Author note:

Two chapters in one day? I'm on fire!

It's a relatively short chapter - happy reading! Feel free to leave a review!

Chapter 2

Welcome to Hell

Present day: 2 days, 20 hours A.T.H

"The name is Hades. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, King of the Underworld, and currently the god utterly fascinated by you," he professed, his eyes glittering with mischief.

"Welcome to Hell."

Hades continued to smirk at her while she finally took in his appearance. Some stories depicted him as a dark, mangled demon with red eyes, sharp teeth, and an overwhelmingly unpleasant aura; other stories portrayed him having eerily gray skin and hair comprised of blue flames. He looked like neither of these. He looked…like an ordinary human man. His only apparent supernatural features were his striking blue eyes. They seemed to glow in the dimly lit room. He was dressed in an all black, expensive-looking suit.

She so desperately wanted to ask him if it was Prada.

Overall, he was an [above] average looking man.

His smirk widened, revealing dimples on either side of his mouth, as if he knew what she was thinking. She could feel her cheeks warming. Shaking her head slightly, she cleared her throat and averted her gaze in an attempt to appear humble.

"I'm fully aware of where I am, Your Highness," she replied meekly. He snorted.

"No need for such formalities. Just Hades will do," he responded. He once again took a seat in the much more comfortable looking chair across from her. She shifted in her [torture device] chair, eyeing his seat with envy.

"So, Sorceress," his lilted voice seemed to caress her title, "what are you really doing here?"

"I-I'm not sure what you-"

"Do NOT play stupid with me – it does not suit you," he snapped. His charming smirk turned into a cold glare. The shadows in the room seemed to warp, making his face seem more angular, more menacing. He spoke his next words quietly, but they held the cadence of a threat.

"You know who I am, what I am. I do not take it lightly when people lie to me. You, mere mortal, have no idea what I am capable of. I suggest you answer me honestly, lest I allow myself torturous liberties before I send you to the P.O.T."

A bolt of fear shot to her heart, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes at the god.

"I already went through an extensive investigation during my trial on Mount Olympus," she replied through gritted teeth. "Weren't you present for the hearing?"

"As you certainly know, Sorceress, I have not been allowed to reenter the gates of Olympus in eons, let alone allowed to sit in on any trials that take place there."

"Still – weren't you told the details by someone? Isn't there a-a scroll or something that you can read?"

His face softened as he let out a bark of laughter

"No, no such scrolls for me to peruse. And as for someone relaying the details to me: Hermes gave me a brief summary of your crimes after he deposited you here. But the exact details… I was deprived of the juicy bits," he said as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Why do you even care? Your job is to carry out punishments for Mount Olympus, not make inquiries of your own."

"Do you have any idea how boring it gets down here?" he asked incredulously, his eyes widening almost comically. He wildly gestured around the room. "Everyone here is so sad and mopey. 'Oh, poor me, I'm dead.' Gods!" he burst from his chair and started to manically pace the small room.

"I was sick of it after five minutes of my reign, and I have been Lord of the Underworld for eons. Eons! You cannot even begin to imagine my frustration. Any distraction is welcome, and you, my dear," he proclaimed, pointing in her direction, "have presented me with the most interesting distraction in decades, possibly centuries. You are a mortal who broke into Olympus and very nearly got away with stealing Zeus's-"

"I'm aware of what I did," she interrupted harshly.

"Yes, of course. I want to delve into the exact details eventually. But first, I want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Why did you break in? Were you even aware of what you were trying to steal? Hardly anyone, not even most of the other gods, knew that it even existed, let alone tried to steal it."

She took in a deep breath. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid: more delays. She glanced at her wrist.

Shit. Only four hours left.

"If I tell you all the gorey details, will you promise to hurry along and get my sentencing over with?"

His brows furrowed in confusion. He scratched the back of his head in bewilderment, as he sat back in his chair.

"If I did not know any better, I would say that you are eager for me to toss you into the P.O.T., which is absolutely ridiculous."

She remained silent.

He studied her face, and his brows lifted in surprise at his realization.

"You are eager for me to throw you in there! But why…? Now this is a story that I want to hear," he said giddily. He sat on the very edge of the seat, resting his elbows on the table. He propped his chin up on his fists, giving her his full attention.

She let out a heavy sigh and once again checked her wrist.

Three hours and fifty-nine minutes.

"It's difficult to know where to start…" she said uneasily.

"The beginning is normally a smart place," Hades offered cheekily, "but again, I want to know why. Why would you even attempt this in the first place?"

"Why does anyone do anything?" she asked, running a hand through her hair. Hades raised a brow and shrugged. She tilted her head towards the ceiling of the dark room, once again letting out a deep sigh.

"Love. I did it for love."