by Melody Rose
I obliged, watching as my brother pulled back from Hera with a shit-eating grin. Hera was lost in a blissful gaze as Zeus held her against his chest and rested his chin on the crown of her head.
“Well, dear brother, I hope your evening goes well. Enjoy yourself tonight. It was…” Zeus paused and curled his lip back to bare his teeth. “Lovely to see you.”
“I wish I could say the same,” I hissed between clenched teeth.
“We’ll see you soon, I hope?” Hera asked as Zeus turned to leave. I nodded and smiled, clenching my jaw as I did so.
“Of course,” I replied. Hopefully not for another few thousand years, I growled internally.
Once Hera and Zeus disappeared into the club, I turned back to the bar. As Hephaestus watched in horror, I downed the other four glasses of whiskey. When I slammed the glass down on the counter, Hephaestus whistled in awe.
“So, that went well…” he said as he leaned over the bar to order more shots.
I glared at him from the corner of my eye. “I should have known that tonight was going to be a shit show.”
“Come on, Hades. The night is still young,” Hephaestus chided. “Just because your brother was acting like the king of the dicks doesn’t mean the entire evening is ruined, doesn’t it?”
I took a deep breath to steady myself as the bartender returned. As he poured two more shots, I clenched and unclenched my hands.
“I think I’m going to call it a night. Thanks for bringing me out, Hephaestus. This was loads of fun.” I reached into my jacket and produced a small bundle of money. As I set it down on the bar, Hephaestus grabbed my arm.
“Dude, you’re not really leaving, are you? It hasn’t even been an hour. Just stay and see what happens. Forget about Zeus, man. Please?” Hephaestus implored.
I looked over to my friend, frowning deeply. I could see the disappointment on his face. Guilt washed over me as I patted his hand and slipped out of his grasp.
“I’ll see you later,” I promised. “You know where I am.”
Hephaestus shook his head slowly, then nodded, accepting my decision. I tipped my head in farewell and started towards the door. I hadn’t gone more than fifteen feet before a familiar face popped up before me. I blinked quickly, taking a step back. Atropos, one of the three Fates who resided in the underworld, smiled and bit her lip cutely as she hopped lightly on her feet in excitement.
“Hello, Hades!” she said in a singsong tone. “Fancy seeing you here. You look incredible.”
“Thanks,” I replied, “so do you.”
Atropos, like her two sisters, was quite pretty. Unlike the myth the humans told about the Fates, the three sisters were far from being three old hags who shared a single eyeball. In reality, the sisters actually shared their vision. Each day, the sisters would alternate their sight in order to see the past, present, and future. When one had the sight, the other two were blind. Today, it seemed it was Atropos’s day for the sight.
Her brown eyes were large and doe-like, making Atropos look no older than eighteen. Her short brown hair was up in two adorable little space buns, and she wore a plain green dress with knee-high golden Spartan sandals. As she took a step towards me, I could smell the scent of her perfume. She smelled like cinnamon and fire. Quite fitting, considering the temple she shared with her sisters was located near the River Acheron.
“Did you come alone?” she asked, her tone hopeful. I ground my teeth together. Atropos had made her affection for me quite clear long ago. And yet, despite my polite rebuffing, she continued to pursue me. Hephaestus had tried to urge me to sleep with her in hopes of getting her to leave me alone. But I knew that doing so would cause her to get the wrong impression.
And I didn’t want her to feel as though there was a possibility for a relationship when I harbored no romantic feelings for her. Even though I was the God of the Dead, it didn’t mean that I was a complete scumbag.
I shook my head and stuffed my hands in my pockets to appear calmer than I felt. “No, I came with Hephaestus. What about you? Are your sisters with you?”
“Nope,” Atropos said as she shook her head quickly. She bit her lower lip as her gaze fell on my neck and moved down my body slowly. I shivered, feeling even more uncomfortable than I had just a moment ago. “I’m all alone.”
“Right...” I cleared my throat. “Well, I hope you enjoy your evening. I’m heading home.”
