by S. E. Babin
"A secret for a secret, Abby."
I patted his hand. "You know I love you, right?"
He captured my fingers. We couldn't hear Hades, but we could both see him growling and stalking towards the privacy veil.
"I do. Just not the way I want you to." Keeping his eyes on the angry Lord of the Underworld, Typhon kissed me softly on the cheek and disappeared.
Hades ripped apart the veil mere seconds later.
"We're going home," he growled, sounding more like an animal than a man. He hauled me up by the arm and blinked us away from the palace. I wasn't sure where home was, but it was wherever he was so I didn't struggle.
Seconds later we were in the Underworld and I was tossed onto his bed like a sack of potatoes. I blinked in surprise a few times as I stared at the ceiling before I rolled over onto my stomach.
"Hades?"
He raised a finger as he paced back and forth, back and forth, like an angry caged tiger.
I pressed my lips together. I had a bad habit of trying to fill the silence when most times I should shut up. It was just hard for me. I didn't like silence. But I tried my best.
I lasted about thirty seconds.
"Hades -"
He whipped around and stared at me with wild icy eyes. "You almost died! I mean I've seen you die before, but I knew your mother had something to do with it and I knew it would be okay. But this time -" His voice cracked. "This time was the real deal. How could you do that to me?"
My mouth fell open. "I -"
"And for the god's sake, Aphrodite. How could you leave me? You left me standing there with the body of Zeus. I had no idea where you were, how hurt you were, what you were doing. Nothing. I was terrified."
"I -"
He made a slash downward with his hands. "You are everything to me. Everything." Hades raked his hands through his hair, scrubbed a hand down his face and stared up at the ceiling, his jaw clenching furiously. "It doesn't matter what you do. I might dislike you for it, but I would never, ever leave you. You hate my father? Great. Let's not visit him for awhile. You want to challenge him to a duel? Awesome. Let me try to convince you otherwise, then pick your sword out for you. You want to rule the Underworld with me? Awesome. Let's not fucking disappear at the exact moment you murder someone powerful while half - dead!"
"You want me to rule the Underworld, with you?"
Hades roared in frustration. "OH MY GOD. I AM IN LOVE WITH A COMPLETE AND TOTAL IDIOT!"
"Why does everyone keep calling me an idiot?" I yelled back.
"BECAUSE YOU ARE OBTUSE WHEN IT COMES TO HOW MUCH PEOPLE LOVE YOU, YOU IDIOT!"
I laughed.
He didn't, but his eyes softened. It didn't stop him from continuing to rant, though. "And how come you couldn't even send me a message when my father broke those bonds? You couldn't even shut your eyes and think my name? Oh no, you couldn't. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU FEEL GUILTY ABOUT ASKING PEOPLE FOR HELP. EVEN IF THEY WANT TO HELP YOU. YOU FEEL ALL GUILTY AND HERE I AM SITTING DOWN HERE DRINKING FUCKING TEA WITH A GHOST FEELING LIKE THE WORST ASSHAT IN THE WORLD BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I COULDN'T GET INVOLVED BECAUSE OF POLITICS WHEN THE WOMAN I LOVE IS HALF DEAD HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD AND I -"
"Hades?"
He plowed on. "AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE TEA THAT MUCH ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU HAVE SINGLE HANDEDLY GOTTEN ME ADDICTED TO COFFEE AND FOR THE GOD'S SAKE WOMAN BUY SOMETHING A LITTLE BETTER QUALITY AND -"
"Hades!"
He was on a roll. "AND I SWEAR IF YOU EVER BUY THE GENERIC STUFF I WILL LEAVE YOU AND HOOK UP WITH AN AMISH WOMAN AND -"
"HADES! I'M PREGNANT!"
"AND I SWEAR TO THE GODS IF YOU -" He paused. "What?" His voice was quiet and deadly. "Abby, so help me god, if you said that just to shut me up, I will murder you. Twice."
I shook my head. "We're going to have a baby."
His eyes were wide and beautiful and shimmering with tears. "A baby?" he whispered. "How?"
