Hades and Persephone

Chapter 16

Persephone exhaled sharply. She and Hades stood at the base of the path that would lead up the mountain to Hecate's home. She wasn't sure why she was so afraid. She had known Hecate ever since she was a child, calling her "aunt" and trusting her even more than her own mother. And yet . . . now as she stood at the head of the path, she wasn't sure if the goddess of magic would help or not.

She took a deep breath, balling her hands into tight fists. Hades placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He would be with her the whole time. She could do this. She took her first step up the path.

The walk up to Hecate's palace seemed longer than the last time they had journeyed this way. The hill seemed to almost be pushing them back. Persephone gritted her teeth and stomped up the path. Hades seemed to be having just as hard a time as she was. He was breathing heavily and wiped sweat from off his brow. That was when Persephone knew Hecate was playing with them. Gods didn't become tired easily, and they definitely didn't sweat.

She stopped. She looked back to see how far they had come; they were a mere fifty feet away from the beginning of the path. Up ahead, the hill seemed even higher and more treacherous than ever. 

Persephone frowned. "Stop it, Hecate. I know what you're doing."

The air before them grew thick with shadows before parting to reveal the wild goddess. Hecate looked as untamed as ever: her hair seemed more nature than actual hair and there were streaks of mud that appeared to have been painted on her cheeks.

She stared at Persephone and Hades, her arms crossed. "What do you want?"

The air behind her shimmered and Hecate's palace was revealed. Persephone looked back and discovered that they had already made it to the top of the path. Who knew how long they had been marching in place while Hecate had twisted their minds.

Hades raised his hands, palms up, in supplication. "We come seeking the help of one wiser and more talented than any divine being of this world."

She raised an eyebrow.

Persephone stepped forward. "Please, Aunt Hecate. We wish to ask for your aid."

"Go on."

"Hades' banquet will be coming up very shortly and we were wondering if there was any way that you would be willing to help us."

"You could just not go."

Persephone made a face.

"You're being awfully selfish right now, Persephone." Hecate gestured to Hades. "Do you understand the horrors that will be unleashed upon your love should it be discovered that he is harbouring you?"

The nature goddess said nothing but felt her face growing warm.

"Your mother, Demeter, could turn Zeus against his own brother. There would be a civil war. The earth would be destroyed." 

As she spoke, images swirled around them. Persephone saw the cottage on the coast burst into flames. The forests burned up, the dryads raising their arms for help before blowing away like ash on the wind. Lakes and rivers dried up, the naiads shrivelling up to nothing. The mortal humans, those sweet, pathetic, short-lived creatures, cried out to the gods for help, not knowing that it was the gods themselves who were the cause of the disasters. The earth became a wasteland. 

"This would all be the result of any god or goddess seeing through the glamour and revealing your identity to the Lord of the Gods."

Persephone shut her eyes tightly and opened them again. Hades was breathing heavily, but his mouth was set in a grim line as he looked at Hecate.

"No."

Hecate cocked her head to one side. "No?"

"That is not what will happen, because no one will discover it is me." Persephone took a deep breath and drew herself up to her full height, as short as she was.

"You are the goddess of magic. No one can see past your glamours unless you allow it. You will create a glamour so powerful that no one, god, goddess, spirit, or otherwise, would be able to see past it. And you will do all of this . . . because you know what I've been through. You know that my mother has hidden me away all these centuries. You know that she has forced her will upon me and I have done the part of the dutiful daughter. And you know what she had attempted to do in order to keep me from leaving her side."

Hecate frowned. Her entire being seemed to darken, her face growing paler and more angular. Suddenly, the darkness passed and she sighed. 

"I will help you. Your mother has done you a great injustice and for this I cannot take her side. However," she raised a finger, "you must promise to make amends with your mother if I should do this thing for you."

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "Fine. If you help me, I promise to make amends with my mother."

"Swear on the River Styx."

She swore under her breath. "Fine." She forced the words out of her mouth. "I swear on the River Styx to make amends with my mother."

"Once this is all over."

She pointed at Hecate. "Don't push it."

Hecate raised her hands in defence and laughed. "Fine. I'll take it." She looked at the pair. "When the day comes for the banquet, I will help you to hide your identity so no one will discover who you are."

Persephone raised an eyebrow. "Swear it on the River Styx."

She sighed. "I swear on the River Styx to help you hide your identity."

Hades nodded. "We greatly appreciate your help, Lady Hecate."

Hecate glared at him. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm helping out Persephone. She's struggled enough."

"I know. And I still appreciate it. You could have sold us out any number of times. You're a close friend of Demeter's and we understand the risk you are also taking."

She gave them a grim smile. "I am a Titan, she knows better than to threaten me. Still, should Demeter seek my help I will be obliged to do so. I'll do what I can to deter her, but you must know that if I was to refuse her she would see this as suspicious."

Persephone nodded. "Yes. I trust you to do what's right." She looked over at Hades. "We both trust you."

Hecate smiled. "I'll see you both soon." 

Shadows wrapped themselves around the goddess, swallowing her whole and leaving the pair alone.

Hades took Persephone's hand. She smiled up at him before turning to the long pathway back down the cliff.