I moved to take a step forward, but Atropos blocked me, her face reflecting the disappointment.
“You’re leaving already?” Atropos asked, near pleading. “Don’t you wanna dance with me before you go?”
I cringed at the sound of her desperation. If I danced with her now, I was sure to regret it later. I shook my head and smiled politely in an effort to keep her from pleading further.
“While I appreciate the offer, I really have to go. I have a lot of work to finish, and I’d like to get a head start on it before I get swamped. I’ll see you back in Tartarus tomorrow.”
Atropos’s shoulders sagged in sadness as I reached up and rubbed the back of my neck. She sighed and stepped out of the way, her gaze no longer meeting mine.
“Yes, of course. Have a good evening, Lord Hades,” she said, her tone solemn.
I bid her farewell and slid past her. I felt horrible for Atropos. But I didn’t want her to set expectations about me that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to fulfill. As I made my way towards the exit, I decided to look over the crowd of dancers one last time. How I wished I could live a blissful life of ignorance as the humans did. But I was doomed to live miserably with only my immortality and my thoughts to keep me company. Suddenly, I felt my body go rigid.
Frozen in place, I stopped to watch a woman dancing alone in the middle of the dancefloor. She was dressed in a stunning black dress that fell to her thighs with knee-high black boots. Her lips were a light shade of pink, and her long brown hair framed a heart-shaped face as it fell in waves down to her slim waist. This had to be the most breathtaking woman I had ever seen in my entire existence. Before I could catch myself, my feet had started moving towards the dancing beauty.
Her eyes were closed as she swayed to the beat, albeit a bit awkwardly. From here, I could sense she wasn’t human. In fact, she was an Olympian goddess. Strange, I thought to myself, I thought I knew all the goddesses who lived on Olympus. Suddenly, the young goddess stopped dancing and opened her eyes. As I met her lavender gaze, my breath caught in my throat.
3
Persephone
It was warm tonight, and beads of sweat had formed on my neck and chest. Worse, my anxiety had risen to an intolerable level. Peering around the brick building of the Golden Dunes night club in New York City, I tried to quell the panic growing in my stomach. For the first time in my entire life, I had run away from home. I felt nauseous at the thought and pressed my back against the cool brick wall to calm myself.
I closed my eyes and took in one deep breath, then another. From the moment I was born, my mother, Demeter, had kept me locked inside her temple. With the exception of being able to go out to her garden, I had never been allowed outside of Olympus, let alone the human realm. But my best friend, Artemis, was growing tired of how I was being treated. Together, we hatched a plan to get me out of the temple for the night. Well, it was mostly Artemis’ idea, but I had still gone along with all of it.
But now that I was in the human realm, I felt overwhelmed with guilt, fear, and anxiety. I was almost positive I was in the location that Artemis had told me to meet her at, but I couldn’t be sure. This place was foreign to me.
Large rectangular chariots raced down the road, making the most atrocious sounds I had ever heard in my life. In the sky, a large beast with glittering stars on its wings flew by. From my position in the alley, I watched as humans passed by. Most of them shot me a look of confusion. Perhaps I wasn’t dressed properly? I looked down at myself to be sure.
I wore a black dress that fit snuggly with a matching pair of black bo
ots that reached my slender knees. Frowning, I glanced back around the corner to examine the human women that were waiting in line for the club. Most of them wore short dresses similar to my own. Others wore pants and unbelievably small shirts that exposed their midriffs. I ducked back into the alleyway.
You’re worrying too much, I reminded myself. I sighed and covered my face with both hands. I shouldn’t have gone out. I should go back home before Mother realizes I’m gone. Because once she realizes I’m gone, she’s going to kill me. I’ll never see the light of day again. What have I done? Why did I listen to Artemis? This was a horrible idea.
Two days ago, I had been sitting in my mother’s garden, mindlessly tending to the flowers. While I had been lost in thought, Artemis had flashed to my side. She had asked what I was doing, but I didn’t answer. She tried again, but I was too far in my thoughts to hear her. When she pinched my arm, I came to. Confused, I had asked what she was doing there.
