In the Veil of Chaos
Page 5
“Yes.” Hades slides a glance at Thanatos. “Destroyer or some such other thing, which would make sense for a goddess of the Underworld, but not a Harvest Queen.”
“That’s one meaning for her name.” Thanatos’ face tightens. “In some languages, it means chaos bringer.”
Hades’ slow heart begins to thud. “What exactly does that mean? You can’t be inferring that she is literally going to bring the God of Chaos back into the world?”
“I don’t know,” Thanatos counters. “She’s brought chaos to your life and the Lands, but what if the meaning goes deeper? What if it is literal? What if Narcissus planned on delivering Chaos into the world as one of us and through Persephone.”
“She’s no more at fault for falling in love with me as I am with her.” Hades’ head is roaring. “We brought chaos to each other. As for the God of Chaos, why would he need a mother? He’s a god.”
“If he were reborn into these Lands, then the rules of gods would no longer apply to him.” Thanatos’ eyes darken. “He would be something new and would bring chaos in all ways. Think about it. It would be an environment Chaos loves and reveres.”
“I’m struggling to believe this, brother. I need you to find me more information. What would Narcissus have to gain from this? Chaos doesn’t keep promises. He throws seeds of dissent and harvests them.”
“Narcissus is too young to know that, or he doesn’t care.” Thanatos shrugs. “He wants what he wants. There are none so blind as those with unbridled ambition who would do anything to achieve their ends.”
“He has to be stopped and soon.” Hades’ jaw clenches. “If we cut off the source, then we can stop Chaos.”
“Be careful, Hades.” Thanatos tilts his head to the side. “Zeus and I can’t help you. We have to remain neutral. Your Winter forces can’t march into Summer and start a war; not if you want to avoid blood filling the Lands. This is a blood challenge in the arena: one on one. In terms of allies, you will be on your own.”
“Zeus does whatever is easiest for Zeus and wouldn’t help me even if he could. And I’m never on my own. I have a Night Army and I will deploy it if Persephone’s life is threatened, even if my own cycle has ended.”
“But I would help you.” Thanatos’ eyes bore in. “And I will, as much as I can.”
Hades shakes his head. “Narcissus is not a king. He’s not even a Lord. I do not fear battle with him.”
“Yes, but your powers are derived from the darkness in the Underworld. There is none in the Land of Summer. There, you will be the Lord of Winter and the Lord of Winter can die in the Land of Summer. And in this case, the Lord of Winter is the King of the Underworld. Your death would have huge ramifications for this world.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Hades says, clapping Thanatos on the shoulder. “But I know the risks. If I can’t defend Persephone and defeat the Pretender of Summer in the arena, then I don’t deserve my wife or my titles.”
“We say we’re immortal, Hades, but we’re not.” Thanatos voice is as sharp as his scythe. “Even gods and goddesses can be killed with the right tools. Remember that.”
Brutus appears beside them and then runs, becoming a black streak across the snow. Hades nods. “That’s our sign. Time to get married.”
The hound gallops back, pulls himself up short, and rubs himself around Hades’ legs. A colorful wreath is around Brutus’ neck and the hatchlings poke their heads through with gold ribbons attached to them.
“Gods and goddesses.” Hades covers his mouth. “What have they done to you?”
“A hellhound as a Summer princess.” Thanatos’ eyes glitter. “That’s not a sight you see every day.”
“True.” Hades cracks a smile. “But it’s good to know she can improvise.”
“Come, brother,” Thanatos says, motioning with his head. “Time to celebrate happier times and long may they last.”
Hades
Hades waits for his bride at the edge of the marsh where the rivers of the Underworld converge. It’s one of the few environments he and Persephone can endure together for a short period of time. Neither will find it satisfying, but that’s their relationship writ large: finding and keeping the balance so they don’t damage each other too much.
Holding the ceremony on the boundary between Earth and the Underworld was Zeus’ idea, as was having Styx, the goddess of the river who rules hatred, healing, and ill-advised wishes, to officiate the wedding. Floating above the water, Styx’s corporeal form is inspired by whatever she touches. Today, her hair is green and she resembles the reeds that line the muddy waters and the riverbank.
