Chapter 9The hand she held was cold.
Hera crouched beside the body. It couldn’t be called Elissa’s anymore. The soul had already fled to join the shades below, leaving only the flesh curled on the floor. The goddess stared into those eyes and found them vacant. Only moments ago they had reflected the light of moon and star, but now they held nothing. A strand of hair straggled across the lips, unstirred by breath. With trembling fingers Hera smoothed it back. Almost despite herself she ran a hand through the curls, untangled the knots as gently as she could. A foolish thing to do. It wasn’t as though her daughter could feel anything. There was little comfort to be found in the world of the dead.
The goddess stood and let go of the hand. Her nose wrinkled at the fetid tang upon the air. F
