Solitaire

Chapter 8

Out of the Fire: Part One

The limo pulled up to the main entrance. An attendant cracked open the door and the large staircase leading up to the party swung into view. Gold flecks of light from the oil lamps glimmered with a dewey softness off the steps as if they were slick with motlon gold. One ornate shoe clacked pleasingly against the cobblestone driveway. The foot that wore it was impossibly dainty. Immaculately groomed toe polished that matched perfectly with the hem peeking out of the dark blue satin.

The attendant stationed by the stairway came forward with glee. He bowed deeply and offered his hand. "Blessed Aphrodite. Welcome." A jolt of euphoria passed through him as she accepted his hand through the car door and stood up. "M-May I assist you in anyway?"

Aphrodite looked him up and down. "Perhaps." She winked and leaned down closer so that he could feel her breath on his neck. He gulped involuntarily and shut the door behind her. Aphrodite never liked to enter a party with a plus one. She liked to keep her options open. Her breath held promises of deep desire that began to fog up his poor feeble mind.

"Anything, for you." He promised.

"Help that pitiful pansy out, will you?" With an austere gesture she pulled away and pointed behind her.

"Oof." A struggling goddess kicked the door back open that the valet had closed prematurely on her dress.

The valet bowed curtly. "Sorry, Miss." He held his hand out and deeply apologised. "I didn't see you."

"Of course not." Aphrodite pulled out a compact mirror she kept tucked inside her corset. "Not when I'm around."

Persephone stepped solidly onto the ground pushing aside the assistance of the attendant."I'm fine, thank you." She stood up, self righteously. Her eyebrows set in deep concentration, oblivious to the attendant now.

"Oh, for helen of troy." Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "You know, it's not so bad to accept help, or you know, even seek it. The only one with the world on his shoulder's is Atlas. I don't see anyone punishing you by carrying things by yourself. Besides. It's easy to break a fingernail that way."

As Aphrodite and Persephone made their way to the staircase, Persephone grimaced, knowing that what must be done. And what burden she must bare alone.

"Now." Aphrodite pulled out a tube of lipstick from her cleavage and reapplied. "I don't know you. You don't know me. And if anyone asks, I didn't know you were here and I certainly didn't help you get here."

"Perfect." Persephone smiled genuinely. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Persephone entered by herself, avoiding anyone that turned to see who just arrived. Her heart began to beat faster. The clock announced a new hour. Ice shivered down her spine. Everything was leading up to this.

Persephone found herself in a large room in the old castle part of the palace. Chill air was only counter balanced with a roaring fire place. The clock above the mantel ticked. Persephone drew in a deep breath and sat down on the stone riser before the fire place.

Her gaze zeroed in on the flickering flames. Mesmerized by the dance. Aphrodite said she wasn't being punished with the world on her shoulders. But appearances could be deceiving. Just because you can't see it with the naked eye, doesn't make it less so. The gods should know this most of all, shouldn't they?

She shut her eyes, and the heat burned her skin when she wrinkled it.

Everything was leading to this. Her world, she alone could bare. First, she had to cast the false worlds of others, for she carried too much of other's burdens. The fire flickered in her eyes. Cast them off and watch them burn.

Persephone dashed into the fire. Flames engulfed the empty space beside her, reacting harshly to the intruder of their feverish desires. She pulled her coat over her head and breathed through her scarf. "No, no, no." She muttered. The words caught amongst the threads, just barely holding against the heat.

Fire had spread to nearly every corner. Eating away at her home. Eating away at her peace. The tears that had dried up long ago inside herself, sprung anew. If only she could douse the fire with them, but the damage had already been done. It couldn't be too late. She had to-

Her sandals collapsed against the heat. Barefoot she marched deeper into the heat. Fire licking at her clothes. She couldn't breath. Every ounce of water in the air had dried up. Her eyes blurred. The moisture evaporating every time she blinked. She closed her eyes finally, the pain too much. She fumbled around, but nothing felt right. She had to find it. Everything was ablaze. The light of it, scorching everything in it's path. But darkness closed in around her.

She shook her head and stomped her foot. "NO!" Unsure if she had done either.

"Persephone!" Some voice called to her. "KORE!" A voice beckoning through the smoke. Through the flames. The the torturous heat.

Hades peeled into the apartment. He had swore to protect Kore. He promised she wouldn't come to any harm under his protection. Those oaths made long before he swore it to his brother. "KORE!" He yelled.

Anger rose within him. He felt him shift into the dark vision of his father. Worlds unknown glimmered across his skin and sweat from the fire glossed over them. He swatted at the fire, grabbed a flaming tendril in his hand, as if to choke it. He opened his mouth and uttered a solemn command, "Die." The fire in the apartment obeyed, The flames bowed in respect and withered away, leaving behind the black scars of their life.

Persephone shuffled forward. Her feet and hands as black as Hades. She fumbled into him, her eyes still shut from the flames. She coughed into her scarf. Like the crumbling wood against the flames, she collapsed into his arms.

"Kore?" Hades adjusted her in his arms, shifting her weight to his right. "Kore?" Her head limply turned, nuzzled into the crock of his elbow. When her legs failed her, Hades swooped her up. Her arms loosened and Hades saw they clutched around a familiar book.

Disembodied voices spoke. Emotions swelling. A drumming rang through her. "I will do no such thing!" They were arguing? Tones risen.

"Of course she has enemies." A higher voice, but gravely and snide. "You don't think after what she did, or what happened beforehand. . ."

A confident voice spoke, "No word of this must get out."

"No, we need to tell people what we know. And that I'm coming after them."

"Listen. We'll take her in." Hera?

Persephone blinked and winced. Still feeling the tinge of the flames on her skin. Her fingers touched upon the leather interior of the car.

"What?" A voice that could only be Hades. She could feel his voice by the vibrations come from the wall behind her, still cradled to him.

"We'll keep an eye on her until. Well, until she goes back to the mortal realm."

"But she's not supposed to. I mean, her sentence."

"For the love of Gaia." Zeus muttered. "What, do you want to keep her here all alone?"

"Oh?" Incredulously, Hades balked. "Now you're worried about her being alone. Wasn't it you that put her in solitary confinement?" Zeus tried to back track but Hades cut him off. "I swore an oath to protect her. To you no less."

"Well, while you're out vetting vengeance on this mystery arsonist, who will be taking care of her? You have no staff, Hades. You have no servants, or wait staff, or guards."

"I have Cerberus." Hades retorted.

Zeues rolled his eyes but Hades wouldn't give up. "Come on, besides, those servants, and wait staff, and guards, those could be double agents. I wouldn't trust them, least of all with Persephone."

She would have given anything to speak up for herself and tell them she didn't need protection, if she could find her voice amidst the dry cracked desert in her throat. She opened her mouth, but a rush of cold air made a mockery of her parched mouth. Hades shifted her weight again. She felt the hands of Hades again support her back and pick her up.

"Thanks for the ride." Hades saluted his brother. "Now get the fuck out of my kingdom."

Merry Christmas all

xoxo Goldie