AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“X is upset he’s lived in Hades’s shadow for so long,” she finally explained. “That’s funny because there aren’t shadows where there’s no light. So now he’s on a rampage while he can be, consuming souls instead of sending them to Hades’s world and maintaining the balance. This is all about destroying Hades.”
“Why?” I gripped my cup of coffee. It never once crossed my mind all this was about killing Hades. Instead, I’d blamed him, when I should have asked more questions and understood the real problem.
Persephone ran a thumb over her lower lip. “Every god received something to rule over. Hades was tricked into the Underworld.” I knew about that. “X, or Thanatos, was an unfortunate side effect.”
“It’s his real Greek name, right?” I asked. “But no one really calls him that here.”
Persephone nodded. “It’s believed that if you say the name out loud, he’ll come to get you before your time is up.”
“Well, the ass is proving to be capable of that by cutting innocent victims’ time short.” Even so, I made a mental note not to say his name again.
Persephone laughed, but I didn’t think it was funny.
“The ass,” she said softly, the corners of her eyes crinkling from her smile.
“So, what am I supposed to do if I can’t stop him?” I asked, unsure why she was even here.
“Allow Hades to get closer to you. He’s not a bad person.” Persephone’s whole demeanor changed, replaced by something serious and godly.
“He’s not exactly a good guy, either,” I said.
“That’s not his fault. He’s been forced to rule the Underworld, cursed to marry me, and then, despite it all, we didn’t work out. The poor guy keeps losing. But with you, it seems different.”
I set my cup down on the counter, my mind swimming with so many thoughts and questions. “I’ll never have what it takes to entice someone like Hades,” I stated, and I regretted admitting that out loud. Especially to a heavenly deity who could have any man fall at her feet with a single glance. I was the opposite of Persephone in so many ways, and in all honesty, her presence intimidated me. How could I compare to her when it came to drawing a god like Hades to my side?
“Honey, you already did.” She placed her cup down and hopped off the counter, touching me on the shoulder. My skin tingled beneath her fingers, the pain in my arm muscles fading away.
Nothing made sense. Hades didn’t like me or care about me. He was the bad guy. I’d been trying to convince myself of that all this time, but I’d kept making excuses for him.
“How?” I questioned. “How am I meant to do this?”
“By being yourself. You’ll be surprised how much that means to someone who’s lived a lie most of his life.”
She looked sad when she said those words, her eyes lowering momentarily, her lips pinching slightly. Her voice softened, as if her admission caused her grief. And maybe it had. Hades wasn’t the only one affected by the curse. She’d been dragged into the Underworld, her life changed for eternity. How was she meant to find her true love when forced to spend six months of the year in the Underworld?
It seemed as though she was thinking about things, and I wanted to let her speak. For her to feel free to voice anything. It was what I’d enjoyed most while chatting with Catina. The ability to talk openly. Something we used to do a lot before the gods entered my life.
“I wish I could have loved him how he deserved,” Persephone admitted. “By the gods, I tried. I tried so hard, for his sake. Because I was stuck down there, and he loved me so much. But I couldn’t do it.”
I didn’t know how it felt to be forced to love someone, but I imagined what it would be like if I had to pretend that Oliver was mine forever. I cared for him, but it just wouldn’t work.
And a couple of centuries could really screw with you.
“What now?” I pulled a packet of chocolate-chip cookies from the pantry. My one treat in the house, and something I’d enjoy with Catina when she’d come over for a girls’ night.
My chest hurt as I remembered who Catina was with. I felt guilty for enjoying myself. “Do you know anything about my friend, Catina? X kidnapped her, and maybe… You can sense where X is keeping her.” I gripped the cookies, the bag crinkling in my hands.
She stared at me for a long time as if processing the question, then raised her palms up and out. “Honey, I wish I could help, but he’s connected with Hades, and I haven’t felt him around for weeks now. I’m sorry I can’t help more.”
My stomach sank, but I held on to the hope we’d find her.
“To sort out this huge mess, you need to start realizing Hades isn’t the bad guy and give him a chance. It might be the answer you’re seeking,” Persephone said. She swallowed a mouthful of coffee, but her eyes stayed on me. And I had no reason to believe she had an ulterior reason for visiting. She sounded genuine, and maybe she knew more about X than she led on.
“So, me being with Hades will help keep X under control?” I asked, stating the point Persephone seemed to avoid directly saying.
A blank expression fell over her face. “Difficult to know the exact reason X broke free, but Hades needs to learn to love again, so it’s worth trying.”
So I’d try to listen to her advice, which was much easier said than done. You didn’t just decide a bad guy was a good guy because someone else said so. But I’d wanted to trust Hades from day one. And maybe now I’d be able to.
After he proved himself, of course.
Because I was a lot of things, but naïve wasn’t one of them, regardless of what Persephone believed.
