Drip, drip, drip. I despised that sound. Even when the Mighty Creator made it rain on Earth, I traveled to my home on Mount Helicon, where rain never kissed the shimmering fields. Oh, how I missed my mountain, the never-ending gardens made of millions of shattered diamonds, and the skies clear and iridescent, especially when Lord Apollo was pleased with my sisters’ work. How did I end up in a deathly, dripping cave in the Underworld?

“You have stopped playing!” A voice boomed from behind me, making me drop the golden lyre I was holding.

“You do not need to raise your voice, Minos.” I replied calmly, begging my labored hands to stop shaking and turned around, kicking the lyre in the direction of the voice‘s owner.

“You dare disrespect me, Adonia?!” The lyre came flying towards me from the shadows. I simply stepped aside as it sailed past me.

“No, Lord Minos.” I retorted, holding back a smirk. The owner of the voice finally stepped out of the shadows. For a judge of the dead, Minos was exceedingly young and…quite beautiful. I shook the thought out of my black-haired head as he neared me in brief strides. Minos’ black cloak billowed behind him, as if he had his own supply of wind trailing behind him. Soon, his hate-filled face was a lyre string away from mine. I could feel the soft touch of his dark chestnut hair on my perspiring forehead.

“Then you shall play your lovely music until I tell you to stop,” Minos stumbled upon the word lovely, but he seemed not to have noticed, “or would you like to discover what the Mighty Creator’s beast can do?” He sneered, his death dark eyes glaring at me.

“Hades will never be the Mighty Creator!” I spat, “Just an image of what the Great God will never be.” Minos raised his large, leathery hand. I braced my self, closing my honey-colored eyes. The beating never came.

“You have no knowledge of what Lord Hades thinks or is. All you are is a senseless Muse that plays music and dances.” The words stung like Artemis’ poison-tipped arrows, but I bit my tongue and picked up the lyre. I began to strum it as Minos menacingly strolled away, his cloaks rippling behind him. Plump tears rolled down my bronze cheeks and onto the golden instrument. I prayed to Apollo and the Creator, Zeus; one day I was going to escape, and never come back.

***

“Adonia? Oh, powerful Muse…wake up!” I was awoken by the soft, whispery voice of Persephone, the Goddess of the Underworld. I shot up and brushed the grime off my cloaks.

“Yes, Persephone?” I squinted in the dark cave, groaning at the drip, drip, dripping sound right away.

“Aiakos informed me of what his brother did yesterday. He wants to apologize on behalf of Minos.” She gazed at me with her sapphire blue eyes, glistening like Poseidon’s oceans. Unlike Minos’, they were filled with kindness instead of odium.

“That is relieving, but quite unnecessary. I send my thanks though.”

“Oh, my dear. You seem hungry. Let me bring you a plum when I visit my mother on Mount Olympus.” Persephone begged.

“No. I plan to leave-” I stopped mid-sentence. I did not trust Persephone completely. She was the wife of Hades after all.

“Leave where, dear?” Persephone put her pale, lithe hand on my shoulder. I pulled away and stared at her.

“I appreciate your concern but like to be left alone.” I told her sternly. Her eyes instantly filled with anger, a trait she learned from her husband.

“Well.” Persephone stomped away adolescently, fists clenched. I kneeled on the murky cave’s ground, not caring that my newly woven cloaks were getting soiled. Steps echoed off the gray walls, and soon Minos was upon me.

“Stand.” He commanded. I stood, now face-to-face with Minos. “Who do you think you are?” He bellowed, giving me the urge to cover my ears.

“I know who I am. Do you?” I replied, ultimately wishing my sass wasn’t one of my best features.

Minos groaned, “I am tired of your answers. I am bringing Cerberus tomorrow. Be prepared to meet your fate, Adonia.”

“No, not tomorrow.” I choked on my words. Minos chuckled and picked up the golden lyre lying on the ground. He broke it with the strength of a god in one swift motion.

“You won’t be needing this anymore.” The pieces disintegrated in his hands. Tears filled my eyes, and I didn’t care that he saw. Suddenly, a large thumb rubbed across my cheek, sweeping off my tears. I opened my eyes and was astonished to see Minos’ eyes filled with regret. “These are not my actions, nor my words.” He spoke with remorse and a hint of fear. “They things I have done had been from Hades’ mind, not my own. I apologize Adonia.” My heart beat rapidly, from both terror and relief. I raised my trembling hand to his hair and combed my fingers through its softness. His large hands caressed my face and soon our lips met. He kissed me hungrily, as if he could not get enough. I returned the notion and slid my hands to his large, cloaked biceps. Without warning, a pain developed in my side, right under my torso. Minos must have felt my discomfort because he pulled away and studied my face. I fell to the ground, the pain spreading to my legs and up my chest. Minos fell with me, and held my head on his knees.

“A…Adonia?” He stuttered. His hands searched my body and pulled an arrowhead out of my hip. It was covered in my immortal blood and a yellowish liquid. The arrowhead fell from Minos’ hand as he realized the truth. His no longer dark eyes explored the cave. “Aiakos, step out!” He roared. Minos’ older brother stepped out from the cave’s shadows. His eyes instantly filled with panic when he saw me lying on the ground, my fatal injury bleeding heavily. “You aimed at the wrong person, brother.” Minos sneered at the last word. “You always let jealousy get the best of you, Aiakos. You knew I would get the Muse, did you not?” Aiakos nodded, swallowing loudly. “Look at what you have done to Adonia! LOOK!” Minos cried, making Aiakos fall and me cringe. “I shall deal with you later.” Paying no more regard to his brother, Minos cradled my head and hugged me close to him. “Adonia. Aiakos’ arrows…are not ordinary. They are worse than Artemis’ poison ones. You…you will not live.” Minos whispered. My tears fell first and mixed with his on my cheeks. I stroked his face with my hands.

“I will see you here in the Underworld, Minos.” With those words, I closed my honey-colored eyes, falling into a infinite sleep. Through Minos’ cries, and Aiakos’ apologizes, I could still here the steady drip, drip, drip in the background.