“You need to get out of here,” she had said with a tone of concern.
I sighed. I wished I could leave, but my mother was forever terrified that the men of the world would soil me and poison me against her. That once they used me to satiate their appetites, they would leave me an empty husk of my former self.
Artemis had had enough of that kind of talk. She had devised a plan that would allow her to disguise a handmaiden as me while I should be sleeping. Then she would come to my room and whisk me away, enchanting the room with enough of my powers for my mother to register my presence was still close by. But the enchantment wouldn’t work forever.
I only had a handful of hours before the powers guarding my room would start waning. I put my hands down and took another breath.
One, two, three, four….
“Sephie? What the hell are you doing?” A disembodied voice asked before a golden beam of light unexpectedly flashed to my right. I shrieked, jumping away as Artemis materialized beside me. Artemis’ perfectly shaped brows rose in surprise as she held up her hands in defense. “Whoa! Calm down, girl. It’s just me.”
I doubled over and placed my hands on my knees as I struggled to breathe. As much as I wanted to be here tonight, I was absolutely mortified. I took one deep breath after another, trying to calm my heart before it burst through my ribcage. I felt her warm, reassuring hand on my back as I struggled to compose myself.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked. I shrugged.
“I feel like this is a horrible idea,” I whispered. I straightened myself again and pushed my hair out of my face. My neck had started to sweat profusely now. “Maybe I should go back home before my mother finds out. If she finds out I was here, she’s going to kill me, and then she’s going to kill you.”
Artemis waved my worries away dismissively. “Relax. Your mom isn’t going to find out about anything. I took care of that, remember? You need to chill. This is going to be good for you. You’ve been stuck in that temple for so long that you didn’t even know what a donut was. That’s a travesty in and of itself.”
I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself for comfort. It was true. Without Artemis, I wouldn’t know anything. She had introduced me to new foods, books, and music. All of these wonderful things had been denied to me all because my mother worried about my virtue and purity. But I was a woman now. I should be able to venture into the world and experience things without her looming over my shoulder.
Still, my guilty conscience wasn’t convinced.
“I know, but are you sure this is okay? I’m worried, Artie,” I said with a sigh.
“I know.” Artemis nodded, wrapping an arm around me. “But don’t. From this moment on, I want you to enjoy yourself. Forget your mom, forget Olympus, forget everything. Okay? You need this. You deserve this.”
I looked up at Artemis. She smiled softly and rubbed my arm, much like my mother had done when I was a child.
As much as I loved my mother, Artemis had been my rock my entire life. She held a special place inside my heart that not even my own mother could replace. I smiled back, and she kissed my forehead lovingly.
“Okay. That’s enough wallowing in the creepy alley for you. Let’s go inside now, shall we?” I gave a small nod, and together we stepped out of the alleyway. We bypassed the line and marched towards the double doors of the club. As we passed, men and women alike stared at Artemis in awe.
Artemis was a true beauty. Her long, curly red hair was up in a tight ponytail. She wore a pair of tight black leather pants that accentuated her rear and an emerald green corset that matched her eyes. She was tall, much taller than me, and her heels made her look like an Amazonian warrior. I felt rather plain by her side.
My long brown hair, normally laced with wildflowers, was loose at my waist. My eyes were a light shade of purple that made my skin look pale and sickly. I bit the inside of my cheek. I was overthinking again. I had to stop doing that.
At the entrance to the club, we encountered a large man with a small shield covering his eyes. He was a handsome man with deep chocolate-colored skin. However, when I squinted, I could tell the man was much more than he was pretending to be.
When I finally broke past his illusion, I gasped. His skin was two shades darker than his illusion had led me to believe. His face was covered in small golden runes that seemed to glide beneath his skin from his chin to his scalp. His teeth were so large that his lips couldn’t close around them. And his teeth were just as terrifying as his appearance. His yellowed teeth were all sharpened points that looked like they could rip your arm from its socket with little effort.