Styx’s dirty brown eyes are on Zeus. Their ties are both ancient and unfathomable, but their loyalties run as deep as the rivers she rules. Styx is older than them all and is older than the old gods and goddesses. She was here before the old ones set time—before they claimed dominion over the worlds.
Zeus and Thanatos stand on either side of Hades, acting as his witnesses. The ceremony will be small and intimate, which is not much of a wedding for a woman who will be the Queen of the Underworld, the Lady of Winter, the Harvest Queen and the Blood Heir of Summer.
And Hades is marrying her in a cold, dank marsh. He thought it didn’t matter where they got married, but he was wrong. He now wishes it were in his palace where all the people in all the Lands could see.
“Nervous?” Zeus smirks. “I don’t blame you. Marriage is something I tend to avoid. Then again, it’s not like this will be real. You can’t even touch one another.”
“That’s because you go through lovers like Thanatos changes clothing, Zeus.” Hades eyes his golden brother. “This marriage will be real enough for the both of us.”
“Unlike your women, Zeus, Hades can be secure in the knowledge Persephone doesn't want to bring me to his door,” Thanatos retorts. “What was the name of that woman who swore she would throw you into the sun?”
“Which one?” Zeus laughs. “There have been so many.”
Thanatos rolls his eyes. Zeus has never been short of willing partners, only commitment and compassion. He sparks a form of madness and the women don’t realize that Zeus’ light is as dangerous as the darkness that follows Thanatos and Hades.
Persephone was the opposite. She was made of sunlight, but never afraid of the dark. She never flinched, or balked, or listened to the whispers about Hades.
Guilt wraps around Hades, as strong as Thanatos’ death chains close around unwilling Shades. What Hades can’t give Persephone reverberates in his head: family, friends, the customs of her Land, his body, and children of their own. Even the music playing is mournful and not festive the way she likes it.
Glancing up, Hades spies the earth above. There is one thing he can give her. Raising a hand, he pushes against the ground until it gives. Debris crumbles, but he keeps his focus until a hole opens and the sunlight from the human realm peeks through.
It’s daylight there. Shafts of white light stream down, creating a spotlight where Persephone can stand. Hades steps further right into the shade where the colors are muted and his eyes don’t warp with the glare.
“Hades,” Zeus scowls, “what are you doing? Opening a hole between the two worlds is dangerous. Your predecessor learned that the hard way.”
“This time it’s different. My wife comes willingly and she loves the sun. The least I could do is give her some on her wedding day.”
Zeus turns his face away and Thanatos grins. “I’m proud of you, brother. You’re thinking like a husband already, or in Zeus’ case, should. Thinking about the feelings of other people might save him a whole lot of trouble in the future.”
Hades feels Persephone before he sees her. The smell of mint and fragrant jasmine drifts through the pungent air of the marsh. He doesn’t look until she stands beside him and once he does, he cannot look away.
Persephone glows in the sunlight. She glows in the darkness, too. Her hair is up and dotted with the flowers of their houses. Mint for his and
jasmine for hers.
She wears a traditional, white Grecian wedding dress that clings to her body and has her own style stamped upon it. There’s gold at the shoulders and around her waist, and cuffs with large turquoise stones in the center of them at her elbows. Her delicate hands are wrapped in white gloves.
Hades ’ appreciative stare is rewarded with a beaming smile. “Words are inadequate to describe just how beautiful you are, Persephone.” He extends a hand to her and she places one in his.
Black and white. Opposites, this is them, in living color. With his titles, Hades could have any woman as his eternal mate. But Hades fell in love with the one woman in all the worlds that he can look at and never fully touch.
Hades rubs the black stone ring on his finger under his glove. They’re married, not in a way that either of them wanted, but it’s official. Summer and Winter are legally joined.
Persephone fusses with Hades’ crown. Jasmine and mint swirl around her. It’s a scent he’ll never forget and one he’ll forever associate with her and this day.
