“Who wants to join him? Who dares to whisper treason against their Queen? It is your choice, eternal fire or the meadows? Loyalty or treachery? I would like nothing better than to watch you all burn.” His eyes flared purple when an archway opened through the wall, filled with the beautiful, bright light of Asphodel. The crowd pleaded suddenly, the mortals falling to their knees begging for mercy. Hades motioned his hand and they flooded through the gates to the meadows, pushing each other in their desperation to escape the King of Death. “Welcome to the Underworld,” he mocked. The door thundered shut as the last soul stepped through.
Persephone moved forward, but she was suddenly pushed against the wall, staring into the eyes of a demon. “You disobeyed me,” he rasped, his blood red eyes boring into her own. Instead of being afraid, she pressed her face against his chest.
“I am sorry,” she cried. “I thought I could help. Is what they said true? Did my mother do this?” When she looked up again, the red was fading from his eyes, revealing his dark gaze.
“I believe she has inadvertently started an endless winter -- due to her grief of losing you. But they did not blame Demeter, they blamed you. Someone is working against you. They would have ripped you to pieces if given half the chance,” he declared heatedly.
“I thought I could reason with them,” she said quietly.
“Have you never before seen an angry mob?” He cried in exasperation, shaking her slightly. “They cannot be reasoned with! They demand blood and the only thing more powerful than their rage -- is fear. They see you as a killer and only your fall from grace will satisfy them. They wanted to see you brought to your knees and expected me to deal you your punishment.”
“But--but I am their queen, I should not cower from them! It is my responsibility to see to the safety of this Kingdom. To help you.”
“I know my sweet wife. But… sometimes a more subtle and lethal attack is needed. I fear another wave will be coming tomorrow. Unless we can find a way to stop this everlasting winter.”
“What can we do? I am worried about my mother.”
“As am I,” he murmured. “Without knowing where Ares is, I am not sure that it is safe for you to go above ground. It may not be safe for you to travel to her temple, in any case, with mobs of mortals all directing their anger towards you.”
She watched his pensive face. “What are you thinking?”
“Write to your mother. Let her know how you are. Zeus will not be happy losing so many souls to me. It may force his hand. In the meantime, do not wander the palace. I must see how badly the rivers are frozen, perhaps I can unfreeze them enough that Charon may be able to pass. Stay in your room, Persephone. I mean it. I will find you when I am finished. There is nothing more you can do tonight.”
A protest rose on her lips but she bit it back when she saw the look in his eyes. She remembered his confession, that he was afraid she would be destroyed as his mother had been. Perhaps this once, she could do as she was bid. He had been right, she should never have come into the throne room. He walked her back to her chambers, silent as they made their way down the hall. When they reached her room he pushed the door open.
“Stay here, Persephone,” he repeated again and she was reminded of her first night here. How much had changed since then. She would give anything to protect the man who stood in front of her, this dark God who was hers. With a kiss he was gone and she was once again alone in the darkness.
After a happy reunion with Olive, Persephone spent a restless evening in her room. Events were unfolding quickly and she felt as if they were stumbling helplessly forward, yet unable to stay ahead of the hands of fate. She wrote a long letter to her mother and Charon came to collect it, but it felt like too little, too late. When she inquired about Hades, Charon’s hooded face turned to her silently, and then he slipped from the room wordlessly like the quiet wraith that he was. She gave a frustrated sigh, barely resisting the urge to throw her shoe at him. She longed to check on Cerberus, but it was likely her little friend was quite busy ensuring that the masses of souls who had arrived stayed put. And more would be coming, there was no doubt of that. The winter above was fierce and relentless, sweeping across the land like a dark shadow of death. Even the Underworld felt the bite of the numbing cold. Where was her mother now, she wondered? Guilt tugged at her; had there been anything she could have done to reassure her? First she had been unable to contact her mother, but after discovering her love for Hades… could she have contacted her mother then? Would it have protected or endangered Demeter to place her between herself and Ares? She had allowed herself to become distracted, and because of that distraction, death and disease ran rampant in the world above. Perhaps she was responsible for this. She sat suddenly, overwhelmed by guilt, leaning against the bed as she pushed her face against Olive. So many deaths lay at her feet; how could she go on when such a heavy burden weighed down on her? Hades found her there many hours later, and she gave a start as she felt his hands on her back.
“What are you doing, Persephone?” he inquired softly.
She turned to look up at him, his face unreadable in the darkness. “I must have fallen asleep,” she replied vaguely. “Were you able to ferry the souls tonight?”
He nodded, sinking to the ground next to her. “I was able to melt the ice enough that we were able to bring them through. But it will be frozen again by morning. You wrote to your mother?”
“Yes, I gave the letter to Charon,” she responded.
“Good,” he mumbled in a tired voice as he reached behind him to rub Olive’s soft fur. The deer pressed his nose into his hand. Persephone moved to kneel in front of him, letting her eyes drift over him. His eyes were closed and the delicate flesh beneath was shadowed, lines of strain evident on his face.
