Prologue

Adena was eleven when she found out about a cousin from her Uncle. She had wanted to meet her; get to know the family that she had been hidden from her whole life. Her father wouldn't allow it. She could tell he was more than a little angry that his brother had sired a child - even after the pact on the River Styx (and what a hypocrite her father is) - and had already sent out monsters to chase, and hopefully kill, the Daughter of Zeus.

That was the first time she saw her father in a negative light. While the other Gods, and even the Demigods, regarded Hades as a cold and selfish bastard, she had always seen the better side of him. Her step-mother wasn't as hard on her as she had been with the other children of Hades (it probably had something to do with the fact that Adena had been in the underworld far longer than she had been on the surface), and so she had been raised like a Princess of The Underworld.

At some point, before she could remember, her step-mother had started requiring her to not call her 'step'-mother, and instead simply call her 'mother'. After all, Persephone had been the woman raising her. Adena didn't think it was all Persephone's idea, she had probably been the one to first call her 'Mother', and it had just stuck. Even if Persephone hadn't been much of a fan the first time.

She hadn't been fully sure of the story surrounding why she had been sent to the Underworld when she was clearly still living. It would be a question to ask another day, and that was assuming she'd even care later on in her life.

One could say that Adena looked unique. With one eye that seemed far more golden than brown, and one eye that was bright blue, it was the first thing one would notice about her if not for her bright auburn hair. Factor in her pale skin, and one might think that she was a deity herself.

Fast forwarding a few years, she learned of another cousin. This one had been accused of stealing her Uncle Zeus's Master Bolt. It was a shame that Gods were so short sighted. How could someone who didn't know about his heritage steal something he thought was myth? It was simply an obscured accusation. If the King of the Sky were a tad bit smarter, he would have seen that. Her father wasn't foolish enough to commission someone to steal the Master Bolt, either.

While he hadn't been happy about being the King of The Underworld in the beginning, he had come to accept his role in the universe. She wasn't the first to say it, and she certainly wouldn't be the last, Gods were even more creatures of habit than mortals were.

She wasn't pleased with the fact that her cousin's mother was basically being held hostage by her father, but at least they'd had some pleasant conversations in the past few weeks.

Adena wasn't supposed to be in the throne room, she knew. She preferred to ignore her father when he told her she wasn't allowed somewhere. Her father glared at her as she sat on the steps. Her cousin and his friends were almost there, and she wanted to at least greet them before they went into their deaths.

She watched as her father turned and walked into the castle, rolling her eyes. He was going to make a dramatic entrance and she was already cutting it close for her next tutoring session. She did want to see that, though. It wasn't like they got living visitors often. Hell, she hadn't even been to a Winter Solstice meeting and she'd known who her father is her whole life. An awkward turn of the tables. She knew who her godly parent is, but not whom her biological mother is.

As a baby, her mother had 'dropped her off' with her father. Of course, Adena did not know the details. Only that it had been for her safety. Whatever that meant.

The small specks in the distance were getting bigger. She debated on standing up to greet them, but she wasn't sure how much longer they'd be and she was on her feet so much anyway. Did she care about making a good first impression on her twelve year old cousin? Not really. They were family… technically. Even if they weren't biologically connected to one another. Being part God was exhausting.

Suddenly she felt boney hands grab her sides and she yelped in surprise. "What the heck, guys? I just want to say hello!" Of course, she got no damn response. Struggling as best as she could, she hardly noticed when she was lift up and her legs were grabbed in the process. What she did notice was the fact that fire sparked on the skeleton's heads as she struggled, and she allowed it to spread rapidly. It wasn't as though she would get burned.

The skeletons were quite used to the fiery abuse, shrugging it off and continuing to be on their way. Carrying her along to her stupid lessons. Sometimes it really sucked to have skeletons for nannies.

Of course there was a perk in arriving at the lessons. She got to hear the endless nagging of her best friend. Emma King had been bound to Adena ever since they met when the daughter of Hades was a little girl. Emma had been about nineteen when she had died in a fire and when the dead-girl had found out what exactly Adena's main power source was, they'd already been friends and Emma had already been tasked with keeping her 'safe' and 'entertained'.

Adena had been about seven when Emma had died, and had still been learning about her powers. Needless to say, Emma's rightfully earned pyrophobia had quickly been stomped out of her. Being around a child who hasn't got much control of her gift meant being around fire. A lot.

