Persephone

20. Quince ✔

Hades

"I can't believe you yelled at her like that," Hecate scolds, "She did nothing wrong."

"You're just defending her; you know how I am about obedience, and she disobeyed me."

Hecate simply snaps her fingers, and I am turned upside down in mid-air. She is mad now; Hecate never uses her powers unless she is either mad or during an emergency.

"Now listen here, boy. That girl is going to be your wife, your queen and she deserves to know everything. Including the fact that you're in cahoots with her mother and if you don't tell her, someone else will," she says furiously, "Now I'm giving less than a second to go upstairs and apologize."

I shake my head and she drops me on the floor, and I land on my face.

I groan rubbing my nose, "That hurt."

I get up and make my way upstairs.

"Persephone."

Silence.

I walk into the bedroom and find the room empty; I walk to the bathroom and then the closet, but she is not there.

"Hecate!" I yell.

"What's wrong?" she asks standing by the door.

"Persephone, she's gone."

She gasps and at once walks towards me. I am shaking, who could have taken her? What do they want from her?

Poseidon

My brother appears in the flash of light.

"What's wrong brother?" He asks concerned.

"Persephone, she's gone, I don't know who took her," I explain, "What if she ran away because I yelled at her? What if she-"

"Hades, calm down," Poseidon scolds, "You're working yourself up into a frenzy."

"I should have been with her."

"I may have an idea where she is," Poseidon says, "Her brain is still active, and I can trace her."

I look at Poseidon, why didn't I think of that?

"Because you're stupid."

I clench my jaw, "Where is she?"

"Thanatos," is all he says.

Damn that little weasel!

"We need to go now!"

I rush down to the basement with Poseidon and Hecate behind me.

"Hades."

I turn around and look at him, "Why? Why can't Thanos just let me be happy for once in my life?"

"Hades, I know you're angry but don't do anything stupid," Hecate urges.

I sigh, "I want him to pay! For everything."

Poseidon places his hand on my shoulder and an ocean breeze blows that calms me down.

"Hades, calm down. Think about Persephone, we need to get to her and make sure she is safe and then we can deal with Thanatos"

He always knows exactly what to say, I looked up to the guy, but I could never be like him. I am soulless and dark, and he is all the three C's.

"Let's go."

Hecate opens the door to the basement and there is a flash of light, I go down the stairs and I am at once in the underworld, Thanatos playing ground and my beloved home.

The smell of death is in the air and the sound of screaming souls warms my heart.

"Still don't know how father thinks this is okay," Poseidon says with furrowed brows.

I chuckle and we walk through to the castle doors, they swing open, and I enter the building. My henchmen are at work, and I give them a curt nod as I continue walking to the other side of the castle.

"Hades. She's in the field of punishment."

What? Why? Why can't I trace her?

We exit through the back and teleport to the field of punishment and there she was, she was tied to a pole, unconscious.

"Don't even think about yelling her name," Poseidon warns.

"Look what we have here, the VIP has arrived."

I turn around and I see Thanatos standing behind me.

"Glad you could join us; this party would have sucked without you," he chuckles.

"What do you want Thanatos? Why are you always causing trouble?"

He grins, "You know what I want Hades, the throne."

This pathetic little weasel.

"You know I can't give it to you" I reply, "It's not my place."

"I know, that's why you're going to call Cronus and have him hand it over."

"You know damn well that that's not going to happen," Poseidon states.

He laughs, "Oh but it will Poseidon."

I had to act fast, I had to get Persephone off that pole and safe, so I could deal with Thanos by myself.

I use my telekinesis to untie Persephone, but somehow that does not work.

"By you should know that you're going to fail, I've put a blocking spell on her, only I can untie her."

Poseidon glares at Thanos and Thanos starts to cough, he was suffocating him with his blood.

"Do a reverse spell and do it quickly," he yells, "I can't hold him much longer."

"Ad conteram incantatores, et avertet eam."

And I try again to use my telekinesis and I untie her and bring her down.

I rush over to her and pick her up, she is unharmed, I kiss her forehead and she stirs a little.

"I'm so sorry baby," I whisper.

I carry her over to where Poseidon is.

"This isn't over," Thanos choked with a smile, he had blood in his mouth.

"She'll be back, and she'll take her away from you, whether you like it or not Hades.

I ignore it and teleport back to the house. I lay her down on the bed and call Hecate to check on her, I rush downstairs and find Poseidon standing in the basement.

"Hades, you need to speak to Demeter."

"You know I can't, I don't trust that woman," I reply.

Poseidon sighs, "You don't have a choice, you made an agreement with her, and you need to keep it, or else father will get involved and she'll be taken away from you forever, is that what you want?"

Of course not, I also do not want Demeter anywhere near Persephone, that woman is evil, and she cannot be trusted. I will never understand what my father saw in that woman.

"I'll figure something out."

"No Hades, you need to keep your word, that's what gods do. Stop being a fucking coward and face her like a man" he says and disappears.

"He's right you know."

I turn around, and my heart drops to the floor.

For the love of...