager to find out if the gods and goddesses had discovered anything about Queen Ann or Hathor. When she was finished getting ready for the day, she went to Guard Lino’s door and knocked on it.

  “I talked with Leader Paff,” she told him as soon as he opened the door. “There’s been no new development. It’s beginning to seem like we’ll never find the queen or king of Raz.”

  “I hate to say it, but things don’t look good.”

  “No, they don’t.”

  He stepped out of his room, and they walked down the long hallway until they entered the living area.

  “Oh good, you’re up,” Apollo said, heading over to them. “We are having breakfast in the morning room. Would you care to join us?”

  Jaz glanced at Lino. He didn’t seem to be any more eager to eat than she did. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could eat anything when things looked so grim.

  “We aren’t hungry,” she finally said for both of them. “We were wondering if you heard anything about Queen Ann, Hathor, or Guard Falon?”

  “Unfortunately, we have not. We are beginning to wonder if Queen Ann was sent to another time, either the past or future,” Apollo said. “We recall how you and Seta had sent her to the past during the Laxy Rebellion two years ago. Considering another Paler is behind this current disappearance, he may have used the same method to isolate her. Whenever you can isolate the enemy, you gain the advantage because you eliminate their allies. Hathor, we are guessing, must have been taken to the other time with her. In that case, it would have been an accident since Hathor would be there to protect her. Or he could be somewhere else. We assume that since they left together, they are still together. What they remember, though, is an important question since Queen Ann’s memory was affected when she was sent back to her past before. As for Guard Falon, if he hasn’t arrived here by noon today, we will know Hades has decided to keep him in the Underworld,” Apollo finished.

  “We can’t let Guard Falon stay there,” she said. “We have to go and get him out.”

  Apollo rubbed the back of his neck, something Jaz figured was a nervous habit. “We have already discussed a way to approach Hades. We don’t like to disturb him, but for Queen Ann’s sake, we are working on a way to do so. It won’t be easy. It all depends on how Demeter will respond.”

  “Demeter?” Lino asked.

  “Demeter is Persephone’s mother. Persephone gets to spend six months out of the year with her mother, and she gets to be with Hades for the other six. Persephone has only been up here for five months. This will create a lot of problems.”

  “Why do you need Persephone to go down there? Isn’t the fact that Queen Ann is in trouble enough to get his attention?” For the life of her, Jaz couldn’t understand the hold Hades had over all of the Olympians.

  “Hades won’t give us a chance to talk to him unless Persephone is there. She’s the only one he’ll listen to without creating a big fuss.”

  “Sounds like a wonderful god to deal with,” she mumbled, crossing her arms.

  “We don’t like him either, but we’re stuck with him. Besides, he takes care of the Underworld creatures. No one else wants to be stuck with that duty.”

  “So when are you going to talk to Demeter about letting her daughter go to the Underworld?”

  “This afternoon. We’re collecting lots of gifts to soften her up.”

  “Why do you need Hades to find Queen Ann?” Lino asked.

  “Hades has access to the Sands of Time which can only be found in the Underworld. We need to get those sands so we can go back and forth in time.”

  “I want to come with Persephone when she goes to talk to him,” Jaz said, hoping the tone in her voice left no room for argument. “I need to get Guard Falon out of there. He’s my responsibility. I can’t go back to Pale without him.”

  “We will go together,” Lino said.

  She smiled, taking comfort in his support.

  “That’s up to Persephone,” Apollo replied. “Come, I’ll take you to the gods and goddesses.”

  “Whether or not she agrees to it, we’re going to get Guard Falon out of the Underworld,” Jaz whispered to Lino when Apollo turned to guide them down to the morning room.

  ***

  Six years in the past

  Dayton, Ohio

  Planet: Earth

  William and Ann stood at the entrance of the miniature golf course. William had picked her up at her house so her parents got a chance to talk with him for a little bit. She wished she could have asked for their opinion about him right away, but she knew she would have to wait until later.

  She didn’t notice anything strange about him. He seemed nice enough, and he was attentive to everything she said. He made some clever jokes along the way and even told her she looked pretty. But all
of this could be because he was trying to make a good impression. Anyone could put on a good show. So she opted to proceed with caution.

  “I have a confession to make,” William said after they collected their scorecards and pencils. “I’m no good at this game.”

  “Join the club,” she replied. “I lose to everyone I play with.”

  “I have an idea. Why don’t we see who plays the worst?”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “May the worst one win,” he said with a grin then wrote down “xavier” on the card for his name. “What do you want for your name?”

  Since they weren’t going to take this game seriously, she thought of the first thing that came to mind. “Put me down as ‘z’.”

  “‘Z’?”

  “Sure. The last letter of the alphabet. You could say it lost to the other letters.”

  He chuckled and wrote it on the card. “I like it.” They walked up to the first hole, and he gestured to her. “Ladies first. And remember, whoever does the worst, wins.”

  She tapped the ball and it rolled up to the windmill, bounced off of it and rolled back to her. “It looks like I’m off to a good start.”

  “Excellent play,” he replied then hit his ball, which went past the windmill and flew into the grass.

  She laughed. “You got me beat on this hole.”

  The game continued on with them doing the worst they possibly could. There were several times when they had to step aside to let the people behind them play since they stayed longer than usual at each hole, and at one point, Ann accidentally knocked her ball into someone else’s game. Her face grew red with embarrassment.

  “I’ll get it,” William told her. He ran over to the other game, apologized to the people there, and returned. “I think we know who the winner is. Congratulations on a game poorly played!”