Chapter Text
Aidon and I stand at the corner where a small bubbling spring meets an inconspicuous, thin river. Cerberus dropped us here then frittered away with Pomelia in his big maw. Currently, they’re rolling in muddy puddles a short distance away.
So this is the source of the river. Nothing stirs but the faint rippling sound of water whispers in the air. Vapors steam off the surface accompanied by the occasional huge, round bubble that squelches as it pops. The stench is nearly unbearable, rotten eggs and rotting flesh. Crimson red lagoon-like pools of water lay nearby, like a giant was felled at war, his blood caught between ground and river.
Aidon peers over the edge of the bank, leaning further and further. I can see it coming before it happens. His arms cartwheel as he loses his balance, but I grab his suspenders from behind and yank him back.
The fingertips of one hand splash in the water, and he yelps in surprise. “It stings!”
“Buddy!” I crouch and grasp him by the shoulders so we’re eye to eye. My heart beats. “Be careful, please.”
He looks down, a blush of embarrassment. “Well you know...the best way to communicate with a fish is to drop them a line.”
I huff out in a mixture of relief and unexpected humor, but before I can scold him further, a hulking form emerges from the water. We trip backwards in shock, holding each other tight by the hand.
A smoke colored mound comes first, hair and a smooth forehead, before two eyes emerge - one ice blue eye, the other blazing gold. The huge goddess peruses them, blank and unfeeling. The ground rattles as she rises, water rippling out and dripping down her silvery hair. A long, straight nose and mouth slide free next. With just that titanic head above the surface, she speaks.
“Aidoneus, enthroned in darkness and receiver of all. Hades, giver of wealth from earth and ore.” The smallest movement of her lips is a booming sound that shakes me to my bones. “You have come for more grief from your old friend?”
Aidon peers up at me. “That’s my name. Is this the bad man? They don’t look the same as the one I remember.”
I grip his shoulders and hug him tight to my body. His face burrows in the softness of my stomach. Little arms wrap around me, pulling at the fabric of my pantsuit. “Not the bad man, just a very confused river goddess.”
“Trouble follows me.” Sad, wet eyes creep up to meet my own. “I’m cursed.”
I grip him tighter. “You are no such thing. I told you I’d keep you safe, and I meant it. Do you trust me?”
He pants like a spooked horse but nods and snuggles back into my stomach, eyes closed tight and cheek pressed tight against me. Nothing will hurt him, I vow as I look up, not even an ancient goddess 1,000 times my size.
Styx’s duo-colored gaze studies us for another moment before she rises again, stopping when waist deep out of the river. Stretching to the twilight reddish sky in lithe movements, she towers over us. Her grey skin shines. The pale moon in the background is small compared to her size and authority, but I refuse to be intimidated anymore. I think of all there is to lose if Hades does not become himself again.
“Styx. I demand justice.”
Slowly, her eyes find mine again, bright and fathomless. Long, glistening hair drapes down, moving on its own like the current lives within her.
“You’ve done this being wrong,” I yell.
“Now isn’t this interesting?” Her voice is fluid and powerful, wet sounding. “A flower child, as fragile as a petal, perched upon my doorstep.”
“I am Kore Persephone, daughter of Demeter and friend of Hades.” I gulp and shout louder. “Bringer of destruction.”
“That’s nice.” There’s mirth in her multi-layered voice, and it rouses my anger.
“I demand you put this right.”
One giant hand sweeps out in a smooth movement. “Everything seems right to me, little one.” My lips purse in frustration, but I steady my breath as she continues, “No god is above the law, especially my law, not even the kings. An oath on me can not be broken.”
Vows made to Styx are ironclad. There is only one counterargument.
“It was no oath.”
Her lips thin, eyes narrowed to slits. “The imp was clear in what she wanted. The trade was fair.”
“It was a wish, not an oath.” I pull the tiny, glass vial of water from my pocket and begin to list off the common elements of the ritual vow to Styx. My finger jabs at her with each point. “There was no water exchange, no blood sacrifice, no spoken promise, no sealed handclasp, and no audience of witnesses.”
