Gilded Ruins

by Chantal Gadoury

  Thanatos eyed me carefully. “No, I don’t. What do they say?”

  I stared at him for a moment, doing my best to not laugh. He was joking, right?

  “Maybe you should ask Arae,” I teased.

  Raising a brow, he stared at me blankly before shrugging.

  Relief flooded me as he ignored my ill-attempt at what seemed like a very silly joke now. We approached a table adorned with several golden goblets. It had been fluffed with various floral arrangements; white and soft pink roses, bright red poppies and more pink bougainvillea. Something in me said they had purposely placed these flowers in regard to my spring heritage.

  “Thank the Gods for the wine,” Thanatos muttered as he sucked in a heady breath and grabbed a goblet. He took one long gulp, emptying the contents in a matter of seconds. If it had been me, I would have found myself on the floor before I’d had the chance to come up for air.

  Morpheus pressed his hand on my back, as we continued on quietly.

  “Did his Lord pay you a visit?” He asked abruptly. His question startled me; my mouth suddenly felt dry as I searched for some sort of gentle way to respond to him. But my cheeks betrayed me as they warmed, and I found myself bobbing my head with a nod. I couldn’t keep secrets from Morpheus, no matter how hard I tried. No matter how much they might hurt him.

  “Good,” he whispered. “I’m glad.”

  “Are you?” I wasn’t so sure that he really meant that, but I wanted to believe he did. My mind drifted to the night Morpheus pressed his lips against mine, and how I allowed it to happen. I welcomed it with empathy. It was all I could do to push the memory away.

  “If you’re talking about the kiss. . .” he began, “I apologized to you once.”

  “I’m not talking about the kiss, but I am talking about your feelings,” I murmured in reply. “There’s a difference.”

  “The difference doesn’t matter. My feelings have nothing to do with this,” Morpheus replied curtly. As much as I wanted to believe him, I had the strange feeling that Morpheus would never admit how much the relationship between Darce and I bothered him. He was first and always, a loyal subject to the God of the Underworld. He would always be a loyal friend to me.

  We didn’t speak as we turned the corner, entering a large throne room where many of the other party-goers were gathered. I recognized a selection of faces from the yacht—all were the main Gods and Goddesses that resided with Zeus and Hera.

  There were others as well, several unfamiliar faces that twirled to the music, and sipped on the golden goblets, interwoven in the crowd of the Olympians.

  “Who are all of these people?” I asked, leaning into Morpheus more.

  “Brothers and sisters. Important figures of the myths. Heroes of the Trojan war…and several are serving nymphs.”

  “And they’re all here…”

  “To welcome you. To welcome their Persephone back home.”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I hated to be the one who burst their balloons. . .but I was me. Not Persephone. There was no way I’d ever have enough time in the evening to greet all of these people. I didn’t even know where to begin. I regretted not picking up a goblet from the table before. I was in need of something to take the edge off.

  “Would you like to dance?” Morpheus asked. “I know our dance on the yacht wasn’t—”

  “I was actually hoping I could ask for a dance,” Zeus said, drawing my attention away from Morpheus. I turned my cheek, finding Zeus smiling at me. I took in his slicked back hair and all white attire.

  His eyes danced with amusement as they slipped from Morpheus and back to me again.

  “As long as you don’t mind,” he finished.

  Morpheus bowed slightly and shook his head. “Of course not, my Lord.”

  Zeus didn’t wait for Morpheus to rise. He held out his hand to me and waited.

  “I’ve been looking forward to having a moment alone with you.” I didn’t like the sounds of that. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

  “Me?” I repeated softly. When he didn’t reply, I cleared my throat. “Well, here I am.”

  He smirked as he pulled me into his arms. “It won’t be long until your mother takes you back to the States,” Zeus started without hesitation, “I’m quite sure, knowing your mother. . .we won’t be seeing much of you again.”

  “The States? My mom is taking me…” I flinched away from him, jerking my neck back in surprise.

