My Lord Hades (38 page)

“I’m surprised. You actually learned common sense in my absence. It’s a vast improvement.”

Zeus shook his head and exhaled his breath. “You know, I really hate you, Hades. Since

meeting you, you’ve brought nothing but grief to my world.”

Hades smiled.

“Now where was I? Oh, yes!” He turned to Ares. “I want you to—”

“I want my daughter back!”

HADES SIGHED and looked at the annoying woman. “Persephone is old enough and more

than capable of making her own decisions.”

“She’s a child!”

“If I haven’t missed my guess, Persephone hasn’t been a child in a very long time.”

“At least five-hundred years,” Aphrodite piped up.

Demeter accusingly glared at Zeus. “She’s pregnant with this monster’s child!” she howled, as if that was the worst thing Hades could possibly do to her daughter.

“That settles it,” Aphrodite said. “She’s bound to Hades.”

Hades inclined his head toward the goddess. He still didn’t like her, but she had her uses.

“That is not fair,” Athena argued. “It is only logical to conclude that this was not an act of the will but survival.”

“How do you figure that?” Ares asked. “She had to sleep with him and bear a child?

Goddesses aren’t like the mortals. They control their fertility.”

“Ares is right, Athena. Persephone didn’t have to conceive a child. She chose to.”

“NO!” Demeter wailed, collapsing into a sobbing heap.

Athena ignored her, continuing the conversation. “No self-respecting woman would willingly trap herself into the bondage of marriage.”

Aphrodite laughed and Hades didn’t blame her. No one could force Persephone into

anything. At least not anymore. Persephone had grown from the innocent woman he’d met in the woods and into the woman she’d become. And he’d been no better than those trying to control her and make her decisions for her.

“Honey, you’re deluded,” Aphrodite said to Athena, although she eyed Hades as if he was the most scrumptious morsel and licked her lips.. “Marriage is just as binding to a man.” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. There was no way in Tartarus that he would ever consider taking her to his bed. “And more to the point, how could a sane woman pass up a man who looks like this?”

Athena glared at Hades. He grinned and winked at her. She blanched. “You’re a whore,

Aphrodite.”

“And you’re an uptight bitch.”

Hades agreed with both sentiments. Women like Athena and Aphrodite gave all women a bad

reputation, although the men in this room weren’t shining examples either.

“My money’s on Aphrodite,” Ares said.

Aphrodite and Athena were facing off and looked ready to fight. Despite his disgust at such childishness, he wondered which of the women would win the fight when a crack shook the

floor. Most of the gods ran for cover. Hades stood his ground and wondered why Aphrodite and Demeter thought his body was the perfect shield. With Zeus wielding the bolts, he was more than likely to be the next target.

A smiling Zeus strode toward the group, holding a bolt in his hand. “That’s better. Now, can either of you call Persephone?”

Hades shrugged. “She’s masking her energy and unless she uses her magic, I can’t sense

her.”

It was a partial lie. Persephone was masking her energy, but through their link he could sense and track her anywhere. However, he would respect her need for privacy, unless there was

trouble. Right now, she was safe along the coast of the inland sea.

“She vanished,” Demeter cried. “I don’t know where she is or when she’ll come back. And

it’s all your fault.”

“I’m not the one who lied to her, or suppressed her magic. I didn’t use an image of Coronus to frighten her into forgetting everything I didn’t like,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against a pillar.

Demeter stared at him shocked, her mouth working.

“I understand why you did what you did when she was child. Coronus would have used her

without a care. But why did you continue after?”

“I was protecting her.”

His fists clenched at his side. Aphrodite intervened before the comment on the tip of his tongue would’ve started the whole process again.

“Oh Demmie, it’s time to let her go. She’s a grown woman with a husband and a child on the way. Face the truth; no one wants to be with someone they’re forced to remain with. We want to be with those we love. A mother’s love means the willingness to let go.”

