Beneath

Chapter Seven:

Emma, The Underworld, two years later...

"Emma!"

I skid into the hallway, socked feet slipping and sliding on the polished floor as I chased the curved staircase to the first floor, bursting into the dining room at full speed.

"What? Oh my gods it's freezing in here," I said, wrapping my sweater tighter around my chest.

Hades glanced up from his paperwork long enough to chuck a ball of flame at the stone fireplace, which sputtered to life. "I need your help with something."

"Wait a damn second," I said, marching over to him. "You bellowed for me, at the top of your lungs, mind, for work? I thought you were in trouble!"

"I'm sorry that I worried you, but I needed you here as quickly as possible. Why is Mr. Poddaski's name not on my list for tomorrow?"

"Because he's on his way to Elysium?" My palms felt sweaty, face flushed.

"Who sent him there without my permission?"

Well, shit.

"Me."

He squeezed his eyes shut as he fought for calm. "Emma..."

"You were busy! I happened to see your tablet on the way to my room this morning, and checked in. He's a close family friend, for crying out loud. If he had to die, why not end things from someone he knew? It was also helpful for me to see the death process before I took their soul."

"Except that he wasn't yours to take in the first place."

"What's the difference? A soul is a soul. No matter when they die, they'll still end up on those docks, right? You'll still have to sort them."

"There's an order to death - a professionalism that I was hoping to maintain, and I don't like the thought of you getting caught in the crossfire, should things go sideways with a souls' passing."

He still doesn't think I'm ready for this, not fully. Ouch. "I was trying to help."

He sighed, running a hand across his chin stubble. "I know, and I appreciate the concern, but I'm not a wounded animal you need to coddle, Emma."

I quirked an eyebrow at him in response, crossing my arms. "Really? Last time I checked, you've smashed nearly every single vase in the castle, the servants are afraid of you, and you always want to be alone, even when I'm here, just waiting for an invitation. Friends talk to each other."

"We're...friends?"

"You've been to my apartment several times, I've been here off and on for the past three years so, yeah, we're friends, you stubborn jerk. The only thing we're missing is mom making us chocolate chip pancakes while we watch Saturday morning cartoons. And, even though you tricked me into eating a whole pomegranate yesterday, knowing full well that it would bind me to this place forever, you need someone here who's not afraid to stand up to you whenever you get into a 'woe is me' funk."

"You know the reason for that funk."

"Just because I understand it doesn't mean I'm okay with it. She's been gone for two years, Hades, and she's no closer to ditching Prometheus now than she was six months ago. You can live life alone and miserable, or you can make lemonade out of this truly craptastic situation. Up to you. But if you're going to be this gloomy and depressing all the time, maybe I can bribe Hermes into bringing me home again until you're more...civil."

I spun around as his hand shot out, wrapping around my arm, eyes glowing beneath a mask of pain.

"Stay, please."