“What is done is done.” Styx sniffs and looks to the distance, arms braced against her hips, as if the evidence is meaningless. I slip the vial back in my pocket. Her giant blue eye falls to me, the color of the sky in my childhood home. “This young blood is better anyway, don’t you think?”
She must know how much I’ve grown to love Aidon’s innocence. “I want my Hades back.”
“Curious...and too bad, I’m afraid. I’ve been more than fair.” She clucks her tongue and gestures to the skeletons strewn along an adjoining beach. “The god is alive after his disrespect, which is more than I can say for some.”
Disrespect?
“This transformation was a punishment?” I ask. If Mama can stand up to Zeus, I can stand up to this giant woman. “Tell me what he did.”
“You make demands of me?” Her hands slam on the river bank, fingers curling into the soggy earth. As the ground trembles beneath my feet, I grow resolute. I’ve been small my whole life. This is nothing new. And she’s talking, which is good.
“I seek evidence to support your judgement, dispassionately.” I notice her eyelid twitch and push my luck. “You have no counter argument about the elements of an oath. Do you admit you made a mistake?"
“Aidoneus made a mistake!” she roars, curling further down. The force of her icy, sulfuric breath sends my hair flying back. With Aidon whimpering in my arms, I clutch him tighter and stand firm against the gale force morning breath. She heaves with passion and fury. “He polluted my waters.”
I blink in shock. Pollute the most toxic waters known to mortals and immortal alike? Cerberus and Pomelia round in front of us, growling in our defense. As her gaze slides to them, her lip curls in disgust. I start to wonder.
“You don’t like dogs?”
“I don’t like pet...droppings.”
This was all...was this all because of… “Hades wasn’t careful with his dog crap?”
Styx sinks into the water to her chin, and waves splash out, nearly swamping our feet. Her blue and yellow eyes deepen in color, sparkling with fury as she glares at me.
“Such coarse language for a young lady of breeding. But yes,” Her voice hisses and the vapors in her water steam out in a dense fog. “He was careless with his animal waste, tossing it at me without a second thought. I may be toxic, but I’m no common canine’s toilet. Aidoneus deserves this fate or worse for his disrespect!”
There it is again.
Respect. Respect. Respect. The word chants in my head. So important to my mother, Hera, Aphrodite, and every goddess I know. I can understand it better myself after only weeks of being away from home. Disrespect, too often, are the lies men tell to strip away a woman’s rightful power.
Styx’s countenance grows dark, eyes as pale as death. I’ve lost the rational argument. And even though I understand her, an anger of my own grows. The river goddess knows what she did is wrong, and she isn’t respecting me. I brought evidence, and she mocked me. Little one. Flower child. I am more than that, and she will know it.
Everything around us is lifeless, stinking of putrid rot. An idea comes to me, and I brace my feet farther apart. I loosen my grip on Aidon and pet his soft, wavy hair. His chin turns to rest on sternum, watching me with the widest, most trusting eyes I’ve ever seen. “Hold onto me tight. I’ll never let you down.”
I lift my arms wide at my sides and glare at Styx. She doesn’t want her river polluted? Well, I have a solution she may not appreciate. I breathe deep, seeking out the power I’m only just learning to unlock. Without words, I call on the dead, wet earth below. I call on the rich decay surrounding me. This land, its energy rippling through me, is like tinder to my flame.
Life sparks within.
“The least I can do…” Bright light shoots from my fingertips, and Aidon glances around then back up at me, not in fear but wonder. I wink at him as I shout to Styx “...is clean up the mess.”
My body flames from the inside out, and sweat pours down my back and face. I go cosmic, skin turning a deep, dark magenta. I see the link between the honeysuckle bloom and all things, how fortune or famine depends on me...depends on him, this sweet spirit who holds me tight...on us. Together, I’ve never felt more alive, more in control of my power.
