But that had to be the mood talking. I didn’t want to kill people because I had the power to—did I?
I couldn’t hunt her dragons, I resolved, but I could protect her from future ones. Including myself. I hoped that alongside Persephone’s reappearance, other things were not brought forth—like the darkness, the corruption or the hunger. I wouldn’t be able to bear to see Val tormented by the same troubles that plagued me.
I wanted to see her strong, like the Princess she was. I wanted her to feel empowered, and hold onto her grace and beauty. I would never wish for the same discomfort, I felt, on her. I hoped that her union with her Goddess was a happy one, and in turn, perhaps fate would see happiness bestowed upon me.
She would be my rock and my anchor. As Persephone had been for Hades; but this time, we would rewrite history. We would learn from our past lives and those around us who fought with their yesterdays. I wanted to see her raised beside me like the powerful Goddess I knew she was. Together, we would rule the Underworld as equals.
I smiled to myself, imagining it, wondering if Hades would be able to put aside his pride to level himself with his wife. It was strange, considering Valentina in that light: as my wife, my soulmate. I had never believed in things like that. I’d never been given a reason to believe, until I met her. From the moment I first saw her, I felt the jolt, no doubt Hades’ recognition of his wife, but the feeling was irrefutable. I was in love.
I took a deep gulp of water from the glass on the table, before lying back on the bed, tucking one arm under my head. I felt another rush of cool magic sweep over me, folding around my body like a blanket, as Hades pulled me into his mind.
We sat together on thrones made of silver and skulls. Valentina looked beautiful in a black silk dress, her lips painted a dark red, and her hair curled like ribbons around her face. The tiara on her crown was well suited; she looked like a Princess of the Dead—and I next to her, her Prince. I could never be king to these subjects, they followed my commands only out of fear for their immortal souls, but my brother—Zeus —would always be their one true king.
I could see the reverence for Valentina, however, in their eyes, as they bowed low at her feet, while whispering their hopes and dreams. She smiled courteously at them, reaching out to one who dared draw closer, and brushed her fingers against his forehead. A soft purple glow formed between them and the anguish, so heavily written on his face, dispersed. He seemed lifted of a weight as he rose, thanking her with soundless gestures, before moving to the threshold on our left that would guide him to his afterlife.
My eyes turned back to her, watching the small smile appear on her lips. She felt empowered by alleviating his pain, and I wondered if that was one of her gifts. She had certainly healed me when I needed it. But at what cost to her did those powers demand? If there was any, it didn’t show on her face as she sat there, regal as ever, waiting for the next celebrant to fall at her feet.
The scene changed suddenly, and we were on a snowy hill, the wind whipping around us and drawing our clothes tight around our bodies like chains. Val held up her hand to the sky and a bright purple light split from her palm, throwing itself into an invisible force. As she tried again in desperation, I reached out and brought my hand to hers, and together, purple smoke came forth, blasting into the force and pulling it away from its protective shell.
Invisible shrapnel flew at us, and we threw our arms up in protection. Valentina’s covered her face, while mine wrapped around her and twisted, hiding her body behind mine. Her body curved perfectly into my own, small enough that I could shield her from the worst of the damage. Her hands held fast to my arms, fingertips biting into the skin, as pain suddenly rippled through her. My eyes widened in horror as her knees gave out, and she crumbled to the ground in front of me.
I searched her for any signs of damage, checking desperately for blood, or anything that obvious. She had released her grip on my arm, wrapping it, instead, around her stomach as her head bowed, and she fell into a child’s pose on the ground. An unnatural cry called out from behind us, and I turned to find myself staring up at the mighty Typhon. From his neck, stretched a dozen heads of dragons, each head spitting venom and fire toward us. I held out my hand, willing my smoke to disperse the demon; but it merely swallowed it like an afternoon tea.
