Chapter 24 Kaira
KAIRA
Pain.
One singular word with so many meanings, yet as it spread from the center of my body, through the rest of my limbs, I couldn't remember who I was above the devastation it was leaving in its wake. Because I knew this was the end.
Zeus stood not far from me, his head tilted and that golden hair I once thought was perfect dancing with the wind. The eyes I always assumed were kind now showed the viper hiding beneath the skin of a lamb, revealing who he truly was.
A manipulator.
A liar.
A dictator, ready to destroy everyone who stood in his path.
He was a God hungry for power. Hungry for more than he needed to have, disregarding the balance that needed to exist, because he simply thought he deserved to have more than anyone else.
Just because he was the firstborn. Just because he lived in the skies, hiding behind the clouds while the rest of his family worked to make the world a slightly less terrible place.
And I was a foolish little girl, thinking I could come here and talk to him like an adult, explaining that Hades and I would never try to take over.
That we didn't want his power. We didn't want Olympus.
We were happy with our dark little corner, far away from the rest of them and their fucked-up games.
My Gods—Hades. I lied to him.
I lied to the man I loved, telling him I was going for a walk, sneaking out of the Underworld to come to this island between the realms, hoping I could stop the inevitable war brewing on the horizon.
"It's such a shame, really," Zeus said, his hands clasped behind his back. "I always knew you were a foolish little girl, but I hoped you would see the reason. I hoped you'd be able to push past that ridiculous bond you have with my brother and join my ranks."
"Never!" I thundered, ignoring the poison slowly spreading through my bloodstream from where he stabbed me. "I would've never joined you, you filthy, sniveling—"
"Now, now." The bastard laughed, coming closer to where I knelt, clutching at my stomach. "There's no need to be nasty. In reality, I am doing you a favor, Persephone. You're not strong enough for this world, for this war. I am practically saving you."
Ever the savior, oh mighty Zeus. I wanted to spit at his face, but I couldn't. Not from this position.
His blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he placed his hand on top of my head. "I forgive you for going against me, Persephone. You can die in peace."
Peace? I would never know peace, and neither would he.
My bloodied hand shot up, wrapping around the back of his neck, and as I looked him in the eye, I saw it then. The tiny flicker of fear. The uncertainty and the little boy who wanted too much but didn't know how to get it. And I smiled.
I fucking smiled, because even in death, I would haunt him. I would find him in the next life or another.
"You will never know peace, Zeus," I murmured, feeling the blood slowly splitting over my lips.
"You will never know love, compassion or victory.
" His body turned to stone as I stared into his eyes.
"One day, in the future, I will come back.
" I grinned, seeing the full terror in his eyes.
"I will come back, Zeus, and neither you nor your lackeys would be able to stop me from leveling Olympus to the ground.
You won't be able to stop the inevitable. "
Zeus tried pulling back, away from me, but he wasn't able to. The darkness I never allowed to consume me, to overtake the light I prided myself on, roared to life, filling my veins viciously.
"You and your entire line will suffer from my hand.
You and your wife," I spat out, knowing the viper he had in his nest could hear me, "will never know tranquility, because I will be there, living in the corners of your mind.
And when you least expect it, when you forget about my existence, I will be back.
I will be back to destroy you all." The darkness whispered to those who wanted to hear, and this time, I wanted it.
I craved it.
I didn't fear it like I did before. And as it slithered over my hands, into him, I knew my words would forever ring in the ether. I fucking knew the curse I didn't think I was capable of would follow him through lifetimes, until the time was right. Until my soul was ready to be back.
Zeus tore away from me, his frantic eyes seeing me in a different light for the first time in his miserable life.
They all thought I was just a maiden, unable to make my own choices, desperate for the love of a man they all said had kidnapped me and forced me to be with him. Fools, all of them. Hades never had to force me. He never had to kidnap me.
I went willingly, and I always would. They all just underestimated me, because I didn't want to be a part of their little schemes. Because I believed in the good in people. I believed in benevolence in the Gods, but I was wrong. So, so wrong.