She brushed a dark strand of hair from his forehead. “You should eat,” she said softly. “Do you want me to bring you something?”
“I am hungry,” his voice was a rumble against her as he pressed his face suddenly against her neck.
“What would you like?” she asked breathlessly.
“You,” he growled. He pushed her back and moved between her legs.
Chapter 25 - The Archer
◆◆◆
Hades woke, pulling himself carefully from Persephone’s arms. He looked down at her; Olive’s small brown form was curled tightly against her legs and Persephone’s dark hair covered her like a blanket, the pale flesh of her breasts visible between the strands. She was... beautiful, she was everything he had ever wanted, and he would give anything to crawl back into bed and curl against her warm, lush body and pretend that the world outside did not exist. However, there were things he had to settle and already he might be too late to undo what had been done. Would he lose her as the Fates had warned? His heart twisted painfully at the thought and he rubbed his hand over the small scar on his chest -- so many questions that needed answers.
He dressed quickly, and from his dresser he removed the letter that Charon had secretly delivered to him yesterday, the one that Persephone had written to her mother. It was time to talk to Demeter. He moved quickly through the empty palace, stopping in his study to take a golden helmet from a shelf near his desk, then he hurried into the stables. After saddling Orphnaeus, he placed the helmet over his head and a curious swooping moved over his body and he could see that his form had vanished. The helmet of invisibility; it had been in his possession since before the wars, but he used it rarely now. There was a time when this helmet had consumed him, the desire to vanish from existence overriding every other need. But there was a price to pay for invisibility. After his mother died, when he had first been sentenced to live in this dark world, he had wanted to disappear. He had worn the helmet day after day, and he felt himself become more and more insubstantial, almost weightless. He became addicted to the anonymity and though he knew he was becoming weaker, he kept the helmet on, travelling deeper and deeper into the Underworld. He became a part of the shadows and it was then that he had f
irst met Eurynomos. He had paid a price and learned that the helmet should be worn only when necessary, but now -- he needed it. He had no time to spare for the interference of mortals or Gods.
With a wave of his hands, the gates of the Underworld opened and Hades leaned forward to whisper, “Fly Orphnaeus.” The horse gave a huff, small flames licking from his nostrils as they galloped up to Earth, up the mountain that lead above the Gates of Hell. The gates thundered shut behind him and he raced through the snow-covered landscape, the frozen terrain unrecognizable. The river where he had first seen Persephone was iced over and the trees of the forest were barren and stark. He soon reached Demeter’s small temple. It looked abandoned, covered by deep drifts of snow, but he knew he would find her inside. He dismounted from Orphanaeus and rubbed his hand against the steed’s soft ears. “Stay put old friend, I will return soon,” he muttered. His footsteps were soft in the snow and he pushed open the gates of the temple, leaves blowing across the abandoned halls. He took the helmet from his head, his black hair tumbling from it slowly. The quiet was deafening inside, like an empty tomb. He moved quickly through the rooms, knowing where he would find Demeter.
She lay upon Persephone’s bed and she turned her face when he entered, her glazed, dark eyes focusing on him. Her hair was in wild disarray and it looked to be some time since she had last bathed, as dark smudges lay across her face. “Hades, but I thought--” her voice cut off, a mere croak, as if she was unused to speaking. “Persephone?” she asked, sitting up quickly.
He held up a hand as realization dawned on him, her thoughts and guilt speaking loudly in his mind. “I think you have something to tell me, Demeter,” his voice a powerful sound in the room. She made a small whimper of distress as he pushed into her memories, though his touch was gentle. He watched the day Demeter discovered her daughter was to marry Ares, how she had gone to Zeus demanding the engagement be stopped. He saw her desperation as she fled from the throne room of Zeus, furtively disappearing into the dark halls of Olympus as she sought an audience with Aphrodite. Venus gave her a look as Demeter pushed into the darkened room where she was pleasuring Hermes, and the God gave an agonized cry as she let his cock slip out of her.
“Why do you seek me, Goddess?” Aphrodite murmured, sauntering towards her, smelling of sex and gardenia. “Did you wish to join us?”
“No.” Demeter replied in a flinty voice. “I have need of you, may I speak with you privately?”
A lovely smiled suffused Aphrodite’s face, and grasping Demeter’s hand, they left the unfortunate Hermes and made their way into a secluded corner of the palace. Demeter told Venus the entire tale, and when she had finished, she pulled back to look at her. “Can you help me?” Demeter asked, her low voice vibrating with emotion.
“There is someone she loves," Venus whispered slowly. "Persephone thought the love had died, yet it burns secretly and brightly within her." She told Demeter of the love in Hades’ heart, and though it was shrouded in shadow, it grew strong and true within his soul. “He was the one who wrote her the letters. Someone interfered with the delivery of those letters, and their destiny.”
“Ares,” Demeter hissed, too loudly.
“Perhaps,” Aprhodite replied in a cool tone. “She will be safe in the caves of the Underworld. No one can protect hrt here, but she would be protected in Hades’ realm. He is the last choice that remains to you. You must either give her up to the God of War, or abandon her to an unknown fate in the darkness with the God of Death -- who loves her.”
