Son of Hades

Catch These Fists If You Want A Kiss

EDITED
CATCH THESE FISTS IF YOU WANT A KISS

I couldn't fall asleep tonight.

Maybe it was the sound of distant screaming that kept me up. Maybe it was because I thought Xavier actually might return for story time. He didn't. In the pure darkness of my new bedroom, I lay awake tossing and turning until . . . morning?

Nightmares clutch my insides as I jolt awake, and a thin layer of sweat coats my forehead and my hair is sticking to the back of my neck. There is no sun drifting through the windows or birds loudly chirping to keep me awake. My mouth feels dry, and I thought I imagined the knock at the door until it comes again. This all hadn't been a dream.

"Miss Caverly?" Thankfully I recognize the voice behind the closed door as it begins to creak open. A knock sounds somewhat loudly, "Persephone requests your presence for breakfast. She also wanted you to meet your stylist . . . Miss Caverly, are you awake?" he lingers in the slightly ajar doorway, orange light spilling onto the hardwood floors. "Octavia is coming - "

"Octavia has arrived, you lucky girl!" the door bursts the rest of the way open before I have any chance of a reply. Servants immediately move to light candles and tend to a fire in the fireplace. "Oh my my darling, not an early riser, were we?" The girl named Octavia clicks her tongue as she sees me awake, and comes to my bedside. "my name is Octavia, and while you're here, I'll be your beautician and stylist. Please come dear, out of bed; we don't have all morning here. As you know already Persephone is not a very patient woman."

I glance towards Xavier - standing in the doorway - and immediately look down as I leave the warmth of my soft new bed behind. I wasn't wearing pants, only a long white t-shirt I found in the back of the closet last night.

Octavia has me sit at the vanity. She's exotic to say the very least. She's covered in tattoos, and has blue hair that matches her dark blue skirts. She tilts my face up then down and side to side. Her touch sends goosebumps rising on my arms. "I can make this no sleep evening work towards your advantage, Miss Ariel. How about a soft smoky eye, or maybe a little bit of pink?"

"Surprise me."

"Very well," Octavia pouts. "are you a coffee drinker?"

"Iced coffee."

"Why am I not surprised?" Octavia rolls her eyes. "Xavier, why don't you run along and get our competitor some iced coffee from the kitchens? We'll be just fine here on our own." there was something in Octavia's voice that I kind of didn't like. A hint of malice? A drop of knowingness? Her eyes held something dangerous: a threat that was easily comprehended.

Xavier's gaze holds mine for a long moment before he succumbs to his duties; closing my bedroom door behind him.

"So my dear, what shall we do with this hair? Curls or straight?"

I let Octavia do my hair in waves. The heat down here will make my hair frizz but as Octavia puts in a special cream, she promises they will hold for at least eighteen hours. I still was trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. I never got up this early just to do my hair. I got up this early to make a Dunkin Donuts run.

"Can I ask you a question?" I finally have the courage to utter.

"Depends. Is this a question about your Prince? Because I'm forbidden to answer them."

I shake my head. "It's about the servants . . . why are they so fearful here? They're so obedient and - "

"Robotic?" Octavia gueses. Her fingers comb viciously through my hair as she adds her finishing touches. "My brother used to be among those robots, until he found out the hard way why direct orders aren't to be disobeyed; no matter how unreasonable or morally hard they are to follow. Most of them have horrible classifications because they did horrible things while they were still alive; they act as guards as well as servants. In exchange for obedience, many are saved from the fields of Wrath and Tartarus."