Disclaimer: The voices tell me I own nothing.

Author's note: First thing's first, Guest:ERB000, it's reviews like yours that keeps my writing. Seriously I hadn't typed anything in a couple of months but then I saw your review and I finished the entire chapter. So, ERB000, I'm dedicating this chapter to you. I hope you like it. For the second thing I wanted to address, I can't really remember much of the dreams I had for the next few chapters, so what I couldn't remember I just made up something that fits in well enough (remember this story is based on a dream I repeatedly have, or had more like it, soon after I started writing this the dreams stopped coming).

Chapter 4

Salene's P.O.V.

Salene woke with a gasp and shot up straight in her bed, well at least she thought it was her bed at first. There were several things that she noticed, first being she was indeed not in her room. The room she was in was much larger than hers, the walls were black, well actually, just about everything was black, from the soft satin sheets to the wood of the four posted king sized bed, the furniture like the armoire, dresser, and vanity were stained the same way as the bed, and the curtains lining the large floor to ceiling window on the far side of the room were also black. Though there was a sort of smoky gray pattern that seemed to be changing shape drifting over the curtains, but Salene deemed that her eyes were unfocused and she was only imagining the smoke shifting into what looked like screaming, tortured faces. the second thing she noticed was that the clothes she was wearing were very foreign to her, she was dressed in a long black Greek or Roman styled toga that had a halter neckline, showed off way too much skin and was backless. Salene was fairly surprised she knew what a halter neckline was and figured the person to blame was Nudge.

Nudge.

Oh God where was the Flock. Salene swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked briskly to the window, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. The view of the window overlooked a wasteland like field with flowing red hot streams of lava streaking over the hard packed, cracked dirt. Littered across the land enclosed in barbed wire were various indescribably horrible scenes. The torturous actions were so entirely disturbing it hurt to just look at them. In one area there were about two dozen people hanging from trees by rope wrapped tightly around their feet, and something told Salene that they had been that way for a long time. It was heartbreaking and so utterly disturbing, it made Salene wonder what those people enduring such horrific punishments did to deserve that. Salene couldn't take it, she had to turn away. She needed to figure out where she was.

After searching the room, she found a broom in the back of a very large closet containing four other robes similar to the one she had on. Broom in hand, Salene moved across the room to the large perfectly crafted black wooden double doors with polished silver handles. Ever so slowly she turned the handle and pushed open the door. She felt kind of stupid sneaking around some mansion or whatever with a broom posed like a baseball bat. The door lead to an empty dark hallway lit only by large torches alight with purple flames. Yeah, no joke it was seriously purple. She crept along to the end of the hall where it opened up to a beautiful wrought iron spiral stair case. As quiet as she possibly could she descended the staircase. At the bottom she found her self in a peculiar room. It was a throne room of sorts. The staircase ended in the back corner of the gigantic space. In the center of the room was two thrones that Salene could only see the back of considering her position in the room.

"So I finally get to meet you. My daughter, I believe I've waited long enough. You were dead for three days. Come stand before me, my child." The speaking voice was unlike anything she had heard before. The strong, proud sound felt as if it traveled through her bones, reverberating through her blood. It made her want to follow his will, he was her master after all. Wait, where did that come from? Master? Something wasn't right here. Salene lowered the broom stick just slightly. Composing herself Salene walked around to the front of the thrones to the man who had spoken. What she saw was not even close to what she expected. This man was 10 feet tall, wore traditional toga-like robes that seemed to be made of the same material as the curtains in the room Salene was in when she awoke, and a braided gold crown was atop his head. His long, slightly curled hair was such a dark brown it looked black but Salene's genetically engineered eyes could tell the difference. He looked like an older version of Fang only this guy's jawline was more rounded and Fangs hair was jet black just like Salene's own. Also a major difference was Fang had piercingly, inhuman looking neon blue eyes that were, according to most well published scientists, scientifically impossible. Both Fang and Salene had strange eye colors, hers were an iridescent purple that looked even more impossible then her twin's. The man before her had powerful brown eyes, just like many normal people, but his held an air of arrogance and control unlike no other's. For a moment the two of them just took a second to size each other up. The man on the throne even looked slightly uncomfortable with the way Salene was dissecting everything she saw. She was familiarizing herself with the man's microexspressions, the way he sat, how his eyes tried to read her emotions, and by what Salene saw she figured she would be remotely similar to the man in front of her. They both could mask their emotions extremely well and liked to carry themselves with a very prominent pride when around people they weren't quite familiar with or just didn't like.

"Where am I?" Salene said in a clipped tone to the man sitting on the throne that actually seemed to be made of bones. Human bones.

"You are in the palace of Hades," he answered like it made all the sense in the world.

"Palace of Hades, eh? That means you're Hades, or at least you think you are. Though that would make some sense considering I seriously thought I was dead, and still do a little." Honestly with the strange interior design of this place it made her feel like she was dead, and there was always that tiny little fact that she swore she could remember being struck by lightning and getting fried to death. Whatever happened, it still felt real.

"I have a lot of explaining to do so let me start by saying, yes, I am the Hades of the Underworld from the Greek "Myths" as mortals like to call our history, and no, you are not dead. At least not anymore," he started shifting forward in his chair ever so slightly showing that he was anxious to see how Salene would react to this. She kept her face smooth and calm even though his story was a bit outlandish. Seriously, why on Earth did he think that she would believe that? Then Salene remembered the disturbing view from the window in the room she woke up in. Suddenly Hades story didn't seem so crazy to her.

