Hey guys!

To my anonymous reviewer, who asked for more Hermes and Lucy fluff, I'm sorry, you're going to have to wait a few chapters for anything remotely resembling fluff. I don't really do fluff.

Okay, there is so much foreshadowing/hints in the chapter it's literally driving me insane. Let's see how much of it you guys recognize once this story is over.

Enjoy!

"I do not know, Lord. I have never had a vision about this."

Hades fell back into his chair in frustration. Ever since he'd met the mortal girl and she'd broken his spell, he'd been much too curious about her. Clearly she was not merely a mortal; there was something else about her that made him suspicious. But he could not figure out what. He'd asked the Oracle if she'd had any visions about this girl. She hadn't. Now he had no idea how to proceed. His infuriating nephew would never allow him to interrogate the girl, and his equally irritating brother would support his son. He was honestly surprised the boy hadn't come storming down to the Underworld about Hades' encounter with her yet.

"You may leave." He gestured to the doors, already bored with the Oracle. She left quickly, eager to exit the gloomy place. Hades stood and paced, thinking. Surely there was an explanation for this. There was always an explanation. The simplest would be immortal interference. It was possible to imbue a mortal with immortal powers, but the process was complicated and dangerous. He was sure his nephew would never risk his precious mortal's life for it. Other than that, there weren't many possibilities that he could think of. He'd seen the girl, and knew she was not a demigod. She hadn't been claimed by another god. She was not some other kind of supernatural being, such as a nymph or fairy.

Growing angry, he threw a fireball at the wall, scattering the servants. He stalked out onto the balcony overlooking his kingdom. Hades surveyed the grassy plain filled with dull spirits, the fiery fields where souls undertook gruesome punishments, the island from which faint strains of music could be heard. He cracked his knuckles, glaring out at the spirits. How had he been cheated of the kingdoms his brothers had received? The youngest brother had claimed the sky, the other younger brother the sea. And he, the eldest, was left the Underworld. He despised being surrounded by whiny, unpleasant human souls. Always complaining about their death, how their loved ones were left all alone. He had yet to go a day without a plea to return to life. Sometimes he craved to destroy them all. But his righteous baby brother would not allow it. He was living a punishment he had done nothing to deserve.

His miserable duty was the reason he was so interested in the mortal girl and her mysterious nature. Focusing so completely on discovering her secret helped him forget that his land was host to countless numbers of human souls. Unfortunately, the lack of progress he was making was making him irritable and unpleasant to interact with. More so than usual. His wife would be returning soon, and his servants hoped she would be able to calm the volatile god.

He growled in frustration again and hurled another fireball, lips curving maliciously as a scream erupted from a scorched soul.

"Who's Vanessa?"

Hermes groaned inwardly, cursing his sister and brother yet again for their intrusiveness. He'd come down to her apartment and she'd welcomed him happily; he hadn't seen her in a few weeks. When she had told him about Artemis' and Apollo's visits, he'd known they would have done something he'd rather them not.

"Who told you about her?"

"Artemis. Who is she? I won't…blame you for anything, you know." Lucy's eyes were a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, and Hermes realized what she was mistakenly thinking.

"Oh, Luce! She's not like that. Vanessa is the Oracle. Why my sister would tell you to meet her, I don't know…"

"She was talking about my premonitions. How I sometimes have feelings that something is going to happen. And then she said to talk to Vanessa."

Hermes tilted his head, his eyes distant. "That is odd. Maybe she thought…" He stood. "Let's go see Vanessa."

Lucy looked up at him in surprise. "Right now?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"We don't have to…schedule an appointment or something?"

The god burst out laughing. "No, Lucy, we don't. Come on."

Reluctantly, she climbed into his arms, and his feet left the ground. Though she did enjoy the sensation of flying (something she would never tell Hermes), she did not enjoy the distance from Hermes' arms to the ground, and refused to look until they were above the clouds. She buried her head in his chest, and he sighed and looked up at the sky. He lived for flying, and absolutely loved flying with Lucy in his arms, but her presence was so incredibly distracting. He didn't know how much longer he could do it, how much longer he could keep from kissing her. She was maddeningly alluring, and it was all he could do to stay a safe distance from her.

She looked at him questioningly, knowing he was deep in thought. He merely smiled and shook his head at the girl. It wouldn't have been his first choice to take her to Vanessa. Her predictions had a habit of being vague and frightening. He knew all Oracles had been like that, but he was reluctant to expose Lucy to her. So far, Lucy's experience with the immortal world had been relatively innocent. Artemis and Apollo, for all their mischief, were harmless. However, the Oracle's behavior could never be predicted.

Frowning, he broke through the cloudbank. Now unable to see the ground, Lucy lifted her head from his shirt. He smirked as she tried to disguise the fact that she was growing fond of flying. She squinted against the wind, her green eyes obscured by dark lashes. He only had a short distance to fly, and far too soon the two began to descend. The only positive aspect of the descent was Lucy's return to his shirt. She didn't move until his feet lightly touched the ground and he gently stroked her hair.

