Would have had this one up a bit sooner, but I wasn't interested in this story anymore. Coupled with that, my husband decided to irritated the fuck out of me each time I pulled this up to edit or work on it. I forego having my usual editor go through this, rather than having you guys wait another day or two. On an off-note, I'll fill you guys in a bit as to what my life is currently like since I tend to keep author notes simple or pretty detached. We also ended up, spur-of-the-moment, adopting a rescue dog. The humane society in our county had a big adoption bazaar in downtown New Smyrna Beach. My father and husband were out and while everyone was paying 200-300 dollar adoption fees for puppies and the new animals, they spotted this 3 year old girl, 50 dollar adoption fee listed on her with the saddest look on her face. She's got depression (I never really stopped to think animals might have such things) and as a result had chewed/licked her legs to the point of open wounds. Her current foster home can't let her out all the time other than going to the bathroom, so she's an overweight, nervous pitbull terrier mix. She's great with the kids and ended up spending the night, sleeping on our bed with us. I don't think she's had much time outside a kennel so she doesn't know what to do with herself now that she has all this room and a huge backyard. So, that's about all. On with the story.
Read, review, enjoy.
Chapter 13: Tempestuous
Hades reclines back on his throne, a snap of his fingers banishing the conjured list of souls that needed his attention for judgment for that day. A small quirk of his lips gives hint to his mood as he draws himself to his feet, strolling out of the Room of Judgment in search of one disoriented goddess, his first destination being her chambers. Upon finding the room undisturbed since last he had caught her there, he doubles back to check the grotto and his own chambers. Discovering no sign in either of those places, he checks the study to come across the meal, showing that it remained completely untouched. Growling in slight annoyance, he stalks out to search the rest of the palace, not knowing he had missed his wife by mere moments.
The latest incarnation of Persephone finds herself strolling back inside, bare feet softly padding against the cold stone floor of the hallway. Once she arrives at the three familiar sets of doors, she approaches the third, listening once more for voices and upon finding none, slowly pushes it open. Gazing inside, she recalls the room from one of her memories, a throne on one side, two stone chairs encasing two figures in the far corner and a soul-filled river flowing along the other side. She approaches the rock prisons, her fingers running over the stone and finding it easily giving way to her touch. With a nimbleness the untried goddess was unaware of possessing, she begins plucking and prying at the stone that has trapped inside it the figure of a man; it yields to her curious touch as if it were clay and expels an olive-skinned man with short, black hair. He looked exactly as she remembered him in the vision and as she recognizes him, he slowly begins to right himself, standing before her and instantly grabbing her face in his hands.
She looks up at him with a startled gaze. "You are Pirithous?"
"Yes, and I'd recognize those eyes anywhere, sweet Persephone." He coos softly at her, eyes never leaving her gaze.
Pirithous leans down to kiss her and as soon as his mouth ghosts over her lips, the doors slam open, shaking the marble structure as Hades' voice booms and echoes through the cavernous room.
"You, Pirithous! You didn't learn the first time you touched my wife!" He hisses at the man, sending him back into the stone chair with hardly a thought, stone encasing him. Hades rounds to his wife, her eyes wide as she recalls what happened the last time her original was caught aiding the man.
"Please! Don't, Hades! It's not what it looks like, I was only going to-" she's cut short as he grabs her by the hair, forcing her gaze to steady on him.
He instantly snaps at her, eyes wild with fury and body taut with barely held restraint. "Don't you dare lie to me!"
"I had such plans, such a wonderful night to ease you into your place here, I would have made you feel like a rightful queen… but obviously that isn't what you aim for, pet, is it? You wish to lower yourself to foolish mortal men to test me. My lovely creature… I'm only too happy to oblige you this. Consider it my wedding gift. If you wish to test me, who am I to deny you." He turns her away to face the once-again trapped Pirithous and leans over her back, growling against the nape of her neck.
"I didn't -" she starts, instantly interrupted once again by being hoisted over Hades' shoulder and her view of the mortal shielded by a robed back.
"Do not dare speak, wife. I have told you ages ago and I will tell you again today. I'm an incredibly jealous man and you, you have no idea how effortlessly you infuriate me. You'll be mine tonight and I won't allow you to talk your way out of it, Demeter be damned!" He shifts her on his shoulder to better balance her, roughly jostling her body.
"You know, I'm getting really tired of this mode of transportation," she hisses, her fists pounding at his back as he walks out of the room and towards his chambers once again.
This time he chooses to dump her into a marble chair, conjured with little less than a thought and standing before her, surprised when his angry gaze meets a newly fearless and defiant one. The tempestuous woman glaring at him as she manages to gather herself and retain what grace she was left with upon the unceremonious drop into the chair.
Taking a deep breath to try and center himself, Hades manages a single command, his face flushed once more in anger. "Undress."
"No." Paige forces out, arms crossed over her chest in a protective manner as she turns her face away in an almost childish, indignant manner and sniffing once in a dainty manner.
His eyes widen for just a moment, incredulous at her disdainful manner of addressing him and growls out. "What did you just tell me? Choose your next words carefully, wife."
