“Actually, Persephone got that. She wanted a brighter color, but had to compromise with your father. Thanks to her, I inherited some very nice living quarters.”

“Thanks for letting me stay a while. I am so tired, plus confused.”

“What, did you think you were the only person who got really old?”

“Huh?”

“You are confused about Nyx, right? Well, she’s an immortal of another type. In fact, her type thinks they’re the only kind. They actually die and come back to life, except that they die for good if you chop their fool heads off. There’s more to it of course, but all you need know is that you should be very happy with your brand of immortality.”

“Really?” Anaera asked him, too tired to fully understand.

Charon looked at her and said, “Well, not that you really care or are even listening, but I think some of the gods and goddesses got together and created immortals as a joke on Hermes. Can’t you just see him, going to lead a soul to theUnderworld, just to have the person come back to life. I would have LOVED to see the look on his face the first time it happened! He always treated me like he thought he was better. Little speedy snot deserved to be the butt of a bad joke.”

“That’s really funny,” Anaera mumbled. She knew she was safe, so she was going to sleep. Even if Nyx or Celly could create a portal to the other side, the only place they could enter would be on the far side of the River Styx. They’d have fun trying to cross, because there was no way Charon would take them across.

Anaera was just about to fall asleep, when three furry heads barreled into her chest and abdomen. Then, she was thoroughly licked by three doggy tongues. “Cerberus!” Anaera screeched, “Cut it out! Stop!” The very large, three headed stopped licking her and looked up at her with six adoring eyes. “Alright! I’ll pet you, silly pup.”

Charon looked on in amusement as each head of Cerberus fought to get the bulk of the attention. He was pleased to see the happy look on Anae’s face. She hadn’t known much happiness since her father had abandoned her, and the god had done that twice. At least this whole otaku business gave her something to do and made her meet new people. Charon stopped that line of thought – he sounded like a mother.

Anaera crooned senseless stuff to the Underworld guard for a while, and then spoke to him seriously. “Cerberus,” she said firmly, “I want you to stand guard by the River Styx. You are not to allow either of these people, or anyone accompanying them, to pass.” She sent the beast a mental image of Celly and Nyx. The dog nodded its three heads, begged one more stroke from Anae, and then went off to do his job.

Anaera sighed. She really didn’t want to fight again for a while. That whole thing with the throat slitting… She shuddered at the kinds of things she would do when she had that sword out. It was very cold-blooded and unworthy of…

“Hey, cheer up,” Orpheus said, scampering down from her hair to sit in her lap, “It’s not like you intended her that much pain. I mean, throat slitting offers quick death. If Nyx had been normal, she would have been dead before she hit the ground. It’s not like you gave some kind of wound that would make her slowly bleed to death, and you didn’t stab her in the back. I’ll admit it’s messy and tacky. And killing someone is a tad extreme, but you were in too tired and confused a state to fight the cold power of Hades’ sword. I should never have let you draw it.”

“But still…”

“Sure you made Nyx unhappy and I’m sure she’s overreacting about it, saying stuff about being left for dead…”

“Overreacting! I slit her throat! She’ll be ready to kill me!”

“I wasn’t finished! Just – don’t dwell on it too much. It’s not like you’ve done anything truly unforgivable. Nyx is no innocent and it was a battle. I mean, you didn’t have small children and weak old people killed, or anything as unforgivable as that.”

“Yeah, Anae, cheer up!” Charon said. “Once people get here, they’re not likely to care how they went. Makes no difference!”

“Ahem! Don’t try to help, ferryman!” Orpheus muttered.

“Better a ferryman than a fairy!”

The verbal clash was stopped by the appearance of Mercy and her Guardian. “I can’t sleep here!” the girl complained, “And where did Susanne go?”

“I was sure you’d be fine, here – you seemed dead tired,” Charon stated, then laughed loudly.

Anaera rolled her eyes, then turned to Mercy. “Well, I guess it would be uncomfortable for you, but you’re safe here. Celly and Nyx don’t have family in this place, so they won’t get around very well. Susanne went to London. I figured that, safe here or not, she’d want to get back to familiar ground. If you’d like the same, you have only to ask. If you’d like a break before we quest after our Bishounen, tell me now.”