Page 3 of Seph

“You have to leave.” Hades showed her the ferry. Charon was wearing his best cloak. The spirits in the Styx were all humming instead of their normal moaning.

Everyone loved Seph.

Especially him.

That was why she had to leave. In just a few months, a cat-nap to an immortal, she had grown pale and thin. Her hair hung limp. Her peach skin was the color of a withered orchid.

She looked at him from the shadows of her chamber. “Close the door.”

He obeyed. He was ruler in name only when she was around.

Seph reclined, as she often did when he came for his daily visits. Sometimes she left her rooms and walked beside him,seemingly blind to any grim and ghastly shades around his palace. Lately, her strength was failing, and he came to sit with her, bringing Cerberus, who shrank down to the size of a fox kit and went romping across her thick, satin sheets, eager to paw at her and lick her cheeks with his three little pink tongues.

“I don’t want to go back. I don’t... I don’t want to be another one of his conquests. I don’t want to bear Zeus a child. I know he’s a terrible parent. Why, you’re better to Cerby than he is to Hephaestus. And Ares! There’s a man with anger issues.”

Hades said nothing. Those were fine sentiments, sentiments he agreed with. But Zeus didn’t believe that his will was optional. “My darling Seph—”

“Say it again.” Her voice was an Elysian breeze, warming him to the marrow.

“My... darling?”

“Yes. Why did you take me away?”

“To tell you that you were in danger of being forced to do the unthinkable.”

“Kidnapping is so much better?”

“No! Oh, no. But you have not been a prisoner! You know this. I have urged you to leave. I have Charon in readiness.” Hades dared to sit on the edge of her bed. She took his hands and pulled him closer, surprising him with her lingering kiss. Her lips were dry as ashes, but that didn’t make him thrill any less. Surely he should have taken a lover by now, as every other god seemed to do... but he hadn’t found one he wanted, and his work didn’t lend itself to courting.

“Hades...” She broke the kiss, looking into his eyes.

“I can’t. We can’t. Demeter will be enraged. She’s already so miserable. People are starving, my love. You have to go back.” He rose.

She sank. “You called me love. Do you believe in such a thing? Do you know what it is?”

“I know love is when their will outweighs your own. Their heart’s desire is over yours. You will sacrifice everything for their pleasure, their joy. Yes. I know what love is.”And I love you. Is it supposed to hurt like this?

Her eyes were shining. She sat up and got to her feet, blinking as she strode silently past him on unsteady feet.

Part of him had hoped she would stay. It was no good telling his heart to stop breaking when she had done exactly what he wished. All he could do was accompany her back to the shores of the living.

He left her rooms and tried to sound commanding. “Charon, ready your oars. We will— Where’s Seph?” Hades looked around, bewildered, his eyes clearing.

“I believe she went toward the kitchens, my lord.”

“What? No! No, Seph! Seph, don’t do it!” Decorum was forgotten. He fled through his hallowed, darkly flickering halls, screaming her name, his garments flying out behind him. He looked like a big, frantic bat. How had a half-starved goddess moved so fast?

Hades arrived just in time to knock the pomegranate out of her hand, sending seeds scattered over the floor. “Do you realize what you could have done? You could have been stuck here! You could have been damned to this realm, with me!” Hades was so angry that he grabbed her wrist and shook her, yelling loud enough that Cerberus tucked his tail in between his legs, loud enough to drown out the wishes in his wayward heart. “You have to go. I must... Imustlet you go.” He released her wrist, only for her to seize his shoulders.

She kissed him again.

He could taste it. Pomegranate. Sweet, tart, tangy, and just a little bit bitter. He drew back with a gasp of shock, looking at her bright pink lower lip. “Oh, Seph. What have you done?”

“I know what love is, too, Hades.” She bent and picked up the smashed fruit. “You’d better have Charon take me home.”

“Wh-what? Seph, you can’t leave if you—”

“Oh, I canleave—I just can’t stay away.” Her eyes were luminous, looking deep into his. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

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