by Gina Carra
Persephone watches her. “Surprisingly, there aren’t tons of flowers in the city of water. I usually work from a distance for them.”
Hades hums thoughtfully.
Persephone stares down at the water, seeing it up close for the first time. “If this wasn’t so creepy, it’d almost be romantic.” Persephone meets Hades’s gaze.
Hades stares at her blankly. She can’t seem to think of a response.
Persephone laughs. “You really need to relax.”
Hades pulls her eyes away from Persephone and finds herself wondering yet again what could possibly be going on in her head but refusing to let herself read her with a touch. “Going to Elysium isn’t an easy journey for me. I’m sorry I’m a little tense.”
Persephone narrows her eyes. “You hadn’t mentioned it’d be hard on you.”
Hades shakes her head. “It’s been a while is all.”
Persephone’s lips quirk up into a grin. “They don’t like you there, do they?”
Hades actually does laugh at that. “You can say that again.”
Persephone’s smile softens as Hades laughs. She looks like a completely different person when she laughs.
If Hades were looking at Persephone, she’d see another pulse of fondness, but she misses it. “I know all their dirty secrets. They don’t like being reminded of their guilt while they’re enjoying paradise.”
Persephone nods, carefully leaning back to get more comfortable.
Hades’s eyes flicker to her to make sure she’s okay and not touching the water. For a moment, Persephone thinks of Demeter. Demeter always told Persephone that he yelled at her to be careful because he loved her. Persephone knows Hades doesn’t have much choice in the matter right now, but she can’t help but absorb the affection Hades is unknowingly giving her.
It’s the closest thing she has to sunlight.
Hades spots the entrance ahead and Persephone notices she visibly tenses. Hades glances around as if she’s trying to sneak by someone.
Persephone is about to ask when Hades hushes her. Suddenly they’re enveloped in a cloud of smoke and Persephone realizes Hades is using her powers for something.
Before she can ask, the smoke clears and…
Persephone can feel the sun.
She feels tears force their way from her eyes as her skin practically comes to life at the feeling of sunlight. She doesn’t have to open her eyes to feel the breeze and smell the flowers. She feels them all around her. She can call them by name. She can summon them to her. She can grow them, change them. She’s home.
She’s breathing heavily and laughs to herself. All of that hit her so intensely, even her body reacts to the intense joy. She feels practically orgasmic.
She blinks her eyes open and sees Hades looking anywhere but at her. She laughs to herself again. She supposes she must’ve looked like she was enjoying herself a little too much. Part of her wants to embrace it, chase the feeling. She wants to lean forward and share this moment with someone.
She’d never really been picky, so it wouldn’t be a big deal to lean forward and capture the closest pair of lips. That’s how she’d met Hebe after all, but it feels wrong to do that with Hades right now. She also knows she can’t touch Hades, especially not like that.
She tries to get a grip on the feeling and calm herself. She’s here for Autumn.
Yeah, that sobers her right up.
Hades must sense that Persephone’s calmed down. Hades…Persephone could swear Hades is pouting. “You’re obscene.”
Persephone laughs out loud at that. “You could sense all that?” Hades’s unamused face has her doubling over. “It’s a part of life. You can’t tell me you’ve never felt it.”
Hades finds a place to tie up the boat, ignoring Persephone.
Persephone wants to slap herself. Of course Hades has felt that. She felt it with Eros. “Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Hades shakes her head. “The water is safe here.” She steps out into the stream and offers Persephone her gloved hand. “Let’s hurry and find your sister. I kind of have a time limit here too.”
Persephone remembers the time limit on Earth and doesn’t question her. Just nods her head and grabs Hades’s hand as she steps off the boat. “You know how to find her?”
Hades shrugs. “Honestly, I expect she’s going to find you. Elysium doesn’t often get unexpected visitors.”
Persephone refocuses at that. The sun felt so refreshing, she hadn’t realized how different it actually is. Everything feels…she can’t put her finger on it. Everything feels more. Somehow.
