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Melinoë sauntered into the calm clearing, finally getting a break from the despair, emptiness, and miasma that plagued the Fields of Mourning. She smiled as she saw the Oread she had befriended on her journeys, who seemed far more joyful than one might assume from a shade trapped in the Fields.
“Hey, Echo! You look happier than usual.”
Echo beamed. “Happier than usual… happier than usual… happier than usual!”
Well, if her friend was happy, Melinoë obviously needed to know why. “Really? That’s wonderful! I was worried you’d be even more sad than before, with your unrequited love, but… I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Love… love… love…” Melinoë raised her eyebrows in surprise. Echo had a dreamy look on her face.
“Wait, you’ve found love? Really?”
“Found love… found love… found love…”
Melinoë grinned, overjoyed for her friend. “Well, now I have to know more! I hope you have the time for me to keep you here and guess.”
“Have the time… have the time… have the time…”
“Right.” Melinoë furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. “Okay, is it a shade? Yes or no?”
“No… no… no…”
Melinoë’s eyes lit up. If it was a shade, it could be any one of the countless mortals residing in the underworld. That would be impossible to guess, and it might not have even been someone notable enough for her to have heard of. “Okay, so it’s not a shade… I suppose it could be a monster? A siren, or a phantom perhaps… Lamia… Scylla? Yes or no to monster?”
Echo shook her head. “No… no… no…”
“So… does that mean… they’re a god?”
“They’re a god… they’re a god… they’re a god…”
Melinoë’s eyes widened. “You’re in love with a god?” Now she really needed to figure this out. “Olympian, or Chthonic?”
“Chthonic… Chthonic… Chthonic…”
“Are they… related to me?” Echo remained silent. “Sorry, are they related to me, yes or no?”
“No… no… no…”
Melinoë breathed a sigh of relief. Not that she wouldn’t be delighted for Echo to be part of her family, but… well, she didn’t really want to think that her brother- or, worse, one of her parents or her grandfather- might be having sex with her friend. “So… not related to me… are they related to Nyx?”
“Not related… not related… not related…”
Now, Melinoë was stumped. She was ready to go through the list of the dozens of children Nyx had. That would have been tedious, but easy enough. But if Echo’s new lover wasn’t related to either Melinoë or Nyx, who could they be?
“Oh, gods… I hesitate to even ask, but… it’s not Hecate, is it?” She was under no misguided belief that Hecate didn’t get around, but… that might be worse than her family.
Echo laughed. “It’s not Hecate… it’s not Hecate… it’s not Hecate…”
Melinoë was so relieved this time that she almost forgot what she was doing here. Before she had the chance to start wracking her brain again, the sound of a fluttering of leathery wings came from behind her. She whipped around, startled by the sound, and wasn’t really any less scared when she saw its source. A dry, thin, corpse-like creature stood before her, a whip at her side. A single bat-like wing emerged from her shoulder, and Melinoë felt as though the woman’s hollow eyes were boring right into her.
“Oh… uhmm… hi. Tisiphone, right?”
“Zag… re…. usss?”
“Well,” Melinoë stammered, “not exactly… I’m his sister, Melinoë.”
“Murdererrrrr…”
“Uhhh…” Melinoë looked around. “Sorry, I don’t think you're really going to find any murderers around here. I’d imagine they’re mostly in Tartarus.”
Tisiphone shook her head, and floated past Melinoë. A tight grimace formed on her chapped lips as she gazed at the nymph. Melinoë’s heart dropped into her stomach as she saw the Fury approaching Echo. “Hey! Tisiphone, stop! She hasn’t murdered anyone!”
Echo beamed as the Fury got closer. “Tisiphone… Tisiphone… Tisiphone…”
“Murrrr!” Tisiphone scooped the Oread up into her arms, no small feat considering her solid-stone body, and covered her face in kisses. Echo nuzzled her face against Tisiphone, pulling her in for a kiss on the mouth.
A grin formed on Melinoë’s face as the realization dawned on her. “Ohhhh… it was Tisiphone? You love Tisiphone?”
Echo gazed into the Fury’s eyes, repeating, “Love Tisiphone… love Tisiphone… love Tisiphone…”
A deep, resonant sound, almost like a cat’s purr, emanated from within Tisiphone’s chest. She held Echo close, her disconcerting smile growing larger as the Oread closed her eyes, leaning her head on the Fury.
Melinoë smiled. “I’m glad you’re both happy.” Neither one acknowledged her at this point, both too consumed by one another’s presence to notice anything else around them. Melinoë nodded at Tisiphone and made her leave, venturing back out into the Fields.
“Murrrrrdererrrr.”
“Murderer… murderer… murderer…”