Page 51 of Tempted By Hades

Persephone once again found herself alone. But at least now, she had more things to do.

Chapter 10

Persephone

Persephone spent the next few days making plans. But she couldn’t do it alone, so she sought help from the palace staff to set everything up. She also wanted to see her friends, so she asked Hades if she could invite Geri and Adonis. He said yes, of course, but since Adonis was a mortal who had no idea about the existence of divine beings and shifters, Persephone had to assure Hades that her friend would be heavily glamoured, meaning that to Adonis’s eyes, everything would seem like a normal mortal street fair.

The day of the street party arrived, and the courtyard buzzed with activity. Persephone, Geri, and Adonis worked diligently in the garden, tending to the plants, and ensuring that the heart of the celebration, the courtyard, radiated with vibrant life. The trio carefully arranged benches around the central area where the magnificent asphodel stood, creating a focal point for the festivities.

Meanwhile, outside the garden, the souls set up stalls and booths. The air was filled with the sounds of laughter and camaraderie as the souls collaborated to create a lively atmosphere for the street party.

With his mortal charm, Adonis engaged in friendly banter with the souls, making them feel welcome and appreciated. Geri assisted in organizing the various activities, ensuring that everything ran smoothly. With her divine touch, Persephone used her powers to enhance the garden’s beauty, causing flowers to bloom and the asphodel plant to exude an otherworldly glow.

As the day unfolded, the courtyard transformed into a kaleidoscope of colors and scents, reflecting the diverse experiences of the souls. The laughter of children echoed as they engaged in arts and crafts, and the aromas of different cuisines wafted through the air, promising a feast that transcended time.

The trio of Persephone, Geri, and Adonis, alongside the spirited souls, worked together harmoniously, creating an atmosphere of joy and celebration in the usually solemn Underworld.

“This all looks great,” Persephone said, examining their work in the courtyard.

“Where’s your host, by the way?” Adonis inquired. “I’ve yet to meet this generous sponsor of yours.”

While glamouring magic could skew Adonis’s current perception of things, it wouldn’t change his past knowledge or memories, so they still had to find a way to explain to him why Persephone wasn’t in New York. So, she and Geri came up with a plausible cover story that some billionaire had hired Persephone to organize a street party in his hometown.

“He’ll be by soon,” Persephone said, glancing around them. Hades was called away at the last minute to attend to some important matters, but promised that he would come to the street party as soon as he was done.

“I think…oh!” She spotted someone familiar in the distance, by the palace entrance—Apollo. The god of the sun had been in Hades’s office the other day, and he had introduced himself as one of Hades’s oldest friends. Initially, she’d been skeptical about their friendship, even when Hades mentioned him when she asked about who to invite. They seemed like the odd couple, with Hades so dark and broody and Apollo fully living up to his title with his sunny disposition, but who was she to judge when her best friend was a wolf shifter? In any case, she had rather liked the cheery god, especially as he had come all the way from Olympus to personally RSVP to the street party.

With a friendly wave, she beckoned him over. In a shimmer of light, he materialized beside her. “Hey, P! Great work on the street fair and the garden. Thanks for inviting me!”

“Hey, Apollo! Perfect timing. We could use an extra hand. How about you team up with Geri to set up the lights?” Persephone suggested. The next task on their list was to set up some lights that would help enhance the courtyard and show off its best features.

Apollo glanced at Geri. “Sure, I can handle lights. But, uh, don’t you have some divine minions for this kind of thing?”

Geri shot him a disapproving look. “I can do just fine on my own, thanks.”

Persephone intervened with a light chuckle, attempting to diffuse the tension. “Great! Apollo, you’ll see, working with Geri is a breeze. Just follow her lead.”

Apollo reluctantly agreed. “Sure, lights it is. Though, isn’t this a bit low-key for the goddess of spring? Where’s the grandeur?”

Geri shot him a look of mild annoyance. “We don’t need grandeur. We need things to work.”

As the two began setting up lights, Persephone noticed that Apollo’s laid-back, teasing manner rubbed Geri the wrong way. With a snap of his fingers, the lights magically fell into place, conforming to Geri’s intended design. As they twinkled overhead, he flashed her a victorious grin.

“There you go, Geri, just as you envisioned,” Apollo declared, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips.

“Fine, but you could’ve mentioned that trick earlier. Would’ve saved us both the hassle.”

He chuckled. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, I wanted to see if we could manually pull off some divine brilliance.”

The glow of the lights enveloped the courtyard, and the warm ambiance created by the meticulously strung lights mirrored the image she had imagined. With a reluctant nod, she acknowledged, “Alright, Apollo, I have to admit you did a decent job.”

He grinned. “Decent? I’ll take it. You know, divine light manipulation is an art, and I’m a maestro.”

“You’re insufferable,” she said and tried to suppress her smile. “But I suppose I should thank you for the divine touch.”

Apollo bowed dramatically, “You’re welcome, maestro of the lights. You know who to call whenever you need a touch of divine brilliance.”

“Hey, where’s Adonis?” Persephone just realized that their friend was nowhere to be found.

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