Again, the scene changed, and we were back in our throne room, a child on her knees sat quietly weeping. Valentina turned to me with a broken-hearted look in her eyes. I rose quietly and moved to the child’s side, brushing her tendrils from her face, before cradling her against me. It was a strange sensation; I wasn’t used to comforting anyone, let alone someone as weak as a young child. She sobbed into my shoulder, and I could feel her tears sink into my vest.
I could feel her grief as a part of me, much as the air that entered my lungs. She had died prematurely, of an illness for which there was no cure. She had been torn from her mother’s arms and brought to this realm where, no doubt, the screams of the undead and the dark, imposing interior, left nothing to be desired. This wasn’t the heaven she had been promised. Not yet, it wasn’t.
I carried on comforting her nonetheless. Letting her regain her breathing in quick, short bursts, until she was mostly calm. Glancing uneasily over my shoulder, Valentina smiled at me warmly, her pride resonating into my cold soul. When the child’s sobs subsided, Valentina reached out and took her hand, guiding her toward the entrance of Elysium. There, she would find the comfort she truly craved. Ancestors, who had passed through this room before her, might even greet her. One could only hope such a fate was in store for the small child. Valentina returned to my side, reaching down and collecting my hand in hers. She squeezed gently and helped me stand, as we returned to our thrones together.
This Princess was my equal in every way, but she was also my rock and my partner. This, Hades knew. We were two halves of a stone, broken in half long ago, and only now, were we given the chance to be put back together. Magic would bind us once more, but first, we had to rediscover where our pieces fit together.
Hades rocketed me back to reality with a jolt, the visions, and memories dispersing. I gripped the blankets on the bed, waiting for a wave of nausea to pass. I need her; he whispered desperately, and I nodded. There was no doubt of that. Convincing her of that, would be a little more difficult. I was sure, she thought I was heinous for locking her up without an explanation.
I found comfort, however, in the knowledge that Hades and I shared the same sentiment when it came to the minor Goddess.
In my experience, love had never come easily. It was a fleeting thing that left before you even got the fullest experience of it. Everything I had ever loved in my life, was taken from me. Would Valentina one day succumb to this fate too?
I stared up at the dark, cavernous ceiling of my bedroom, considering our entwined fates. Only time would tell, as it did with most things. Given time, I would better understand my powers, their costs, and its hunger. I could learn more about my relationship with Persephone, and build the one I had begun with Valentina. I could rectify the damage that had separated my Godly siblings and me. And perhaps, truly, this reincarnation would be a better chance for Hades to be an equal and not a trickster.
There was plenty I could do in the meantime, although I had more to learn about my powers and more to learn about myself.
Optimism was a strange sensation that was mostly foreign to me. In my life, I had never experienced any opportunities that might befit me. I was forced, instead, into situations that took their toll. Perhaps, it was a sign I was changing, or instead, just justifying to myself the things I had done so far.
Living with both, a dangerous God and a conscience, required an inner peace that I would never achieve. Perhaps, instead of questioning these moments of hope, I should accept them. It’s what Valentina would want.
I stood up off the bed and stretched myself out again, feeling the itch in the back of my throat for another glass of whiskey. Perhaps, though, this time, I would
simply have a drink for the sake of thirst. Maybe, I was turning a corner with my God, coming to a greater understanding of him and how he thought. I didn’t expect this peace between us to last. I had reason to believe, we’d only come to this mutual understanding because he had managed to open himself up more to me this afternoon. Allowing me a glimpse into his history, and our potential future, instilled me with the hope that maybe, my darkness was a thing of the past.
I found the whiskey bottle where I had left it in the living room, still containing the dribbles of one more drink. As I reached for the highball glass to pour it out, I felt a tug in the pit of my naval that caused me to crush the glass in my hands.
She is calling us.
“Who?” I groaned, grabbing the side table and holding on, as another tug ripped through my organs.
Persephone. My heart sped up slightly, that meant that it had worked. His stupid, ridiculous, selfish, plan had worked. I could’ve cheered if I had the stomach for it, but another tug knocked me sideways, and the almost empty whiskey bottle fell to the floor into a sprinkle of glass. I watched, helplessly, as the last of the alcohol absorbed into the carpet.
