Page 5 of The Dread Queen's Bargain

Persephone clapped her hands together, practically giddy. She didn’t know why she’d always held such an interest and fascination with the gods of the Underworld, but she was delighted with the idea of speaking to some in person.

Persephone took a deep breath and delicately placed one foot over the threshold. She held her foot in the air for another second then stepped into the warm grass. Black magic erupted from her fingers and toes when her foot touched the soil. It wrapped around her like a spider’s web, dancing across her skin and mimicking the patterns of her veins. For a brief second, it looked like Persephone’s circulatory system was outside her body.

“Fuck!” Hermes cursed. As soon as he swore, it vanished. Persephone was left gasping, flexing her fingers and toes and ensuring everything worked properly.

“What was that?” Persephone looked at Hermes expectantly, but he held his hands up in surrender.

“I know I’m the god of a lot of things, but not whatever the fuck that was.” Hermes shook his head. “Maybe getting you to Hecate sooner rather than later is a good idea.”

Persephone only nodded her head. Her day had taken a dramatic turn, and her adrenaline was dropping. Hermes nodded and wrapped an arm over Persephone’s shoulder, kissing her temple affectionately as he did so.

“I’m proud of you, you know.” His voice was whisper soft as they started walking towards Hecate’s house. The unexpected, familial warmth nearly brought Persephone to tears. Her mother was many things, and ‘loving’ was not one of them. Persephone turned to face Hermes, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she was cut off by a thunderous barking sound. Her face paled, and she whipped around, trying to find the face of the threat.

Cerberus was emerging from the tall grasses, bounding towards them rapidly. The noises he made shook the earth, his jaws hanging open as he bayed. Cerberus was a molossus, as tall as a war horse and built almost entirely of muscle. Her face brightened when Persephone saw a dog making the horrendous noises.

She dropped to her knees and held her arms out wide. “Puppy!”

“Persephone,” Hermes warned, “I don’t know if I would do that. Cerberus recognizes my scent, but I’m not sure if he…” Hermes stopped as Cerberus locked his sights on Persephone and shifted into a more manageable size—still massive, slightly more dog-shaped.

Cerberus’s sounds turned into excited yips and howls, knocking Persephone over as he playfully crashed into her.

“Oh, what a cutie!” Persephone giggled, pushing herself up on her elbows. “Who’s a good boy?” She started cooing, scratching Cerberus behind the ears and everywhere else she could reach. She was covered in dog hair and drool when she managed to stand.

Hermes raised an eyebrow as he studied the pair. “Curious.”

“What is it?” Persephone prodded, keeping one hand on Cerberus as they resumed their walk.

Hermes shrugged.

“Probably nothing. I’ve never seen Cerberus greet a stranger with affection, though. He’s more of a ‘bite first, ask questions later’ kind of monster.”

“He’s not a monster!” Persephone’s voice rose an octave as she scratched Cerberus’s ears again. “He’s a baby!”

“Persephone,” Hermes laughed, “it’s hardly an insult to call someone a ‘monster’ in the Underworld. It might even be a point of pride. When it comes to Cerberus, it’s also the truth. He’s the offspring of Typhon.”

“Fine,” Persephone rolled her eyes, “but he’s also a sweet baby with three faces for kisses.” Hermes held his hands in surrender; he knew when he’d lost a battle. Cerberus remained at their side as they walked, falling into companionable silence. Persephone’s eyes were wide as she took in the sights and sounds of the Underworld. She struggled to reconcile the Underworld her mother had always described to her compared to the one she was in now.

The air didn’t smell of sulfur, and her feet weren’t charred from brimstone. Not a single ghoul, ghost, or shade had materialized to ravish her or steal her soul. It was rather the opposite. She was in a field caught in an eternal springtime, with Hermes as a walking companion.

“Shit.” Hermes cursed, stopping where he stood. Persephone followed his lead, looking at him in confusion.

“What’s the matter?”

“That is Hecate’s house.” Hermes indicated a beautiful, simple home on the horizon. “I think she’s entertaining other guests at the moment.”

“Is that a problem?” Persephone shifted her weight uncomfortably. A wave of insecurity flooded her system. Her mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that Hermes must be embarrassed of her; after all, she didn’t know anything about the Underworld, its residents, or its customs. She wasn’t even appropriately dressed as a goddess; for god’s sake, she was wearing the much shorter chiton of a young girl.

“No, no,” Hermes shook his head quickly, “it isn’t. But perhaps…” he trailed off, deep in thought for a moment. “It’s probably best if you don’t go by Persephone.”

“What?” Persephone flushed red. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“Of course not.” Hermes was quick to cut her off. “But Demeter has a certain reputation in the Underworld, and there are going to be some repercussions once the Olympians learn you’ve fled down here, of all places.”

A chill went down Persephone’s spine at the thought. Her mother was probably already at Mt. Olympus, screaming threats in Zeus’s ear.

“I don’t want to think about that right now,” Persephone admitted.

“Well, the gods know I don’t ever want to spend any extra fucks thinking about Demeter.” Hermes rolled his eyes, lightening the mood. “No one would blame you if you wanted to cut a little loose. To do so, however, I’m…recommending that you don’t go by Persephone. Or ‘Kore’, for that matter.”

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