Hades and Persephone Ch 15 2.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 15 2.docx

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HadesandPersephoneCh152

"Sisyphusis mine todealwith,andIassureyoumyjusticewillbehardandswift,"hegrowled. 

"You'llnevergetthechancetoexactit,Aidoneus!

"Hermessaid."Theworldisending.Becauseyouinsistonkeeping her theworldisending!

" 

"Hasn'tyour king takenenoughfrommealready?

!

"Heleanedforwardandgrippedthearmsofhisthrone,hisknucklesturningwhite."Thatscrollyoudeliveredwasa declarationofwar!

" 

"Aidon,mybeloved,no—"Persephonesaid,hervoicelow.Sheplacedahandonhis.Heturnedtoherandcaughtitinhisgrasp.

"Whatchoicearetheygivingme?

"hepleaded,wideeyed."WhatchoicedoIhave?

!

Youheardwhathesaid!

" 

"Reasonwithyourhusband,madam.Theworldcannotsurvive—"

"Youwillbesilent,Hermes!

"shesaid,hervoiceringingthroughthehall.SheturnedbacktoAidonandstrokedhischeek."Mylove,thinkaboutwhatyou'resaying." 

"Ihave,sweetone,"herumbled."I'vethoughtaboutthisfromthemomentCharonferriedmeacrosstheriverallthosethousandsofyearsago."HeturnedtoaddressHermes."Ifitwerenotforme,ifitwerenotforevery moment Ispentplanning,fighting, killing intheTitanomachy,theywouldallbeinTartarusrightnow!

I wonthatwar forthemandthisisthethanksIget?

!

IsitnotenoughthatIwasforcedtobethewardenofTartarus,nightandday,foralleternity?

!

" 

"But,Aidon—" 

"Ifitwerenotformyownaccursedsuggestiontodividethelots,IwouldbesittingOlympusrightnow,rulingoverallbybirthright,insteadofbeing discarded downhere!

Ishouldhavetrustedmyinstinctsand never lefttherulershipofthecosmostothatbloviating,philanderingfool!

" 

Sheturnedtohim,shocked."Aidon,whatareyousaying?

" 

"ThatIshouldhavedonethisaeonsago,andnowisthetimetocorrectmymistake!

Theyareweak.Lookatthemcowerbeforeusevennow,"Hadessaid,pointingdismissivelyatHermes."EverymomentthatDemeterstarvestheearthonlyenrichesourkingdomandweakenstheirs." 

PersephonewatchedtherimsofhisirisesbegintoglowwiththefiresofthePhlegethon.Sheshookherheadgently,consideringhernextwordscarefully,andspoketohimwhereHermescouldnothearthem. Icannotsupportyouinthis. Aidoneus,please.Tartarusisreachingthroughyou.Cronus— 

Thishasnothingtodowithmyfather!

 Heturnedawayfromherfrightenedgaze. Hehasnopoweroverme. 

Butthesearenotyourwords,shesaid. Theysoundlikehis!

Can'tyouseewhatishappening?

!

 Hiseyesreturnedtodarkbrownandgrewwide,hispanicpalpable. Theyareseparatingusforever!

Theiroaths,theirlaws,nowmeannothingandtheyaremakingyouandIandeverymortalonearthvictimsoftheircapriciousness!

Theycarenothingforus,andnothingforthem!

Hegrippedherhandinhis."Allowmetoputendtheirfoolishness,"hesaidaloud. 

"Thesearenotyourwords,"sherepeated. 

"Iamtheeldestofmygenerationandyouofyours.YouandIaretherulersofthecosmosby birthright!

Itistimeforustoembraceourfate,mylove.Please;Ineedyou."Hekneltforwardfromhischair,andfelltohiskneesinfrontofherthrone.Aidoneustookherhandsinhis. 

Shelookeddownathim,mappingthefearanddesperationonhisface,herheartbeatingoutofherchest.Persephoneconsideredacquiescing—consideredtellinghimtounleashtheErinyes,theKeres,theTribeoftheOneiroi,theHundredHandedOnes,alltheirinnumerablealliesandgotowar.ThensherememberedwhatshehadseeninTartarus.Thethrone.Thefall.Therisingembers.Destruction.Rape.Death. 

Aidoneussqueezedherhands,drawingherattentionbackfromthosefrightfulvisions."TheOlympianshavenevertakenresponsibilitythewaythatyouandIwould—lookhowtheywantonlydestroytheverythreadsofexistenceitself!

You know inyourheartthatwecanrulemorejustlythantheyeverdid.Saytheword,Persephone,andwewillcastdowntheseoathbreakers.Iwillexaltyouasqueenofheaven,theearthandtheseas,ofeverythingaboveandbelow.YouandIwillreignoverthecosmosandrestoreorderandhonorandjustice." 

Persephoneshookherheadinhorror."Absolutepowerdroveyourfathertomadness,Aidoneus.Justasitdidtoyourgrandfather.Itwilldothesametoyou—andtome.Andtoanyimmortal.Wearetherulersbeneaththeearth,andonlythere.Andtheearthaboveis dying!

Chthonia'sbordersareweakened,andwemusttendtoourownrealm." 

"They'renotasweakasyouthink,"hemuttered,outofearshotofHermes."Andneitherarewe." 

"YousawwhathappenedwhentheytriedtotakeSisyphustothePit.Nothingissafeanymore,mylove.Youknowwhat he showedus!

CronusandtherestoftheTitanswillbreakfreeifthisdisastercontinues.Theywillkill everything.Destroy everything;destroyus!

