Page 2 of The Prince of Hidden Shadows
I sigh, Hermes’s statement replaying inside my head.“You’ve softened…”
“Damn right, I have, and it feels fucking good, asshole!” I bellow, breaking the peacefulness.
Steam seeps through the jagged stone as I sink deeper, the grotto hushed but for the slow drip of mineral-heavy droplets echoing off the cavern walls. There’s no sky here, no wind, no passage of time—just the familiar weight of silence pressing from all sides, endless and still. A mortal might gag on the sharp sulfur stench hanging in the air, thick and acrid, but to me it’s nothing. I remember Earth’s cold, how it gripped my skin with intent. Meanwhile, the Underworld is unchanging, absolute.
I eventually relax and return to reflecting on Zeus. Unlike him, I value faithfulness in everything I do and abide by it. Granted, he has a lot on his plate, and I respect him for it—but why cheat? He loves Hera, doesn’t he?
If you ask me, his entire existence resembles a soap opera, which I find appalling given his status.
How do I know about such mundane distractions?
My best friend, Hecate, is to blame for introducing me to oddities like talk shows, insisting it’d help me better understand humans.
Being the goddess of magic, thresholds, and shadows, she tempted me with mindless earthly pleasures. I shouldn’t say that, though. Pop culture saved me from boredom. I owe human TV for that discovery. No language issues—I dove straight into shows, movies, and music. And yeah, I’m obsessed.
That’s why I couldn’t help my bitter laugh much later when I belatedly fathomed that the king of Olympian gods pulled a Darth Vader trick on me. I’m not sure where the truth lies; I don’t remember my younger years. Could Zeus be my father? If you can call absence fatherhood. It wouldn’t make a difference anyway. I belong here. The Underworld inhabitants are my people. What matters most is that I get along with Hades, who respects me and my work here. So, I keep my visits to Olympus to a minimum—when Hera’s away on business.
“Here you are!” The feminine voice from behind startles me. I swivel my head up, shooting a sideways glance at Hecate, who’s kneeling and giggling as she ruffles my hair.
She doesn’t appear like the terrible vision that would incinerate mortal eyes—no triple-bodied deity crowned with torches or ringed in dogs. When she walks the Underworld or the Earth, she wears a shape that’s more approachable, though no less unsettling if you stare too closely. Her long black hair tumbles over one shoulder in ink-dark waves, and her eyes are a silver sopale, they almost vanish in shadow—unnerving, but not without warmth. She moves with the silent elegance of something born between worlds—willowy and fluid, yet with a quiet strength coiled beneath her tall frame. The guise she chooses today is one of deceptive softness, and still, I’ve seen her silence ghosts with a glance.
A warm smile flashes across my face. We’ve been through so much together that we embrace everything that the other has to offer—good and bad in equal measure. The naturally hot water mixed with sweat from my previous activity made my hair so damp; it’s gross, sticking to my scalp and forehead. I was intending to wash it when she caught me. Elbows hunched at the rim of the small pit, I tilt my head back, letting her have her way with me since she doesn’t seem to mind.
“Wasn’t sure if I’d find you here or sulking and looking for solace in Charon’s arms.”
“Was yesterday’s plan, minus the sulking, obviously. Hermes isn’t worth my time.”
And yet, I’ve been replaying the scene day and night.
Damn you, Hermes.
“Word travels fast in the Underworld, I see.” I sigh, frustrated that the world I live in doesn’t grant a reprieve.
“You know how he is… Hermes and his big mouth…” She trails off.
“I’m well acquainted with said mouth, thank you very much,” I grunt, then plunge further into the water. Before I’m completely immersed, I catch a glimpse of Hecate from the corner of my eye—falling onto her perfect ass, stunned—as a sharp hiss escapes her parted mouth.
“Careful, fool!”
I reappear seconds later, sliding my hands over my head to slick down my wet curls. “Enough talk about him.”
Still seated, my friend contorts to grab a towel and passes it to me as I leave the soothing thermal warmth. Nudity among us Greek gods isn’t an issue.
“Agreed… I did deposit a concoction on your nightstand. You should drink it tonight for a peaceful night.”
“Thank you, goddess of magic… I appreciate the concern.” I wink at her playfully as I put on my clothes, although my heart isn’t quite in it. “I’ll be fine. But I still don’t get it. Why does that asshole have such a grip on me?”
“Some things defy rational explanation, even among us.”
She pushes herself to stand, palms flat on the floor of the grotto, then helps me tie the knot at my waist.
“Eros says you have nothing to worry about.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? What now?”
“He told me he’d uncover your soulmate. Said he sensed something—that it won’t be long before you're reunited.”
I snort a bitter laugh as we start walking, hand in hand. “I don’t need Eros’s help to match me up with my?—”
