Page 28 of Tempted By Hades

“Yes.” Persephone straightened her spine as she scrounged up every bit of courage within her. “I can afford it, after all. We own the plant shop fifty-fifty as we have with all our businesses in the last couple of decades.”

In the beginning, Persephone had allowed her mother to take care of the details of how they lived in the Upperworld. Thankfully, as she grew older, Demeter gave her more responsibilities, and once women were allowed to own property and sign legal contracts, Persephone was in charge of all that, and she ensured she owned half of what they had earned, seeing as she was putting in half the effort in starting and running their businesses. “Not to mention, I have a lot of money saved. I could move to any apartment in the City. In the world, really.”

The force of her own words surprised her mother, if the expression on her face was any indication. Well, it surprised even herself, but what was said was said, and Persephone could not take it back.

“I…Persephone, be reasonable.” Demeter actually looked worried, pale even. “I mean…er, perhaps you were a little hasty in your decision to adopt. I’m sure the shelter would take that creat—er, that dog back in case you changed your mind.”

Persephone spun around, her hand clamping around Orthrus’s snout before he growled at Demeter. Or worse, talked back.

“Sure, whatever. I’m going to bed.” Without another word, she stomped to her room.

Slamming the door behind her, she stalked toward her bed and gently lay Orthrus down. “Shh…” she warned when the pom opened its mouth. “The walls here are thin. She can’t hear you talk, or you’ll find yourself in a worse place than the pound.”

Huffing, the pom kicked its feet, then toddled over to the pillow on the left side of the bed. Turning around, he let out a huff before curling up into a small ball,

Persephone plopped down on the bed.

Oh heavens, did she really do that? After millennia of living under her mother’s thumb, did she finally find the courage to stand up for herself?

It wasn’t as if she’d been a doormat, letting Demeter push her around. She was her mother, and she understood that Demeter loved her and sought to protect her. That’s just how it always had been between them, ever since she was a child.

But she was also an adult and a goddess in her own right. She didn’t ask to live in the Upperworld, and when she asked Demeter why they lived here, she had simply said, “My work is here, as the goddess of the harvest.” Persephone just accepted that this was where they had to be, having no realm of their own. But surely many other gods lived in other realms?

She couldn’t let her mother spoil today for her, not when it had been so magical. So instead, she allowed her thoughts to drift to the handsome lord of the Underworld and their next date.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hades

Time was an inconsequential concept to a being who had lived for thousands of years, yet these days, Hades’s perception of the passage of time grew more acute with each passing day.

He was running out of time. The Sealing Ceremony only drew closer, and he had yet to make Persephone his queen. They had only known each other a few days, but surely it would take a while to woo her and convince her to be his wife.

Of course, he didn’t exactly know how to achieve this.

The moment the seer had told him that he needed Hades to do a task, he had begun planning his revenge. Not knowing what to expect, Hades had to cover all his bases and planned for almost any eventuality. He began to build an army in secret, and secured alliances with leaders from many realms. He also began to prepare personally, learning all types of hand-to-hand combat, as well as how to use weapons from swords to scythes and even modern ones like guns and drive various military vehicles like tanks and helicopters. He filled his coffers with gold, equipment, and supplies, enough to feed and clothe multiple armies, and even leased and bought land to grow more food and build factories to manufacture anything a military force might need.

What he was not prepared for, however, was this seemingly simple task he was given.

At first, he thought the seer must have made a mistake. He lost even more time, trying to find the seer, but to no avail. It sunk into him that this really was his task. He told himself he was prepared to do whatever it took, pay any price, so that he could have what was rightfully his.

Yet, for the very first time in his life, a small kernel of doubt had somehow planted itself inside him.

As Hades sat behind his desk, he watched the shadows on the obsidian walls inside his office. In this formidable space, he engaged in matters of consequence—negotiations with divine beings, discussions about the fate of mortal souls, and the orchestration of the intricate dance between life and death. The office stood as a testament to the god’s authority and the gravity of his responsibilities within the tapestry of the Underworld.

A tentative underling cautiously entered, and Hades spared the servant a curt glance.

“Would you like some coffee, my lord?”

“Leave it and go,” Hades snapped. “If I require anything, I will summon you. Do not linger needlessly.” The underling nodded nervously, setting the tray with the steaming beverage on a side table before making a hasty exit, leaving the god to his solitary musings.

With a wave of his hand, the steaming coffee morphed into a crystal tumbler with a rich amber liquid—whiskey. He took a contemplative sip. As the whiskey caressed his senses, he sank back into his chair. The amber elixir became a temporary balm for the god of the Underworld, offering a fleeting respite from the perpetual responsibilities that weighed upon him.

The dark tendrils of his thoughts swirled like the shadows in the cavernous expanse of his office. The notion of tricking Persephone into coming to the Underworld lingered in the recesses of his mind, a manifestation of both desire and frustration.

Yes, he was prepared to do whatever it took to have her as his queen.

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