Algae blooms in the water, neon green and glowing. Seedlings sprout along the river bank, bright and curling up and out. For the first time, Styx’s eyes widen. She’s afraid. Cypress saplings thicken along the bank. I command their long, light roots to snake into her water. A smile curls my lips when I watch them snake around her fingers. She shivers. The flowers are a special touch, blue and yellow for her eyes. When she sees them, audibly popping to life in the swirling, growing forest, she shakes her hands out of the young roots and shuffles further into her water, brushing away the algae with a sneer.
“Halt, and I will turn him back.” I let the roots thicken as they dig deeper, and I sing to the algae to multiply. I will push her like she pushed me. Her growl shakes the nearby mountains. Snow cascades down. “Halt, I said.”
I cough and shrug, letting my hands fall to my side. With a whispered thought, the roots curl back in on themselves like wrapping ribbon. “Fine.”
She watches the trees darken to grey and the algae sink below the surface, before turning back to me. “Bringer of destruction, indeed. A surprise in a small package is what you are.”
“I know.” I’m tired of being underestimated. “Oh! And give the imp back her wings or so help me Gaia, your river will become a vacation destination.”
“Let it be done.” She shudders in disgust, then snaps the fingers of one hand followed by an echoing snap from her other. “The wings are restored, and you may have your small king back.”
I cup Aidon’s cheeks and drink in the sight of him once more. His whole head fits in my palms. Tears stream down as I whisper, “Don’t be afraid.”
His mouth falls open, and his little back bows on a shout without sound. He floats, pulled away from me despite the fact I gasp and claw to hold him close. His body, even his clothes, become smoke. A glowing aura of swirling gold and blue becomes a translucent cyclone around him, dragging him further up in the air. Aidon twists and morphs. I know he’s leaving. He’ll be gone soon, and my breath hitches on a sob. I don’t want to lose him. His small slacks, suspenders, and shirt reshape to fit a larger body, one I know well. Solid, muscled arms snap out. Firm shoulders bunch and stretch. Strong legs lengthen.
The light recedes, and Hades floats back to the ground, standing stiff with eyes closed. The only thing that’s the same is his fluffy, unkempt hair. I rush forward and fly around him. My hands slide and squeeze over every inch. After two quick rotations checking he is all there, ten fingers, two ears, all limbs accounted for, I reach his face. My fingers card through his hair to set it right.
“Kore,” his stunned whisper in that deep, velvety voice has my hands freezing, palms against his cheeks. He blinks and reaches up to his ear, pulling a little blue nymph ear off, brows scrunching as he inspects it. A relieved laugh bursts out of me as I tear off the other one. His strong grip latches onto my waist, searching my gaze. “Persephone.”
Cerberus and Pomelia bark and jump at our feet, breaking the moment. As he calms them, I spin around. Styx is gone.
“Why are we here? What in Tartarus is going on?”
Waving my arms like a madman, I explain what happened since he doesn’t seem to remember. The dogshit. The imp. Styx. His brothers and Hecate. “Oh shoot, we have to meet her like...now.”
Hades grabs my hand in an iron grip. “Let’s go then. I must speak to Hecate. We’ll fire the imp straight away.”
“No! She meant no harm. She was taken advantage of, making the same wish any girl would.” Something I’ve dreamt of many times, I think but don’t say.
“As you wish. Then all that’s left is to have words with Styx.” His body tenses, eyes glowing blue as a bident appears in his hand, and he scans our surroundings. “River wench.”
I clap a hand over his mouth. “Don’t you dare let her hear you say that. She has issues with bad language and disrespect, I found out.” My fingers dig into his chin, and I pull him back to look at me. “Some things are better left unsaid.”
His gaze softens a touch. “Says the woman with more secrets than sense.”
I raise an eyebrow and can tell by the red haze to my vision that my eyes have grown dreadful.
“Okay, that wasn’t fair.” His head bows forward for a second before locking gazes with me again. “But I'm the king here. She can't get away with what she did.”
“What's that saying you all love down here?” I raise a finger in the air and mimic him with my deepest tone of voice. “It's too late for sorry.”
