I'm back y'all! As you can see from the title, I'm here to announce the 2nd book in the Harp Diptych Series. It's called out of time and it starts right where we left off in the epilogue and then some. The cover (for now) looks like so:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
What can be expected? Well, there are new and old characters. The plot falls under the 'AU' category much like this one. Out of timeis the 2nd and final book of this series. As mentioned, I took a tumble in 2015/16 into the "Percy being betrayed by everyone and being adopted by Chaos and becoming commander of his army with other fallen campers and somewhat forced to fight alongside everyone who betrayed him against a common enemy" rabbit hole and found myself inspired. If you read any of those books, you might have an idea where this book will go. However, I might throw in some drama and/or surprises.
When will it be out? The prologue and the cast list will be available shortly (depending on when you read this chapter). The updates may take longer than this first book, just because I want everything to flow smoothly and keep your attention. Until then, I am providing you with a teaser/preview.
𝒯𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒𝓇/𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Persephone held Lexi in her arms and stood over the body of the young girl who signed a deal with the devil. Desirae's body was in a glass coffin, giving her an eerie resemblance to Snow White. Persephone turned to the approaching footsteps while petting a whining Lexi.
"Was this really necessary?" she asked her husband.
"Yes. It had to be her. It had to be now. There was no way around it," Hades answered.
He looked at Desirae and sighed. For some reason, he liked the child. Not as much as his own, but enough. He thought back to when they made the deal that got her in this situation.
~Hades's throne room was a sight to behold. As Desirae cautiously but quickly made her way before Hades, she couldn't help but marvel at the room structure itself and the different pieces that come together to make the room so grand. She almost forgot that she was about to speak with the ruler of the Underworld. She snapped back to reality when she stumbled on her own foot.
"Desirae Moore-Williams," Hades started, with a booming voice. "I've been expecting your arrival for some time."
Whatdidhesay?
"Tell me. Why are you here?"
"Hello, sir - my lord?" She stuttered. "I am here on a quest for Adamantine. Trouble is stirring within the realms and Chiron wishes for everyone to be prepared."
"I see," Hades nodded, stroking his beard. "Tell me, Desirae. Are you willing to pay any price for the Adamantine?"
"I am, sir."
"Even if the price you have to pay is your life?"
She hesitated for a moment and thought about it. She didn't know what the adamantine was for, but she knew that it was important. She would be willing to pay the price, but how would her friends react? How would her family react?
"Yes," she finally replied, a solemn tone lacing her voice. "But Percy, Annabeth, and Grover... they won't have a way out."
He leaned toward her, an almost menacing sneer resting on his face.
"None of you have any pearls. There are other ways to leave my realm. Which do you suppose would get your friends out yet keep our deal intact?"
Stories of people who had ventured into the underworld flashed through her mind as if she was using a microfilm reader. Her brain suddenly stopped on Orpheusand Eurydice. All she had to do was get one of them to turn around when the three of them were safely out.
"Orpheus and Eurydice. I could get one of them to turn around like he did and it would send me back down here."
"And how would you convince them to go along with it?"
"We could... play a call and response game. Probably Marco Polo. The person at the front calls, and the rest respond in order. I'll be a the back, that way I can see when they're all clear."
Hades leaned back in his chair with slightly narrowed eyes and quietly huffed in amusement. She had thought this through. "And if they try to come back for you?"
"They won't. I'll make sure of it," she promised. Her eyes flashed to her new companion cuddling in her arms. "Sir, can Lexi stay with me?"
"Lexi?" He blinked.
'Ah, the chimera pup,' he thought. He briefly looked to the dark corner where his wife had quietly resided. She nodded her head.
"Persephone has taken a liking to the pup and will take care of her."
"Thank you, Lord Hades."
He beckoned her closer and she complied. He made a seal that would confirm the deal and stamped it on her hand. The seal itself was naked to anyone not a party to the agreement.
She looked at the mark with a sad yet determined look in her eye. She would keep her promise.
Hades looked at her with slight pity. 'One day, she'll understand that it had to be this way.'
A wagon full of the metal they needed appeared at her side, glittering in the flames of the underworld. It was her first time seeing the metal. It didn't look like anything special, but neither did she.
Hades spoke to her when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover entered the throne room not too long after.
"Do not forget our deal. Failing to complete your end will have disastrous consequences not only for you but for the future as well. Do you understand? They need this."
Desirae was nodding the entire time, understanding and agreeing with what was coming out of the god's mouth.
"Now go. They're waiting for you."
Desirae refocused her gaze and looked at her friends.
'I'm doing this for them.'
She gave them a warm smile and looked at Hades, giving him a short nod.
'I'm doing this for all of them.'
She picked up the wagon's handle and neared her friends, ready to do whatever it took to get them out of there with the adamantine.~"
Hope you enjoyed that little sneak peek! Again, I don't know when I'll be releasing the prologue and casting for book #2. But rest assured that it will be (hopefully) well-written.