A familiar fire burns in her gaze, words from another woman spilling from the girl's mouth before she can even process it. "Blow it out your ass you overgrown man-child. I will not have you speak to me like that, be it husband, lord or god. It wasn't my fault, I was curious and that room was not off-limits. You choose your words carefully, dear husband. I will not allow you to bully me into anything! Time is something you have in spades, don't you dare try to rush me, it hasn't been a week yet and I will happily find my way out of this realm, this instant, if you try to push it!"
Hades stands dumbstruck by her sudden outburst, the act more familiar to that of his original Persephone instead of the meek human he recently found. He stares unblinking as she stands up, her small hands pressing against his chest to steady herself before placing a small kiss on his cheek, surprising him enough to easily maneuver away from his overbearing stance, pushing him aside and pausing at the doors.
Calling over her shoulder, she speaks plainly. "I invite you into my quarters after you are finished having your tantrum, to discuss this further."
He stays standing to the side, torn between tearing after the impertinent goddess and taking heed of her suggestion while watching the doors close behind her. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he gathers himself and chuckles. A heavy hand lies on his shoulder and without looking up, the familiar voice of Zeus comes across in a wistful tone.
"It's like she was never missing, huh?"
Hades nods, a wry smile appearing on his face. "You heard all of that?"
Zeus chortles, his heavy hand roughly cuffing Hades' shoulder and staggering the despondent god. "Are you kidding, all of Olympus heard it! Joking aside, I recently have come across one inconsolable and upset Demeter, who has petitioned me to reclaim her daughter. I trust you took care of what needed to be done?"
Nodding, Hades lets out a short bark of laughter. "Mostly, she did partake of the fruit of the dead, but she's still... adjusting. I don't trust that infernal mother of hers to give up so easily, however."
"As well you shouldn't. Not a single god left in Olympus envies you for your mother-in-law. Finish the deal and we'll talk more after I placate an enraged goddess. Keep an eye on that river, as well. I feel things will become quite tumultuous in the mortal realm with Demeter on a rampage." Zeus warns, his amused look changing to one of seriousness.
Hades nods, bringing himself back to his feet and brushes past Zeus, exiting his chambers without another word and heading towards Persephone's courtyard.
Meanwhile, Paige is found sitting by the small spring in her gardens as her backbone fails her and nerves catch up.
"What have I done?" She whispers to herself, eyes widening in fear.
A figure emerges from the waters, one of the nymphs, and pipes up cheerily. "What's the matter, Persephone?"
"I believe I just told the God of the Underworld to 'blow it out his ass' and then invited him here. I'm not ready to face him, probably ever," she whispers between spread fingers.
The other nymph then pops up from the water, happily chirping. "In that case, while there's still time, let us give you our wedding gift!"
A tinkling of laughter is heard for only a brief moment as the nymphs disappear beneath the surface. Paige finds a tendril of water wrapping itself around her waist, jerking her off her feet and barely allowing her a gasp before she can even protest. She's then dragged beneath the spring and quickly lead through an underwater maze of tunnels only to emerge in a small cavern shortly thereafter. Taking a look around at her surroundings, she finds herself in a grotto illuminated by scattered, glowing phytoplankton and bioluminescent mushrooms. Unease settles like a lead weight on her shoulders until darting, glowing movements beneath the water's surface grabs hold of her attention. Looking down at the clear water, she finds a school of small glowing fish; fluttering and flitting around her legs before swimming near the surface to bring even more of a soft glow to the grotto as if sensing her anxiety.
The nymphs speak softly and calmly, snapping Paige's attention back to the aqueous figures. "This is a safe place that you used to love."
"Hades knows his Underworld, surely he knows of our secret place... he just stays out of it, since there's no reason for him to be here."
"The fish help, if you forget the way, just swim into the tunnel leading out and they'll guide you. No worries about getting lost, even if you did, it's not like you have any need to breathe."
"I'm dead?" Paige exclaims, eyes widening as she stares at the two nymphs who begin laughing, seemingly at her expense.
"Not at all! You are simply..." One begins.
"Not mortal," the other nymph supplies, hand patting the shoulder of the recently startled woman.
"Consider it a wedding gift, from us to you."
"If not a bit of a regifted one," they chuckle, nearly in unison.
"We understood when you first came here; the need for another soul to stand beside, just because of you and Hades..."
"And we also understand the need for a moment alone..."
"We can't promise he won't find you here."
"But, he has never had the need to show his face here before."
Paige nods, faint grins barely distinguishable on the watery visages of the nymphs before they retreat into the depths. She relaxes and enjoys her time alone for a while longer, collecting her nerves as she spends a few more minutes watching the glowing school of fish flit around her legs. Eventually, she decides to dive beneath the surface, intent on finding her way out while the fish swim ahead to lead her back to her courtyard spring. Once she breaks the surface again, she peers around the garden and upon finding no sign of Hades, strips out of her soaked clothing. With a thought, she wraps herself in a fluffy towel and walks through the courtyard, the flowers and various other plants seeming to lean in to brush against her in a greedy attempt to welcome the no longer absent goddess. Feeling rejuvenated, she climbs the pantheon to her chambers, throwing back the sea green covers and curling up beneath them, her mind too awake to doze as she plans her next plan of attack against the pushy nature of her purported husband.