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

Epilogue- Remnants

Hades

Her ashes had spilled easily down my fingers, and the Acheron swallowed them whole.

It worries me increasingly that her soul has not come up for judgment, it has been several months in the mortal world since she was burnt into nothing. I push aside the Book of Cases, exhaling heavily as I lean all my weight against the backside of my throne.

What will be of her father? I could return him nothing of her, nothing remained of his daughter except her ashes-- and even those have been swept into the rivers. I lift a hand and wave it in front of me, creating a bubble of darkness as I summon his image on Earth.

He sits alone at his office, with papers taking up space in piles all around him as he takes a large swig from a metal contraption. Heaving a sigh, he runs a hand through his hair and brings out a small leather wallet, slipping out a picture of Samantha. 

He caresses her face with a thumb, staring at it intently as if in doing so, he would bring her back. I envy his grief. He has hope still, that she will return. I do not. I watched every inch of her beautiful body erupt in flames, there is no doubt in my mind she is gone permanently.

I sit forward, finally allowing my body to slump over with exhaustion. I've thrown myself into my obligations to keep busy, at times I can almost swear I've gone mad because I pick up traces of vanilla and cinnamon. It is as if I've been transported to the void, in which I conjured up her image out of insanity.

Her voice haunts me in my dreams, I can not see tendrils of gold enveloping me, but I can feel her faint kisses and caresses along the base of my neck. I reach up to touch the spot, feeling the soft contours of her lips with my fingertips.

"Are you sad, tall man?" a little voices pipes up. I level my gaze to the mortal child's, shaking my head slightly. It is not his responsibility to trouble himself for my sake. It seems everyone in the palace has felt her absence --not because they loved her, but because it left me despondent-- and have grown rather restless with my morose attitude. Daniel is one among many.

I am about to tell him not to trouble himself, but he beats me to speaking.

"She misses you too," he adds, attaching two small blocks together. Legos I believe they are called.

My brows shoot up at his words, they seize my heart and tug at my breastbone.

"You have seen her?" I ask curiously, suddenly sitting up erect.

"When I was asleep," he quips matter-of-factly, stacking several attached legos to create an aircraft. I knit my forehead. She spoke to him in a dream?

"You were dreaming, young man," I retort, frowning. For a second I thought he'd seen her wandering around the palace grounds. I can not blame the young mortal for believing he'd seen her, I've imagined her several a time as well.

"No," he counters stubbornly, focusing his eyes on the last piece of his toys, "She sang to me again when I had a scary dream."

I sigh. Samantha is gone, and if she were alive, she wouldn't be lulling a child to sleep with a song.

"Young man, you were dreaming. You've said so yourself, you were asleep."

Daniel shakes his head.

"She sang to me!"

"All is well, young mortal. She sang to you in your dreams, I believe you."

Not satisfied, the boy sets his toy aside, standing up and approaching me at the foot of my throne.

"Yes, she did!"

I exhale heavily again, sliding a hand down the length of my face.

"I said I believe you, Daniel. What more do you ask of me?"