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Thank the gods.
I spun around, but there was no piano or invisible player.
“Okay, okay,” I breathed, heart pounding my rib cage. “Theron, you’re right, but I think naming the trap, springs it. We need to get into position before that happens.”
He made a face. “Naming it springs it? How do you know that?”
“Because we’ve been walking around and nothing’s happened. It wasn’t until...”The song played that the floor started killing us.
“Until what?”
“Just trust me, okay. I took lessons forthis instrumentwhen I was like eight. I don’t remember much. Do you know how to play?”
“I do.”
“Then, you tell us where to go.”
Theron clearly wanted to ask more questions, but the soldier in him took over. He divided the eighty-eight keys among us eight—Tycho insisted he and the sphinx could handle their share, so there’d be less for the rest of us.
Only when we were all in position, did I speak. “This is a piano. We must play with the god of music and poetry to pass.”
In an instant, the floor opened up and the piano returned. The ballad of Blood and Sorrow tickled my ears, filling me with the same sad beauty.
“Theron, do you got this?” Daciana called.
“I think so.”
“What? You think so?”
He flapped his hands, waving our concerns down. “It’s been a while since I played the notes, but I know the words. That’s all I need, trust me.
“Aella, D-flat. Daciana, C, D. Tycho, F, F-sharp, F.”
Under his instruction, we played the second stance of the ballad. It didn’t sound nearly as nice as the first half, but since we weren’t being thrown around the room—this god awarded points for accuracy, not style.
“Ionna, A.”
Ionna jumped on the key, ringing out its tune.
We waited.
“Theron?” I craned my neck to see around the sphinx, careful not to take a deadly step. “What’s next?”
“Um... I’m not sure.”
“Now isn’t the time to be unsure,” Tycho gritted. His copper skin was taking on a gray tinge. “What are the words, man? If you know the words, you know the notes. That’s what you said.”
“That’s the thing. I remembered halfway through that there are two versions that end in this stance.Forever I’ll cryorlay down my heart and die,” he said. “How am I supposed to know which one’s right?”
“Oh no, it’s true.” Nitsa threw me huge eyes. “There are two endings. What are we supposed to do?”
“I don’t know— I mean, let’s think about it,” I said. “This is a terrible, frightening, brutal place. If it’s going to choose a song, it’ll be the most depressing one it can think of. Which version is more depressing?”
“Lay down my heart and die.” Theron nodded. “Definitely.”
“Then, that has to be the one.”
“Are you sure?”