Hades nods, knowing what Persephone must be thinking. “Everything is very overwhelming here. I wouldn’t have been surprised if you completely lost yourself to it in the boat.”
Persephone snorts. “You think I’m that easy?”
Hades stares at her slyly. “I’m just saying Elysium is very seductive.”
Something about the way she says it has Persephone’s mouth going dry. Yeah, maybe they should hurry out of here.
Hades secures the boat to a large rock at the side of a hill. Before Persephone can ask, Hades answers for her. “My powers don’t work here.” She leans into the knot she’s tying and Persephone notices for the first time how strong Hades is, power or not. Persephone stares at the muscles in her arms. “I don’t mind it though.”
Persephone bites her lip but shakes it off again as she glances around and wonders if Aphrodite is playing tricks on her. “You can’t see my soul here?”
Hades looks her in the eye at that and shakes her head. “I’ve never been here with someone um…alive.” Her eyes flicker around Persephone’s form for a moment. “No, I guess I can’t.”
Persephone sticks her hand out, palm up. “You wanna try it?”
Hades frowns immediately. “Don’t joke about that.”
Persephone pushes her hand out further. “I’m not joking.”
Hades stares at Persephone’s hand like it’s a puzzle. She brings her own hand up, curiosity getting the best of her. She pulls off the glove before reaching out to touch Persephone’s palm with her index finger. She yanks it away warily. When nothing happens, she presses her finger into Persephone’s palm again before resting her hand on Persephone’s.
Persephone’s been watching their hands, but she glances up at Hades then.
Hades clears her throat and wipes at her eye. “I haven’t touched someone like that in a long time…but we should really hurry.” Hades pulls her hand away and starts walking up the hill.
Persephone runs to catch up to her and grabs Hades’s hand, twining their fingers together.
Hades tries to pull away, but Persephone tightens her grip. Hades looks like she’s about to scream. “What are you doing?!”
Persephone squeezes her hand. “We don’t have time and you can’t do this often. I won’t think about it if you don’t. Just enjoy it while you can, Hades.”
Hades’s heart is so full she feels like she needs to vomit to get it out of her chest. “You’re unbelievable.” She says it sarcastically, but it comes out as a compliment as well.
They reach the top of the hill and Persephone loses her breath. Her eyes flicker over the landscape in front of her, taking it all in.
Hades is watching Persephone. “What does it look like to you?”
Persephone can’t look away from the view in front of her. “What do you mean? It looks beautiful.”
Hades snorts. “It looks different to everyone.”
“Oh.” Persephone stares out, caught up in the view. “It’s…endless fields of flowers. I can’t see the end of it.”
Hades laughs. “Stereotypical.”
Persephone frowns. “What’s it look like to you?”
Hades shrugs. “I guess it just…looks a lot like Earth.”
Persephone squeezes Hades’s hand. She’s not sure what she can really say to that.
Before the moment can linger, Persephone spots a figure in the distance running
toward them. Persephone stares for a moment, trying to figure out what it is. As it gets closer Persephone starts to see it’s a woman. Then she sees her hair.
Then she’s running.
“Autumn!”
Hades feels her hand tingle as Persephone drops it to run to her sister.
She watches Persephone stumble down the hill awkwardly, bright laughter in the air. They reach each other and she wraps her arms around Autumn, tucking her face into her neck.
She picks her up and spins her around. They’re both practically screaming with laughter.
Hades doesn’t need her power to see Persephone’s soul right now. She’s radiant all on her own.
Autumn is hitting Persephone’s head as Hades walks down the hill slowly, hands in her pockets. From the distance, she already likes her. She can hear her yelling. “Who told you you could grow up without me?”
Persephone pouts. “Autumn, we’re gods. I haven’t aged.”
Autumn hits her again. “Haven’t aged my ass, Persephone. You look like you’re a 100-year-old human. Why are your eyes so tired?”
Persephone swats her hand away. “I’ve been busy. What’s your excuse, too much sunbathing?”
