Sirenz Back in Fashion by Charlotte Bennardo

“That’s enough. We’ll play tomorrow.” I turned away from the demon dog.
    Grrrrr.
    I whipped around. “Are you kidding me? I played with you! Tomorrow we’ll do the fetch routine, but I’m hungry! My arm is tired! I’ve had enough!”
    All three heads growled again, one dropping the ball at my feet.
    I narrowed my eyes and shook my finger at him. “I said tomorrow. If you don’t stop whining, I won’t play at all. Now be a good goggy—” Tongues lolling, tail wagging, he bounded off. Okaaay. That worked.
    â€œIs he gone?” Out from behind a large pile of rocks popped Caz, still as devastating as the first time I saw him. My little heart went flippity flip.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œGood. He doesn’t like me. And I don’t like him.”
    I laughed and shrugged. “He’s just an overgrown puppy. He wants to play. Throw the ball and he’ll love you.”
    Caz shook his head. “I’m not willing to risk it. I like being in one piece and unswallowed. How are you? Settling in?”
    I grumped. “I don’t plan on being here long enough to settle in.”
    We started walking down the beach. Idly, I wondered if the light might gradually dim and stars would peek out. “It looks like a real sky.” I pointed upwards.
    â€œHades creates illusions well. Sometimes you can almost forget you’re down here; you’d swear you were on the mortal plane.”
    I looked down at the bright rainbow bikini I sported. “Maybe you can, but I can’t. This isn’t my home. There’s no sun, no sense of time, and very few wardrobe options.”
    He smiled. “I’m sure Hades will give you whatever you want.”
    â€œOh sure, for a price I’m not willing to pay. I have to play his silly games until I can get out of here.”
    He looked at me quizzically. “No one leaves Tartarus without his permission.”
    I gave him a determined look. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
    â€œWhy are you here anyway? You obviously aren’t willing, and since you’re not dead, there’s an interesting tale to hear.
    I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know I didn’t die?”
    He shrugged and bent over to chuck a stone across the gentle waves. “Did you notice anything different about old Ben?”
    I didn’t have to overanalyze Caz’s question. Ben looked like the Ben Franklin I’d seen in paintings, and while he felt real when he’d kissed my hand, his appearance was … off. He had no pulse, veins, or warmth. He was like one of those wax figures at Madame Tussauds. Close, but not totally right.
    â€œHe’s kind of like a walking, talking statue,” I said.
    But Caz wasn’t. He looked very … healthy and oh so real. Mmm …
    He nodded. “When Creation was divided up, Zeus got the best part of everything under the sun—Mt. Olympus and mastery of humanity. Poseidon got everything under the sea, and its creatures, and Hades got what was left—everything under the earth. He felt slighted; he was the eldest and should have received the best, even though it was Zeus who’d led the way out of their father’s prison. And who wants to look at dead people for eternity?”
    Caz sat down on a large, smooth boulder of sparkling orange. He gave me a questioning look, patting the empty space next to him.
    My face felt hot. He was nice and … hot.
    Don’t go there. You’re worlds apart. It can never be anything more than a short-lived friendship.
    Ignoring my boring brain matter, I sat demurely next to him.
    â€œSo,” Caz continued, as he tried not to be obvious about inching closer. “Hades, since he’s absolute ruler here, makes his kingdom a sort of Olympus Down Under.”
    â€œThat’s why it’s light and pretty and his throne isn’t black!” I cried. Now it made sense. Hades was