I grinned. "When a man loves a woman, they take their clothes off and -"
In two wide strides, he swept me from the bed and into his arms. His lips swooped over my own. I wrapped my legs and arms around him and kissed him back furiously. His hands fell through my hair as he pressed our faces closer.
Hours later, we still hadn't said a word.
Chapter 24
A few weeks later I was beginning to feel the effects of pregnancy. I was bone tired and starving for all of the things. I was also being super annoying, more than usual, to my friends. Clotho, however, had been an absolute dream and was currently clucking around me like a mother hen. She'd prepared enough breakfast for an army this morning, and as I plowed through my second stack of pancakes, she shook her head at me.
"Once you have this baby, maybe you and Hades should have another one immediately."
She had said this more than once to me once everything calmed down around Olympus. The sheer amount of deaths that occurred had made the pool of immortality overflow, forcing the Fates to make a new pool. There might be lots of new babies coming up once people realized the consequences of what happened.
The news of Zeus' death had sent shockwaves through the immortal community. People had been trying to kill him for years and everyone had trouble believing a tiny little blonde woman had simply wrung his neck.
That wasn't quite what happened and I don't think I would have been able to do it if I hadn't been buzzing with a serious amount of rage and twice the amount of magic I normally had running through my veins. But the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed because I shouldn't have been that powerful. Not right then.
When I mentioned it to Clotho one morning, her eyes grew distant and her mouth turned downward. If something shady happened that day, the secrets would not be spilled from her lips. I respected that. It didn't mean I wasn't curious about it, though.
Eventually the truth would come out. It always did.
My pregnancy, however, remained a tightly held secret. Clotho was aware, obviously. So were Typhon and Hermes.
I had not seen Hera or Artemis since the death of Zeus.
I ached with grief over the events of that day, but especially what I had accidentally done to my best friend. She'd had it rough and I'd been responsible for most of it. Why she still loved me even after all of it, I couldn't say.
But this might have been the incident that tipped the scales.
I had accidentally murdered her. Not a hundred percent, but I had stripped away her old life and forced her to live out a mortal existence. Clotho had nursed Artemis back to health, but when I asked about her, Clotho would just murmur she was fine and in good hands.
It was Hermes who told me the Fate had turned her over to Atropos to see if the damage I had done could be repaired. So she was living with the other two Fates for now. Artie left a key for me a few months ago, and I used it to let myself into her house, clean out her fridge and water her plants. Hades had set up a fund to continue paying her mortgage, and he'd visited Artie's assistant to make sure her business continued to run. He'd also hired another immortal adept at taking care of animals to continue her spotless track record.
It was the least we could do for her. I would try to reach out eventually, but I knew her well. She would need time to get her life back together and to forgive me. She had some experience living as a mortal already, but she had come back to Clotho ready to embrace her immortality again. And she'd had it for a little while. Until that stupid spell.
The one I should have known was too dangerous to use. Why Zeus had given it to me, I'll never know, but he was crafty enough to wonder if maybe I would misuse it. I hadn't exactly done that, it had been just a terrible stroke of poor luck.
I gasped.
That son of a bitch.
I might not have asked for a favor from Fortuna, but it didn't mean Zeus hadn't forced her hand.
"Abby?"
I stared at Clotho wondering how much she knew. "Did you happen to see Fortuna at the ga
mes?" I asked quietly.
Her gaze shuttered and her face went carefully blank. "Not sure," she said in a casual tone. "There were a lot of people there."
I scraped my chair back. "I will kill him," I growled.
"He's already dead, child."
"Then I'll dig up his bones and stab him again!" I tugged at my hair thinking furiously. "I will kill her, too."
"No. She was in much the same position as Uranus, Abby."
I stared. "So you know."
Clotho nodded once. "I saw the moment the spell flew compelling Artie to change her course. There was nothing I could do to stop it. Once I realized what was happening, it was too late to reverse it." She sank down into one of the chairs. "I'm sorry."
"Can it be reversed?"
