Chapter 6
Persephone
Iasked Hades to conjure some nectar, and once Sam was sitting down, with the reinforcing drink working its way through his system, he was a lot easier to talk to.
I couldn't help the beam of satisfaction I got from the amazement in my big brother's face when I showed him my vines.
Usually Sam was the impressive one. He'd gotten a great job building apps for cell phones, completely self-taught, and had been the one to finally improve my parents’ living space from the shitty trailer we'd grown up in, to an RV.
But as much as I loved him for that, I couldn't deny that it felt good to be the impressive sibling for a change.
I showed him how the vines changed color and told him about the conservatory and how I could grow plants, although I left out the part about my gold vines. I did not want to talk about magic sex powers with my own brother.
I told him about the Trials so far, Hades' face darkening with anger the more I spoke, and Sam's a mask of horror by the time I'd finished.
With Hecate and Skop there though, I didn't mention what Hades had told me about Cronos and Tartarus.
I wasn't sure if they were supposed to know about it.
Hell, I wasn't sure I wanted them to know about it.
Being a walking, talking bomb that could destroy their world wasn't exactly something I wanted to share.
“So... Now you have to do three more Trials, and win them all to marry Hades?”
“Yes.”
“And...” His eyes flicked between me and Hades. “Do you want to marry him?” He whispered the question. I felt a wave of heat come from Hades, and couldn't suppress my smile. What in the world did Sam think he could do to stop Hades if I didn't want to marry him? I loved him for asking though.
“Winning the Trials is certainly the best option I have right now. At least if I win, I have a choice,” I said carefully. More heat rolled off Hades.
“You know, I only just decided that I'm in love with you. You can't just assume I want to marry you already,” I told Hades in my mind. I made my tone teasing, but there was an element of truth in the words. Being parted from him would be worse than death. It would be tortuous.
But I'd literally only slept with him that day. Marriage commitments seemed a little premature.
“You are mine,” Hades said in my mind.
“Yes. Body and soul,” I answered. The air cooled. “But where I come from you don't just claim people if you want to marry them. We should discuss this later.”
“Fine,” he grunted.
“Sam, now that you know I'm safe, I think Hecate should take you back to New York,” I said, sitting down beside him on my bed and looking pointedly at Hecate.
“No way! You're safe right now, but you've got three more of these Trials to do!”
“And how would you help me?” I asked him gently. “You're in more danger than I am here, you have no powers.”
“I'm not leaving you to these maniacs,” he said stubbornly. Another wave of heat rolled off Hades.
“Sam, you could be used against me. In my first Trial they nearly killed Skop because they knew I cared for him. Imagine what they would do to my own brother?”
“I can handle it.”
“No, you can't. When we first arrived here the sight of Hades in full god form caused you to black out. It nearly killed me, before I had my power.”
“He nearly killed you?” Sam gaped at me. “And you're fucking considering marrying him?”
“It's not as simple as that!”
“Persy, I'm staying. If I can't help you physically, then at least I might be able to talk some sense into you.” He folded his arms, eyes fierce.
I sighed. Hades was staying eerily quiet. I turned to him.
“Can he stay just a little while?” Hades stared at me, silver eyes a swirling mass of tension. He turned to Hecate abruptly.
“You caused this mess. Clean it up,” he said to her. I opened my mouth but he carried on. “Persephone will be moving into my rooms. He can have this room. If he leaves it once without you, I'm giving your job to that fucking skull you care for.”
“Yes boss,” Hecate said, flashing a wicked grin at me as my brother spluttered. My cheeks heated.
“You're staying in his rooms?” Sam half whispered at me, the disbelief back.
“Yep,” I said, my voice coming out awkwardly high-pitched.
This had to be the worst brother-boyfriend introduction ever.
My new living arrangements caused a raft of arguments. Sam kicked up such a row about being locked in the windowless bedroom on his own that eventually Hecate gave up and told him he could sleep on her sofa. None of us told him there were no windows in her rooms either.
Convincing Hades to let Skop stay with me in his rooms was a harder task. The little dog didn't make it any easier, hurling insults about the King of the Underworld into my head the entire time I begged Hades to let him come with me.
“He is the spy of another god, Persephone, you don't know how much you ask of me,” Hades said, exasperated. Guilt trickled through me as I recalled Hecate telling me how secretive Hades was about his realm.
“But he's one of my only friends here, and he's helped save my life,” I said. “Plus he already knows loads about Virgo now. It's not like he'll be with you all the time, he'll be with me, and I'm not allowed to go anywhere or do anything.”
“Fuck no. I'll be with him as little as possible,” said Skop in my head.
“You're lucky he bans mind-reading, now behave yourself!” I snapped back at the kobaloi.
“He must sleep in the antechamber, and he must hear none of our conversations,” Hades growled eventually.
“Thank you!” I squeaked, and flung my arms around his neck. His tense shoulders relaxed under my embrace, and my brother made a strangled sound.
“You are welcome,” Hades said, but he didn't sound like he meant it.
“Now regretfully, I must go. I have neglected my duties and have a lot to... attend to.” I could see the guilt and pain in his face, felt his shame through the bond, and my heart ached for him.
He could not escape the consequences of his wrath.
Had he saved me from facing mine when I drank from the river Lethe and forgot whatever it was I had done?