When she was still a child, she hadn't quiet understood why Emma wasn't corporal like she was. She hadn't understood that her new best friend was dead. The first time she'd woken up surrounded by flames had scared her, and that had been when her father had decided to make sure she was well aware of her power. Since then, her clothing had always been enchanted to withstand fire. Along with all of her other belongings.

She still remembered the taste of water and non-burnt food, but after the first time of accidentally lighting her room on fire as she slept had made it impossible for her drink or touch water. She had to drink liquide fire, and the kitchens always smelt like something was burning - because her food always was. It had taken some getting used to. Water caused her pain. She didn't even take regular showers anymore. Lava baths at least left her more clean.

She wasn't sure what would happen if she went to the surface. She'd probably have to learn how to deal with a little water, since it was always in the air.

"Please don't tell me that you were snooping where you don't belong." The ghost grumbled at the red-head as the daughter of Hades was dropped before her.

"Are you kidding me, guys! If my father knew that you were just dropping me left and right, guess which one of us he'd really be mad at!" Adena shouted over her shoulder as the skeletons made their way back to the castle. Looking back at the ghost, she snorted at the statement. "I did nothing wrong. I was simply trying to meet family. What is wrong with that."

Raising an eyebrow, the ghost crossed her arms. "First of all, most of your family will likely want you dead. Second, your father is disliked by most of them. Third, your not allowed to leave so why would you be allowed to meet outsiders?"

"Because I'm perfect, duh." Adena stated sarcastically as she stood up and brushed herself off. Today's lesson was going to be just delightful with the fact that she was already distracted.

It was the one subject she couldn't get better at, no matter how hard she tried. Art, while she appreciated it, was the bane of her existence. Aside from music. She was good at that. But that wasn't what they were supposed to be focusing on today. Instead, her father wanted her to increase her painting skills. A five year old could paint better than she could.

Though she reluctantly got her things together, her focus was not on painting in the slightest. Rather, she was thinking of getting out. Of leaving the Underworld. It wasn't a decision that was easy for her to make, or think through. She knew if she didn't leave soon, then she wouldn't want to leave anymore.

Her home was here, as was her father and everything she knew in life. Out in the world. That was a complete mystery. Besides the fact that there were monsters that would want to eat her. How could she just leave?

On the other hand, did she really want to feel like a prisoner in her own home? Constantly told that the outside world was too dangerous? She had been taught to fight pretty much ever since she could walk.

"We're leaving." She whispered to Emma, who in turn looked at her with wide eyes. "Well, I'll go on my own if you don't come." Adena stated matter-of-factly.

In response, Emma first snorted and shook her head. "We can't just leave. What are we going to do, say 'Hi, Charon. We need to borrow your boat real quick.'? Can you even get on boats?"

That was a fair point. Water was Poseidon's territory. And falling in the water was certainly not ideal for Adena.

"I don't think it's the same type of water that could hurt me." It was magical water after all. Wasn't it some kind of living being? Or was that a different river? Either way, she didn't think that Poseidon had any control over said river anyway. "Even if it could hurt me, that doesn't mean I'll fall in."

"How would we get a boat. Charon would never forgive you if you steal one." Emma said, entertaining the idea that was likely to fail.

Adena thought that over as she put her canvas up and listened as her teacher babbled on for a while before toning him out helped her thought process. "He keeps ranting about a stupid raise. Perhaps leaving him some money for a new suit would keep him quiet. That old one of his seems way out-dated anyway." That earned her a look from the ghost who was raised in the 80's. "What? It's true."

That earned yet another snort. "None of you can see the genius of the 80's." The ghost muttered with annoyance.

"To be fair, there are ghosts here that come from way older times. My father comes from way older times. Don't take it too personally." Adena said with a light shrug. "I need to get out there. See the world, meet some of my family. Interact. I've never even seen the sun. That seems like a crime on its own."

Instead of a snort, she earned an exasperated groan. "Oh, come on. Your father will send me right to the fields of punishment. Do you see me there? I'd get eaten alive!" She exclaimed, earning a strange look from Adena's tutor. But the tutor just sighed and kept talking.

"You should shout like that more often during my lessons. Makes things more interesting." Adena muttered with only slight sarcasm. It felt like the lesson had already went on for far too long. And it had only been a few minutes.

Emma shook her head once more. "We are so dead."

"You're already dead."

Her friend, being ever the optimistic, responded, "And you aren't. Yet."