"It isn't within my power," she answered. "My sisters are looking into it. Perhaps there's some way to slow the effects or allow her to increase her magic."
"Wait." I held a hand up. "The spell is gradual?"
Clotho nodded. "But powerful. The hand that dealt the spell is monstrously talented in the art of magic."
"Do you know who did it?"
Clotho didn't answer me.
"Clotho?"
The Fate stood and poured herself another cup of coffee. "This is her fate, Aphrodite. Leave it be."
"I am responsible for this. How can I leave it be?"
She swirled cream and sugar in and came back to the table. "Because you aren't responsible. Yes, you threw the spell, but Artie was compelled to step in front of it." Her eyes softened. "She knows you are not responsible."
"Then how come she isn't here?"
"Because even though she knows, she hasn't accepted her fate yet. It's a process. She loves you. She always will. It's just that when she sees you, the spell is all she will think about for awhile."
"Forever."
"She no longer has forever."
Clotho's sharp rebuke made my lips tighten. I stood up from the chair, thanked her for breakfast, and went back upstairs. Hades would be by to gather me later, but I had time for a nap. When I laid my head down on the pillow, though, I couldn't sleep. All I could see was the threads of her life unwinding.
It was all I'd been able to see for weeks now.
That and the baby I was carrying inside of me.
A soft burst of wind made me smile. Hades was here.
I watched as he shrugged off his jacket and laid down beside me. His hand rested on my stomach, where we both knew a baby was. We couldn't feel him or her yet, but when I reached down deep inside, I could feel the strong beat of magic in my womb.
All I knew is the child, male or female, would be powerful.
"Abby?" Hades asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
I grinned. "I know."
He chuckled because that's what I always said to him. This was in between me smothering his face with kisses and telling him how much I adored him. It was getting to be gross. And probably annoying to our friends.
"Well, yes, now that you know how head over heels I am for you, perhaps we should do something about it?"
I snorted. "Like make a baby?"
His chest rumbled against my back. "Like get married."
I stiffened for a second before I rolled over to face him. "Like an immortal wedding or like a human shindig where I can have cake and a massive dress and a bad DJ who plays 90's grunge music?"
He planted a light kiss on my lips. "Like whatever you want as long as you say yes."
I tapped a finger to my chin. "Hmm. I'll have to think about it."
He nipped my ear sending a chill down to my toes. "Say yes or I'll caveman you back to my lair and tie you up in the dungeon."
"Oh Lord of the Underworld," I sighed. "The things you say to me. So kinky."
"And then I'll forget to feed you."
I tilted my head away. "Okay, now you're getting weird."
Hades barked a laugh. "Say yes."
"I'm trouble," I admitted.
Hades looked up at the ceiling. "Gosh, I had no idea," he said.
I smacked him in the chest. "Your father won't approve."
"My father has issues."
I kissed him on the nose. "Yes."
Hades' silver eyes lit up. "Yes?"
"Yes."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good gods. It took someone long enough to finally tie you down."
"Hades!"
He rolled me over until I lay on top of him. My hair spread over him like a golden blanket. Our gazes met. "I will love you until the Underworld crumbles and the sea turns to salt in my hands," he whispered to me.
"And I will love you until you forget to replenish the coffee supply. Then all bets are off."
His eyes lit up with amusement and he pulled my face down to his.
This.
This was happiness.
This was my life.
It was him.
Hades.
All along.
Epilogue
The coronation of Hermes came on a bright day. There was barely a cloud in the sky. The immortals gathered around the palace, completely redone for the occasion. Any traces of Zeus had been wiped away. There was still some talk of mutiny for not everyone loved the way the end had come for the powerful King of the Gods, but for the most part, everyone seemed content to enjoy this day.
It had taken millennia for a new ruler to come.
The rumors still persisted of the golden goddess who murdered Zeus in combat.
Aphrodite.
But few believed them.
The most common and well loved tale featured Hermes and Typhon in a duel for the throne. Zeus stepped in for love of his sons and was taken down in the ensuing battle. It was a heroic end to a heroic man.
