Free Persephone's Orchard (The Chrysomelia Stories) by Molly Ringle

Her accent was fairly strong, though whether it was from Africa or Europe or elsewhere, Sophie couldn’t gauge.
    Sophie glanced in hesitation at Adrian. “Well…my grandfather’s soul. And the pomegranates.”
    “Did you eat one?”
    “No.”
    “Good.” Hands on hips, the woman turned to glare at Adrian. “Now? So soon? Like this?”
    “I was about to return her,” Adrian said.
    “What ever made you think this was wise?” The woman exhaled through her nose, and turned again to Sophie. “My dear, I am sorry. He was wrong to do this to you.”
    “It’s okay.” Sophie wasn’t sure what else to say.
    “He will return you at once. We will do our best to protect you against the opposition, as Adrian calls them, but I hope it won’t be a problem.”
    Sophie cleared her throat. “Um, I don’t really understand who that is. The opposition.”
    “If we are lucky, you won’t have to worry about it,” the woman said. “Not if you go about your normal life, the way you should at your age.” She directed the last statement at Adrian, though seemingly it still referred to Sophie.
    “I was her age when you found me,” he defended.
    Sophie’s ears perked up. So this was the person who’d brought Adrian here and fed him the pomegranate?
    “Your circumstances were different,” the woman said. “There’s nothing wrong with her life.”
    Sophie could have argued the point. Her mom, in all likelihood, was involved with another man. Also, the family needed money, what with the farmhouse’s dilapidated condition, Liam’s frequent doctor bills for broken limbs due to skateboarding injuries, her mother’s tuition for the M.B.A. she was pursuing, and now Sophie’s own tuition. The fruit stand had never brought in much profit, but it was all her parents had done for the last couple of decades, and was all they wanted to do. Even the M.B.A. was intended only to improve the family business.
    In addition, Sophie needed to find a job and balance it with her classes, settle into dorm life and make new friends, and decide what to do about Jacob now that they were forty miles apart.
    But she had no idea what Adrian’s life had been like before all this, except that his mother had died when he was young. Maybe her life really was a walk in the park so far, in comparison.
    “I’m taking her home,” Adrian promised the woman.
    “Good.” The woman laid warm hands upon Sophie’s upper arms. “Don’t worry. We’re your friends. It will make sense eventually. Try to forget about all this in the meantime.”
    Forget about this? The most bizarre, amazing thing that had ever happened to her? Not a chance. Still, something about the woman compelled reverent answers, so Sophie nodded and said, “I’ll try.”
    The woman answered with a firm nod as if Sophie had spoken wisely. Then she turned and glared at Adrian. “ Now , if you please.”

Chapter Six
    G IVEN HOW LONG SHE KNEW the flight to be, Sophie was glad when Adrian suggested visiting the restroom first. He helped her across the river on the raft, then picked up a camping lantern sitting next to a tunnel, switched it on, and guided her into the passage. The tunnel descended via uneven steps in some places, turned a few times, ascended in more steps, and had several sub-tunnels branching off it along the way. Sometimes she caught the sound of trickling water, accompanied by a smell of wet rock, as if the river or one of its underground tributaries was near. In the lantern’s glow, the walls and floor sparkled and flashed in all colors. She realized the cave was studded with gems. For all she knew, those pebbles crunching under her shoes were literal diamonds in the rough.
    Despite that attractive quality, the tunnels gave her the creeps. They were so dark, dark as only a cave could be. She already knew ghosts were down here, so what else lurked down these passages?
    In a minute or two, they entered a room with modern furniture and a high ceiling, though not as high