Mortal, But At Least I'm Free

Chapter 14

In the tense silence, both men walked with purpose.

"What do you think that meant Louis?" Harry's walk was slowing.

"Yours or mine?"

"Both."

"I don't know," Louis had stopped and was finding a place to sit. He was rubbing his temples, hoping to prevent the oncoming headache.

"He said I don't feel empty anymore. I don't. I don't Louis, What does that mean for me?" Harry's voice shook.

"I think you might already know what it means for you Harry," Louis didn't want it to be any more upsetting for Harry than it clear was already.

"No. It can't be that obvious. What about what he said about my soul?"

"I don't know Harry! I don't know," Louis let Harry sit close to him, their backs resting against the rocks, both of them hidden by the tall grass.

"All I can think of is the myth about soulmates Louis. Which might be just a myth."

"I wouldn't put it past Zeus to be afraid of mortals and split their souls. That really adds up when you think about his character. And all the gods actually."

"But....I'm only half mortal Louis. Does that mean I don't have a soulmate?" Harry did not appreciate Louis' chuckling at this question. It was serious!

"I don't know about that either, Harry. I know the 'myth' says that it was only mortals, but I think that we all have someone who makes us whole. Makes us feel safe. Ya know?"

"Like we've come home, yeah." Harry nodded thoughtfully, not noticing the way Louis' eyes widened when Harry agreed to this feeling of homecoming. Louis had been feeling that way for a while now. He'd been feeling that way with Harry.

"Louis, how does your job work? Like, why do you take people yourself to the underworld?" Harry waited, watching Louis rub the back of his neck as his heart filled with dread.

"I have a special job. It's Hades way of trying to convince me not to call in our deal. Hades likes having me around, and well, my position requires that I take a very specific group of people to their graves." Louis looked agitated. Harry almost told him not to feel pressured to talk about it anymore, but before he could Louis started explaining in a rushed breath.

"The thing is that the gods, they like to mingle with mortals, which is dumb, but Hades marks all those people and gives them extra attention when they die, and sometimes part of that is to send a specific messenger to pick them up. So I only take people who have had personal relationships with the gods to the underworld and I don't like the job. Hades always says that he'll escort me to my death personally if I end up choosing mortality. But it's just a spooky threat. He doesn't care that much, so it doesn't matter to me. But to even have a chance of that, of mortality like I want, I have to bring everyone to him. Every. Single. Person he asks for. This one is supposed to be my last but-" Louis looked sick, and it dawned on Harry slowly.

"My father. That's who you have to take to the underworld?" The silence stretched out as they stayed frozen sitting next to each other. Harry didn't know if he wanted an answer, but he couldn't sit in this silence either. It was making him sick.

"No," Louis whispered. "It's your sister."