As soon as Mom left the courtroom, Uncle Shiner pushed his way through the crowd to me. Taking me gently by the elbow, he pulled me outside. He walked me to my chariot and drove Cerbie and me back to Villa Pluto.

With all that had happened, I was in shock. I couldn’t speak. Uncle Shiner didn’t say anything for a while either. But at last he said, “Hades, I’m sorry for the pain this has caused you.”

I nodded.

“I thought you should know the truth,” he added. “I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

I shook my head.

Uncle Shiner dropped me off at the front entrance of Villa Pluto, saying he’d take Harley and Davidson on to the stable. I picked up my helmet from the backseat and trudged slowly up the walk.

I went into the den and flopped down in my La-Z-God. Cerberus stretched out at my feet. My head was buzzing with all that I’d heard in court. I needed some time alone to put my thoughts in order.

Had Persephone really hired Cupid to shoot me just so she could become Queen of the Underworld? I still loved her like crazy. But was my love real? What if I only loved Persephone because I’d looked at her directly after being shot by Cupid’s little arrow? If I’d looked up and seen Tisi, would I now be head over heels in love with a Fury? Whoa! That was a scary thought.

I heard voices outside in the hallway. I leaped up and jammed on my Helmet of Darkness. I disappeared. I picked up Cerbie, and he vanished too. And just in time. The door swung open. In came Persephone, followed by all three Furies.

“Hades?” Persephone called. “Are you here?”

I didn’t answer.

“Oh, I wish I could find him,” Persephone said, collapsing onto the couch. “He looked so upset at the courthouse, poor dear.”

“You can’t blame him,” said Tisi. “Shiner was a little rough.”

“Ohhh, wait until I get my hands on that meddling Cyclops!” Persephone clenched her fists. “I can’t believe he accused me of such treachery!”

A knock sounded. The door to the den swung open again, and in came Demeter. Was I ever glad I was invisible!

“Mom!” exclaimed Persephone. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” said Demeter.

“So what else is new?” muttered Persephone.

Demeter made a beeline for the couch and sat down beside her daughter. “Persephone, we have to talk,” she said.

“No!” cried Persephone. “I’m not talking to you ever again! You have ruined my life. Totally! I don’t want to come back to earth and be your little gardening buddy. I want to have a life! I want to—” Persephone stopped. “What’s that hissing noise?” She looked from her mother to the Furies. “Ahhhh!” she cried.

The Furies stood together before Persephone with their arms crossed over their chests. The snakes on their heads were writhing and hissing furiously.

“Yikes!” yelped Persephone. “Why are they doing that?”

“You’re not being very nice to your mother, Persephone,” said Tisi.

“Not nice at all,” said Meg.

“Be nice,” said Alec. “Now!”

The snakes began darting at Persephone, their fang-filled mouths stretched wide.

Persephone drew back. “But you see how Mom is!” she cried. “She sticks to me like an octopus clinging to a rock! Like moss clinging to a tree! Like an eagle, clinging to its prey! She can’t stand it when I’m out of her sight for a second! She—”

“She loves you,” Tisi put in.

“She wants you to be happy,” said Meg.

“She wants to talk to you,” said Alec. “So talk. Now.”

“Okay,” Persephone managed. She turned toward Demeter. “Sorry about that.”

The snakes backed off a bit.

Demeter glanced up at the Furies. “Thank you,” she said. She turned back to Persephone. “Am I really as clingy as all that?” she asked.

Persephone shrugged. “Sort of.”

“I had no idea,” said Demeter. “I thought mothers and daughters were supposed to be close. Very, very, very close.”

“Close,” said Persephone. “But not ‘very, very, very.’”

“I see.” Demeter nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I shall try to let go of you, Persephone. A little bit at a time.”

“That’s a start, Mom.” Persephone smiled.

“Now, tell me the truth, Persephone,” Demeter went on. “Did you really hire Cupid to shoot Hades with a love arrow?”

I held my breath, waiting. What would Persephone say?

To my great sorrow, she nodded and said, “Yes.”

Now I had no more room for doubt. Cupid’s story was true. Persephone had tricked me.

“But why?” asked Demeter.

Persephone sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“Tell it to your mother,” said Tisi.

“Start at the beginning,” said Meg.

“Start now,” said Alec.

“Okay,” said Persephone. “The first time I saw Hades, he was driving his steeds across a field outside of Athens. He just looked so . . . I don’t know . . . so strong, so godly, so . . . in charge.”

I felt my face growing warm. I was blushing! It was a good thing no one could see me.

“I waved him down so I could meet him,” Persephone went on. “I really liked him, but I was afraid that he’d think I was just some ditzy little junior goddess. I figured he’d like me if he got to know me, so I hitched a ride to the Underworld so that we could spend some time together.”

Demeter looked puzzled. “Why do you suppose Zeus told me that Hades kidnapped you?”

“Oh, you know Dad hardly ever tells the truth,” said Persephone. “He was trying to make Hades look bad so Hermes would look good, and I’d want to marry him.” She made a face.

“Anyway, when I showed up in the Underworld, Hades was mad at me, and I knew he wouldn’t give me a chance. All he could think about was getting rid of me.” She glanced up at the Furies. “So when you three tricked me and took me back to my mother and then felt sorry about it . . .” Persephone smiled. “That’s when I came up with the idea of getting Cupid to help me out a little.”

“So you did it for love,” Meg sighed. “That is so romantic!”

“I love Hades!” Persephone said. “But after what Cupid said on the witness stand today, I don’t think he’ll ever believe me.” She sighed sadly.

I wanted to rip off the Helmet of Darkness. I wanted to swoop Persephone up in my arms. But one thing stopped me.

What if this was just another one of Persephone’s sneaky tricks?

* * *

The next morning, Mom’s gavel sounded. Bang!

I sat in the front row of the courtroom as before, with Cerberus at my feet.

“The court will come to order!” Mom said. “Tisi? Stand and present the case for Persephone.”

Tisi rose. “Thank you, Judge Rhea,” she said. “I’d like to call Cupid to the stand for a cross-examination.”

“Aw, man!” the little god said. But he made his way once more to the witness seat.

“Cupid,” said Tisi, “what is it that gives your love arrows their power?”

“You think I’m going to tell you my secret formula?” said Cupid. “Not a chance!”

Tisi shrugged. “Well, you can’t blame me for trying,” she said. “Now tell me, Cupid, does a love arrow make whoever is shot with it fall in love forever?”

“Forever?” said Cupid. “Are you kidding? No way, man. That would put me out of business fast.”

“Then how long does the love last?” asked Tisi. “A year? A month?”

Cupid shook his head. “A good solid hit lasts three days, tops.”

“I see,” said Tisi. “And how long ago did you shoot Hades?”

“I don’t know exactly.” Cupid shrugged.

“But more than three days ago,” said Tisi.

“Sure,” said Cupid. “Yeah, it’s been at least a week.”

Tisi spun around to face me.

“The power from Cupid’s arrow wore off days ago, Hades,” she said. “You are no longer under its spell. So my question to you is, do you love Persephone? Because if you love her now, then you love her for real.”

It was so quiet in that courtroom that you could have heard an asphodel leaf drop. All eyes were on me. Beads of drosis broke out on my forehead.

Did I love Persephone?