Heisinfluencingyouevennow—" 

"Please,Persephone,"hesupplicated."Mywife,myqueen,Iambegging youtojoinme!

They'lltakeyouawayfrommeforeverifyoudon't!

" 

Hewasright.Shewouldneverseehimagain.Hewouldneverholdher,theywouldneverwakeupinthegroveastheyhadthismorning,andhewouldneverbeabletowhispertoheragainthathelovedher.Butifshesupportedhim,theywouldwitnesstheendofallthings.Theunthinkablewouldhappen.They,thedeathlessones,woulddie. 

"Aidon,"shesaid,andsqueezedhishand."Husband.Youoncetoldmethatyou'velovedmeforever;thatyouwouldlovemeuntilthestarswereshakenoutofthesky." 

Hesqueezedhiseyesshuttokeepthewellingtearsfromstreamingdownhisface.Persephonebrushedherhandalonghischeek,andheshivered."Persephone... please,"hewhispered. 

"Areyoureadyforthat?

Doyoureallywantthatsosoon?

" 

"No!

"Helookedupatheragain."No,sweetone,wehavetime.Wecancastthemdown;youandIcansavethisworldtogether—"hesaid,hiseyeswateringashisvoicechoked. 

"Everythingwillend,mybeloved.Theheavens,theearth,youandI,everything,"shesaid,watchingAidoneus'shouldersslumpinvoluntarily,knowinginhisheartthatshewasright.Sheranherhandalonghisface,tracinghischeekasshespoke,herpalmnowwetwithhistears."Butbeforeitdoes,ifyoudothis,Tartaruswillbeunleashed—" 

"No..." 

"—andeverythreatCronusmadeagainstyouandmewillcometopass—" 

"Persephone,don't!

"Hisvoicecrackedoverawhisper."Pleasedon't..." 

"No,mylordhusband.Youaskedformycounsel.ButbeforeyouaskmeagaintojoinyouindeclaringwaronOlympus,hearthis,"sheshuddered,thencomposedherself."YouandIalreadyknowtheoutcome.Wewerethere;wesawit.Thelastthingyouwillseebeforetheendofallthings,theverylasttimewewilllookintoeachother'seyes,willbeasCronusdevoursmyviolatedbody." 

Hestaredupather.Aidoneuswasmotionless,hiseyesstaringthroughher,fixedanddarkanddistant. 

"Isthatwhatyouwant?

" 

Silencefilledtheroom.ThenHadesAidoneus,LordoftheUnderworld,crumpledforward,hisforeheadfallingintohiswife'slap.Hisentirebodywrenchedandshook,andhewrappedhisarmsaroundthesmallofherback.Along,torturedwailechoedthroughthehall,asoundshe'dneverheardbeforefromhim.Persephoneranherhandsthroughhishairandhuddledoverhim,shaking,tearspouringdown.Aidoneusgaspedinairaroundeachsob.Hermesheldhisbreathandtookseveralstepsback,thescenebeforehimterrifyingandunsettling.Hadesshudderedquietly,goingsilent. 

"Iwasfinallyhappy,"hewhispered,hiswordsmuffledashishandsballedintofistsintheskirtsofherpeplos.Shesuckedindeepbreaths,tryingtosteadyhervoiceandcalmherheartbeat.Sheneededtobestrongforhim.Tearsspilledoutanyway.Persephonestrokedherhusband'sbackandhunchedforwardtokisshimonthebackofhishead.Hewhispereditagain."Iwasfinallyhappy.Fates,forthefirsttimeinmylife..." 

"Iwillcomebacktoyou.I will findawaybacktoyou;Ipromise..."shewhisperedagainsthisneck."Theycannotkeepusapart.I'llfindaway...Iloveyou,Aidoneus!

I'llfindaway,Iloveyou...Iloveyou..." 

Hermesturnedawayasbilecrawleduphisthroat,sickenedathimselfandhisorders.He'dlistenedtoApollosingingaboutlove,he'dusedthewordenoughtimestolaywithnymphsandmortalwomen,andhadevenbeddedthegoddessofloveherself.Thiswasdifferent. 

Aidoneuswasn'thisking,buthe'dalwaysdeeplyrespectedhim.Havingseenallthatthegodsdidtomankindandtoeachother,evenwhathe himself haddone,hedoubtedhecouldsaythesameformanyoftheotherimmortals.Evenhisownfather.Hermeswalkedouttotheterraceandbentdowntoretrievehishat.HadeswaswillingtoteardownOlympusandendtheworldtokeepher.Couldhehaveeversaidthatofawoman,exceptwhenhewasinthemiddleofseducingone?

Whoamongtheotherslovedtheirmateenoughtonotonlystaytruetothem,buttowagertheirimmortalitytostaywiththem?

HermeslookedoutattheswarmsofsoulscrowdingthefarshoreoftheStyx. Hecoulddoit, theMessengerthoughtwithashiver. Noteasily,buthehasnoideahowweakwetrulyarerightnow... 

Hetoyedinhismindwiththeideaof'we'abitlongerthanheshouldhave.Hermesknewhishistory.PrometheusandEpimetheus,theTitansonsofIapetos,alongwithHeliosandSelene,Hyperion'stwins,hadsidedwiththeChildrenofCronusduringtheTitanomachy.Turningagainsthiskinandkingwasn'toutsidetherealmofpossibility.Hepaused,grindinghisteeth,tryingtopictureacosmosruledbytheausteremastersofthisrealm. Itdoesn'tmatter,hethought. Ifitcametowar,therewouldbenothinglefttoruleover. 

"Mes