Chapter One

"If I hear the word 'misbegotten' just one more time I will kill you all in your sleep." Said Hades, a tick forming above his eye. Rhea had let it slip that Hades wan't conceived in wedlock i.e. he was the reason Rhea and the dick got married. I giggled as everyone else blanched at his dead serious tone.

"Careful Hades, you might go over your word quota for today."

"You are so lucky that I love you."

"I know. But I feel like pushing it when I ask if we can take bets on when Apollo will confess that he is bisexual for Hyacinthus." I remarked. Hestia and Zeus immediately began to call of dates and amounts.

"I say late March for sixteen pounds."

"Wrong currency, dumb ass. I say summer time for a hundred dollars."

"You're on!"

"Remember, no interfering." I gigged and Hades picked me up bridal style to carry me to 'our' bed room.


As tradition permits, I was staying at the Olympians' while my parental-units were away. The rumor is that they went to Japan. I think they went to Thailand. But the jury is still out. Because the tools didn't leave a note, just a,

"We'll be back next month! Money is on the counter!"

Twits.


After the whole thing with Cronus, the dreams we had were gone for a while. At least mine were. I'm not sure about the others. Though they always seem to know more than they let on about the dreams. Needless to say, my dreams are back. Some are flat out terrifying, while others were peaceful and lovely. I had flowers around me constantly, and when ever I would wake up in the middle of the night during a dream I would smell an overwhelming fragrance of many different flowers.

It was very weird. Hades wouldn't answer me (ever) and everyone else changed the topic quicker than a mouse in a cheese shop.

Even though I had been reading the journal(s) of the greek gods, they had absolutely nothing. I don't even know why I looked in them.


"Hey, Persephone?"

"Yes, Apollo?"

"Hyacinthus and I are going to the movies. Do you want to come with?" Uh-oh. That awkward moment when you don't know what to say without giving yourself away.

"What movie are you going to see?"

"I don't know. Hyacinthus wants to see that movie with the...Hanna is it? So we will probably see that."

"Are you sure you want me to come with you? You know that it means Hades will come too, right?" Apollo winced. He and Hades had gotten off on the wrong foot. Hades had thought that he was harming his sister when they were wrestling. Needless to say, Apollo had been in the hospital for awhile.

"Oh. Come anyway? Please? Hyacinthus is acting a little off recently. I was hoping you could help me figure out what. He always talks to you." I softened at that.

"Okay. Hades and I will be in the front of the school after the last bell."

"Thanks a lot Persephone. You don't know-"

"Mr. Phoebus? Will you please read stanza six?"

"Er, yes sir." Needless to say, he read it perfectly.


"So, Apollo and Hyacinthus will be here any minute. No intimidating them! No matter how fun you think it is. Only glare at people you give us trouble." I said out of the corner of my mouth to Hades, who was doing his tall, dark, and scary as hell thing. He rolled his eyes.

"I thought you wanted to get them together?"

"I thought that such matters were beneath you."

"They are. However, Zephyr was eyeing Hyacinthus a while ago. Would he go under the category of 'trouble'?"

"He was? Oh, the nitwit! Hey, tiny favor, could you by any chance-"

"Already on it. How would you like me to threaten him?"

"Use your imagination. Or ask Apollo. He has some pretty good ideas. He is the best at music, poetry, and art."

"You know you could have just said that he was the best in the arts?"

"I think you just went over your word quota."

"Hello Persephone. Hades." Said Apollo, bronze hair ruffled. He seemed to be out of breath.

"What's up? Where's Hyacinthus?" I asked. Apollo sighed.

"I don't know. Could you help me find him? He's last class was history."

"Why does he know Sparta's schedule?" Hades whispered to me when we had set off in search of Apollo's 'consort'.

"Do you know mine?"

"Yes."

"There's your answer."

We found Hyacinthus in the gym, trying out some weights. Hyacinthus is a small (and mean small), friendly freshman. He has olive skin, brown-black hair with green-gray eyes that worshipped the ground Apollo walked on. Apollo was the opposite. Huge (muscled), with golden bronze hair, tans kin, and golden brown eyes. He was stoic and appeared unsympathetic. But he was still the love of half of the freshmen population. He was a junior this year.

"Hya? What are you doing? I thought that we were going to see Hanna?" Hyacinthus looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Uh, well, I thought I would...um..." He was so nervous that Hades felt the need to step in. His whispery voice could be remarkably reassuring.

"If you do not wish to attend, just say so and we can re-schedule." Sadly that didn't seem to help. Hyacinthus just kept on looking at Apollo. Apollo looked slightly shocked. After all while Hyacinthus was a great sportsman, he avoided changing, and working out with the other boys, par Apollo.

I tugged on Hades' sleeve and we left the boys to figure it out for themselves.