"We're here, Luce," he whispered into her ear. She looked up slowly and her eyes widened. They stood at the gate of a small house. To say it was new would be to lie. Ivy crept over the faded walls, the windows were cloudy, and the porch creaked dangerously as she hesitantly followed Hermes to the door. He knocked quickly and stepped back, his arms crossed. Lucy's eyes flickered up to his hard expression, then back to the door apprehensively. She didn't understand why he was so against meeting this Vanessa, but it was making her nervous.

The door slowly opened, squealing as if it hadn't been opened in 20 years. (Then again, she thought, it might not have.) A woman stood in the doorway. She was surprisingly young, 18 at the most. Her body was positively skeletal, her arms and legs twigs extending from her torso. Dark hair fell around her shoulders and dark eyes popped in her thin face. She examined the pair for a long moment before breaking into a smile. The grin lit up her face, and she no longer looked fearsome. She looked more like a regular teenager, though shockingly malnourished, than a powerful Oracle. She bowed slightly to Hermes, then beckoned the two in. Lucy stepped forward, and Hermes followed behind, pausing to shut the door carefully. He found Lucy and Vanessa in the dim sitting room. Vanessa was flitting around the room, turning on lights and pouring tea. Lucy was sitting on the couch, seeming small. She looked up at Hermes and smiled gratefully. He sat next to her, much closer than he would have under normal circumstances. She exuded nervousness and fear, and he wanted to push the feelings away. Vanessa, finally satisfied, plopped down on the chair across from them. She smiled pleasantly at the two.

"So, why have you come to visit?"

Hermes took a breath. "Artemis seems to believe that Lucy has some form of…precognition."

The teenager tilted her head. "How so?"

Lucy interrupted Hermes' attempt at explanation.

"Sometimes I get these…feelings. Like something is going to happen. But nothing has ever happened, so I don't know why she was so interested in it."

Vanessa frowned. "Yes, that is curious, isn't it? I can feel the—"

Her voice cut off, and she stiffened. Her eyes grew wide and unfocused and Lucy, worried about the teenager, moved to her side. Just before she could make contact with her, Vanessa's head jerked up. She opened her mouth and an unfamiliar, raspy voice spoke.

"Paradise will be destroyed in fire and ice. The gods will turn against each other."

The clouded, unfocused eyes found Lucy's frightened ones, and the Oracle grasped her thin shoulders.

"It will be your fault. You will bring the destruction."

Her bony arms shook Lucy with surprising strength. Lucy's eyes were wide and fearful. She attempted to break the Oracle's grip, but the arms held her fast. Hermes pulled a terrified Lucy from her hold and embraced her, his arms a shield. He glared at the Oracle.

"That is enough," he growled furiously. His voice held a different, darker quality that made Lucy shiver and be both glad she wasn't on the receiving end of his anger and worried for the teenager who was.

"You will pay for your trust, Hermes. The girl is not who you think she is. She hides a dark secret."

Lucy gasped and trembled, and Hermes' arms tightened around her. His blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"I said, that. Is. Enough!"

The curtain left Vanessa's eyes and they refocused on the menacing god and petrified mortal. She pieced together what had happened and fell to her knees.

"I am so sorry, Lord Hermes. Please forgive me."

Lucy pulled out of Hermes' embrace and tentatively knelt, ignoring his angry growl.

"What did you mean? Why will I bring…destruction?"

Vanessa looked at her. "I do not know. I am sorry, Lady. I can only know the future when I am possessed by the Oracle's spirit."

Lucy's brow creased with worry.

"What can I do to prevent it?"

The answer was the same.

"I do not know," she said regretfully.

Lucy looked frightened and anxious, her heartbeat much faster than a mortal's should be. She seemed to have disregarded the latter part of the prophecy, focusing on her apparent imminent betrayal. Hermes gently lifted her off the ground and pulled her close.

"We will be leaving now," he told Vanessa, his voice icy cold. She nodded with worry evident on her face.

"I am sorry," she whispered again as she stood. She followed the two to the door and opened it for them. Lucy walked out but Hermes stayed behind momentarily, eyes narrowed at Vanessa.

"What did you mean, that last part?"

Vanessa shook her head. "I do not know, Lord. I only speak the Oracle's words."

He glared at the lack of information.

"She won't get over this. I knew bringing her here would be something I would regret."

Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.

"People always say that. I haven't had a friend in so long, because I frighten them away. I never chose to be the Oracle. I am sorry, Lord. I didn't mean to scare her."

Hermes' icy expression faltered when she began to cry, and he sighed.

"Don't cry," he said tiredly. "It's just that…she's already given herself plenty of reasons to avoid me." He looked at the girl, who was standing by the gate, her arms folded across her chest tightly. "She has enough trust issues without adding herself to them."

He bid Vanessa goodbye and went to Lucy. He was about to hold out his hands to her when he changed his mind. Instead, he offered her one hand, which she took, and led her down the street. He knew she was upset because she didn't ask where they were going, only watched the ground with a worried expression on her face. He allowed them to walk in silence a minute before he spoke.