Artemis didn’t seem to notice in the least. She smiled and threw her arms around the man, then kissed his cheek. The man laughed and hugged Artemis tightly. She looked unbelievably small in the large man’s hands.
“How are you, my little cherub?” the man asked, his voice barely more than a growl. He set Artemis down, and she shrugged lightly.
“I’m wonderful now that I see you’re here. How have you been?” Artemis replied flirtatiously.
“You act as though we didn’t see each other the night before last.” The man said with a chuckle.
“Hey, I can still worry about you, Maymun. Jeez.” At this, Maymun nodded.
“I’m well, cherub. And who is this that you have brought with you?” I stiffened as he addressed me, and I found myself cowering beside Artemis. Artie giggled as she wrapped one arm around me and pulled me into a hug.
“This is my best friend, Persephone. I’m showing her the human world tonight because her mother is an overbearing hag that keeps her locked away like a princess in a tower. Isn’t that awful?”
“Oh, eazizi almiskin,” Maymun said as his harsh features softened, “my poor dear. How does it feel now to be out and free?”
I blinked in surprise and smiled. “I- it feels fantastic. Thank you.”
“Wonderful,” Maymun replied as he stepped aside and opened the doors for us to enter. “Please go inside and enjoy yourself this evening. Artemis, my cherub, ensure that this one has a glorious time, yes?”
“Of course, I will! We’ll see you later, Maymun.” Artemis blew Maymun a kiss and began to usher me inside.
“Thank you, Maymun. Have a good night!” I called as I passed him.
“W 'ant 'aydaan, Persephone. You too.”
As Maymun closed the door behind us, we stepped into the club. The music was thunderous and wonderful. Everywhere I turned, there were people dancing, drinking, and even kissing. With wide eyes, I took in my surroundings. Artemis snickered as she pulled my hand and led me into the room. The interior of the club was stunning. Thick red velvet drapes hung from the walls, and a thinner fabric hung from the ceiling like a canopy. The walls were gold with porcelain mosaics. I had never seen the desert before. But if I had to use a reference for what it would look like, it would be the club.
“Are you okay?” Artemis asked, yelling in my ear over the music. I nodded quickly, feeling all my fear and anxiety dissipate.
“This plac
e is incredible!” I cried, bouncing lightly on my heels in excitement.
Artemis stood on the tips of her toes, glancing around at the occupants of the club until she found the person she was looking for. When she did, she took hold of my hand and dragged me behind her. We bobbed and weaved through the throng of people until we reached the seating area. In this large space, large red semi-circle shaped seats lined the walls in small alcoves of seclusion with a perfect vantage spot to the rest of the club.
Artemis led us towards a man who was sitting with five women in one of the alcoves. He was wearing a white shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal a perfectly tanned and chiseled chest. As we neared him, I could hear the women around him, laughing.
“Hey, loser!” Artemis called. The man paused mid-sentence and glanced towards us. When he noticed Artemis, he excused himself from the women and stood. I stopped ten feet away and watched as Artemis gave the man a hug. My eyebrows rose involuntarily. I had always known my friend was very loving and friendly, but this was more than I was expecting.
“I didn’t know you were coming here tonight,” the man said, flashing her a dazzling smile. “I’m surprised you took time out of your busy schedule of playing with your little bow and arrows to come to join us normal folk.”
“Whatever. You’re just mad because all you have is a little musical instrument. I actually have a skill,” Artemis said as she rolled her eyes and shoved his head playfully. She smiled over to me and gestured to the man with her perfectly manicured hand. “Sephie, this is my twin brother, Apollo.”
I blinked at that. While Artemis was a muscled redhead with deep green eyes, her brother was a blonde, blue-eyed opposite. With Artemis’ heels, he stood at an even height with his sister. This put him at somewhere between six-foot-one or six-foot-two. I bowed my head respectfully, then mentally chastised myself for doing so.
You don’t have to be so formal here, Persephone. Tone it down.
Apollo glanced over to me and smiled. He gave me a quick once over and sucked in a breath. My cheeks burned as he examined me from head to toe. Suddenly I felt incredibly awkward in front of Apollo.