No more stalling, we must go to her.
“Don’t you think it’s worth considering for a moment, how easy this all seemed to be?” I felt self-conscious and crazy for speaking aloud to myself.
I have waited for a thousand years for my wife; we will go when she calls.
“Well, alright... But—” I nary had the chance to answer, as I consented, Hades relieved me of my control, and I felt myself pushed back further into the darkness of my mind I so loathed. Suddenly, I was the voice in my head, and Hades was the one with the power.
Chapter 3
I felt a grin stretch itself over my face as Hades reentered the apartment. I could feel the buzz of excitement inside of him as he saw Valentina, her face screwed up in a scowl, as evidence of her true form.
“I knew it wouldn’t be long.” He cut to the chase, grinning wider, as though he was trying to piss her off.
“Well, when you take to, literally, repeating history, it’s a little hard to stay hidden away.”
“You weren’t coming back to me.” And he meant this, he’d worried she’d choose not to come back to him ever again.
As if she sensed this fear, she threw her daggered comment, “I didn’t want to.” I felt the stab of pain as he stared at her, searching her face for some truth. He wanted to believe she was doing this for show that she fought, he based, on some ego she wasn’t ready to give up.
“What did I ever do to you to deserve this punishment?” His voice was soft and vulnerable, but she didn’t care.
“You tricked me! You lied to me! You took me away from my family.”
“A family that didn’t appreciate you! That didn’t love you... If Zeus cared about you as much as he said he did, he wouldn’t have turned you over to me as my wife.” To Hades, his brother was the Almighty, Zeus believed himself to be. If there was something he wanted, he would find a way to get it, even if it meant bypassing the laws of the kingdom of the Underworld.
“He was forced to because you tricked me into eating the food.”
He scoffed, “I remember it different.” We crossed toward the couch and sat down on its edge. He folded his hands in his lap and turned to watch her with amusement.
“You’re controlling and manipulative. You are like a child. You need to have your way, or you throw a temper tantrum and act dramatic.”
“Nothing about this had been dramatic.”
“Everything about this is dramatic! Why couldn’t you just play by the rules for once? Maybe I would’ve come to you...”
“She would’ve never come. The boy is weak.” For a fraction of a moment, I felt my face frown as I reacted to what he said. It was ironic, he blamed me for the so-called weakness, when my inability to stand up for myself stemmed from the fact my God tended to take over on a whim.
“The boy is the perfect vessel for you!” I felt a jerk, as Hades suddenly rose and crossed the room in a glide, so that he towered over the smaller woman. His hand lashed out, curling his fingers around her neck and he held her firmly. I knew he wasn’t hurting her. I could feel the control as his muscles fought the urge to squeeze, and he fought back with his urge to retain control. But I still felt worried for Valentina, would she feel the pain if he did decide to act? Was she scared right now? I wanted to comfort her, even if I was the last person she could want comfort from.
“I am not weak.” Hades’ voice seemed to boom through the room as he held his ground, staring her defiantly in the face.
“You are. That’s why you are King of the Underworld and nothing more, only the wills of ghosts may be bent by you, because you’ll never have the ability to command men.”
“I was never given the chance.” He flicked his wrist and released her, sending her backward into the bookshelf. Several tomes shook in their place, before settling back into silence.
“Gods, you’re arrogant.”
“You can fight me again, but this time, I will have you entirely to myself,” It wasn’t an idle threat. Hades feared if he didn’t possess her entirely, she couldn’t be possessed at all. But, he didn’t understand that his love shouldn’t be about possession.
“Why can’t you see that leaving things alone is in your best interest? I hoped that maybe you had learned, that maybe, this time, it would be different and I could let myself love you organically. But instead, you resort to archaic methods out of fear.” Listen to her, I pleaded, but Hades silenced me by pushing me further into the shadows of our mind.