  “Naturally. I never imagined she had any intention of keeping you here,” Zeus replied, shaking his head. “No matter how much I might have insisted on it.”

  “You insisted—”

  “You are one of us,” he said with a flash of a smile.

  As we danced around the length of his foyer, I saw glimpses of familiar faces go by; Artemis and Athena. Poseidon and his wife. Beyond their faces, more that I didn’t know.

  “Do you normally hold feasts like this?” I asked, raising a brow. He shrugged slightly; his grip on my hand tightened slightly.

  “It’s not every day one can celebrate the return of a daughter.”

  Daughter. I stared at Zeus with wide, uncertain eyes. Was he really acknowledging me as his? He hardly seemed to care a few days ago on the yacht. He couldn’t be a “father to us all” I recalled Poseidon saying.

  “But I’m not—” When I tried to tug my hand free, he gently moved it to his shoulder, keeping me in his arms.

  “I know that you wanted to believe the human male to be your father. Perhaps he will always be in your eyes, but the truth of the matter is that I am your real father. I always have been.”

  I tried to keep my face composed. My heart fell into my gut as my mouth ran dry.

  “Obviously, I don’t often speak of my indiscretions, because Hera—”

  “Is that why you punish Darce?” I asked with a sneer. “Because I’m yours?”

  “Punish?” He smirked. “I don’t punish my brother.”

  “You certainly don’t treat him fairly,” I remarked.

  “You don’t know him like you think you do, Summer,” Zeus replied, shaking his head. “There are many things that you don’t know about. After all, how could you?”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  He chuckled and pulled me into a slow dance. “I admire how spirited you are.”

  “Answer the question.”

  “Which one? Punishing my brother or who is at fault for your naiveté?”

  “Both.” I felt the anger rising in me. I didn't like how he was toying with his words—or me. I wasn’t some ignorant teenager with a rebellious agenda.

  Zeus pursed his lips, nodding as he slowly released a breath. “Just remember you asked for the truth.”

  “Tell me.” I commanded.

  “The ol’ boy promised Demeter a vial of water from the River Styx. Did he ever mention that fact to you?”

  River Styx? I knew the river. Darce had once warned me to not drink the water. It was the river of forgetting; one drop, and all memories could be lost forever. I was pretty sure it was also the same water I’d dreamt about. I bit down on my bottom lip and shrugged.

  “I know that you’re familiar with what river I’m speaking of,” he said with a chuckle.

  “So? He promised her a vial of water…” I said, diverting my gaze away from him. “What of it?”

  “It’s curious isn’t it? My brother, your lover. . .would agree to give your mother such a thing?”

  “Isn’t it more important to ask what she wanted it for?”

  “Isn’t it?” he asked with a smirk. “Shouldn’t that be obvious?”

  I thought for a second, but it didn’t take me long to figure it out. “Me?”

  “Well, you. . .but in another life,” he said with a nod.

  “Darce wouldn’t. He wouldn’t ever…” I said, shaking my head.

  “Wouldn’t he?” The way Zeus asked, he seemed so amused. It just ticked me off.

  “You’re lying,” I blurted,
glaring at Zeus as he studied me. The corners of his lips curled into an amused smile as he began to laugh.

  “Why would I lie? What would I have to gain from that?”

  “You hate your brother. You, he and Poseidon have been at odds—”

  “My darling Summer, you know nothing of our family dynamic. There is so much more to us than what meets the eye.” I knew that was true. A copy of Ancient Greek Myths could tell anyone that.

  “I might not be at your annual family reunions,” I started, “and I know that the stories that are old among the mortals—the humans—aren’t always right. From what I’ve seen however, you’ve always been at odds with Darce.”

  “See it for what it is. The truth of the matter is that Darce wanted to give you up. He wanted you to forget about him. He was willing to let you go.”

  “Doesn’t that speak to his character?” I asked, shaking my head. “Doesn’t that. . .”