Fresh frustration clouded my mind at the thought. I was fast reaching a point where I wanted to believe Hades was right about me being better off not knowing what I had done in the past.
I had enough shit to wade through already, with the Trials and Cronos and Tartarus. Did I really need to know anymore? Would any good come of it?
How can you not know what you are capable of? Of course you need to know. The voice inside me was inescapable, and it was a blend of fear and justice. Whether I needed punishing or forgiving for my actions, both were important.
“Kerato will have regenerated soon,” said Hecate, and a small sound of relief escaped me as her words cut through my thoughts. The minotaur was OK.
“Tell him thank you from me, will you?” I said to Hades.
“Of course. I will see you in a few hours.” He leaned down to kiss me softly, then vanished. I felt a small pang of loss, but the bond flared inside me, reassuring and bright. I turned to Sam, determined to keep my mind off the myriad concerns rolling around my brain.
“Right. There are a few things you need to know about the Underworld. Hecate? Help me out?”
Hecate had barely begun telling Sam about the twelve realms when the world flashed around me.
Panic engulfed me, every frazzled part of me expecting to come face to face with the flaming river of Tartarus and my vines tore from my palms before the light had even cleared from my eyes.
But the scene that came into focus before me wasn't dark and fiery at all. It was bright and warm and breezy. And beautiful.
“Zeus?”
I was in the breakfast room on Zeus's mountain.
“I wouldn't try using those vines on me,” his voice sounded behind me. I whirled, and gasped. He was shirtless, in the older, dignified form I'd seen him in a few times before. And this close it was impossible not to see how much better it was than the blond surfer boy form.
If the angles of his face, the corded muscle across his chest, and the tightness of his abs weren't enough to make my breath catch, then the gleam in his eyes was. He oozed sex. Like it was actually pouring from his body.
“Stop. Now. I was told gods weren't allowed do this,” I said.
“I have no idea what you mean,” he said, stepping closer to me. I stepped backwards. “I've brought you here to talk with you. On matters of grave importance.” He licked his lips, and my chest heaved. Focus, Persephone!
“You told me you wanted me to win last time I was here. Why?”
“Because my brother is not the god he used to be. The Underworld has changed him.”
“You did that to him, not the Underworld!”
“We all have our burdens, Persephone. Do you think it is easy for me to control the skies?”
“I don't believe it is as hard as controlling the dead,” I retorted. Zeus tilted his head, regarding me.
“I'll admit Leo has some benefits over Virgo,” he said eventually. “Come with me.” He held out his hand, and I shook my head.
“No.” My left foot moved against my will. “Bastard,” I snarled.
“I won't make you do any more than move your feet, feisty little goddess,” he smiled at me, then gripped my hand. With another flash we were gone from the mountain, standing instead on wooden planks.
Wind suddenly rushed across me, blowing my hair around my face.
We were moving, and as I looked around myself I stumbled.
We were on a ship, and the sails billowing in front of me were shining like metallic liquid.
Clouds flew past us on either side, spirals of glittering dust corkscrewing through the sky.
An overwhelming sense of freedom filled me, and I held my arms out as we soared through the sky.
I felt like my worries were peeling away from me in the cool wind, the past, future and everything in between paling against the bliss.
With an abrupt flash, the wind stopped, and I blinked around at a courtyard garden. I gazed up at the most incredible trellis, covered in roses of every color I could imagine, the thorns shining gold.
“Beautiful, aren't they?”
“Yes,” I breathed, turning. Zeus was standing in front of a tall fountain, dragonflies the size of birds darting above his head. I could see Mount Olympus behind him, more of the flying ships cruising around it. “Where are we?”
“One of the mansions that ring Mount Olympus. You created them.”
“What?”
“The gold-thorned roses. You created them.” I blinked at him, and he laughed softly. “Olympus may have forgotten you, Persephone, but you left a legacy deeper than even Hades knows.”
“Why have you brought me here?”
“You need to know that the Underworld is not the only place that would welcome you.”
I frowned at him.
“You're trying to... make friends with me?”
“You are not meant to be kept underground, Persephone. You were born of light and nature. Not darkness and death.” Fear started to prick at the calm enveloping me.
He was right.
No matter my feelings for Hades, I couldn't live in Virgo. I couldn't live in the darkness, with that barren landscape the closest thing to nature I could get to.
“Are you telling me I can visit places like this when I am Queen of the Underworld?” I asked, a sick feeling in my stomach. That wasn't what he was telling me, and I knew it wasn't.
“No, Persephone. I'm telling you that you were never meant to be Queen of the Underworld. A Queen, yes. But not of the dead.”
“I love Hades,” I said, the words flying to my lips.
“I don't doubt it. But that doesn't change the fact that you can't live in the Underworld. Look at what it has done to Hades. And he is much, much stronger than you will ever be.”
No... No, I had to be with Hades. But he was bound to Virgo, he couldn't leave. Would the Underworld turn me into a monster like him? Was that what had happened before? Hecate's story burst into my mind.
“I can sacrifice something! Something important, to save my soul,” I said quickly.
“And be as miserable as that Titan witch your whole life?” Zeus' voice was low and he was moving closer to me. “If you let me, Persephone, I can make you so much more.”