“Again, with this fear, this weakness... Woman, you know me not.” I could feel the arrogance resonating through me; he clung to his bravado out of fear of rejection. Persephone had him pegged.
“Nor you, I. I hoped we might have a thoughtful conversation, but apparently, I was wrong. You’re dismissed.” The chuckle began in the depths of my belly, slowly working its way up the cavity of my chest, before buckling out of my mouth. Hades’ anger had instantly dissolved into amusement. He moved toward her with a strange tenderness, taking her drinking glass from her, and for a moment, I longed for more alcohol. Perhaps, I would, then, be able to distance myself from this exchange.
“You’re suited to be Queen and yet you settle for Princess.”
“I have no interest in challenging my father for his throne, and I won’t help you either. Besides, did you see what happened to your father just yesterday?”
Hades believed that his Kingdom saw him as a King and not just merely a Prince. It was his ego’s way of living with the domain that had been bequeathed to him by his brother. He would never accept that the souls of the departed who bowed to him, still believed Zeus to be King, even at his feet. He believed they cast aside those views in favor of their new master upon death.
“I meant of the Underworld. You don’t need to command men to control the world.” For a moment, I caught a glimpse of this world Hades envisioned. He saw himself next to Persephone on his throne of silver and skulls but not ruling from the Underworld. In exchange for his rightful Kinghood, he had granted the mortals with immortality on the promise that they would follow him, instead of Zeus. Hades’ desire for power didn’t allow him to see the flaws in such a plan—overpopulation, waning belief, and the arrogance of the man who knew they were immortal...”
“Control the world, such superfluous talk. It will do nothing but endanger you. Settle for what you have, thank Zeus and be happy for once. Holding grudges and plotting behind his back is the way of the past. You have a second chance, work with your brother and, maybe, he will raise you once more into glory if that’s what you desire. But give up this sad fight for power against Zeus. We’re here to work together, once again... You heard the Titan; singular gods have no place in this world anymore. The mortals need us to be united and strong.”
Hades considered my thoughts and the words Val had spoken, I could feel the frown tugging on his lips,
as he stared at her in silence. He didn’t like being wrong, and he especially didn’t like when his dreams were shattered like this. He wanted time to come up with another plan for greatness, something that might entice Persephone to join his side once more. He turned and strode to the wall, already thinking the words of the spell to reveal the door.
“You’re leaving me?”
“You’re not ready yet.”
“You just don’t like that I’m right.” This was true, and the last thing he’d do, would be to admit that. Her soft footfalls moved toward us, and I felt him stiffen, afraid she might touch him and what that might do to him. For all that bravado, here was the one woman in the entire universe who might hold the power to bring this God of Death to his knees.
I wished he would turn, so I could see her face, perhaps convey a message to Valentina in his moment of weakness.
“Bring our dog, she can’t be here alone.”
“She has you.” He scoffed, keeping a firm stare on the wall in front of us. “You both need time to catch up with the rest of us.”
“Hades, please.” He jerked involuntarily, it was worse than being touched: her begging. I could feel his resolve slipping, and in a moment of brief loss of control, I forced him to nod our head, before he passed through the door he’d conjured in the wall. We reemerged in Olympus and I immediately shivered as Hades retreated into the darkness.
I ran my hand through my hair, scratching my scalp as I went, before frowning to myself and returning to my apartment. The only benefit, if you could call it a benefit at all, to living inside my own head when Hades was in control, was that I could see his thoughts and how his mind worked. Even then, some of the things I saw, left nothing to be desired.
I found a new whiskey bottle
as soon as I was back; pouring myself a full glass, before returning to the earlier damaged one. With a wave of my hand the glass disappeared and the room went back to normal. I wanted to get exorbitantly drunk. It would keep Hades at bay for a little bit and I might be able to resolve some of the damage he had amassed during our visit.
Grace of Gods Boxset: Reincarnated Greek Gods YA/NA Series Page 49