  “I don’t think you quite understand,” Zeus interjected. “Darce promised your mother a vial of water that would cause you to forget about him. Completely. Once you had taken a sip of that water, he would disappear. Forever. He was going to turn his back on you.”

  Chapter 23

  He was going to turn his back on you.

  My heart sank into my stomach at his words. I knew he was telling me the truth. Darce would have done anything for me and all of the reincarnations’ safety. He had loved us—each and every one.

  The mere thought of watching Darce turn and leave. . .to know I’d never see those eyes, hear him laugh ever again. . .

  It enraged me and broke my heart all at once.

  “What choice did he have? What choice did either you or my mom leave him? He was only doing what he thought he had to do.”

  Zeus lifted his finger to silence me. “He chose not to. Instead, the selfish bastard chose to pursue you anyway. Winnie?” he paused with a nod. “Yes, I believe her name was Winnie.”

  Winnie. Winnie had been the past life before me. She had met and fallen in love with Tony, Darce’s previous name and face. It was because of her unhappy marriage that she took her own life. I knew she had carried a deep heartache after meeting Tony, and never seeing him again. She had honestly believed after their encounter, that they were meant to be together. He was the start towards a full life of love and happiness. Even now, I could feel the ebb of the water as it pulled her under; the moment Winnie had succumbed to the darkness that greeted her thereafter.

  Zeus couldn’t possibly know or even begin to imagine the depth of sorrow she had suffered. Why did her story matter to him all of a sudden?

  “She died by her own hand,” Zeus paused. He waited until it felt like I was being baited to follow along. “Her death was the cause of Darce’s foolishness. He hadn’t delivered the promised vial to your mother. Instead of accepting the life Demeter had planned for her, Winnie resisted and pushed it away, all because of a chance night. A moment stolen between the two of them. She allowed the love and anguish she felt to tear her apart.”

  “But—”

  “Demeter had wanted Winnie to marry a wealthy and kind man. She had a plan set in motion. To finally reverse all the wrongs her daughters of the past had experienced. She wanted to give Winnie a life that would have been better suited for her. Just as your mother has been trying to do for you now.”

  It was hard to fathom my mother trying to give me a better life by lying to me the whole damned time. My mind drifted to the memory of the horrific nightmare I’d had before; Mom and Minthe had tried to force something down my throat—a vial of unknown liquid. Even then, they’d wanted me to forget something—but I didn’t know what at the time. Was that what my mother had wanted then? For Winnie to forget Darce forever?

  “She threw that future away, all because of Darce’s selfishness,” Zeus continued.

  Despite his feelings, I knew, deep in my gut, Winne didn’t regret a single moment of what she had endured. She had loved. Wasn’t that what we all wanted in our lives—to be loved? Winnie was just another knot in the red thread that bound Persephone to Hades—the same as me. I would have lived a thousand more lives to find him again, despite his choices. Darce’s selfishness be damned.

  “Do you really think you can turn me against him?” I asked. “I’m not some naive little girl…”

  “Aren’t you?” He quipped, amused. This only enraged me all the more. I could feel a warm ball of fury fill my stomach and tighten into what felt like a pretzel.

  “I’m the Queen of the Underworld,” I said with a small, growing smirk. “I’m his equal in every way.”

  Zeus laughed then, shaking his head in return.

  “You’re a mortal, little Summer. You’re a far cry from ever being equal to anyone in this room. Each day, you grow older, and draw closer to your own death. Humans wither into bone and ash, we immortals, live on to watch the world forget them.”

  “Are you threatening me?” I asked, taken aback by his patronization. He took a step closer to me, pressing his lips against my ear.

  “No, Summer. It’s a promise.”

  Zeus twirled me once more before turning, and leaving me to stand alone, amid the other dancers. My gaze slid around the room, taking in the faces around me. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I couldn’t decide if I was angry or fearful—or perhaps a little of both. The music in the room turned into a more rhythmic melody; the dancers moving more methodically. Where was Darce? I scanned the room, searching for his familiar face; I desperately wanted him.