She wears the twin to Hades’ crown on her head, but carries it far better than he does. Persephone was born to this, born to rule realms. The urge to kiss her, to grab that luminous face and claim her, threatens to overwhelm him.
Grabbing both of her hands in his, Hades turns Persephone to him. She doesn’t hide the longing in her turquoise eyes. “I wish,” he starts.
“Me too.” Persephone nods toward the hole in the earth above them. “Thank you for giving me Cyane and the sun today.”
“I want you to have them every day.” Hades chest aches. “You’ll be back in Summer where you belong soon enough. I promise.”
Persephone’s smile wavers and the brightness reduces to a glimmer. A hint of sorrow mingles with the jasmine and mint.
“I don’t know. I always thought I could get used to the darkness. Swap the sunlight for starlight.”
Here lie more mutual wishes, more futile prayers to gods and goddesses. More tears, more things Hades could never give her, even if he wanted to.
Hades lets go of her and his hands feel empty. “The sunlight suits you better, Perse. You weren’t made for darkness.”
“Can’t we just pretend, Hades?” Persephone’s eyes glisten. She clutches his face, her hands on either side. “Just for today. We won’t be Summer or Winter, or two people with fate between us. We’ll just be me and you. Our future is wide open with all its possibilities and no barriers.”
Hades draws his forehead close to hers without touching. “Yes. We can do that.”
They draw apart as loud voices echo behind them. Persephone slips her hand in his and he holds on. Zeus, Thanatos, and Cyane are in a triangle arguing with Styx watching on.
“Typical.” Persephone sighs. “It’s not a true wedding without a fight, I guess.”
Cyane is in Zeus’ face wagging a finger and hissing. Zeus leans right back, but Cyane follows until he takes flight above the River Styx to avoid her. “Pathetic,” she shouts up at him with her hands on her hips. “Why do you even exist?”
“I’m on Cyane’s side.” Thanatos bellows at Zeus. “You either do this or I’m going on vacation. When the bodies pile up with no one collecting them, remember this. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”
“You don’t know what she’s asking for.” Zeus hacks his disgust. “The price is too high.”
“Fine.” Thanatos waves his hand. “I’m leaving. I’ve always wanted to visit the mortal realm for a few centuries.”
“Okay,” Zeus snarls. “You win.” He flies at Styx and they tumble and spiral in the air.
They’re a whirl of colors. His golden and light: hers brown and green. They blur together until they are a shade all of their own.
“Hades?” Persephone’s eyes are huge. “What is going on?”
“I don’t know,” Hades admits. “I’m not sure I want to, but I think we’ll find out soon enough. For the moment, I’m just enjoying Zeus’ discomfort.”
Zeus and Styx pop out in the air, two gladiators locked in combat. They circle one another arguing furiously. It’s a conspiracy of gods and goddesses, tantrums and tiaras.
Styx hisses and lunges at Zeus before spiraling down. She hits the water with a splash and then disappears, leaving not even a ripple of where she had once been.
Zeus lands beside Hades and Persephone, his eyes glittering with mirth. Whatever he and Styx were arguing over, clearly he’s the victor.
Beckoning Cyane and Thanatos over, Zeus smirks. “We have a wedding gift for you two. A honeymoon, for twenty-four hours on earth, but as humans not immortals.”
Zeus’ words curl around Hades, twining up his body until it reaches his heart and head. “That’s quite a gift, brother. What did that cost you?”
“Don’t ask,” Zeus says, shaking his head. “It’s worth it.”
“He has to keep away from the river nymphs.” Cyane snickers. “For about a hundred years. Oh, the suffering.”
Zeus’ gaze is withering, but Cyane is already walking away. “Summer girls,” he spits between his teeth. “They’re just something else.”
“Well, well,” Thanatos chuckles. “I think Cyane is immune to you.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Persephone’s voice is breathy and her eyes are full of ache. “We—”
“Yes.” Zeus nods. “Time starts now, so don’t waste it.”
“We won’t.” Persephone waves goodbye and wiggles her eyebrows at Hades. “Any time you’re ready, I am.”
