Chapter 8 - Hades
Hades
"Brother," Zeus says, his voice smooth as poison through the phone. "We need to discuss our mutual Persephone problem."
I'm in my office at Erebus, where I conduct most of my business. Thanatos is sprawled in the chair across from my desk reviewing surveillance reports, appearing remarkably carefree. A vast difference from myself. The moment Zeus's voice comes across my phone, every muscle in my body goes tight.
"She's not a problem," I say, keeping my voice level. Zeus enjoys nothing more than riling me up. Normally, it's the challenge he enjoys, but when it comes to Persephone, it doesn't take much, and he knows that. "And she's not mutual. Stay away from her."
"Territorial as ever." I can practically see him smiling over the phone. "But I'm afraid it's not that simple. The cult wants us both, which means that I've got skin in this game."
I go very still. Thanatos looks up from his reports, catching the shift in my posture.
My relationship with Zeus has always been fraught. When it comes to Persephone, I'm not going to play nice with my brother, not even a bit.
"Explain," I say, wanting to know what information he has.
"Their leader, Mother Cauliflower…"
"Callista." I roll my eyes in irritation. I know that Zeus knows what her fucking name is, and his jokes are starting to piss me off.
"…reached out and made me a proposal." There's a pause, and I can practically hear him swirling whatever expensive scotch he's drinking in his D.C.
penthouse. Fucker. "Quite graphic, actually.
I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say they have plans for both Persephone and myself. Together. Having sex."
My shadows flicker across the walls. "I'm going to assume that you declined."
"Obviously." Zeus laughs, sharp and humorless. "I'm not interested in being used as stud service for a dead goddess. I have standards."
The casual cruelty in his voice makes me want to reach through the phone and strangle him. He's talking about Persephone, Ophelia, about violating her, using her as a vessel, like it's nothing more than an inconvenient business proposition.
He's always callous and cruel, and yet, this takes the cake.
"What did you tell them?" I ask, trying to keep it together.
He chuckles. "I left them on the hook. I told her I'd take it under consideration."
My hand tightens on the phone. "You what?"
"Relax," he says, and I hear the creak of leather as he leans back in his chair. "I'm gathering intelligence. They think I'm deliberating, which buys us time, but they're persistent, Hades, and they're not just threatening. They offered me something in exchange for cooperation."
My blood turns to ice.
"Which was?"
"Irrelevant. I declined." Another pause. "They also threatened me with exposure. Can you imagine? As if I'm concerned about mortals discovering gods exist. The cult is delusional." I can practically hear his eyes roll. "More than normal."
"They're organized," I correct. "And if they contacted you, they know more than most. You need to take this seriously."
"Indeed." Zeus's voice shifts. "Which brings me to the point of my call. You felt it, didn't you? Two days ago. That surge of power."
I don't answer, but I don't need to. He knows I felt it. We all did.
"Every god felt it, Hades. From here to Athens to Tokyo.
Spring magic, raw and uncontrolled." He pauses.
"She's awake. And it's only a matter of time before she learns to use those powers.
When she does, she'll be incredibly powerful.
Fertility rates are on the decline. People are desperate for new life, and they'll tithe to her in their own way.
The Goddess of Spring may be more powerful than all of us. "
The implication hangs in the air like smoke. Because if there is one thing that I know about my brother, it is that he won't want anyone, especially an untrained goddess, to have more power than him.
Even the potential of that could be dangerous, and if he acts on it…
"What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting we solve this before it becomes unsolvable.
" His voice is maddeningly calm, reasonable.
"No Persephone, no prophecy, no problem.
Kill her, Hades. Quickly. Painlessly if you prefer.
But end this before the cult forces our hand, or before she becomes powerful enough to be a threat herself. "
The shadows in my office explode, and Thanatos sits up quickly, shielding himself slightly with his own power.
Not that he can do much. My anger is unhinged, and my shadows pour from every corner, flood across the ceiling, wrap around furniture and walls like living things. The temperature drops twenty degrees.
Thanatos is watching me, knife in hand, waiting for instruction.
"Say that again," I say softly. "I want to make sure I heard you correctly."
"Don't be dramatic—"
"You just suggested I kill my wife."
"Your wife died millennia ago." There is an edge of irritation in Zeus's voice. "This is a mortal woman who happens to carry Persephone's soul. Semantics aside, she's a liability. The cult will come for her. They'll come for both of us. And if she's dead, the prophecy is void."
"No."
"Hades—"
"Let me be very clear, Zeus." I'm standing now, the phone gripped so tight I'm surprised it doesn't shatter.
I'm shifting more shadow than man, and it's becoming hard to hold the phone as I become incorporeal.
"If you come near her, if you so much as think about harming her, I will make you wish you'd faded with the rest of them. Do you understand?"
Silence on the other end. Then, a chuckle. "You're in love with her."
"Of course I am. She is my wife."
"No, she isn't."
"Fuck you," I snap.
Zeus laughs, but there's no humor in it. "You always were sentimental. It's going to get you killed."
"Better me than her."
"You're not thinking with your head. At least, not the one on your shoulders."
"I'm thinking perfectly clearly." The shadows are still writhing, still cold.
Thanatos has moved closer, but he's not intervening.
Just watching and waiting. "You want to talk about power, brother?