  Just as I started towards the table with goblets of wine, I felt a hand reach for mine. Fingers wrapped around my wrist gently, turning me around in place.

  Darce flashed me a smile as he lifted my hand to his lips. His attire was closely matched to my own. His eyes were wild with mischief and desire as they scanned over me. He looked so refined, so proud, still wearing the same silver crown he had worn before.

  “There you are,” he said with relief.

  “I didn’t know where you were,” I replied.

  “I’m here now,” he said and tilted his chin to the dance floor. “Dance with me?”

  I welcomed his invitation.

  “Yes,” I replied with a smile. His warm hand moved to my waist and drew me closer against him. The strength of his solid body against mine was comforting and familiar. We fit each other so perfectly.

  “I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” he murmured against my temple.

  “Did she…” I asked, not wanting to put any more thought into the question. Had Minthe found her way out of the Underworld and back to Mount Olympus? I could almost see her inky smile in my mind. I imagined her fingers slowly crawling up the length of Darce’s arm, keeping him close to her. I wanted to gouge her eyes out.

  The rumble of Darce’s chuckle in chest, echoed in my ears.

  “I can almost hear your thoughts,” he confessed. “The wrinkle of your brow paints every detail of your disgust, and just who you’re imagining.”

  My cheeks began to warm, and I turned my gaze down to look at my feet. Darce ‘tsked’ as his fingers lifted my chin.

  “None of that,” he said with mock consternation. As my eyes locked with his, I tightened my grip on his shoulder. Zeus’ words echoed in my mind as I stared up at the man I had grown to love; had always seemingly loved—across the span of lifetimes.

  “Darce, can I ask you something?”

  Darce’s eyes sparkled as he slowly nodded.

  “Always,” he whispered.

  “Zeus told me something. He spoke of a vial you promised…”

  Before I could finish the thought, a strong hand from behind jerked me away from Darce. A cry flooded from my lips as I steadied myself on my feet. To my surprise, my mother and Minthe were standing side-by-side. In their eyes I saw nothing but unbridled fury. I was surprised to see Minthe, though I had no difficulty believing that she had been aided by my mother, given their appearance together. I couldn’t help but feel the bite of betrayal as
I looked at the two of them.

  My mother’s hands reached for me, pulling me from Darce. “Zeus banished you, Hades!”

  Just like a switch, her attention had turned from me to Darce.

  “From the boat, Demeter. One cannot banish a God from Mount Olympus,” Darce argued.

  “Zeus can do anything he wants,” she bit back as she dug her fingers into my skin, pushing me against my will, behind her.

  “Yes, well,” he lifted his hand in gesture towards Minthe, “apparently you can, too. I see you managed to infiltrate my home.”

  I watched as Minthe crossed the small distance between them and slid her fingers over the length of his arm.

  “You left me wanting,” she said playfully, despite her menacing tone. Did she really think she was going to make me jealous? “You’re such a tease, leaving me tied up. . .in your bed.”

  Her eyes met mine as a small smile crept on her face. She thought she had me, but I already knew. I hoped my absence of surprise ruined her fun, even just a little bit. If all she could do was play at being petty, then so could I.

  “It seems he was too busy in my bed to be bothered to be in his own with you,” I retorted.

  “Summer,” my mother’s voice rang in my ears. “We’re going home. Come on.” Her hands pulled at me again, but I tugged free from her grasp.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I had to put my foot down. “Not with you.”

  “We’re going home,” she repeated again through gritted teeth.

  “If you think you can just pack up my things and take me back to the States and pretend none of this happened. Pretend that he didn’t happen…” I flashed my gaze to Darce, who remained still - watching me. “You’re kidding yourself.”

  “I’m not listening to this for another moment, Summer,” she warned.

  “I’m not leaving,” I retorted.

  “Don’t you see,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m doing this for you, Sunny. I’m doing all of this for you.”

  “You don’t get to call me that,” I snapped. “You’re not fooling me with that garbage. This isn’t for anyone but yourself, Mom.”