Autumn hits her again and Persephone smirks. “I do not look old. I’ll have you know you don’t need a skincare routine in Elysium. I keep up with all the trends. I hear lots of stories about you and Earth.”
Persephone tsks. “Autumn, you’re a goddess. You never needed skincare.” Something in her heart thrills knowing Autumn still hears stories about Earth.
Hades sits at the bottom of the hill, close enough to keep an eye on Persephone, but not close enough to interrupt.
Autumn grabs Persephone’s face between her palms and smushes her cheeks. “I can’t believe you’re really here. Look at your face.”
Persephone shakes her off. “We’re twins, just look in a fucking mirror.”
Autumn glances over at Hades finally and takes a step back, energy fading. “Persephone, get behind me.”
Hades catches her eye and realizes she scared Autumn. She’s really not sure how to introduce herself to people ever. If sitting at the bottom of a hill isn’t innocent enough for a calm introduction, she’s not sure what else she can do.
Persephone glances between them and Hades can see her trying to decide what to say. “She’s a friend, Autumn.”
Autumn grabs her arm and drags Persephone behind her. “Is she playing some kind of trick on you? Is that why you’re here?” She yells out at Hades. “What do you want from us? Your brother didn’t ruin our lives enough yet?”
Persephone tugs her arm out of Autumn’s grip. “Autumn, I’m serious. It’s a long story. She brought me here to see you.” Autumn’s shaking her head, but before she can say anything else, Persephone sighs and explains it. “Eros shot her.”
Autumn doesn’t connect the dots. “So? Shouldn’t she be with her new lover then?”
Persephone sighs. “Autumn, she is.”
Hades looks away at that, her heartbeat going fast and erratic. They’d never worded it like that before and it’s overwhelming to hear with the effects of the arrow coursing through her veins. Especially while she sits in Elysium.
Autumn glances between them. “You…you love her?”
Persephone glances at Hades. “Eros and Hades are friends. Hades said Eros was trying to do her a favor. It was an accident. We have to wait a bit for the effects to wear off but…for now, we’re stuck together.”
Autumn stares at Persephone, worry clear in her eyes. “Are you okay? Is that…have you been in the Underworld with her?” Persephone nods in a small motion, knowing what she’ll assume about it. She thumps her fist against her sister’s shoulder. “Persephone, what did you get yourself into? Why you?”
Persephone grabs Autumn’s hand. “Can we go sit with her?” Hades’s head swivels to stare at them at that and Autumn looks just as surprised. “You’re going to be worried if we leave before you talk with her. I don’t want you to be worried.”
Autumn looks at Persephone then. “How long do you have?”
Persephone looks at Hades. Hades clears her throat as she glances at the sun to check the time. “About an hour and a half?” It’s not a lot of time at all, but Persephone takes what she can.
Hades zones out as the two goddesses talk quickly and animatedly about anything from fashion to war to friends to food. All the while, Autumn’s eyes keep glancing suspiciously at Hades. Finally she gives in and asks, sensing something between Hades and Persephone. “You trust her?”
Hades can’t look away from Persephone, as much as she wants to give her some privacy to answer Autumn. Persephone looks Hades in the eye and nods.
Hades feels the effects of the arrow deepen. She remembers how it felt with Eros, how the more she gave into it, the more she felt. After a century without feeling anything, recovering some of those lost emotions with Persephone is akin to magic.
She tries not to show it. Persephone just told her sister this whole thing is temporary. She doesn’t want Autumn thinking she’s going to try to stalk Persephone for the rest of time. She briefly wonders if Persephone will still want to see her after all this ends.
She wonders if she’ll even want to see Persephone. She knows how empty things were for herself after Eros. She gets the feeling she’ll feel even less after she loses Persephone. It’s too much to think about. She locks it away in the back of her mind as Persephone and Autumn walk toward her, joining her in the grass at the bottom of the hill.
Persephone sits close to Hades and Hades can see that Autumn’s eyes catch it.