But those who knew, really knew Zeus, knew the truth. And they knew that a new age was coming. Hermes was now the king of the Olympians, but there was a still a hole to be filled.
There was talk of war on the horizon, but no one believed it.
Hermes had rung in the golden age of peace.
But those who knew, knew it wasn't Hermes. While he did play a part in it, the real heroine of the story was Aphrodite, a woman who wanted nothing to do with Olympus and who only wanted to live in peace.
Everyone knows how those stories go, though. The most reluctant people to step up and serve are the ones who ended up being the greatest heroes. She'd fumbled and magicked her way into ridiculous situation after ridiculous situation using only her brains and cleverness to stay alive.
She was the real hero.
Atropos sighed as Lachesis stepped up beside her.
"Is it finished?"
"Do I really have to do this?" Atropos asked.
'The histories must be written, Atropos."
"Yes, but this doesn't sound like Abby, sister. It sounds too formal, too..."
"Rigid?" her sister asked, amusement filling her tone.
"Yes," Atropos said with an annoyed groan.
"Well, it's not like we can begin the story with 'It all started with a Kiss concert...'"
"But that's the truth."
Lachesis laughed. "It is, but we are immortals. We have a reputation to uphold."
"I like the truth better," Atropos grumbled.
"The truth would be very hard to swallow," her sister advised.
"Which is why we should write it. Doesn't she deserve that, at least?"
A thoughtful look crossed Lachesis' face. "Perhaps," she mused. "What do you think Clotho would say?"
Atropos grinned. "Clotho would love it. She has taken quite the shine to our fair-haired heroine."
"Can you believe a baby is on the way?" Lachesis shook her head.
"It seems so unlikely."
"It was destined," Lachesis said.
"Will it get better?" Atropos wondered aloud.
Lachesis shrugged. "You already know the answer to that. It will. It will just take time." She leaned over Atropos' shou
lder to read.
"You're right," she said. "Scrub it and tell the real story."
Atropos laughed. “Truly?"
Lachesis nodded. "Perhaps Clotho is not the only one who has taken a shine to Abby."
It did not escape Atropos' notice that her sister used the goddesses' nickname this time.
She picked the pen back up.
"For Aphrodite it wasn't just a concert. It was the concert of the year, but never did she think her life would turn upside down like it did afterward..."
Atropos grinned. This was going to be epic. And Abby still had quite a bit of time left to add even more fun to the histories. Never had she had more fun than when Abby came around. At first, Atropos was apprehensive about the bubbly, blonde goddess. She didn’t seem too smart or very capable.
Atropos set her pen down.
But she’d continually taught the immortals lessons about love, hope, and the bravery needed to fight for what was right. Even if she denied it.
Aphrodite was one in a million and while she still had some struggles to contend with, there was a light at the end of the tunnel for her.
Atropos picked her pen back up.
“But even in the darkest of times, Abby was a light to the world and a hero to the Olympians, even if they failed to see it…”
A Sneak Peek at a brand new series!
Coming soon! Deadly Confections. A brand new mystery series from author S.E. Babin.
Turn the page for a sneak peek!
Deadly Confections
Life wasn’t really all that great when you were dead. I mean, I know that sounds confusing, and a couple of weeks ago I would have thought the same. But now? Now the world has taken on a whole lot more shades of gray, and I was more confused than I ever had been while I was living.
Still confused? Let me explain.
My name is Piper Bloom. Two weeks ago I was struck and killed by one of my own cupcake trucks. Talk about irony. Five minutes before that I’d been on the phone with my newly hired driver yelling at her to hurry up before we were late for our next delivery.
You never wanted to be late for a delivery to Mrs. Harper. Rumor was she could type 80 words per minute and most of that time was spent on Yelp crucifying every single shop in the small but bustling city of Babylon. She was a bit of a legend around town, and business owners bowed and scraped around her to keep her from firing up that old dusty Mac and going to town on review sites. I guess we all needed a hobby.
