8. Hades
Hades
CHAPTER EIGHT
"How is this possible, Hades?" asks Odin.
"Do you think I'm lying and that I wouldn't acknowledge my own son if I knew that she was carrying my heir? If I thought there was even the slightest possibility?"
"Ares was the first to raise the hypothesis, according to what you told me."
"Yes. As soon as he found out Kennedy had a child, he came to confront me about it."
"Why would he think that? You hate the girl."
"Let's just say it wasn't always like this, Odin."
"So there's a real chance that you're the boy's father?"
"Yes, although I don't understand how. We never did much more than kiss."
"Did you ever take her to your house? Have dinner with her?"
"That never happened, but . . .”
"But what?"
"There was one occasion when Pam invited me to dinner. It was supposed to be the four of us: me, her, Kennedy, and Vina. When I arrived there, only Kennedy was there. There was a thunderstorm that day, and Pam couldn't make it back home. Vina, I found out later, was traveling, which means Pam lied. I only remembered this a few days ago. Pam had gifted me a bottle of whiskey, which she said she would leave in the library's bar. I poured myself a drink and waited."
"Were you alone with Juliet?"
"For a short time. Soon after, she left the house. I don't remember much. The next day, I woke up feeling hungover and . . . Damn!"
"What happened?"
"My pants were unbuttoned, and I wasn't wearing a shirt! Jesus! How is it possible that . . .”
"That a man can function even after being drugged? Is that what you're thinking? Because that's the most logical explanation if you claim you didn't sleep with Juliet, yet you're the father of her baby."
"Yes."
"There are powerful drugs available now. Like a kind of 'date rape drug,' but the person doesn't become completely unconscious. They remain 'functional,' if you know what I mean. The next day, they don't remember anything."
"No, despite hating her, I don't believe Kennedy would go that far. If she wanted to have my child, why would she hide it until now?"
"Besides, it wasn't her who invited you to dinner."
"Do you think Pam . . .”
"I won't say what I thought of your ward, Hades, because besides not making it a habit to speak ill of the dead, I know it's a sensitive subject for you."
"You never got involved in my quest for revenge."
"I do my part by hunting Ryan Corey III around the world, Hades, but the issue with Kennedy is something that only you two can resolve. Have you ever imagined what it would be like if it's true and the boy is yours? How will you explain to your son that you sent his mother to prison? Forget it, you don't need to answer."
Too late. Now, all I can imagine is mother and son hating me forever for tearing them apart.
"I need to go. I called because I wanted to know if you have any ideas on how we can clarify this mystery."
"About the boy being yours?"
"No, I have no doubts about that. King has the same birthmark as me and my brothers. The question is not if , but how ."
"Mysteries are my area. I'll see what I can do."
"Let me know if you have any news."
"Hades?"
"Yes?"
"We all have to deal with our personal hells. You were . . . are, still, in the middle of yours. I also lived in mine for years, but there's always the option to leave at any time. I married the daughter of the enemy. The heiress of the man who burned my entire family alive."
"I made a promise to protect Pam, Odin. You saw the state she was left in. What was done to her."
"I know. I remember everything, and even though I didn’t like her, I regret that a young woman lost her life like that. What I'm saying is just make sure that, of the two, it was indeed Pam who needed protection."
"You think it was Pam who drugged me," I say.
"Yes, I do. And if it's true, everything went wrong. You slept with Kennedy instead of her, as Pam probably expected. What started as a small snowflake may have turned into a huge avalanche. Something tells me that the key to the mystery lies in finding that bastard fugitive."
"I'm not going to tell my brothers anything about King right now."
"Until you're sure?"
"I'm sure, but I'd like to talk to Kennedy about it first."
"Zeus won't like that you're keeping this from them, no matter how long."
"I'll deal with him later."
Kennedy
The Next Day
"He said what?" I try to sit up, but I'm still a bit groggy from the antihistamine. I glance towards the crib that's now next to me on my left, as if, after Ernest's statement, Hades could come into the room and take King away.
"Hades said that King has the birthmark of the Kostanidou. He'll probably ask for a DNA test."
"My God, he really hates me. Now, he wants to take my son away from me!"
"Calm down, dear. I don't think that's it. He seemed shaken. I don't want to meddle in your personal life, but do you think you and he . . .”
"I don't know. Christ, it's one nightmare after another."
As if my words have power—or maybe it’s just coincidence—we hear two knocks on the door, and then it opens.
"I don't want you here, Hades. Leave. He's not yours."
"I'm not going anywhere. And yes, in some inexplicable way, I know he's mine. I won't let you destroy my relationship with my son."
"I won't let you destroy my relationship with my son," I repeat in my head, and at that moment, a memory of something very similar comes back to me.
"One night, right here in this town, you told me something similar."
"What?"
"You gave me a ride, and when I asked who you were, you said: I'm the man who won't let you destroy your own life, girl ."
"Your memory is coming back."
"Do you believe I lost it?"
He doesn't answer.
"Leave, Hades."
"No. Tell me what you remember from your past, Kennedy."
"I'll leave you two alone," Ernest says and heads for the door.
I want to beg him to stay, but at the same time, I know I can't escape from what he's asking me, because now, I think I'm starting to remember . . . everything.