Chapter 8
Chapter eight
THANATOS
This had to be the worst job in all the realms.
Thanatos wasn’t made to sit on the throne in the House of Hades. He had never desired power. Power brought chaos, not the structure and order he thrived in.
Every attempt to organize the proceedings and create some semblance of order drew more complaints and scheming. The disorder frayed his patience, bit by bit.
He preferred dealing with the dead. They didn’t scheme or try to manipulate him. Thanatos was used to souls begging for more time, but at least they were honest about it.
In Hades’ throne room, it was all politics and agendas.
He noticed the tension building in his neck and shoulders. It had only been one day.
He grumbled inwardly as another minor god droned about a petty dispute. He kept his expression impassive. At least he tried to. When Morpheus, his nephew, approached looking worried, Thanatos’ attention sharpened.
Phobetor had been altering the other Oneiroi’s dreams, twisting them into nightmares.
He warned Phobetor not to meddle with Olympian decrees, but the god of nightmares growled and stormed off. While counseling Morpheus, Thanatos learned Phobetor had withdrawn from him and Phantasos, their other brother.
Thanatos watched his nephew leave, knowing family drama was the least of his problems.
The judges, Minos and Rhadamanthys, argued over whether they should admit a soul into Elysium, despite Minos having the final say when they disagreed.
After that came the territorial disputes. Rivers moving out of sequence. Souls improperly sorted. A never-ending queue of minor gods, each demanding immediate attention.
By the end of day two, Thanatos questioned Hades’ sanity. With no sleep and no reprieve, he snapped.
“Leave! All of you.”
Murmurs and complaints passed through the room, but no one argued. He only stared until they got the message.
Silence spread over the throne room as the door shut, and he exhaled slowly. He had ten minutes to remember who he was beyond this room. No more.
His mind strayed, unbidden, to her. He’d held her as she slept, feeling unexpected protectiveness.
Guilt mixed with worry as he recalled her exhaustion and how vulnerable she was in his arms. She’d nearly died on his watch already, and the thought of her waking up confused and afraid, with only Hypnos for company, made him want to return to her side.
Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?
He reached out to Hypnos. “Brother?”
“How comfortable is the throne of Hades?” Hypnos asked, some tension behind the dry amusement.
“I am losing my mind, if that’s what you are asking. One god argued with me for thirty minutes, insistent that the colors of two rivers had swapped.” He sighed. “This chaos is exactly why I prefer guiding souls. How is the human? Any problems?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. She’s sleeping at the moment. Did you know she swears a lot?”
Thanatos tried not to smile at the confusion in his brother’s voice. Hypnos had spent centuries isolated. Meeting a modern woman must’ve shocked him.
“Not surprising. The world has changed.” He moved on from the subject before Hypnos could retreat into complaints about the modern world. “Is Ani with you?”
“No, he dropped the girl off and left to attend to some matters in the Duat. He said he’d be back soon.”
Good.
Outside the doors, raised voices caught his attention. Thanatos slumped. He was keenly aware of his remaining minutes of solitude, each second slipping away. “I have to go. They are getting impatient.”
“Enjoy your chaos, brother.”
The request escaped before Thanatos could stop it. “Be nice to the girl.”
“I’ll do what I can, brother.”
Hypnos’ amused words rang through his mind as the throne room doors opened again, ushering in another wave of complaints and demands. Thanatos scowled, still lost in his thoughts.
When had he started caring for the human?