Queen Of Hell & Paradise (Immortal gods: Book 1)

Chapter 35- The Real Jackie

Hi guys! I'm back with a new chapter, and guess who's POV is coming up next?

If you guessed Hades, you've guessed right! I'm so excited to finally see it all come together! The next chapter is already started and planned out, so I should be uploading it pretty soon! Stay tuned everyone!

-Much love, this grateful writer <3<3<3

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Samantha

Goosebumps leave a trail of kisses along the nape of my neck.

I rub my hands up and down the length of my arms, a weak attempt at shielding them from the sharp, coarse wind beginning to snake its way into the late fall afternoons. Gone are the warm, sweet smells associated with mid-autumn, and soon to come are the harsh, cold breezes characteristic of an early winter. I'm going to have to start bringing a warm jacket with me if I don't want to feel the brunt of their bitter transition.

Normally, this would be my favorite time of year. The best holidays -like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas- are all reserved for the last several months of Fall and Winter. But now that I've finished studying the books on the history of the Underworld Hades gave me, I'm not sure I love it so much anymore. Apparently, Persephone's and his love story are the reason the two seasons even exist.

Around this time of year, she leaves the sunny comfort of the mortal realm to descend into the hollow darkness of the Underworld. Her mother Demeter, saddened at her departure, neglects her duties as the goddess of the harvest and allows our plants and crops to whither. If you ask me, it's rather irresponsible of someone who's job it is to look after the well being of humans on Earth.

Shaking my head at her thoughtlessness, I feel chills erupt over the base of my neck again as the wind picks up its clip. It lifts up the thin strands of my hair and twirls them about, yanking away my only source of warmth from around my shoulders. A thought suddenly occurs to me. Maybe the reason Hades hasn't come to school is because he's too busy running his realm alongside Penelope. It can't be pure coincidence that as soon as the weather changes, he decides to disappear...

I spot my car and let out a tired sigh as I adjust the strap of my gym bag around my shoulder, tightening my hold around it. I suppose it really doesn't matter. If he's going to let one mistake I made get between us, then he really isn't worth my time. I take a furtive look around the empty school parking lot, aware that I'm probably the last person on school grounds at this late hour.

Hitching the bag full of supplies further up my forearm, I feel for my rolled up mat and count the seconds it takes me to get to my car. I can't help a small part of me -the one way back in the corners of my mind- that's telling me Hades isn't the type to go running at the first sign of trouble. And yet, he hasn't tried contacting me in the last few days.

He doesn't have a phone I can call or receive messages from, and he hasn't shown up in the backyard of my house to throw pebbles at my window. So if he isn't afraid of having a future with me, why hasn't he shown up? Why hasn't he at least tried to check up on me?

Suddenly afraid of the answer, I rub my arms not only to protect myself from the harsh wind- but to comfort myself in the face of loneliness. I'd grown used to having someone who could walk me to my car, someone who could sit beside me on my drive home and make me feel less... empty. Now that he was gone though, the forlornness was back.

I brush away a few stray locks of hair whipping my face, trying my best not to let my thoughts go in his direction. I don't want to start off the weekend feeling sad again, I've already let it take up my entire week. Ignoring the pang in my chest, I turn to eye the gym doors behind me. Had I locked them after me when I came out?