Dolus and Apate bowed their heads and knelt, still floating in the air since they had no feet to stand on. Hazel took a knee as well.
It had been a long time since she’d seen the goddess of magic, but she remembered that voice. She couldn’t help but smile.
“Lady Hecate,” she said. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Nico knelt along with the rest of the group. It seemed like the right thing to do when the goddess of magic was staring at them with her dark, glittering eyes, like an eagle marking its prey.
Next to him, Deion whispered, “Another goddess. And she’s one I’ve actually heard of!”
“Shh!” Savannah elbowed him. “Don’t say that! It’s rude!”
Hecate frowned—taking in the strange assembly of demigods and mythics, the beat-up judge, the crashed Chevy.
“Hazel Levesque,” she said, “what in the name of all the gods have you been doing to the Mist?”
Hazel smiled as if she wasn’t fazed by the flaming Triple Goddess with the scary pets. “It’s a long story, my lady.”
Hecate crossed her arms. “I’m immortal. I have time.”
And so Hazel brought her up to speed. That took a while. Fortunately, Hazel stood up about halfway through, so Nico felt free to do the same. All the kneeling was killing him.
When Hazel finished her story, Hecate sighed. She didn’t look angry so much as exasperated, like,You crazy kids and your Mist.
“You demigods have been keeping me very busy as of late,” she said. “I need another vacation.”
Pirithous groveled, clawing his way toward the goddess. “O Great Hecate!” he cried. “Please hear me now! I was only trying to restore order to the world.”
“Oh, I’vebeenhearing you,” said the goddess. “You and your little group of cronies have caused quite a commotion.” She stopped and looked around. “It appears they’ve all abandoned you now. They were smart.”
Pirithous pressed his face to the pavement, which must have really hurt with that giant chunk of glass in his forehead. “It doesn’t matter! If I got your attention, if I showed the mortal world how chaotic the Underworld is, how much we need change—then I achieved what I needed to.”
“Please don’t listen to him,” said Nico. “He’s caused so much—”
Hecate raised a hand, and the words died in his mouth.
“So, Pirithous,” said the goddess, “do I understand correctly that you wish to put Hades on trial? You wish to stand in judgment of an Olympian?”
The judge glanced up, probably trying to gauge the tone of her voice. If it had been Nico, he would’ve said,No, there’s been a mistake. I’m good! I’ll just be on my way.
Instead, Pirithous said, “Yes, my lady! It is my deepest desire. IknowI can do a better job of ordering the Underworld.”
Apate snorted, but Hecate shot her a look that saidYou shut it too.
“I see,” said Hecate. “You believe you are worthy of this great honor.”
“Yes!” Pirithous cried.
“Just as you would make a more worthy husband for Persephone?”
“I— Yes! Yes, of course!Finally, a goddess who understands me!”
“Indeed,” said Hecate. “I understand you.”
Her form shimmered, becoming a single person rather than three—an adult woman in a sleeveless black gown, her dark hair crowned with a silver tiara. Her hellhound and polecat dissolved into shadows, going back to wherever scary supernatural pets came from.
Hecate snapped her fingers. A massive boulder erupted from the middle of the street. It was a chunk of schist roughly shaped like a king-size bed.
“Here is your throne,” Hecate said. “Be seated, new king of the Underworld, and receive your reward!”