“There is no choice,” Demeter cried, “Ares must not be allowed to touch her again. I must tell her, so she will not be afraid. She will not understand.”
Venus shook her head, her golden curls dancing, and raised a finger to her lips. “You cannot tell her. Neither of them can know that it was you who shot the arrow. You cannot tell Persephone that Hades, not Ares wrote those letters. She will not believe you. Great harm may be done if you attempt to interfere once the curse takes hold. It must play out of its own accord.”
Demeter flinched. “Is there not another way? I could tell Hades--”
“Hades does not remember that he wrote the letters. He drank from the River Lethe and those memories belong to the river now. You cannot rely on him to help you, his love is buried almost as deep as hers, though the flame still burns. He would likely not even grant you an audience. He despises Olympians.”
“But I could lose her!” Demeter lamented.
Aphrodite grasped Demeter’s arms, her delicate fingers painful on her flesh. “You will lose her, Demeter, in every way, if you allow Ares to wed her. Ares does not love her, he only wants to own her, then destroy her. The choice is yours, but I will help you, if you allow it.”
“And if the curse fails?” Demeter whispered. “What then?”
Aphrodite ran her fingers over Demeter’s face, tracing her full lips almost lovingly. “Then he will go mad and your daughter will be locked in the Underworld with him. The choice is yours,” she repeated again. “Who do you trust more? Ares or Hades?”
Demeter hardened her face. “How do we do this?”
The Goddess of Love smiled and Demeter shivered. “Come, Goddess.” Hades watched as Aphrodite took Demeter’s hand and pulled them both through a window from the highest tower of Zeus’ temple. Demeter gave a cry of shock, but instead of falling, they climbed high above the palace, the wind lifting them beyond the clouds, and high above the sun, until they hovered in the darkness of the universe. “Lure her out of the temple, Demeter.”
Demeter put out her hands, and in her mind, she planted a golden flower in a lavender meadow, casting a powerful spell over the petals. The golden pollen would draw her out into the open. Aphrodite outstretched her arms and a golden arrow and bow appeared. With her fingers, she fused Persephone's name on the arrow and Demeter could hear the sizzling of metal.
“Even the God of Death cannot ignore a love arrow,” Aphrodite said. “He will have no choice but to seek her out, to claim her.”
Thunder rumbled beneath their feet as Venus opened her luscious pink lips, cursed words falling from them.
I, Call upon Venus and the Universe
To Bring an irreversible Curse upon the King of the Dead
With Whoever’s name is inscribed on this arrow
Let the king scour the earth to find her
Let no man, beast or God stand in his way until her heart is his.
Until she loves him, he will feel torment, desire, lust.
Until She loves him he will bleed out tears.
Until She loves him every inhale will be poison to his lungs
Every exhale, terror of losing her.
A curse on you, Hades!
A curse through your veins that will poison your mind!
A curse on your sanity
A curse on your immortal soul
Until you posses her heart
Your free will be damned
Without her love…you will go…mad!
They could hear the rumble of Ares’ war cry, his voice echoing in the infinity of the universe, and they knew he was coming for Persephone. “Hurry,” Aphrodite cried, thrusting the arrow and bow into her hands. “Hades must find her before Ares.” Venus pushed Demeter forward. "Do not miss.”
Demeter drew back on the bow, the arrow still hot in her hands from Aphrodite’s curse. She shook the tears from her eyes and then hardened her heart. "I will not.”
He watched the arrow fly from the bow as it fell towards Earth, towards him. He had seen enough.
Lowering his hand, Demeter once again sat up from the bed. “I had no choice,” she whispered. “I could not let him touch her.”
“You play the distraught mother well, Demeter,” Hades said in a cool voice. “You are an even better shot than your daughter.” He pulled down his robes, showing her the small, white scar.
Her eyes moved over his chest, her pale face becoming somehow paler still. “I am sorry for your suffering, Hades. It was not --
not, my intention. I only thought of Persephone and I knew that you loved her, and could protect her in a way I no longer could. I did not protect her enough to keep that animal’s filthy hands from her. He stole her innocence in my forest!” She screamed the words, her pain so powerful the ground trembled beneath his feet. She must have felt it for she took a calming breath and continued in a quiet voice. “I would do anything to protect my child, even if that means giving her up. I know you are a good man, Hades. No one need tell me that you were trapped into your fate. When you disappeared to become ruler of the Underworld, I knew that you would take any kingdom dealt you and raise it from the ashes to create an indomitable fortress. What better-guarded place from Ares and Zeus than your kingdom? That degenerate snake was sending the Stymphalian birds to carry her away. They were destroying crops and killing villagers, so Zeus promised her to his son. Pledged her to that… rapist!” She spit the word. “I could no longer convince Zeus to put off another marriage. Aphrodite came to me and told me of your feelings for my daughter. I was desperate to do anything to protect Persephone. Together, we devised a plan that would give us both what we wanted.”
Hades And Persephone: Curse Of The Golden Arrow Page 30