Laughter follows them to the surface. They land on the deck of a large, white barge rocking on the ocean. Its size is capable of carrying a small village, but Hades and Persephone are alone.
Hades’ wedding clothes are gone. He’s dressed in a light tunic and his alabaster skin is now flesh colored. Hades’ senses are duller here than in the Underworld and he’s heavier. His heart that usually beats with a slow thud, races until he expects it to jump out of his chest.
The scent of the ocean washes over Hades and calls to his human soul. It’s his brother Poseidon’s domain, blue and infinite. Hades never understood the appeal of it until now.
Hades eyes snap to Persephone and she’s staring at him. Her wedding dress has shrunk to something simple. It billows and flows around her knees exposing her sun-kissed shoulders.
Her blonde hair catches the breeze and it’s no longer burnished gold. Neither is she, but she’s no less beautiful in this world than their own.
“Your eyes are brown.” Persephone wraps her arms around herself. “Glorious and warm. Like they were when we first met.”
Their mortal eyes lock. This is a place they can be together. No barriers.
Hades crooks a finger at her. “Perse, come here. I want to make love with my wife.”
She races to him and they meet in the middle. Their lips crash into each other, tongues dueling, and their hands roam each other’s bodies. Hades waits for the stinging burn, but it doesn’t come.
Hades presses his forehead to Persephone’s. He can taste her and touch her. Whatever reserve remained between them cracks and splinters.
“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this,” Hades whispers. “To hold you, love you. I never even let myself dream I’d ever get to touch you again.”
Tears are in Persephone’s eyes. “If anyone knows how you feel, it’s me.” She places a hand over Hades’ heart and kisses him, softly, as if they have all the time in the world.
Hades groans. “You used to do that a lifetime ago, when we first fell in love. I remember, you’d brand me with one gentle kiss after another until the only name I could remember was yours.”
“Like this?” Persephone drops a kiss against his neck and runs her tongue along his collar bone. “I’ve ached for you.”
Reaching out, Hades places his hand over her heart. The solid beat under his palms makes him grin. “You feel like joy. The only time I’ve ever felt truly alive is with you.”
They peel clothes off each other until they are both standing naked under the hot sun. Hades reaches a hand out and runs it down the front of Persephone’s body. She arches forward, her mouth opening in a soft sigh.
Persephone lays her palms flat on Hades’ chest. Her hands skim his bare skin. They race to touch each other, their lips following where their hands have already roamed.
White heat coils in Hades’ stomach. He’s never felt more out of control or alive. “Even with mortal eyes,” he whispers, “nothing beats your beauty.”
Dropping to his knees, Hades worships her. He holds her as her hands lock into his hair. He doesn’t stop even when she begs him to, even when she’s spent.
Dragging Persephone down to the deck, Hades can’t wait for a bed or a cabin. He hovers his body over her until she nods. They make love on the deck of the barge with the sun in the sky, salt in the air, and the waves rocking underneath them.
Persephone
Persephone rolls over and stretches out in the bed. Hades’ side is empty, leaving her scrabbling at cotton sheets and fluffy pillows. Moonlight seeps through from the skylight and windows of the master stateroom of the boat.
She finds her husband sitting naked in a chair staring at her. “What are you doing?” Persephone pats his side of the bed. “Come back here.”
Hades’ smile makes her heart race. “The first time I ever laid eyes on you in the flesh you were bathed in moonlight. I’d never seen anything more beautiful until the next time I saw you and now.”
“I remember.” Persephone sits up, dragging the sheet with her. “You gaped at me like a fish on dry land. Your mouth was opening and closing like you were struggling for air.”
“I was.” Hades laughs. “Zeus told me of a girl so beautiful she eclipsed the sun. He showed me your face in a mirror, but I thought you were something he’d conjured to tempt me out of my solitude. When you played in rivers and springs, I found myself watching you. Maybe it was the moonlight, but that night I saw something hidden behind your innocent face. The parts you kept to yourself and it was those places I longed to know. I didn’t mean to come to you that night. I thought of you and found myself there. After I laid eyes on you in the flesh, I knew there would never be anyone else.”