Lady of Life and Death: A Persephone Novel (On Hold)

v. (part a)

I awoke to knocking on the carriage door. I lifted my head, pulled back the curtain covering the window and blinked, unaware that I had fallen asleep. I squinted at the sudden sunlight and made out Hermes on the other side of the glass.

The messenger god grinned, "We're here! And not a minute too soon. I did not want to face your mother's wrath for delivering you late."

He did not look that concerned, however. We both know that it was not Hermes who Demeter would blame for the inconvenience.

I opened the door. "I gathered that we were in my mother's realm when I was assaulted by Apollo's radiance," I said, squinting as I moved from the dark chamber to the bright exterior.

Hermes held out a hand, helping me down to the path that crossed a flowing field of grass. "The sun god does seem particularly bright today, don't you think?" he asked.

"How am I supposed to know? I haven't seen the sky for half a year." The Underworld had no sun, only a constant gloom of clouds overhead. Sometimes it was lighter than other times, almost like a cloudy day. A mockery of the mortal realm's shift of night and day. "Maybe Apollo wants to celebrate my arrival."

Hermes snorted, "He likely did it because he wants to sleep with you."

We made our way to the horses prepared for the last stretch of my journey. Demeter did not allow any objects of the "modern world" into her sanctuary—even though carriages had existed for centuries. I imagined driving a sleek red car to her little oasis. She would have a fit.

I mounted my horse and kicked off. The mare started over the bridge which crossed the river that marked the beginning of my mother's territory. Hermes—and only Hermes followed. Demeter did not allow servants of Hades into her territory.

I nudged my horse until her trot transformed into a galop. I closed my eyes and let the wind flow through my hair. I felt the light beat down on my face and smelled the fresh scent of plants and soil. I soaked in the beautiful feeling of spring—of life. It was like I was coming alive with the world around me, brought back from the dead of winter.

I opened my eyes and saw the white marble of my mother's residence approaching. I slowed the horse. No matter how delighted the mortal realm made me, I still had a mission. I had to inform Demeter of Zeus's plans.

The goddess of the harvest was standing on the marble steps to her temple palace, various nymphs below her. She was clad in a leaf green chiton, a brown belt the same color as her skin was wrapped around her waist. Her coily black hair was woven into thick braids that trailed down her back.

I came to a halt, as did Hermes behind me.

"Daughter," Demeter said, "welcome back."

I smiled. "It is wonderful to be back, Mother."

A dryad came to help me from my horse. I traveled to the step below my mother and looked towards Hermes as she spoke to him.

"Why does the King of the Dead not bring my daughter to me himself?" asked Demeter. She refused to utter his name aloud, like a mortal of old.

Hermes straightened on his horse. "The reason he gave was that he was too busy."

"Too busy to escort his wife back home?"

"I cannot speak for the King of the Underworld, I am simply the man he—"

"I understand. You may leave."

I watched as Hermes trodded back down the path, my horse following. I turned towards my mother, "I need to talk to you. Alone."

She smiled at me, "It can wait, you've just gotten back" Then she raised her voice, "My daughter has returned! Let us celebrate the beginning of spring!"

The nymphs surrounding us cheered.

I scowled. "But I need to talk to you now!" I hissed.

"I don't have time for this," she shot back, "I have meetings all day. We can talk later. Go have fun with your friends."

She practically shoved me towards a group of dryads who were approaching me. They surrounded me, chatting about how they had missed me, what the latest gossip was, everything and anything. It was overwhelming and by the time I was able to look back at my mother, she was gone.

...

Guess who's back?!

I am again posting only a part of a chapter because I was super busy this week with like three essays due and grades closing.

I've noticed that the age demographics for this novel are lower than what I predicted (YA instead of NA). Should I change my intended audience on Wattpad to the lower age demographic to help with the algorithm or not?

QOTD:

What was the last song you listened to (or the song you're listening to now)? Mine's "Paper Rings" by Taylor Swift.