Persephone frowns at her, sensing her judgment. “Autumn, I can’t explain everything to you, but I’m going to hold her hand, okay?” Hades blinks, she figured Persephone was done with that whole thing. “There’s a lot of context to it, but I just need you to know she can’t do this outside of Elysium.”
Persephone goes to reach for Hades’s hand and Hades pulls away instinctively. “You don’t have to. It’ll make her uncomfortable.”
Persephone reaches over and grabs Hades’s arm to tug her hand towards her before lacing their fingers together again. Hades stares at their hands. She tries to understand why Persephone’s spending so much time thinking about Hades when her sister is right there. She also can’t believe she’s feeling someone else’s skin without a lifetime of pain and memories swirling through her mind.
It’s…it’s blissful and it’s not just Elysium playing tricks on her. It’s just…Persephone.
When Hades finally pulls her eyes away from staring at their hands, she sees Autumn staring at her with a sly smile and for a moment she looks so much like Persephone it’s jarring. “Wow, I can’t believe the god of death is such a softie.”
Hades swallows, overwhelmed by the attention. She can’t remember the last time two people looked at her without judgment in their eyes. She’s completely unsure how to react to it.
Persephone laughs at her and that feels a bit more normal. Persephone pats her head. “This is a lot for you, isn’t it?”
Hades jerks away from the gentle touch. She thinks Persephone must be like this with all her friends, but Hades has never had this.
Autumn watches them, but more specifically she watches Hades. “People always think you want to kill them, right?”
Hades is still tongue-tied so she just nods.
Autumn laughs but there’s no humor to it. “I know the feeling.”
Hades feels her attention focus in on Autumn. “What do you mean?”
She gestures between herself and Persephone. “My precious baby sister—”
Persephone interrupts her quietly. “It was 2 minutes.”
“My baby sister brings life into the world. She nourishes the flowers and covers the earth with colors and happiness. My job was to end all of that so the earth could have a break before blooming again.”
Persephone narrows her eyes at Autumn, remembering something.
Autum
n shoves Persephone’s shoulder. “Get over it, Seph.” She looks at Hades. “She’s still bitter from watching me work. I would tear down everything she built and I wouldn’t let her grow anything for months. We hated each other for a long time.”
Persephone mumbles. “I hated you until you were gone.” It’s as true as it is false. They loved each other and hated each other almost equally.
Without warning, Autumn tackles Persephone into a hug that looks half like a wrestling match. Hades expects her to, but Persephone doesn’t let go of Hades’s hand.
Hades looks down at them as Persephone beams, her sister’s arms around her. “You’re still a spoiled brat and I still hate you.” Autumn blows a raspberry onto her arm.
She squirms, giggling and ticklish, as she pushes her away. “Stop, oh my gods. You’re a child.”
Hades glances up at the sun with a frown. She wants to give Persephone more time. She wants to give Persephone all the time in the world.
She notices Autumn and Persephone have gone quiet. Autumn rolls off Persephone and they sit up. She leans into Persephone’s side. “You have to leave, don’t you?” Persephone glances at Hades and doesn’t even wait for her to nod. Autumn presses. “Can you come back?”
Persephone’s still looking at Hades and Hades swallows. Persephone answers her, “I’m not sure. I’d like to, Autumn.”
Autumn’s eyes water. “Will I ever see you again?”
Persephone tsks, releasing Hades’s hand to brush the tears from her sister’s face. “I’m a lesser god. I gotta die someday, right?”
Hades wants to clarify that she won’t, but she knows Autumn and Persephone both know that.
Hades speaks up finally. “We can come back. I’ll figure it out.”
Persephone looks at Hades in shock, but quickly turns her attention back to her sister since they’re running out of time. She smirks. “See? You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Autumn throws her arms around Persephone again and holds her so tightly Persephone’s not sure where she starts and where Autumn ends. She presses a kiss to Autumn’s cheek and she laughs. “You never give me kisses. What’s gotten into you?”
Persephone laughs. “You missed a lot. I’ll write it all down and bring you a novel next time, yeah?”