On a slow blink, he smirks. His eyes are clear, bident gone. “Is that so, little goddess?”
“Listen. You owe her an apology, and she owes you one. But if no one can say sorry, all that’s left is war. Like I said...better to leave it as a scratch that heals than a battle wound.” I pet the soft fuzz of his arm. “Don't ruin all my hard work keeping you safe and out of the spotlight.”
His eyes widen, and the way he looks at me, it’s like he must remember our day together, somewhere in the back of his mind. “You kept me safe.”
“Always.” My whispered exhale reminds me of the same assurance I gave to a young boy only minutes ago, and I want to cry all over again. The affection with Aidon was so free and easy. Hades, on the other hand, is a god and a king. With him, everything is both more intimate and intimidating. But wasn't this king also a man who'd been a boy once?
“Thank you, Kore.” He pulls my hand up to kiss my knuckles. His hooded gaze makes me tremble. “The words seem too small.”
I know the feeling. My body is full to the brim of dancing, fighting, bursting emotions that had no outlet except words I’m not ready to say. I miss Aidon, but he’s still here. Hades is him, and I will keep him safe. Forever. “You’re welcome.”
Muffled shouts startle us out of our easy embrace. His brothers trudge over a nearby hill only moments before Hecate shimmers into existence.
“Oh my word, you’re back!” She looks between us with obvious surprise. “How?”
“I reasoned with Styx. No fuss.” I smile. Hades blinks at me in shock. What? Secrets are easy. It's the truth that’s harder to puzzle out. I hand her the vial of water in my pocket. “The elevator imp wanted you to have this.”
Hecate leans towards me, sniffing lightly and pulling on a lock of my hair. “Styx cannot be reasoned with.” She’s trying to figure me out. Well, take a number.
“Drat! We missed all the fun.” Zeus strides forward, whirring on Poseidon and punching his shoulder. “I didn’t even get one good video to show Hera and Hebe.”
Poseidon bounds up to us and grabs me in a bear hug. I’m spinning and clinging to him before I can take a breath. His quiet words at my ear are a surprise. “I’m proud of you for watching out for him, even from us. That’s no easy feat.”
“Get your filthy paws off her!” Hades roars. “You can both screw the fuck off!”
His furious, red-eyed snarl shouldn’t excite me as much as it does. The brothers elbow each other and raise their hands in defeat. On a laugh, they vaporize away.
“Hecate…” He turns to the tall, blue goddess and puts his hand up before she can speak. “Please take the rest of the week off. You’ve been a good friend to me.”
“Make it 9 days. There’s a silent retreat in the Himalayas I’ve been-”
“Whatever.” Hades waves a hand, not even watching as she fades away in shimmering golden sparkles. He only has eyes for me, pulling me closer as if I’ll be the next one to fizz away.
“And you.” He cups my face and leans down. “You.”
“Me.” I’m breathless. The intensity of his feelings for me are always so plain on his face. “I should get going now that all the trouble is over.”
“You.” He brings my hands up and kisses my palm before placing it on his cheek. “And me. We are far from over. We’ve only just begun.”
“There's still Minthe and this job.” I left TGOEM, thank goodness, but our obstacles are many. Even if the only thing I can think about is how big his hands are as he holds my palm against his face and the comforting softness of his lips on my skin. Everything else is so easy to forget.
“I ended things with Minthe.” His voice is resolute. Another brick tumbles from the wall keeping us apart. Hell, there’s barely a wall anymore. Just a little step over some rubble. “I’m your boss, and I know this job is important to you. You have boundaries, and I respect that.”
Oh fates, the boundaries. The wall is still there, for now. I need this job. This one or a better one. Perhaps if I...found a different job, I could reach out to him. Touch him. Call him at 9:01 p.m. or the middle of the night after a bad dream.
“I care about you, especially after today, seeing you as a child.”
“I wish I could remember. It sounds like you had a ruff day.”
I snort in surprise, and looking at his easy grin all I see is little Aidon, so silly and full of love. My heart lurches with tenderness and...love. It has to be love that draws me to this man. “Some things never change, huh?”