It also meant protecting their children. Demeter had done what she thought best for her

daughter. He would have done no less to protect his children. Only his methods would have been different.

“That is actually profound,” Athena said.

He agreed with Athena’s assessment. It was profound and telling.

“If Persephone slept with Hades, the marriage is binding, but the law allows her the freedom to live where she may.” Zeus glanced at Hades but continued to speak to Demeter. “There has to be a reason Persephone ran. What has she told you, Demeter?”

She stared at the floor. “She wanted to return to the Underworld. But she’s confused, Zeus.

She doesn’t know what she wants. She’s still vulnerable.”

“You allowed her to her make her own decisions four hundred years ago.” He glanced at

Hades and then Demeter and then back. “Can you let her do it again?”

“Yes,” Demeter said.

“Yes,” Hades said.

Zeus stared at him, waiting for more, but there was no more. Persephone was free to make

her own decisions and Hades would let her. If she wanted to be with him, she would come. If she didn’t, she would make a place for herself in the world. He just hoped she allowed him to be part of the life of the child they had made.

Vaguely, he heard Aphrodite speaking to Demeter about love, children, and a man named

Iasion. Athena and Ares made a quick retreat from the place and he didn’t really blame them. He would like to do the same. He would love to find his wife and apologize to her, but she wasn’t ready to see him yet. So he would be content to wait and track her movements.

“It certainly beats running away,” Zeus said. “Aphrodite, I need you to—”

“No need to tell me, Zeusy.” She patted him on the arm. “I know what I need to do.”

Hades blinked and shook his head. He’d missed something, not that it mattered. He didn’t

care what Demeter did. He felt the stab of sadness and hurt coming through his link from

Persephone. He clenched his hands and forced himself to remain absolutely still. He would wait for her to call him.

“You’re very quiet. Are you finally satisfied?”

Hades looked at Zeus. “What? Oh, yes. You dealt well with the situation. I’m sorry to have brought this squabble to you. I’ll leave you in peace now.”

“It’s about time,” Zeus grumbled.

Hades smiled. As much as he disliked the pathetic god, he found some amusement in him.

And Eris was right, he was better than Coronus. “Zeus?”

“What now?” the exasperated god asked.

Hades grinned. He knew the scar covering most of the left side of his face made him look

fearsome and not in the least bit kind. “I owe you a favor.”

He disappeared and Zeus breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, Hades would leave him alone. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now, he could go about the task of enjoying his role as supreme ruler. At least until the next time Hades wanted something of him.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“DESTROYER.”

Persephone blinked and took in her surroundings. Another fishing village along the coast, same as the others before it and same as the ones that would come after it. They all had the same hacklers too.

She turned toward the man. “You forgot Queen of the Dead.”

He paled at the implied threat and fled. It was cruel of her to answer in such a way, but she tired of the curses whispered at her back, and the sidelong glances of hatred and accusations.

When would they understand that she wasn’t the full cause of their suffering, and she hadn’t cursed them with winter and death but the goddess who had was the same one they worshiped for saving them? When would they understand that Persephone was just another unfortunate

victim of this devastating winter, and she was trying to put the world to right by helping them rebuild their homes and their lives?

Probably never. She would be like Hades, widely misunderstood. The amusing thought made

her laugh.

Whatever mortals and gods thought of Hades, one thing was for certain: he was fair. He was kind and worthy of love and respect.

The familiar urge to return to her husband rose, but it wasn’t time yet. She needed to

understand her place in this world, not as Demeter’s daughter and not as Hades’ wife, but as Goddess of the Dead and Queen of the Underworld. She needed to find a balance between the power of life and the power of death, and know who she was and what she really wanted in life.

And then perhaps, she could return to the husband she loved without fear.

Time passed slowly for her as she walked the fringes of society, healing the crops battered by winds or killed by the frosts, nullifying her mother’s effects on the climate. Whether her mother couldn’t control the weather or wouldn’t do it, she could only guess. Either way, she wasn’t going back. Not ever. That part of her life ended the moment she met Hades.

