Finding Cupid

Chapter 17

POV: Eros

To anyone else, the Underworld would look like an abandoned castle with a hauntingly beautiful landscape full of rolling hills and flat ground. And on the outside, that is what it looked like to the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus as well. But only we knew that inside of that castle was a set of stairs that led to a world beneath the Earth – the Underworld. The stairs were hidden behind a tapestry and the stairwell was dark and damp, but the entryway into the Underworld was filled with light and fresh air and the smell of pomegranates. I spurred on the horse I had borrowed from a local countryman in Scotland and thundered towards the entryway to the palace.

I only went to the Underworld once a year, with Hedone, to visit her mother. Hades owed me a favor – I once dissuaded Persephone from leaving him – so he kept Psyche in one of the nicer... areas of the Underworld. She lived in a small cottage close to Elysium. She could not actually stay in Elysium because she was not technically a hero, but she stayed just outside and it was actually a very nice area for her to live in, so neither Psyche nor I could complain.

Peeling back the tapestry, I began to descend the staircase, leading the horse with me so that I could return the beauty to the man who lent him to me. When I reached the bottom, I handed the mare off to a girl waiting at the bottom. She took the horse by the reins and led him away.

"If I recall correctly, Hedone's birthday is not for another couple of months," a sweet voice rang from the shadows on my left. "So what are you doing down here by yourself if you aren't here with your daughter?"

Persephone stepped out into the light provided by lanterns scattered around the entrance of the Underworld and held her arms out. I stepped into her hug and squeezed her gently. Persephone had always been one of my favorite people. She was just warm and friendly, the kind of woman I would go to if I needed to talk about something or if I wanted to just sit with someone who cared. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back and tumbled over her shoulders, catching the light and gleaming like gold. It was easy to see why Hades was in love with her – why he always had been – when she was like this. During the spring and summer, it was obvious how unhappy she was to be above the ground. But in the Underworld, she was at home.

"What can we do for you, Eros?" Persephone arched a thin eyebrow, pulling back from the hug but maintaining her grip on my arms. "Is everything okay?"

"Funny that you should ask, actually. I... need to see Psyche," I looked down at the Goddess. Even though we were technically not related, as my mother had been born from sea foam and hers had been one of the Original Six, Psyche and I looked more alike than most other Gods and Goddesses.

"Eros, you and Hades have a deal. Once a year, not whenever you need to see her." I wanted to snap at her, to say who gives a shit about the deal, I need to see Psyche, but I knew that would only get me into trouble. Yelling at Hades' wife wouldn't make him any more likely to give in to my request.

Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "It's urgent. I'll make it up to Hades another time." Persephone raised an eyebrow at me, prompting me for more. I sighed, and then: "I... I need to move on, Persephone. I want to move on. And I can't do that without talking to her."

"You've met someone else?" She asked, her eyes widening at the thought of it. "Really? Oh, Eros, I'm so glad!" Persephone wrapped me in her skinny arms again and squeezed tighter than I would have thought possible. "You know, we've been talking about it sometimes, and we were starting to get worried."

"We?"

"Yeah, Hades and I. But don't worry, Er. We knew you'd be okay. We just were thinking that maybe... maybe you shouldn't come see Psyche anymore. She... she isn't living anymore, Eros. It's not fair for you – for either one of you, really – to continue to hold on like this," Persephone spoke as she led me through the dark tunnels to Hades' castle. The only annoying thing about Persephone was that she took some psych classes over the summer when she was living with her mother, and it made her think it was okay to psychoanalyze me. I tried to stay silent as she rambled on about how unhealthy it was for me to continue to be in love with a woman who died over a hundred years ago, but eventually I just couldn't.

"Gods, don't you think I know that? I've spent years trying to find a way to wake up in the morning without thinking about her. I've spent years trying to fall out of love with her. Do you know how hard that is? I've finally met a woman who I can see myself with. Who I can fall in love with. That's why I'm here. Because I don't want to feel guilty anymore. I want to feel free to be with Alice, and not have to hear my dead wife's voice in my head telling me to stop talking to her. It's killing me!" I exploded. My voice echoed off the black painted walls and Persephone stopped walking to turn and stare at me.

"Good." She smiled proudly. "Good. Because Hedone needs someone to look up to – and not someone she just sees once a year. That's not fair."

"I know. I know it isn't."

"So... we've still got a ways to walk. Why don't you tell me about Alice?"

By the time that Persephone and I reached Hades' throne room, I could have sworn that Persephone was half in love with Alice herself. I had talked about the woman non-stop for the twenty minute walk- I had practically waxed poetic about her frizzy brown curls and her fiery attitude. When I told Persephone about all the insults Alice had thrown my way since we started talking, Persephone practically cried from laughter. I had a suspicion that the two would get along very well.

"She sounds... perfect for you, actually. Like you two were made for each other. Do you think your mother had anything to do with this one?" Persephone asked, but I could tell she was teasing. When I told Persephone about how I met Alice, the woman just shook her head and laughed and told me I should work on my aim. "I'll have to come meet her next time I'm with Mom."

"You guys would love each other," I smiled. Pushing my fingers through my curls, I gave Persephone a quick kiss on the forehead and then left her to go talk to Hades.

"Eros... It's not Hedone's birthday yet. You know that, right?" Hades had always been a good man to me – he got a lot of hate from people because of his job, but he was a good guy. He held out a hand for me to shake and I took it. "How are you doing, Eros?"

"I'm... better than usual," I answered honestly. "My world has been kind of shaken up, recently, but in the best possible way."

"Ah, so you met a woman," Hades laughed, his warm blue eyes crinkling at the edges. He claps me on the back. "I remember that feeling. Meeting Persephone – well... she turned my entire life upside down. It was quite wonderful."

"I can imagine that it would have been. But anyway, I'm here to talk to you about that actually. See, I've met this incredible woman. But I can't be with her until I talk to Psyche. And I can't talk to Psyche without you, Hades. I know that it's breaking the rules and all, but I need to talk to her. I need to move on."

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A/N: 

IM SO SORRY GUYS I HAVENT UPDATED IN LIKE OVER SIX MONTHS I'M THE WORST. But on the bright side, I've officially gotten into college. SKIDMORE 2020 WOOH. And i'm spending my first semester in London, so if any of you lovely people who are still reading FC live in London and want to tell me fun things to do and places to go, that would be lovely.

xoxo

Emily