Let me remind you of something. You were King of Gods when worship was strong, when humanity feared lightning and thunder.
But worship is gone. The mortals don't pray anymore. They don't fear the sky."
"And your point?" His voice is chilly.
"My point," I say quietly, "is that death is eternal. It doesn't need worship. It doesn't fade. Every single mortal who's ever lived comes to me eventually. Every single one. And I've gotten very, very good at my job over the millennia."
I let that sink in for a moment. Zeus doesn't need to fear Persephone. He needs to fear something much closer.
"You're not as powerful as you once were, Zeus.
Neither is Poseidon, or Ares, or Athena.
But me?" The shadows pulse, responding to my rage.
"I'm exactly as powerful as I've always been.
More, even. Because while you were busy playing politician in Rome, Persia, and now Washington, I was building an empire on the one thing that never stops: people dying and the debts they owe. "
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a reminder." I sit back down, force the shadows to recede slightly.
I inhale sharply, working to regain my control.
"You stay away from Ophelia. You don't contact her, you don't interfere, you don't send anyone near her.
And if the cult comes, you deal with your own problems. She's under my protection. Mine."
"Even if protecting her destroys you?"
"Especially then."
Zeus is quiet for a long moment. When he speaks again, his voice has changed. Less smooth, more calculating. He called me to discover where I stand. Now he knows, and he's dropped all pretenses. Good. Best to put all our cards on the table. "You're making a mistake."
"It's mine to make."
"Fine." I can hear him moving, ice clinking again. "But when this goes badly, and it will, don't expect me to clean up your mess. I have my own interests to protect."
"I wouldn't dream of asking." I go to hang up, but Zeus interrupts.
"One more thing." Zeus's voice hardens. "Every god knows she's back now. Some will be curious. Some will be threatened. And some—" He pauses. "Some will see an opportunity. You can't protect her from all of them."
"Watch me."
The line goes dead.
I set the phone down very carefully, resisting the urge to throw it through the window.
Thanatos is still standing, tense.
"Well," he says finally. "Sounds like that went well."
I glare at him. "My fucking brother—" I growl. "I wish he would have faded into primordial ooze."
Thanatos laughs as he sits back down. "Glad to know we all hate Zeus equally."
I grunt and return to the files I'd been looking over.
"He's not wrong, you know." I look up.
"Explain."
"If every god felt her power surge, they're all going to start paying attention. Some of them are going to want to meet her. Others—" He shrugs. "Others are going to see her as a threat."
"Let them try."
"Hades—"
"Let. Them. Try." I'm on my feet again, pacing. The shadows are still restless, still cold. "Zeus just suggested I kill her, Thanatos. Kill her. Like she's nothing. Like she's disposable."
Thanatos doesn't move. "I'm not suggesting that."
I glare. "I would fucking hope not." Thanatos is my oldest friend, but that wouldn't save him if he threatened Persephone.
"Zeus has never cared about anything but power," he says, as though I need a reminder.
I stop at the window, looking out at the Vegas Strip below. Somewhere in this building, Ophelia is probably awake by now. Exploring. Trying to make sense of everything. Touching things that belonged to Persephone and feeling echoes of a life she doesn't remember.
And Zeus thinks I should just eliminate her. Erase her. Solve the "problem."
"What do you want to do?" Thanatos asks after a minute or two.
I turn to face him. "We find the cult. Before Zeus does, before any other gods start sniffing around. We find them and we end this."
"And Ophelia?"
I know I need to start thinking of her by her mortal name, but it's hard.
"We keep her safe at the house. It's warded and controlled.
" I move back to my desk, pulling up the maps we've been marking with cult activity.
"Double the security. I want eyes on every entrance to this building, every possible access point.
Hecate's wards need to be stronger. I want to know the moment anything divine or magical comes within a mile of this place. "
"That's a lot of resources."
"I don't care." I look up at him. "Zeus is right about one thing. Other gods are going to come. Some out of curiosity, some with worse intentions. We need to be ready."
Thanatos nods slowly. "What about Ophelia? Are you going to tell her?"
"Tell her what? That Zeus suggested killing her?
That every god in existence now knows she's back?
That some of them might try to use her or hurt her or—" I stop myself.
It has only been twenty-four hours, not even that, and it feels like my carefully controlled world is starting to crack.
"No. Not yet. She's barely accepting that gods exist at all.
If I tell her she's a target for every divine entity left in this world, she'll—"
"She'll what? Run? Fight?" Thanatos tilts his head. "Or maybe she'll want to know the truth so she can prepare herself."
"She's not ready."
"Are you sure you are doing this for her?"
I don't answer that.
Thanatos sighs, picking up his reports. "I'll double security. Talk to Hecate about the wards. And I'll reach out to our contacts to see if anyone's heard whispers of other gods making moves."
"Thank you."
He pauses at the door. "For what it's worth? Zeus is an idiot. Killing her wouldn't solve anything. It would just make you a monster." He meets my eyes. "And you've spent millennia trying not to be one."
"I know."
"Good." He opens the door, then looks back. "But if it comes down to her or the world? I know which one you'll choose. And I'll stand with you either way."
Then he's gone.
I'm alone in my office, shadows still restless, Zeus's words echoing in my mind.
Kill her. No Persephone, no prophecy, no problem.
That will never fucking happen.