Page 71 of Witch's Promise

Sean blinked, sure he must have misheard. "I'm sorry, what? Former lord of the what now?"

Marcus pulled back slightly, confusion clouding his features. "Wait, Gabe didn't tell you? Alex is Hades. Like, the actual Greek god of the underworld."

For a moment, Sean just stared at Marcus, waiting for the punchline. When it didn't come, he burst out laughing, the sound sharp and slightly hysterical in the tense atmosphere of the room.

All eyes turned to him, a mixture of confusion and concern on the faces around him. Gabe stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "Sean? What's so funny?"

Sean shook his head, trying to catch his breath. "I'm sorry, it's just... Marcus here was telling me the most ridiculous thing. He said that Alex is Hades. You know, the mythological god of the dead?" He chuckled again, but the sound died in his throat as he took in the serious expressions on everyone's faces. "Come on, guys. That's... that's not possible. Right?"

Gabe's gaze flickered to Alex, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Actually, Sean," Gabe said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, "it's true. Alex really is Hades."

Sean felt the floor drop out from under him, his mind reeling as it tried to process this information. He'd seen a lot of crazy shit in his life – hell, he could manipulate shadows with his mind – but this? This was a whole new level of insanity.

"You're joking," he said weakly, but even as the words left his mouth, he knew they weren't. The gravity in Gabe's eyes, the solemn nods from the rest of the team... this wasn't some elaborate prank.

Before Sean could fully wrap his head around what was happening, Alex moved. One moment he was across the room, the next he was standing directly in front of Sean, moving with a speed that shouldn't have been possible for someone his size.

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order," Alex said, his voice a deep rumble that Sean felt in his bones. Without warning, he reached out, pressing his palm against Sean's forehead.

The world fell away.

Images flashed before Sean's eyes, so vivid and real he could have sworn he was there. A great battle, the clash of steel and the crackle of otherworldly energy filling the air. Elysium, he realized with a start. This was the war in Elysium.

He saw Alex – no, Hades – fighting with a grace and power that defied description. Shadows danced at his command, more fluid and deadly than anything Sean had ever managed. Beside him fought a man of blinding light, his arrows finding their mark with unerring accuracy.

Apollo, Sean's mind supplied, though he had no idea how he knew.

The scene shifted, and suddenly Sean was watching a more intimate moment. Hades cradling Apollo's broken body, anguish etched into every line of his face. The light was fading from Apollo's eyes, but his hand reached up to caress Hades' cheek one last time.

"I'll find you again," Apollo whispered, his voice fading even as Sean heard it. "In another life, my love. I promise."

The vision ended as abruptly as it had begun. Sean gasped, stumbling backward as the real world reasserted itself. His legs gave out, and he would have fallen if not for Gabe's steadying hand on his arm.

"What the fuck," Sean wheezed, his heart racing. "What... what was that?"

Alex's expression was unreadable as he lowered his hand. "A glimpse into my past," he said simply, as if he hadn't just turned Sean's entire worldview upside down. "I find it's often easier to show than tell when it comes to matters of divinity."

Sean's mind whirled, trying to process everything he'd seen. The battle, the power, the heart-wrenching loss... it was almost too much to take in. And yet, as he looked at Alex now, he could see it. The ancient wisdom in his eyes, the aura of power thatseemed to bend reality around him. How had he not noticed it before?

"I didn't know you could do that," Gabe said, his voice tinged with awe and a hint of concern. "Show people your memories like that."

Alex shrugged, a surprisingly human gesture for a being Sean now knew to be anything but. "It's not an ability I use often," he explained. "It's a form of mental intrusion, after all. I generally prefer to respect the privacy of others' thoughts."

The casual way he spoke about rifling through someone's mind sent a chill down Sean's spine. If this was what Alex considered respect for privacy, he'd hate to see what happened when the gloves came off.

"So," Sean said, finally finding his voice again. "You're really... I mean, you're actually..."

"Hades," Alex finished for him, a hint of amusement coloring his tone. "Yes. Former lord of the underworld, current leader of the Shadowguards, and occasional pain in Gabe's ass."

The last part startled a laugh out of Sean, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting him full force. Here he was, standing in Gabe's living room, having just had his mind blown by the actual god of the dead. And said god was cracking jokes about being Gabe's boss.

"This is insane," Sean muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, I knew the world was weird, but this? Greek gods walking around, leading secret supernatural police forces? It's like something out of a bad urban fantasy novel."

Gabe squeezed his arm gently, a silent show of support. "I know it's a lot to take in," he said softly. "Trust me, I had a similar reaction when I first found out. But Alex... he's one of the good guys, Sean. He's saved my life more times than I can count."

Sean nodded, trying to reconcile the terrifying being he'd glimpsed in those memories with the man standing before him now. It wasn't easy, but he trusted Gabe. If Gabe said Alex was on their side, then Sean would believe him. For now, at least.

"Okay," Sean said, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I'm dealing with this. Sort of. But can someone please explain to me why the literal god of the dead is hanging out in Salem? Don't you have, I don't know, souls to judge or something?"

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