Persephone

41. Nightshade ✔

Persephone

"Tyson," Hades yells for the fifth time that day.

It's been a week since I told him that I was pregnant, and he's been a complete asshole since. Not to me but to everyone else and it's starting to get under my skin.

"Babe, please stop yelling," I beg, "I have a splitting headache and your yelling all the time isn't helping."

He furrows his brows, "I'm sorry love, I'll stop."

Tyson flies down into the garden and greets me and then greets Hades, "You summoned me, your highness."

"Any word on the Night twins?"

The twins, I haven't seen them since that day in the café, what he did to them. As the conversation continues, they walk further and further away, and I can't hear anything. Nor can I get inside Hades' head.

I groan when my head pounds, "I get up from my chair and walk into the house to look for Hecate,"

"Hecate?" I call out.

"I'm in the kitchen dear," she answers and then walks to the kitchen, where she is chopping up some vegetables.

"I've got this terrible headache that won't go away, do you have anything that can help me?"

"When was the last time you feed the baby?" she asks.

"Everything tastes disgusting Hecate, I can't keep anything down,"

She frowns, "Okay, take a seat, I'll whip something up, something more for our kind,"

She snaps her fingers and a book appears on the countertop. She flips through it and stops when she finds what she's looking for.

"This will help with the morning sickness and the loss of appetite," she says. She turns around and pulls out a golden bowl and a few bottles of potions. The past few weeks she's been teaching me about potion mixing and it's proving to be one of my weaknesses. I can't seem to whip up a simple potion and I don't know why.

"So, I know you've been struggling with your magic and I'm going to give you a pointer," she explains as she lays out her ingredients.

"You need to have a clear mind and keep calm," she pours her ingredients in and uses her finger to mix. "Potions are a delicate form of chemistry, you need to make sure that the energy around you is clean and clear. Your incantations are said with confidence and power. No doubt should ever cross your mind."

I watch her closely as she performs the incantation, and the liquid begins to bubble. She says the last words and the bubbling stops and the liquid turns into water, and she pours it into a gauntlet.

"Drink,"

I pick up the cup and drink, it doesn't taste too bad, tastes like water mixed with lemon.

"You should start feeling hungry soon and that headache was gone," she smiles.

My headache has stopped but I don't feel quite hungry yet.

"Thank you, Hecate. I'll let you know if I need anything to eat," I say and walk out of the kitchen, the doorbell rings and I walk to the door and open it.

"Hermes?"

"Persephone, hey, it's so good to see you," he greets.

"The last time I saw this guy, I had heard that he was in cahoots with my mother. And he was planning on ruining my relationship with my husband and he could be working with the twins. I'm so angry the first thing that comes to mind is to slap him but before I can even stop myself. My hand connects with his face and the sound echoes in the hallway.

"Ow," he yells.

"You're so damn lucky I did make you choke on your spit your asshole," I yell.

"Persephone, whatever I did, I'm sorry,"

I glare at him, "YOU don't even know what you did, you ass-

"Persephone stop it," Hades yells and my body freezes. I put my hand down and frown. He stands next to me and places his hand on the small of my back. My weak spot. This little demon.

"Hermes, what are you doing here?" he asks.

"I have a message."

Hades sighs and ushers him to come in and we walk to the living room.

"What message do you have for me, Hermes?"

"Hold up," I say, "Have you forgotten what this little weasel has done to me?"

"Perse, baby, he's the reason why your mother has no hold over you and you're here today. Yes, he didn't go about it the right way, but he meant well. He has repaid his debt to the kingdom, and you have to forgive him and let it go,"

I frown, "But why?"

"Don't answer that Hermes," Hades says before he can open his mouth.

"Everything that happened was my fault, that's all I'm going to say. I'm a trickster and I played a terrible trick on everyone, and it landed me and your poor husband in trouble," he says.

Hades groans, "You little weasel, what message do you have? Say it quick, I have work to attend to."

"Oh, the Night Brothers are asking you to hand over the throne or be overthrown," he says.

What?

"They are in the underworld, aren't they?"

Hermes shrugs, "Beats me, I got the message from an owl,"

"Hades don't do anything stupid," I say. The anger in his eyes tells me that he didn't hear a word I said, and he is going to do something stupid and ruin everything. Call it a woman's intuition.

"I will do as I please," he says and walks away.

I sigh, I don't think I can do this, deal with his temper and my hormones. This is becoming a little too much, he hasn't spoken to me or kissed me, touched me, or even said I love you in over a week. We are supposed to go to a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I don't think I want his toxic behaviour anywhere near me at this point.

"Persephone, I'm sorry about everything, it was wrong of me, and I hurt you, forgive me?"

I nod, "It's okay Hermes,"

"For what it's worth, speak to your mother, without Hades, hear her out and speak your mind. She's not what everyone is making her out to be," he says.

"Thank you,"

He gives me a faint smile and leaves.

That must be a message from my mom.