Thorn and Ember

·. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒥𝑒𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝒢𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃𝓈 ·.

MALEFICENT HADN'T PLANNED on it lasting more than a few days, but the satisfaction of watching Hades stew in his jealousy was simply too tempting to resist.

Persephone had arrived at Merlin Academy only a week ago, stirring up emotions Maleficent wasn't prepared for. She wasn't used to seeing Hades look at another girl the way he looked at Persephone—as if they had some secret history Maleficent would never be part of. While Persephone had made it clear to everyone that her interests lay elsewhere, particularly in Zeus, Maleficent still couldn't help the jealousy gnawing at her insides. The idea of someone else knowing Hades in a way that she didn't drove her to act. 

So she decided to play the same game. If he wanted to parade around with Persephone, then she would do the same with someone else—Poseidon. 

And it worked. Each time Maleficent and Poseidon shared a laugh or spent time together, Hades would shoot them a glare from across the room, his jaw tightening more with every passing day. She could feel his simmering rage from a distance, even when he was with his friends. Persephone had no idea what she had started, but Maleficent wasn't about to let her emotions show that easily. 

She knew it was petty—shallow, even—but every time she caught Hades stealing a glance at her, she felt a surge of satisfaction. This was what he deserved for making her feel like their connection was nothing. 

·.༄࿔

At lunch that day, Maleficent sat with Poseidon, Eve, and Cruella, her body language open and relaxed as Poseidon leaned in to whisper a joke in her ear. Maleficent let out a loud laugh, her eyes darting in Hades's direction. He was sitting a few tables away with Zeus and Persephone, but he wasn't paying attention to anything they were saying. His entire focus was on her. 

"You're really laying it on thick," Eve muttered, giving her a knowing look as she glanced over at Hades. "He's going to explode soon, you know." 

Cruella smirked, biting into an apple. "Good. Let him suffer. It's about time someone made him sweat." 

Maleficent shrugged, keeping her cool exterior intact. "He deserves it."

Poseidon shot her a teasing look. "You know, if you wanted to make Hades jealous, you could've just asked me earlier. I would've been happy to play along." 

Maleficent smirked, glancing sideways at Poseidon. "Who said this is about making him jealous?" 

Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on. I've known Hades my whole life. This is definitely about him." 

Cruella sighed dramatically. "Please, it's so obvious. I'd be shocked if he wasn't already planning some dramatic confrontation." 

Maleficent remained silent, the tension building in her chest as she considered their words. Deep down, she knew they were right. This wasn't just fun anymore. The game was about more than just making Hades jealous—it was about getting him to care enough to fight for her. 

As the bell rang and everyone started clearing out of the dining hall, Maleficent glanced at Hades one last time. He was standing with his back to her, clearly avoiding her gaze. She frowned slightly, feeling a pang of frustration. Why was he holding back? 

·.༄࿔

That evening, as Maleficent sat by the window in her room, the wind softly rustling the curtains, her mind wandered to the past few days. Had she pushed Hades too far? She expected him to confront her by now, but instead, he was retreating further and further. 

She wasn't sure if she wanted him to be angry or vulnerable, but she knew she couldn't stop playing the game just yet. Not until he admitted how much he cared. 

A knock at the door startled her. 

Maleficent rose from her seat, smoothing her hair, already knowing who it was. She opened the door to find Poseidon leaning casually against the doorframe, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"Evening," Poseidon greeted, stepping inside. "Care for a stroll by the lake?"

"Not tonight," Maleficent replied, though she couldn't help but smile at his casual charm. 

He frowned, catching the subtle shift in her mood. "Everything alright?" 

"Yeah," she said softly, sitting back down. "Just... thinking." 

Poseidon leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?" 

Maleficent didn't respond. She didn't need to. Poseidon could read her like a book, and the look in his eyes said he already knew. 

"You're playing a dangerous game, you know that?" he said after a long pause. "Hades isn't someone you want to toy with for too long." 

"I'm not toying with him," Maleficent said defensively. "He's the one who pushed me away first." 

Poseidon shrugged. "Maybe. But from where I'm standing, it looks like both of you are too scared to admit what's really going on." 

Maleficent clenched her jaw. She didn't want to hear it—not from Poseidon, not from anyone. She wasn't ready to admit what she was feeling, and she certainly wasn't ready to let Hades off the hook just yet. 

Poseidon pushed off the wall, straightening up. "Anyway, just something to think about." He gave her a playful salute before heading out the door. 

Maleficent sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his words settling over her. She knew Poseidon was right. She had been playing this game for too long, and now it was starting to backfire. If she kept going like this, she would push Hades too far—and then she'd lose him for good. 

The next morning, Maleficent spotted Hades walking with Zeus across the courtyard. She quickened her pace to catch up with them, but as soon as Hades saw her approaching, he turned away sharply, ignoring her presence entirely. 

The sting of rejection flared up in her chest. 

"Really?" she muttered under her breath. He wasn't going to make this easy, was he? 

She tried again later that day, finding him sitting alone in the library. But the moment she walked in, he stood up and left, pretending not to notice her at all.

It was infuriating. He wasn't giving her the satisfaction of a confrontation, and it was driving her mad. Every time she tried to get close to him, he pulled further away. 

By the third day, Maleficent had had enough. This was getting ridiculous. If Hades thought he could just freeze her out, he had another thing coming. 

She was going to make him confront her. One way or another.

·.༄࿔

-Hii posting another chapter in a bit 💞