“My Lady?”

Persephone blinked and stopped. How did these people find her?

“It is you.” The woman grabbed Persephone’s hand, tears streaming down her face. “Thank

you, my Lady. Thank you.”

Persephone stared at the woman as if she were mad. “I think you have the wrong person.”

The woman kissed her hand, falling to her knees, her nose almost touching the ground, and mumbled something incoherent. Persephone looked around, hoping to find the woman’s

husband, or anyone to take this disturbed woman away.

Small groups of people left their humble huts, staring at her as if they were unsure who she could be, before falling to their knees. Others left and returned with friends and family.

Persephone felt suddenly very uncomfortable. “Please, get up.”

Some did. Other didn’t. They all kept their focus on the ground.

“I don’t understand.”

“You’ve given me my husband and children back,” an old woman said.

“You returned my wife and daughter,” a young man added.

“I have mama and papa,” a small girl said.

And the list went on. Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents, and children. All returned to their loved ones.

“We praise you, Lady, for those returned,” the first woman said. “You’ve softened the heart of the King of the Underworld, for it’s in your name he released our loved ones—those virtuous dead who perished during your absence.”

“We praise you as Goddess of Spring.”

“As Queen of the Underworld.”

“And Lady of the Dead.”

Her heart soared and dropped in equal measures. Did he really care about the mortals? Or did he do it because of her?

“When did Hades do this?”

The woman still refused to make eye contact. “Days after the thaw of the snows. It started slow, just rumor really. But then they brought groups to the villages. It was a great time of celebration and rejoicing, for nothing like this has ever happened before. And he made it clear that it will not happen again.”

Entire families and villages returned to life. And it wasn’t just in this place. Everywhere people were returning, healthy and whole. She’d been wrong about Hades. He’d started the

process before he came to her at her mother’s house and her angry outburst hadn’t changed a thing.

“We asked what he wanted in return,” a man said. “He wanted nothing.”

“He’s a strange god,” another said. “He doesn’t seem to want praise and worship like the

others do.”

“He warned us to prepare for any future winters that we may face.”

They were right. Hades was a strange god. He didn’t need the attention of mortals. He

wanted to rule in peace, and instead, he received the Underworld where people feared and

dreaded him because he represented the eventuality of death. It made sense to her that he wouldn’t want the news of his deeds glorified for two reasons. One, he didn’t like the attention.

Two, he didn’t want anyone to think him soft.

And as much as she rejoiced in life, Persephone realized mortals had to die. The cycle of life had to continue.

She hugged the woman, probably startling her since the woman stiffened. “Thank you for

telling me this.”

The woman nodded and quickly backed away, as if the physical contact with a goddess was

too much for her to handle. And it was.

Persephone watched her join a man and two children. The family she referred to?

It didn’t mater. Persephone smiled and continued her walk. She walked until dusk, drawn to a place of great magic. She removed her shoes and entered the circle of rocks. A woman waited for her, sitting upon an altar of stone, a purple flower with a silver underside in her hand.

“Julas?” she shouted, rushing toward the nymph, only to realize this wasn’t the Julas she knew. “Rhea?”

The goddess smiled and motioned for her to come. “I’m glad you remember me now. I feared

for you once I knew the truth.”

Persephone sat beside the goddess. “She’s not a bad woman,” she said, finding the need to defend her mother.

“Of course she isn’t. She wanted to protect you.”

She’d tried to convince herself of that very thing, but how was suppressing her memories and magic protecting her?

“Because, like our dear Hades, the Titans would’ve used your power to crush their enemies, and unlike Hades, you weren’t trained to defend against them. Not until she sent you and Kora to Eris for training. But even then Coronus sought you out.”

“I remember only fragments of that time. Was he the one that took my memories and

magic?”