“Like you putting yourself in danger. You took on Styx herself.”
“If you remembered, you’d know it was Styx who was in danger.”
He blinks, eyes darting in micro-movements. “I remember light...shooting from your fingers into the ground. Did you…” He glances around. “Did you grow these trees?”
“They were prettier a moment ago.”
“You’re incredible. Amazing.” He grips my shoulders as my hand falls to his firm chest. He studies me. “Even though I still think you’ve got an unhealthy attraction to danger and darkness.”
“By that do you mean you?” My voice turns husky and seductive. “I have feelings for you, Hades. Strong ones. But I’d argue you’re 100% dorky before you’re danger and darkness.”
“You see the good in people no one else does.”
I grimace. “Don’t you start with this woe-is-me business.”
“You heard me wrong, sweetness. Or I-I misspoke. You see the good in people no one else does. I do think th-there’s good in me. At least, I’m coming around to the possibility. I mean...my dogs can’t be totally wrong.” Hades picks Pomelia up from the ground and kisses her nose. She licks him frantically, her brisk tail wag brushing against his forearm.
“We both…” I struggle to frame my thoughts right, knowing my own insecurities and pain often play a part in how I interpret his words. “Communication is hard when we both have issues we have to work through.”
“You saw me at my most vulnerable today.” His free hand gently cradles my jaw. “And what did you do, bright soul that you are? You took care of me, gave me a puppy to play with. You even protected me from my own stupid family. What would I do without you? Even though I have no claim upon your affection, you...you own my heart. I’ve lived a very long time. Weeks...months...it’s nothing to me. I’d wait 10,000 years for you.”
Bright soul. Own his heart? 10,000 years. I want to melt in a puddle, fall into his arms, and squeeze him so tightly he’ll never let me go, but I can see what I need now. He declared his feelings. I have a financial situation I need to straighten out before we can move forward.
His lips for an O on a low exhale, and he glances at the ground. “You’re quiet.”
“I was only thinking,” I rush to say. “You all but declared your feelings for me.”
“Love.” His eyes latch onto me, red, intense, and so honest I could fall right in. “Undying devotion. I would state it more fully if you desire, but I fear I’ve said too much and scared you.”
“You didn’t scare me. You gave me hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. I want to explore these feelings with you when I’ve got a different boss. I need to find a new job on my own with no manipulation on your part. That’s important to me. Do you understand?”
He gulps and nods. “Yes, of course. Hands off.”
“Good. I look forward to turning in my letter of resignation soon then.” I let out a loud exhale. “The good news is, even if it takes a few weeks or months, it won’t take 10,000 years.”
“I’ll be here. Waiting for you. Only you.” He hands me Pomelia, and runs his hands down the sides of my head, across my shoulders and grasps my one, small hand in both of his own. “What I thought was two thousand years alone was a pathway to you. You exist so far in the future from the little boy you met today.”
“I loved little Aidon.”
“You loved me?”
“Love,” I whisper. Growing brave, I float up so we are eye to eye. “Present tense.”
Awe and disbelief are evident in his face. His chest heaves and you would have thought he’d grown a hundred feet tall from the way he straightens.
“Your love is all I need. More than I ever believed I’d have.” A large hand grasps the curve of my waist and pulls me close until our breaths intermingle. His smell is clean and fresh, nothing like what others think death smells like. “Believe me on that. We can work on the rest. Together.”
Pomelia yips between us, and we both chuckle. I slide my nose over his, a kiss without a kiss. His gaze follows me as if he could see inside me. But I see something else when I fall into his dark eyes.
Twinkling stars.
The rich soil of home.
I kiss him on the cheek and turn, flying up in the air. When I look back, his jaw drops on a boy’s crooked smile I recognize.
He’s not a young boy anymore. He’s not even a man.
He’s a seed - fragile, eager for warmth, and unaware of his limitless potential. Any moment he could curl forth from the ground’s rich decay.
Lucky for him, I know a thing or two about growing.