"Lucy, don't pay attention to what she said."

The frown lines deepened. "How? How am I supposed to ignore the fact that I was just told I'm going to bring destruction to the gods?" She looked up at him, her green eyes filled with worry. "You, Hermes."

He stopped them on the street and cupped her face in his hands. His eyes bore into hers.

"Lucy, don't worry about it," he said quietly and persuasively. "I trust you. You won't do that."

"It's the Oracle. She doesn't tell lies."

"But her prophecies are rarely straight forward. What you initially think she means is hardly ever what she turns out to mean. Don't you remember that from your stories?" He teased her halfheartedly, but when her expression didn't change, he dropped the attempt.

"So, what do you think it means?"

His gaze flickered away from her for a moment, then returned.

"Well, it does sound…grim," he confessed. "But I don't think that's what will happen."

"Then what do you think will happen?"

"I don't know."

She stared at him a long moment before breaking away. They resumed their walk down the street.

"Lucy, I trust yo—"

She held out her hands. "Please, don't say that. Don't you remember the last part of the prophecy?" She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes and a pained smile on her lips. "I'm going to betray you, Hermes. I'm not who you think I am."

He frowned. "I don't believe that."

"Believe it." Her voice was louder now. "You think you know everything, don't you? You don't. You think you can make everything better with a wave of a hand? It's not like that in the real world, Hermes. Some things can't get better." Her voice broke. "You're going to get hurt, Hermes, if you don't understand that. Some things don't get better." The tears slipped over her cheeks and her knees gave out as she raised her hands to her face. He caught her and held her silently as she cried.

"Lucy, I don't care what you think about that prophecy. It's not going to make me go away. I will not leave you, Lucy. No matter what."

"You don't know, Hermes." His shirt muffled her voice.

"I do know, Lucy. No matter what."

She shook her head, but remained silent. She pulled away, brushing off the tears. He looked at her pleadingly.

"Lucy, please—"

She stopped him with a hand and looked up at him wearily.

"Can we just go home?"

He nodded worriedly and held out his arms. She twined her hands around his neck and he lifted her gently. She rested her head against his shoulder as they ascended.

Lucy was silent the entire way home. He watched her with concern, but she didn't lift her head. He carefully stepped into her apartment and set her down on the sofa. She curled up, pulling a blanket over herself. He sat hesitantly, and she surprised him by snuggling up by his side. She rested her head on his shoulder again and closed her eyes. The room was still.

He awoke later, sometime in the night. He had changed positions as he slept, and was now reclining with Lucy lying on him. Her forehead, even in sleep, was creased with her newfound worry, and he cursed himself for allowing her to find it. He watched her tiredly until his own eyes closed again.

It was morning when he awoke again, and Lucy was looking up at him sleepily. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, and he saw the effect that the prophecy was taking on her. He made a mental note to talk to Artemis later on not sharing her ideas.

He stroked Lucy's hair softly and bowed his head to kiss hers.

"Lucy, please forget about it. Please."

She shook her head. "Hermes, about what the Oracle said."

"I don't care about it, Luce."

"No, what she said about the secret…" While she brought it up, she seemed reluctant to speak of it.

"You don't have to tell me," he reassured her.

"No, but I do."

Before she could say anything, his cellphone rang.

He ignored it, but it kept ringing insistently. When he refused to pick it up, she took it from the coffee table and handed it to him.

"Later," she said softly.

He shook his head, but answered it sharply. "What?"

"You sound so annoyed, bro," said Apollo.

"Of course I am. What do you want?"

"Dad wants you. Now."

His brother's voice hinted at seriousness, which reminded Hermes of his duties. He sighed heavily.

"Fine."

He hung up and turned back to Lucy. She smiled at him, but it was the ghost of a smile. She looked anxious and stressed.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded. He examined her silently, then pulled her up. Wrapping her tightly in his arms, he hugged her for a long moment. Neither said anything until Hermes grudgingly broke away.

"I have to go. But I'll see you tomorrow. Until then, Lucy," he kissed her forehead, "don't worry."

She smiled until he departed, then sunk onto the couch, buried her head in her hands, and groaned. She had tried, she really had. After the Oracle's cryptic prediction, she knew she had to. Then, at least, she only had to concentrate on one worrying prophecy. And, if her confession caused Hermes to leave, then she was out of danger for whatever destruction the Oracle had predicted. Lucy couldn't decide whether she was relieved that she'd avoided it or not, but she knew one thing. This prophecy was going to kill her.

Hades slammed the book shut in triumph. The laugh that echoed through the halls was slightly off, as if he shouldn't be enjoying what he was. His servant looked up, then at each other in worry. What was their master up to now?

So that was what that mortal girl had. He would have never guess that she'd be the possessor of that particular oddity. Well, this had just become extremely interesting. He grinned as a plan formed itself in his mind. Oh Hermes, he thought. You have found such an interesting young mortal.

Hm, what do you think Hades is up to? I won't even ask for guesses on Lucy's "power" because I promise you that you will never guess.

Drink or don't drink? (I will literally be asking this every chapter.)