Zeus opened his mouth as he stood up then closed it again, and without another word, he turned around, walking away from me as I bled on the cliffs of Nevermere Island. Where I met the love of my life. Where I finally felt like I could breathe.
The whooshing sound erupted around me, signaling they were all gone, teleported back to whatever fucking hole they had crawled out from. My eyes landed on my fingers and the darkness spread through my veins, slowly eating me alive.
But the pain I felt didn't come only from the wound festering in the center of my body. It came from the knowledge that I would never get to see him again. I would never get to hold him.
Hades would blame himself for this, for my death, and I just hoped fate would be kind enough to allow us to meet again. In another life, in another place, far away from these people and these Gods and their wicked games.
"Persephone!" His voice thundered across the clearing, mixing with the violent sky. "No, no, no!"
His knees were the first things I saw as he skidded in front of me. My head was too heavy, but with the last bit of strength I looked up, seeing the turmoil in those emerald eyes.
"I'm sorry," I whispered as he hugged me to his chest, letting me rest my head against him. "I tried to fix things." I coughed, feeling blood drip down my chin. "I tried—"
"Shhh." His broken voice wrapped around me. "Preserve your strength. Just, stay with me, okay? Stay with me." We both knew that was impossible.
His shaky hand landed on my cheek, softly caressing me as the tears I never thought I would see cascaded down his cheeks, falling onto my skin.
The scent of the forest, of freshly cut grass and rain, infiltrated my nose, and suddenly, the pain and fear of the unknown was no longer what held me in its embrace.
Hades's body shook from the force of his silent sobs, but not once did he allow me to hear them.
"I love you, Persephone," he whispered, his soft lips pressing against my forehead. "I'll forever love you."
"And I you," I replied, pressing my hand to his chest. "Your face was the only thing I wanted to see," I croaked. "Your eyes the only ones I want to remember."
His forehead pressed against mine as he pulled me in tighter. "Please," he broke, "please, don't leave me. Don't leave me."
"I want to stay," I cried silently. "I want to stay more than anything else, but we both know…" I breathed in as blood filled my lungs and as the poison spread farther toward my heart. "We both know it's not possible."
"Please," he cried. "Please. I am begging. Please!" he bellowed, looking at the skies and the sunset slowly disappearing on the horizon. "I will do anything. Please!"
But those words, those pleas, none of them would work. The cold bite of death wrapped around my feet, dragging its vicious claws over my legs and toward my heart.
"I'll find you," I murmured as my eyes started closing.
"No!"
"I'll find you in another life."
Raw pain rushed through my body as I tore myself away from Hades, barely breathing. Barely fucking existing.
These visions weren't a coincidence, they couldn't be. These visions… These… It was as if I was truly there. As if I was—her.
My head lifted, seeing the renewed pain on his face and the regrets he carried all these years in those eyes, and even without words, even without explanations, I knew.
I knew what those dreams meant. I knew what those words he told me during my nightmares were.
I knew what they were indicating, but I was too busy with other things to connect the dots.
Or I was too ignorant, unable to face the truth staring right at me.
I was, somehow, Persephone.
I was the woman he lost.
The lost fragments of my soul unraveled, slowly filling in the gaps where I always felt something was missing. Where the hollowness took place over the years that I couldn't explain.
"You knew," I bit out, seeing the look on his face. "You fucking knew!" I roared. Maybe all of them did and they hid it from me.
Was I even my own person? Were my choices truly my own or just a reflection of the Ancient being I used to be? Was my entire life controlled by forces bigger than me, while I thought I had a choice?
"Kaira—"
"No." I stepped back as he tried coming closer. "Do. Not. Come. To. Me." I didn't want him near. I didn't want any of them near. "You lied to me. You fucking lied!"
"I didn't lie," he answered calmly. "I didn't think you were ready."
"So, you conveniently hid the truth from me, making me believe I was crazy.
Making me go almost insane because I kept seeing you.
I kept fucking seeing you on those same cliffs.
I kept dying in those nightmares almost every.
Single. Night!" The dam broke and every single emotion poured out of me.
"Day after day, night after night, I tried understanding who you were, and then I saw you, standing there like an angel of fucking death, looking at me with dread and anger. And you knew!"