"You definitely look the part," Salene voiced her opinion on his doom and gloom exterior that matched the interior of this man's palace. Salene felt oddly okay and comfortable with the decor. Hades' eyebrow crinkled a little at the girls comment.

"Well yes I believe I do. You seen to be taking this with little opposition. Why is that?" Hades asked, his face smoothed back over as soon as I noticed the crinkle in his brow.

"Well, I just learned how to speak properly last year so I figured there's lots of things I don't know yet. So sure, let gods exist. By that... horrible view outside the window, it's not hard to believe I'm in the Underworld or whatever. All I want to know is how do I leave here and get back home" the faster Salene got out the better. This place was giving her a headache, maybe she looked like she was taking it well, but on the inside she felt like any other person would when they find out that gods from the most unrealistic religion really do exist. So, she was pretty much freaking out. Hades face turned sympathetic.

"You cannot leave. It is far too dangerous for a daughter of Hades. This shall be your home now and you shall live in the chambers you revived in," Salene honestly thought this man was off his rocker if he seriously thought it would be better for her to live here than with the Flock. Thinking of the Flock reminded her that she had two enormous wings sticking out of her back that Hades didn't even bat an eye at. Wait... did Hades just call Salene his daughter? They did look alike, Salene had noticed that when she first met Hades. Could this god really be her real father? Salene wasn't so sure. She had spent the short time that she could really form coherent thoughts, which was only about a year, believing that she grew from a petrie dish or something like that. Her memory was better than any other member of the Flock's, but still, the earliest day she could remember was from when she was about five months old and got her body sliced open and torn apart so some scientists could satisfy their curiosity by turning her into an avian-human hybrid. not the most pleasant thing ever. Thinking about it know, Hades being her father was definitely a possibility. Why else would they look so similar?

"I don't know who you think you are," Salene stopped herself, "well actually, you probably think you're Hades, but I've been confined before, to a dog cage, I will find my way back to my family or die trying thank you very much," Salene threw her best glare in Hades direction and felt pretty accomplished when he shifted a little in his seat. After a few seconds of silence on his part he finally stood, when he took a step in Salene's direction he shrank to about 6 foot 7 inches. He came to stand about a yard away from the still glaring girl.

"I know you do not like or agree with your predicament, but you must understand I'm trying to keep you safe. I-" he tried to finish but Salene cut him off.

"I don't need some god protecting me, and I most certainly don't need some god telling me what I can and can't do. I can take care of myself, I have for a while now. I don't need you, and I don't need this place!" Salene got a little bold and got quite a bit louder.

"Oh, is that so? You do comprehend that you were just killed by my younger brother, who's to say he won't do it again. You have a god after you. The moment you leave my kingdom he will know you live once more. The risk is far too high, not to mention that know you know who you are. As a child of Hades you will be chased and attacked by nearly every monster within a twenty mile radius of you! I will not allow your heritage be the reason you join my realm permanently," Hades argued loudly and rather dramatically, using hand motions while he spoke to drive his point. Salene hated how right he was, but there was also the fact that Fang was at risk as well.

"Fang is in the same danger! Zeus will kill him, too! If I'm there I can protect him," Salene desperately tried to find purchase in her argument but Hades was winning. Salene can't protect Fang from lightning. Something that made herself and Max such a good team was how Max was extremely stubborn while Salene thought things out and tried to see the other side of a situation, but right now she wished her logic would shut up so she could be angry with Hades and scream at him. Salene couldn't do that though, the fury died from her eyes as she realized Hades was being a father and trying to help her. She was fighting a losing battle.

"You can't protect him from lightning!" Hades sighed and calmed himself a bit before continuing with sadness just barely gracing his face, "My daughter, Zeus wishes to ruin you. He knows that in death the two of you could be happy since you are together. With one of you alive and the other dead you are apart and miserable. That's what our almighty king of gods wants, your misery not your death. He finds it a suitable punishment for my breaking of the Ancient Laws. I am sorry Salene, but I am doing this for you and your brother's well being. Can't you see that."

"I know," Salene whispered in defeat. The words barely audible, but heard nonetheless. Hades placed a large, warm hand on Salene's shoulder and squeezed lightly. Salene froze, she couldn't bring herself to look into Hades sympathetic gaze.

"You're Hades. You're supposed to be cruel and horrible, not like this. I don't understand," Hades heaved another sigh.

"Those are descriptions branded to me for being Lord of the Dead. While not always true, I have shown those faces to my brothers for their trickery. I never wanted to be the ruler of the Underworld, but I was stuck here anyway. My child, go back to your room. Your revival must have left you drained, and this arguing cannot have made it better. You need your rest," Hades lifted his hand and nodded towards the door Salene came in from. He was right she did feel exhausted, so she turned and walked back to the room.

Today Salene had lost many things: her life, her family, and her hope for happiness.

Author's Note: Dear Gods, that took forever. I'm sorry that it took so long. I have no excuse though, I'm just horrible at updating. I already have a lot of the next chapter written, so hopefully next update comes a lot sooner.