Elsa POV

Something was different about Hades lately. He hadn't knocked on my door all day and when I saw him at breakfast he didn't try to fill every silence with banter. He seemed to be doing it for my benefit, and I appreciated it more than he knew.

I felt so secure with this new, gentler Hades that I actually left my room and explored some more of the castle on my own. I wanted to know more about the Underworld and Greece in general, so when I found a library, I stepped inside. Most of the books were tattered and gray, and I hoped the chair by the wall wasn't really made out of bones. I looked through the rows and read the titles.

History of the Gods, one said. I slid that one off the shelf and sat in the ivory chair. I opened it and saw that it was the entire Greek creation story. It began with Chaos, then Gaea, then Cronus and his children. I skimmed until I saw that two of Cronus' children were Zeus and Hades.

That's where they began, I thought. I read further, past a gruesome story involving cannibalism and trickery, and saw what happened after Hades and Zeus grew older. If the book was to be believed, Hades was telling the truth. Zeus, Hades, and their brother Poseidon were supposed to divide godship between themselves, but Zeus tricked them both and took the best for himself. Poseidon got ownership of the ocean and Hades was left to rule over the dead. That didn't excuse his flaws, but it did explain them.

The next page was covered with illustrations of the three brothers. Zeus was majestically wreathed in clouds and lightning, and he was wrapping his arms around adoring crowds of people. Poseidon was stirring up a terrible storm and all the sea creatures were bowing before him. Hades stood apart. His picture was done in black and red ink. He was grinning widly over a deep pit ringed with struggling, cowering victims. They reached out to the clouds, where Zeus was looking down in pity.

That's not what it's like, I thought. "Gods" or not, that wasn't the way it was. If Zeus was that powerful, why didn't he help his pleading subjects? And Hades wasn't a cruel monster. Thanks t a rigged lottery, it was his job to rule the dead. He didn't torment them. It wasn't his fault they died. The other "gods" threw him into the underworld and turned their backs on him. I could see why someone branded a monster could eventually become one. I read deeper into the book, and I learned more with each page.

Anna POV

It's hard to get to know someone when you can't talk to them. There are so many things you can't do when you can't talk. You can't joke, you can't ask questions, you can't chat or sing to pass the time. It was like Hercules and I were walking to a funeral. Everything was gloomy and silent.

I didn't even know Hercules. We'd barely met and there we were tramping through the Underworld. I tried to figure out all I could by looking him over. Clearly he was a warrior, and he was glowing, so he was whatever everyone else in Olympus was. He really didn't like Hades, judging from his expression. The woman with him had the same reaction. Maybe that had something to do with it.

I had a few close calls along the way. One time I tripped and almost cried out. Another time I saw a really interesting stalactite and wanted to show Hercules, but I remembered in time. I also got a little nervous and geared up to whistle, which would have been really embarrassing. I almost sighed in relief when I saw the end of the tunnel.

It wasn't empty, though. There was a woman standing in the center of the path. It was the woman who was with Hercules earlier. Meg, I think it was. She saw Hercules and beckoned him closer. She looked over her shoulder and back at him frantically.

What? How did she get here so fast? I thought. Wait a minute. We were a step away from the end of the tunnel. I jerked my head sideways and looked at Hercules. He was about to open his mouth and call out to her. Oh no you dont!

I ran forward and smashed into Hercules from behind. He was a big man and I was a small woman, but I had enough momentum to knock him forward the two feet we needed to reach safety. "Meg" vanished when we reached the end.

"Good thinking," Hercules said.

"Thanks," I said. No disgusting snake was going to trick me that easily. I didn't expect the giant three-headed dog, though.