Summoning Bones
39. Alone in the Clearing

“I hate to break this up, but Hades will notice my absence. I will leave you here, but run. Run as far away from here as you can. Melinoe, I wish you my very best. I am sorry about your home. Cadmus, I will slay you alive if you dare harm Melinoe,” Selene said. Melinoe smiled, stepping out of Cadmus’ warm embrace. He nodded and kept his arms wrapped protectively around her. Selene spared Melinoe one last glance and turned, vanishing in a cloud of silver smoke.

Melinoe breathed in deeply, then stepped away from Cadmus, pulling the ruby out of her pocket.

“I need to bring Makaria back. My fath- Hades will search my home first.” Cadmus nodded, and stepped away from her, letting Melinoe pull out the crown and place it next to the ruby. She then pulled out the silver knife and pressed the point against her forearm.

“No!” Shouted Cadmus, but Melinoe focused on the task at hand.

“I need blood of the dead, and as a sister, it will suffice.” She let the blade cut into her skin, forming a bubble of crimson. She dropped the knife in the grass and picked up the ruby. She angled her arm so the blood ran down her white skin onto the gem. Placing her other hand over the wound, she healed herself with a blue tendril of smoke. She plucked the blade up again and sued its tip to pry the largest jewel in the crown from its snug home in the gold. The blue gem tumbled into the ground. Melinoe paid it no mind and placed the ruby in its spot.

“Is it done? The spell?” Cadmus asked.

“Almost,” she whispered. She stood and placed the crown on her dual-toned hair. The gold shown over it like the sun chasing away the shadows of night. “Makariá, I aderfí mou mazí mou makriá apó ti sfaíra tou Ádi.” As the words spilled form her lips, a light began to ebb from the ruby. Smoke began to cover the ruby and pour over Melinoe’s face. The light continue to glow, illuminating the clearing. The smoke fell to the forest floor and lap as water would over the blades of grass and stone. It rose to Melinoe’s ankles before it settled into a smooth surface. Melinoe’s features began to twist in agony. Cadmus lurched forward, but the power of the spell forced him backwards into a tree. The smoke began to rise in ripples, growing into waves. They overlapped and grew before part of the smoke darkened. The smoke gathered by the darkness as a shape began to take form. It convulsed and twisted under the still darkening smoke. The form grew taller and taller until it stood at Melinoe’s height. The smoke began to fall away and fade away on the air like clouds, revealing Makria standing in the clearing. Her eyes were lined with red, looking around wildly before catching sight of her sister.

Melinoe smiled weakly at her before sinking to the ground, her eyes fluttering closed.

Cadmus ran to her side, lifting her so her head was in his lap. He leaned close, pressing his ear to her mouth, holding his breath for the warm breath of air to signal she was alive. When he felt her breathe, he gasped and leaned away from her. He tore his eyes away from her and looked to her sister.

“Wolf?” She whispered. He nodded.

“What happened to her?” Makaria crouched to his level on the ground and picked Melinoe from his lap.

“She exhausted herself. Her powers are strong, yes, not as strong as before, and Hades’ enchantments to prevent my escape weakened her. She needs rest and food. Where are you staying for the night?”

“We can’t stay. We must keep moving, Hades-”

“Will let you stay for one night. He still cares for the well-being of his daughter and believes there’s a chance she could still help him. Besides, he will want you to have a head start, its makes the game more fun to him. You are mice in a maze,” Makaria said. “Now, where are you sleeping?”

“We had a clearing up the hill,” Cadmus said, gesturing up the valley to the thick trees. Makaria nodded.

“I will need you to carry her, I could with magic, but anything remotely magical could cause more harm if it were too close.”

Cadmus lifted his love into his arms, holding her against his chest. He led the way to the clearing, focusing on Melinoe’s even breathing. He set her on the ground, situating her so her cloak kept her warm. As he trend around, Makria had a small fire dancing under the sun.

They sat in silence for hours. Makaria felt questions burn in her throat, but they would have to wait until Melinoe was awake. Cadmus watched over her sleeping form, occasionally glancing over to Makaria, who kept touching the ground, bringing her hand up with a green stem and flowering bloom. Soon the clearing was covered in a rainbow array of petals. Then she slowly watched them wither and sink back into the earth. The sight unnerved Cadmus, so he looked back to Melinoe, only to replace her staring back at him.

“Cadmus, thirsty,” she murmured.

“Of course-”

“Here,” Makaria said, appearing at her side with a clay mug filled with cold, clear water. Melinoe took the cup and gulped half of the water down before bringing it away from her lips.

“Thank you.”

“Of course, you brought me away. Thank you,” Makaria said, wrapping her arms around Melinoe’s neck. “Father hasn’t caught on to your absence yet. Selene has been very helpful.”

“She would love any chance to mess with Hades.” Makaria laughed.

“She would hate to miss this opportunity. But, sister, you will need to run away from here, far away. I thought perhaps Hades would let you be, but I fear you have taken too much.”

“I know, there is a village, where Zagreus is, and I will go there. Three days journey at most.”

Makaria nodded. “Father may leave you alone, you defied him. You gave up immortality,” she whispered.

“But you? Where will you go?”

“I will go to Mother, then I do not know. Thanatos will chase me, I’m sure of that.”

At her sister’s words, Melinoe fully sat up, looking wide awake. “Then you must leave. Now.”

“I won’t leave until you are better.”

“You must,” urged Melinoe.

“But you are mortal, you need protection,” argued Makaria.

“I have Cadmus and my own power. Hades has let me go for now. However, Thanatos will stop at nothing to replace you.”

“But-”

“You may attract him here,” Melinoe said in a last effort to make her sister run for her own safety. “Please.” Indisicion flashed in Makaria’s eyes.

“Only for your safety,” she whispered. Melinoe nodded and pulled her into a hug. They clung to each other like a drowning man to a rope thrown into an ocean of doubt. The next time they saw each other, Melinoe would be dead and would be in the Underworld as the ghosts she had once ruled over. Makaria pulled away, tears running down her face.

“Promise me you’ll be safe,” she said. Melinoe nodded, not convinced if her voice would work through her tears.

“Promise,” she rasped. Makaria stood, and without a backwards glance, ran into the trees.