A Tale of Gods and Magic

Eurydice: The Beginning of the End

A/N Sorry for the short chapter, Wattpadians. I had to choose between having a short chapter (er, badly written) or a long, good one in a week or so. Since I won't be able to write after this week for a while, I chose a chapter now. Hope you enjoy! This is what my mom calls a "villain trash dump" where the villain reveals their plan.  Will make edits later.

Everything was going satisfactorily. She had the demigod in her grasp, and such a vulnerable mind was malleable to her magic. He was quite under her control. As she leached Hecate's magic from her frail form, she would soon be able to mold anyone's mind to her will. Of course there was, as there always is, a glitch. The Occlumensy she had worked on all the demigods and witches and wizards by using a simple control curse on Hecate had disappeared when Hecate had had a moment of rebellion and taken back control of her power. That had been easy to deal with, though, and now Hecate was in her half-sleep and Eurydice was in control.

Of course, those headstrong boys had thought they had to save the demigod. But Nico had obviously dealt with him. She could hear the screams and see the flashes of light as they tried to fight back. She'd used even more of Hecate's seemingly endless magic to form an orb, a holograph of sorts, so she could witness the son of Hades's actions. It was boring, though, as she knew they'd be dead within minutes. There was no point in watching a game in which the winner was prophesized.

But as she watched the one with the lightning scar brandish his wand as if it was part of his arm, she felt a trickle of fear down her back. She had not felt like this in a long time, not this sort of primal, ferocious sting that curled in her stomach and made everything else bow to it. No, she had not felt like this since... since... since Orpheus had looked back at her on those steps out of the Underworld. She had been so close she could see the sweet light of dawn bathing her husband in rose and purple. She had been ready to forgive and forget and rejoice with him, when he'd done one of the vainest and cruelest things a man could do. He'd given her hope, let her put all of it in one of his hands, then let it fall to the ground and crumble with any last sliver of faith in him she'd had.

He'd looked at her.

Not held her hand or said a word or hummed a tune. He'd wanted a look at her young and beautiful face, even in the dim light.

That's when it had all made sense.

The first part she'd got instantly. He hadn't married her because of her wit or cunning or love for him, but for her face and her body. For her sleek, cascading hair and her slim figure and her vivid eyes. For everything that didn't define her.

Then she'd realized that he hadn't cared about the snake biting her and killing her. That he'd only come to save her because someone had counseled him to. That he could just marry any other pretty maiden and would forget about her within a fortnight.

Then had come the epiphany. He'd plotted her death! They'd had a fling, she'd fell in love with his humor and beautiful voice and lyre-playing and him with her face. She'd wanted them married, and once she'd asked, he couldn't say no without seeming foolish or stupid or cruel. So he'd found some way to plan the snake attack, but hadn't planned on people wanting him to save her.

But she could reconcile now. She'd had years and years to brood while she drifted in the Underworld. And now she could exact her revenge on Orpheus's descendants, the vain and foolish heroes who believed they could solve anything with kindness.

Bah! It made her want to throw up. They knew nothing, and yet the world was placed upon her shoulders. Once they'd eradicated each other per her ingenious plan, she would rule fairly. No one would get to save the world just because they had "special" parents or amazing powers. Everyone would be able to get their chance.

And it was all going so well. With the ideas from Voldemort, she had all her snake friends signed up and could easily speak Parselmouth and persuade them to do anything. And with Hecate, she could make it seem like the wizards had captured her while also getting all the deity's godly powers for herself. Hecate was just one sacrifice to save the world.

Watching the demigods and wizards fight made her even madders. Of course, all the boys duking it out! The girls could sleep soundly while the men were gallant. And all this amazing powers was distributed among such a select group.... the rest of the world didn't even know of magic! How was that gallant and everything the demigods and witches and wizards stood for? How about they try to answer that?

Orpheus had just been the start. These new heroes were the beginning of the end.

But she knew just how to fix that.